December 21, 2004

Review of Total Shaving Solution's Shaving Oil

I got my free sample of Total Shaving Solution's shaving oil a few weeks ago and I've used it a few times now. Overall review - eh. It's fine. It gets the job done. But it wasn't a vastly different shaving experience, and quite frankly, I can't say for sure what it does.

There's a big leap of faith to begin with. You're supposed to use very little of it. Three drops to be exact. And when I say three drops I mean imagine yourself putting three tiny drops of anything on your hand and then convincing yourself that that's enough to give you a smooth shave. Faith. Maybe I don't have it. In later shaves I may have sinned when I went to five and six drops. You have to have faith that this tiny amount of oil you're putting on your hand is enough to create a smooth coating over your beard. In the end, I didn't.

One of their claims is that the shaving oil goes on clear so that you can see your skin and avoid any nicks or cuts you already have. The flip-side to this is that when you initially put it on your face you don't know for sure that you've got an even covering. Perhaps shaving companies should be inspired by the ceiling paint which goes on pink but dries white.

For the record I shaved with a Mach3 Power with Mach3 Turbo cartridges. This is a wet shave, so you wet your face, smooth the oil on, and then they recommend wetting your face again before you start. I tried shaving with new and slightly used cartridges - I usually get four to five shaves per cartridge. Again, the shave was fine, but nothing that new. I know some people who shave without shaving cream, their reasoning being that the little strip of aloe and soap on the razor cartridge is all you need. I don't quite buy this, and I couldn't help wondering if I were approximating that type of shave with a microscope layer of oil on my face.

I will say one thing for the Total Shaving Solution shaving oil. It'll make you smell like a man. None of this fancy eucalyptus, menthol, or coconut crap. A couple drops of that oil and you are the fucking man. Look out ladies.

Read More in: Shaving Creams & Gels | Shaving Oils