No, it's not cheap. I do find that I use a lot less of my Castle pre shave vs Peraso, but still, it's not that big of a difference. If you're dealing with the WAF (wife acceptance factor), the Castle products do come in lovely bottles that look nice sitting out. I'm reaching for excuses here obviously because it is quite expensive but feels oh so nice. I save my Castle products for special occasions while using the cheaper stuff for everyday shaves. My lady is buying me the Castle Forbes AFTER shave balm (Lavender) as gift...nice!