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I recently was given an Art Of Shaving no scent balm and loved it. It left my face with a nice sheen (I like AS/Balms that leave the face somewhat slick looking vs. dry). This was my first upscale type balm. Are there better rated balms out there?
Thanks in advance.
Personnaly I have no experience with any Art of Shaving balms at all but I need to say that the selection of an after shave splash or balm is very individualistic and only you can decide which is the best formula for you. Before settling on Cluman Pinaud I must have tried thirty different after shaves and balms to decide what you like. The fact that one balm is higher rated than another one should not make any difference to you as far as your selection of an after shave. You will need to try some of each in order to make that determination.
The Shave Den Aftershave Milk is fantastic--soothing and quickly absorbed. Available in a ridiculous number of scents. Well priced.
The Nivea Sensitive Extra Soothing ASB is also very very good, and again, well priced.
Those are the best two I've found. Better than The Gentleman's Refinery, better than ANHERB, better than any of the Japanese products I've tried.
Skip the Nivea Replenishing ASB, it's not that great smelling and it stings just as much as alcohol splash ASs. I got less irritation from AoS Pre-Shave oil and a Boss AS.
I would also say Nivea sensitive after shave balm..It doesnt contain any alcohol..it does sting a little but not mutch and it does the job at a low price also.
I have also used Biotherm's aftershave balm reparateur..I think it was good but I like Nivea better beacuse of the price. Also Boitherm leaves a little sticky feel which Nivea doesn't..but maybe thats what you wanted.
Lycka till!
AOS ASB makes me break out.
Kiehl's ASB is really nice, as is their shea butter men's facial moisurizer.
I like just using drugstore aloe vera.
Nancy Boy ASBs are very nice, and they are basically sooped up aloe vera.
Pre de Provence ASB is awesome and cooling, but doesn't go very far. I plan to try Institut Karite ASB sometime.
As I am new to the Straight world, I wonder if you would consider Mama Bear's After Shave Milk a balm? I recently purchased this and WOW does it have a kick. I'm partial to menthol and this really does it.
Cheers
I'm starting to wonder if I wasn't too quick to discard this product. Since it's only 1/10 of the price of my CK AS, it might not be that bad. Still, do skip it if you're looking for something gentle since it's alcohol based and therefore stings just as much as any other AS. It also takes a couple of minutes to completely absorb into the skin...Quote:
Originally Posted by Stuggi
I guess everyone will list their favorites. Musgo Real is very nice stuff. It contains some beeswax and is great for protection in the sun and dry conditions, softens the skin and nice light sent. Castle Forbes is very nice also. It contains no alcohol, is witchazel based.
Nivea Extreme Comfort is just about the best I've tried so far, real smooth and nice feeling, doesn't make a mess, doesn't smell much, and doesn't contain alcohol... :)
I'm going to downplay the upscale balms for a more humble, but no less important, balm provided by www.emsplace.com. Her aftershave balm, in terms of effect on your face, is unmatched. It's economical, and calms razor burn instantly. I think of it as facial morphine, and she offers it in a number of scents. I liked bay rum.
Don
I also use the Nivea Extra Sensitive balm. I haven't tried too many others since this one works very well for me. I have sensitive skin, and it's pretty dry up here in the winter. It's got a very mild scent and is absorbed quickly.
+1 on that..and it's cheap I can get a bottle for 39 swedish kronor about 3.50 euros/ $4.60Quote:
Originally Posted by holli4pirating
Mr. Taylor Aftershave Balm from TOBS is my favorite so far. It has no alcohol and contains aloe vera which is very soothing to the skin.
I really enjoy the C&E Sienna. Feels great. Smells great. Ladies like it:tu
Art of Shaving Lavender Aftershave balm in my favorite and I have tried famin balms.
MikeB
First choice for off the shelf, non-oily and nice feel after application is Nivea for Men Sensitive After Shave Extra Soothing Balm.
No alcohol. Faint scent.
First choice, when I can find it, is Lumene Skin Tech. It contains no alcohol, is not greasy, and goes a long way. No scent. However, I have trouble finding it. But it is worth the search.
Roger
the gentleman's refinery aftershave balm...awesome but a little pricey...a little goes a long way...
The nivea sensitive after shave balm is now called nivea sensitive post shave balm and comes in different packaging. I compared the ingredients and they are identical (at least, they are listed in the same order on the package). I've also noticed no difference in the product between the two. They both work great!
Another tip for this stuff, since it's basically unscented, is to add some essential oil to it. So far I've tried lime and a lemon / lime combo. I ended up with 30 drops total to a full bottle, but I would add 10 drops at a time and see how you like it. The lime makes the stuff smell just like fresh squeezed limes! As a small disclaimer, you may want to try a very small portion of the balm with a couple drops of the EO just to make sure that you don't have any reactions to the EO before you scent the whole bottle. I haven't had any reactoins and I don't know of anyone who has, but it's better safe than sorry!
+1 to the Nivea Extra Sensitive Balm. White bottle with white cap.
Yup. I was going to treat myself to some Trumpers Skin Food, but did some research and found that many think the Nivea balm is nearly as good for a whole lot less money, so as long as I still have some I won't be buying anything else.Quote:
Originally Posted by sparq
I'm too lazy to type in the full name so see this picture, top right:
http://www.g-ray.co.uk/pictures/lathbowl.JPG
When I started to shave 35 years ago, all aftershaves were based on alcohol, now almost no one. The problem is to know who suits the best for each of us: this is a quite personal choice!
I am newcomer to straigtshaving, but when I found the Trumpers skin food I thought nothing better could exist!
But I may be wrong: next time I will try this Nivea product.
Thanks for the advice.
JoseR
I recently tried a line called NXT I believe. Kind of gimmicky with it's lights in the base and all but it was on sale at my local CVS the other day so I picked up the After shave gel and the lotion.
It's pretty good, burns a little from the alcohol but within a few minutes there is no irritation.
As has been said, try em all and decide what you like. I have several I alternate between right now. :D
Eventually I want to drop the money and get some of the T&H balms. I got the free sampler of colognes and their scents are amazing.
Geo.F. Trumper..................Coral Skin Food..................Good Stuff.........Mild Scent.......:tu
It's not as good as Skin Food...................
+1 on the Trumpers Skin Food. I use the Sandalwood version almost daily.
An often overlooked shave balm is Mama Bears. Great stuff and you can add the fragrance of your choice for a measly 2 bucks...and this includes the ones listed in the "mens cologne favorites" section. If you want the benefit of a balm while smelling like you just splashed on some Green Irish Tweed without spending over a C-note this is a pretty good deal. :rock:
Going to mention just three:
Trumper's Skin Food. The Coral one. I swear by it and just keep returning to it. Not very moisturising in extremely cold and dry conditions.
Korres Marigold and Ginseng after shave balm. Got my first pack of this and used it up like a moisturiser. Now I miss it a lot. It's very mild and the smell is so gentle it goes nicely with a lot of soaps and/or creams. Has anyone on these forums apart from me ever used this?
Korres also do the more well-known Borage anti-shine moisturiser. I include this as a balm as it works a treat in very cold and dry conditions. Very moisturising indeed for my normal/dry combination skin.
444 Aftershave balm from VintageScent. Great stuff with a dose of menthol that invigorates and cools. Thanks to Jordan for the heads up on this excellent balm.
Dannyr:tu
I concur that the Nivea aftershave balm is good. It sooths and is not too greasy. Nice scent, very subtle. I use the sensitive skin product.
I also use Loreal aftershave balm. I haven't seen any other posts recomending this, but it moisturizes, has a nice scent, and is cheap (comparable to the Nivea). It also has a SPF 15 sunscreen. It seems a little oilier than the Nivea balm and may not be for those who dislike a "greasy" finish.
By the way, I typically use an alum block before applying either--the alum is the real aftershave, anything after that is really just to moisturize and smell good.
I just tried Woody's Rescue Post Shave and it rocks as an after shave balm.
Good stuff!
Lynn
If it makes your face shine, then it's oily, and I don't want any part of it.
I can't believe no one has mentioned BRUT ASB. I'm a huge Brut scent fan, but it flat out beats Nivea, no contest.
I just love the 444 ASB, Before it I never could use alcohol based ASS, but mixed with 444, no problemo :)
Hell yeah, man! Brut is awesome. The scent has grown on me, but like it or not, it doesn't last long (which can be a good thing with balms). I use it daily as a moisturizer, shave or no shave.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ecosse
St. Charles Shave bay rum ASB is also good stuff– stings slightly though.
Lastly, the SRP limited edition tobacco ASB in the group buy is pretty amazing as well. I use that one for 'special' days.
I've been using the Jason (oddly accented, can't find the umlot key) Brand organic aftershave from a health food store in a mall here. Aloe base with all kinds of stuff in it. seems to be working well and $7 per bottle, it was worth the try.