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Shaving | BirchBox Monthly | Tips for Grooms

Shaving, oh shaving.  I hate shaving.  If it were up to me, I would just grow a beard and call it a day.  Alas, having a beard is a whole different game.  Anyways, I prefer having some scruff.  A little stubble didn’t hurt anyone.  This month Birchbox took it to ten.  The box that they sent me this month had a razor alongside with all sorts of other goodies in order to provide the perfect shaving experience.

“The box that they sent me this month had a razor alongside with all sorts of other goodies in order to provide the perfect shaving experience.”

This month’s theme is “Best in Show”, which kind of makes sense that a man should have a clean shave.  Shaving and missing a couple of spots or irritating the skin because of low quality equipment and lotions simply sucks.  As mentioned in the past, I have very sensitive skin.  I switched from using a traditional manual razor to an electric razor.  Without getting to nitty and gritty with the details, a traditional manual razor removes the first layer of skin on your face.  If you have sensitive skin, then you start to get red blotches and soon after your face looks like it has eczema.  About two years ago, I switched to the electric razor.  It’s a more expensive initial investment, but overall it’s definitely worth it.  My skin loves it.  Simply put, it’s a great shaving experience.  I still need to moisturize my face here and there, but it’s nowhere near as beat up as it used to be.

“About two years ago, I switched to the electric razor.  It’s a more expensive initial investment, but overall it’s definitely worth it.  My skin loves it.  Simply put, it’s a great shaving experience.”

Below is a picture of everything that I got in the box.  If I was a traditional shaver, then I’d love this box.  In fact, I still love it.  Everything that was in it was well worth the $20 I pay a month for them.  The razor alone is worth $10.  Add the other samples and the extra razors that are added into the box, and you’re golden.

BirchBox JulyShaving

1. Ursa Major | Fantastic Face Wash | $26

I’ve used this for the past week.  A very, very unique face wash.  It isn’t that the other one’s in the past have been bad, but this one leaves your face feeling refreshed.  The rosemary and fir in the face wash make you feel amazing.  The package says to use it twice a day, but I’m not sure if that’s really needed.  I used it once a day and it left me feeling awesome.  It  also exfoliates a little.  It isn’t really meant to be an exfoliate, but it helps a little after shaving.

Would I buy this on my own?  No.  I wouldn’t purchase it on my own.
Is it a good product?  Yes.  Personally, I prefer other products, but that’s just me.

2. Baxter of California | Oil Free Moisturizer | $22

I’ve only used this a few times here and there.  My face has somewhat become accustomed to a select few moisturizers that actually work well.  That being said, I can say that this one is actually really good.  It’s a plant based moisturizer that has hints of green tea extract.  This seems to either be a trend or has some sort of scientific back up.  I personally love the whole green tea extract bit.  It seems to work, especially after a close shave.  In the past I’ve used other moisturizers that have left my face feeling oily and later on caused my face to get oily after a little sweat.  This one, on the other hand, simply doesn’t.  I’ve used it in the past and it seems to be working well.

Would I buy this on my own?  Yes.  I think it’s up there with Bill Jealousy Combination Code Face Moisturizer.
Is it a good product?  Heck yes.  I would highly recommend this to anyone that has a sensitive face.

3. Proraso | Liquid After Shave Cream | $16

When shaving, after shave is oh so crucial.  After beating the heck out of your skin, you want to go ahead and insure that it will make a smooth recovery.  If not, you’ll get ingrown hairs, shave bumps, and ultimately bad skin.  The beauty about after shave is that, for the most part, it leaves your face feeling cool (to counter act the “heat” from your shave). This blend uses witch hazel and eucalyptus which smell awesome.

Would I buy this on my own?  Yes.
Is it a good product?  Yes.  I haven’t really had any issues with it since I got the sample.

4. V76 by Vaughn | Energizing Conditioner + Energizing Shampoo | $24 and $23

Funny enough, this has nothing to do with shaving, but I do wash the little hair that I have.  I approach new shampoos and conditioners with caution.  Anyways, this combination smells awesome.  There’s hints of peppermint in the blend that go really well together.  It creates a tingling sensation when you use the shampoo.  I’m a big fan of the way it feels and smells.  That being said, I would rather stick to what my head has gotten used to.

Would I but it?  No.  Again, I’ve gotten used to a certain combination and I’m going to stick to it.
Is it a good product?  Yup.  I recommend this to anyone.  It’s definitely worth it in my eyes.

5. Harry’s | Truman Razor | $10

Each month, I get some “full-size” product that comes in with the rest of the box.  This month it was a traditional razor.  That being said, I’m very impressed with the build quality.  It doesn’t have the fancy doohickeys that are found on the Gillette Fusion or Schick Quatro or Hydro.  It’s a simply razor that, from the looks of it, can provide an adequate shave.  The other thing that impressed be about Harry’s is the fact that they also threw in four free blades that could be ordered from the website.  That’s pretty awesome, if I do say so myself.  I checked out the website and they seem like a cool shaving company.  I’m a fan.

Would I buy it?  No.
Is it a good product?  Yes.  I would give this to the anyone that is a daily or every other day shaver.  The weekly shaver might want something else.

6. V76 By Vaughn | Lip Balm 76 | $13

I hate having chapped lips.  If you asked me to empty my pockets, I’ll probably have some sort of lip balm on hand.  Typically, it’s Burt’s Bees.  I eagerly tried this lip balm to moment that I opened the BirchBox.  I was surprised at how quickly it applied and how long it lasted.  The shea, jojoba, and cocoa blend beautifully to create a long lasting and moisturizing lip balm.  There isn’t that much that this has to do with shaving, but it’s still nice to have.  The only thing that I wasn’t a fan of is the price, sincerely.  Everything else about this product is amazing.

Would I buy it?  No.  $13 for lip balm is ridiculous.  Do girls normally pay this much for stuff?
Is it a good product?  Definitely, but that price. Oh well.

All in all, this month was pretty awesome.  I wouldn’t mind getting a box like this every month.  The amount of products alongside with some extra goodies (four razors) is pretty awesome.  I’ll post August’s box.  Can’t wait to see what I’ll be getting next.

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