Shaving is something virtually all men hate. It always is a tedious process and it hurts. However, Gillette’s blades and shave gels have always made shaving a little less painful and a little more enjoyable. It’s kind of funny, the majority of guys enjoy being clean shaven, but hate to shave!:-)
We all know Gillette’s world famous slogan, "The best a man can get, " but does this still remain true after all of these years? The answer is YES! Gillette merged into Proctor and Gamble in 1995 and still has the world’s best shaving razors and very good shaving creams/gels. In the United States, Gillette has faced stiff competition from Edge, a shaving gel manufactured by SC Johnson, and from Schick Razors. Personally, Edge’s gel tends to be smoother and gives a better shave than Gillette’s, but Gillette’s razors remain on top.
The Gillette Razors:
The Fusion: a five-bladed razor with unique features, such as a precision trimming blade, a spring-loaded blade, and extra micro-fins for the ultimate shave. Currently not released in India.
The Mach 3 Turbo: An enhanced version of the Mach 3 released in India in 2003, with extra lubricating strips and a spring-loaded blade to provide a better shave.
The Mach 3: Released in India in 2000, featured a revolutionary 3 blade system, which allowed for far closer shaves in less time.
The Sensor Excel: Released in India in 1997, an advanced update for Gillette’s popular Sensor blade system. This blade featured a better spring-loaded architecture and more lubricating strips.
*My experiences with Gillette Razors:
*From the days I started shaving, I always enjoyed Gillette’s razors because they provided the best shaves and the blades were long lasting. I still use the Sensor Excel because my lip is a little too small for the Mach 3. The original Sensor while good, was notorious for giving people deep nicks and cuts. To fix the problem, the Sensor Excel featured more springs and lubricating strips. The nice thing about Gillette is that once you buy the razor, you will only have to replace the blades every couple of weeks. The razor, itself, will last many years. The Sensor Excel was a vast improvement from the old Sensor, but still requires you to be careful because if you’re not you will get cut and nicked. The Mach 3 was much better in this regard because even if you accidentally shaved roughly or quickly, nothing would happen.
*The Gillette Shave Creams/Gels:
*To date, Gillette has created several shave creams/gels, although their market dominance hasn’t been nearly as much as the Gillette razors.
Gillette Foamy:
Originally created in the 1990s, this unique shaving cream came out as a rich foam and lathered instantly. Was probably the best for many years.
Gillette Series Gels/Foams:
In 1997, Edge was introduced in America and the UK. This was the first ever shave gel, which came in a long tube and, instead, of releasing a soft foam, released a concentrated gel, which could be lathered into a rich foam on the face. Edge proved to be vastly superior than Gillette foamy because the gel allowed for a more concentrated mixture of lubricants and cleaners to be used. To counter, Edge’s rise on the market, Gillette release a new brand of shave foams/gels known as Gillette Series. The Gillette Series products also came a long cylindrical tube, instead, of a wide cylindrical can. The Gillette Series foams were supposedly richer and creamier than the Gillette foamy products and the Gillette Series Gels were supposed to be exactly like Edge’s gels, thick and rich to provide the best shave possible.
*Shave Creams/Gels vs. Soap and Water:
*Before Shave creams and gels were invented, the most common lubricant used for shaving was soap. Soap would help clean the skin and would provide a slight lubricating effect to allow the blades to cut the beard smoothly. The problem with soap and water is that it often left people’s faces very dry and didn’t provide enough lubrication, so cuts and nicks were common. Shave creams/gels contain cleansers, which help rid skin of dirt and oil and vast amount of lubricants to moisturize the beard, so that the blades will be able to cut smoothly. Shave gels tend to be more concentrated and provide a better shave than shave foams.
Gillette Shave Gel tubes:
An ultra concentrated shave gel that comes in a tube foam. If you buy this product it’s absoloutely necessary to use a shave brush.
*My experiences:
*Gillette foamy comes for about Rs. 90/- for a 200 mL can. The product is probably the best shave foam on the market as it’s richer than Palmolive’s and is a very good value. I would say that Gillette Foamy is equal to Old Spice’s shaving cream.
The Gillette Series Foams are horrible, as their foam is light and airy and doesn’t provide a smooth and comfortable shave. On the other hand, the Gillette Series Gels are pretty good, as they provide a nice concentrated gel, which lathers very nicely for a fairly comfortable shave. When I’m in the US, I still prefer Edge shave gel over Gillette’s Gel because Edge has more lubricants, but in India there’s nothing better than the Gillette series gels. Both the Gillette Series Foam and the Gillette Series Gels come in similar looking tubes, so be careful, which one you buy. Gillette Foamy is made in India, and the Gillette Series products are imported from the UK. Even though I like the Gillette Series Gels, at Rs. 225/- for a 200 mL can, I’m not convinced that they are good value.
*Aftershave:
*One thing few men realize is that shaving leaves small cuts in your face. That’s why after shaving your face burns. The problem is that these cuts often don’t heal in a day and many men continue to shave over them, which aggravates the problem. Eventually, large holes form and your face gets a punctured look. This is a very common problem in India. That’s where aftershave comes in. Aftershaves basically contain a large amount of alcohol to help heal those small cuts and close your pores, so that your face continues to look its best. While Gillette Series aftershaves are expensive, Rs. 200/-, they are very good and come in many different fragrances. Old Spice’s after shaves are also very good.
*Shaving Technique:
*To get the best shave, I would recommend applying a lotion or a cream to your face before going to bed. This way in the morning your beard is softer. Before shaving I would recommend washing your face for a minute for with hot water. Even though Gillette Series products claim that you don’t need to use a brush, I still do because the brush helps soften and raise the hairs, so you get a better shave. Remember to always use plenty of shave cream/gel and use short strokes with your razor. Always rinse the blade after a few strokes, so that the blade won’t get clogged with shaving cream/gel. Once finished, wash your face and wipe clean. Remember to use aftershave.
*Final Thoughts:
*This review was kind of difficult to write because what can you really say about shaving cream/razors, they are what they are. Anyway, I hope that this review will be a helpful evaluation of the Gillette brand and as always, comments and rating are greatly appreciated.
Copyright 2009 rohank4284 and mouthshut.com