Words by Charlie Britton
Shaving for some can be a monotonous everyday task. It’s often shrugged off on weekends, leaving boys and gentlemen sporting hangover stubble for a Sunday lunch with the in-laws. Fear not, there are a vast majority of well kept modern men who take pride in their appearance, and the journey to reaching optimum handsomeness is one that is well enjoyed. That’s where The Personal Barber comes in.
The Personal Barber is a subscription service born and raised here in the UK, ensuring the gentlemen of today are provided with some of the finest shaving products to date, month by month. Not only are you lavished with an array of fine smelling oils, balms, creams and soaps, but you are equipped with a stainless steel old school safety razor and shaving brush to match.
Now don’t be off-put by the word ‘subscription’. Just like your streaming service, TV and mobile phone contract, The Personal Barber provides you with a product you inevitably need, even if you sport a beard from time to time. You will receive a variety of products each month, from new soaps and shaving creams, to pre’ and post-shave products and of course, new double edged razor blades.
Each month, the variety of pre and post shave products will change, ensuring your experience differs from the last. You are spoiled with the fuss free ability to try out new products, scents and smells, and experiment with routines that best suit you and your shaving affair.
I speak to the gentlemen out there from experience, as a qualified barber myself, I can definitely recommend products and practices that actually work, and this is one of them. I was impressed with the Personal Barber’s choice of products as they have focused on the experience for their customers in regards with providing the right tools for the job. The box is well presented and the products inside are appealing from the get go. The moisturiser and face scrub I received smell fantastic, and the safety razor and shaving brush look and feel great. I would love to see a slight improvement with the brush itself, although this could push up the price, so I understand why they’ve included the one they have, and I can assure you it’s more then up for task. The blades are standard stainless steel double edged blades and they are exactly what you’d expect for an old school razor. They are extremely sharp and fine, so I can ensure they are perfect for a clean shave.
I was excited to test these products, and I wanted to try them as any customer would, so I followed the instruction leaflets included in the box which mark out each step in detail. The instructions were very well written and I cannot fault the processes which these advise you take when shaving with these products.
My experience with the box was fantastic. The safety razor is extremely well built, and ensures for a nick-free shave, of course on the basis that it’s used correctly. The shaving cream lathered up very well, and it provided for a very comfortable shave. The moisturiser and face wash, by a brand named Morgan’s, were probably my favourite products in the box. They are lovely and smooth, smell fantastic and work very well, and I’m quite excited to see what’s in store for next month’s box.
If you’re supporting Movember this month and don’t think this is quite suitable just yet, fear not, The Personal Barber has a special box this month, including moustache related products as well as the usual shaving gear. They’ll soon have gift options available too, so this might be the perfect gift for someone special this Christmas.
Overall, this is definitely something I would recommend. It presents the handsome side to shaving, something that’s been lost through mainstream marketing over time. It returns shaving to its once respected position, and it’s something we should all most definitely take pride in. Albert Einstein once said, ‘Why is it I always get my best ideas while shaving?’, and to be quite honest, I’ve asked myself that question many of times and still haven’t the slightest idea.
Find out more over at The Personal Barber.
