Caswell-Massey Almond Aftershave Balm

I got this in a sampler of Caswell-Massey almond shaving kit at TJ Maxx. It was $10 for some pre shave oil, shaving cream, and the aftershave balm. Now, the only aftershave balm I have had prior to this is the Nivea extra sensitive. Although, I expected all balms were pretty much the same in how they worked.

I had just finished shaving with my new CE almond shaving cream, also from TJ Maxx. I had a wonderful shave, but had also gotten pretty aggressive. So, I tried this balm, expecting to cool the burning sensation, but then I got a little shock It felt like a regular alcohol based aftershave.

When I looked at what was in it, about 6 or 7 ingredients in was listed alcohol. Something that's lacking in the Nivea. All of this doesn't mean it's bad, but if you want alcohol free, watch out! Otherwise, I think it was a decent little product. It smells great and absorbed into my skin very well. So, I'll definitely use it again, but maybe not so much next time.

Price: $9 for 2oz "squeeze" bottle, $22.50 for 6oz pump. Maybe a little on the steep side.

Quality: This seems like a very high quality aftershave made with a balanced focus betweeb the lotion and the scent qualities. The packaging is nice -- I'm certainly partial to the classy look of black old-timey looking labels. Not so sure about the 2oz bottle though -- I'm worried that it will be difficult to get the last bits out, as this balm is too thick to pour.

Fighting Razor Burn: Average. Not particularly good, but not particularly bad, especially considering the more fragrant balms I'm accustomed to are sadly lacking in this regard.

Cooling Sensation: There's really not much of a cooling, soothing quality to this aftershave at all. The moisturizing properties of this one are clearly the winner.

Scent: Really interesting. I find this balm particularly sweet and strong -- I was smelling it for several hours during my mornings, even after my 1.5 mile walk to work. Its a pleasant scent that hits you the moment you open the bottle -- no residual "oily" smell from the balm. Its altogether very fragrant. I found it pairs well with Sandalwood and other Almond shave creams.

Efficacy: Closes the pores rather well. The couple rough spots that I felt after my last rinses disappeared after I applied the aftershave.

Moisturizing: Great! Good balance between moisturizing, but not too moisturizing. The soft skin feeling lasted quite some time, and I don't like to apply a large quantity of aftershave in the morning. The scent allowed me to not overdo it, but I still got the amount of moisturizing I wanted too.

No Alcohol Burn: This is an alcohol-free aftershave.

Verdict: Good aftershave -- one to keep around if you like sweet almond scent and aren't a stickler for that cooling feeling.

Ingredients: Water, Algae Extract (Algae spp), Red Algae Gel (Rhodophyta), Jojoba Oil (Simmondsia Chiensis), Shea Butter (Butyrospermum Parkii), Cetyl Alcohol, Gryceryl Stearate, Peg-100 Stearate, Glycerine, Decyl Glucoside, Cyclomethicone, Dimethicone, Glucoside, Cyclomethicone, Dimethicone, Laminaria (Kelp), Wheat Amino Acides, Chamomile (Anthemis Nobilis) Extract, Gingko Biloba Extract, Ascorbyl Glucosamine, Calendula (Calendula Officinalis) Extract, Horsetail (Equisetum Arvense) Extract, Nori Extract (Porphyra), Glycosaminoglycans, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Ethylparaben, Butylparaben, Propylparaben, Isobutylparaben, BHA, Benzaldehyde, Almond Fragrance (Parfum).

(Does not contain animal ingredients; not tested on animals)

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