Lush Razorantium : a great brushless cream

I went with my wife and kids to the mall, a trip I usually try to avoid. However, after finding a new hobby (DE shaving), I thought I'd try to find some free swag to sample. First stop: my daughter's new fav soap shop, Lush. I asked if they had any men's products, and the salesgirl showed me the three shaving creams they offer. After smelling (smokey? patchouli? - I don't get orange at all, though it is in the list of ingredients) the latherless creams , I elected not to buy any. Also, I have used King of Shaves gel before with poor results (whiskers left everywhere!), and figured the result would be the same. My wife suggested I try a sample and I begrudgingly asked for one. The young lady was happy to get me a sample of Razorantium and Shave the Planet. Wow, was I surprised. I rubbed a thin layer on my face, going ATG to help stand the whiskers up. The razor glided easily over my face. Many reviews claim the cream clogs the razor, but my 34C cleared easily with a swish in the sink. You'll find lines of the cream in the sink as it comes off much in the same form as it goes on. I imagine it is due to the parabens in it. The best part of the product is the moisturizing. I had a close shave with NO irritation (coconut butter and other oils?). My skin is super soft and smooth post-shave. I haven't had this result (irritation free and well moisturized) from any other shaving cream or soap. If they could improve the smell and decrease the price a bit, I'd get this in the rotation for the day after a rough shave. Very soothing.

Talking to my girlfriend you would think LUSH was a cult. My bathroom looks like the inside of the store. Needless to say I eventually dipped my finger into there "boy stuff". I am not really impressed.

First off, I think it is beginning shave level product.

Second off, I give this a better ranking because anyone on this site will probably need to start with this because it is specifically designed for thicker more course stubble.

Why do I give it a high ranking? Here is what needs to be considered. It should be judged on it's own playing field. It's not a brush shaving cream. In fact even when applied by hand it doesn't lather at all. It's creamy goop. I will tell you this, it is incredibly nice for short trips.

If you can do without the whole shebang (brush, warm lather, towel, etc) while you are on a short trip out of town, then this is the stuff for you. It takes up next to no room in your dope kit AND it can be used to shave with, then applied as an aftershave, THEN I use it in my hair. I can't speak for you but that impresses the hell out of me. Sometimes I even use it as a simple moisturizer before I hit the sack (if I am suffering from the cold winter or treating a sun burn for example.)

I'm a huge fan of Lush, from shampoo to bath ballistics, and I had hoped that their shaving creams (despite various reviews) would offer me a decent travel-friendly shaving option. How wrong I was.

My first surprise was the scent; I love how most of their products smell and my spirits lift when I walk past the shop and get a whiff, but this is just kind of funky. It has some sort of orange thing in it, but I think they could've chosen a better accompaniment to the underlying smell of the product.

Now on to the nitty gritty, or nubby stubbly perhaps. The main complaint I have is that I am left with stubble after using the stuff - Nice fresh blade in my razor, my usual shaving method, but very poor results. I did manage to clear some patches, but mostly it was rather a failure on that score.

It did little to lubricate or soften and I feel this was hadrly better than using a dry razor! Alright, it helped the razor to move over my skin more smoothly, but not like a lather does and its supposed stubble-softening characteristics were not apparent to me. What's more, despite employing my usual technique, I ended up with so many cuts it looked as though a layer of skin had been removed!

I suspect, however, that had I been better able to rinse my razor I may have done better. The fact is that the stuff is so thick (and remember - non lathering!) that it clogged. It can be wiped out, but obviously the blade is going to cut whatever you wipe it with.

The price is fairly high in its own right, this I expect from Lush because usually it's worth the money, but for this it was simply unfitting. The packaging is immaterial (and normal for Lush).

The only pros it has are these: It does leave my skin (what remains of it) reasonably moisturised and I can be sure that no animal testing or products were utilised in its development or manufacture. Now the second one is a big point but if that's what you're looking for and you want a decent shave, go to the Body Shop!