Item Description
The Tabac Original after shave balm does not seem to be as popular as the Tabac Original after shave lotion. While I can buy it over the counter where I live (Netherlands), the large drug store chains don't seem to carry it. Look for it in smaller, independent drug stores.
The product is a white balm which also contains 22% alcohol; it has the good properties of an alcohol-based after shave (nice burning sensation, disinfecting the skin) but it does not leave the skin dry, tight and with a "tugging" sensation, something which I do get with alcohol-based splashes.
It comes in a white tube which stands on its head. The cap doesn't pop open but screws off (see picture here); a pop-open cap would have been more convenient.
It cost me € 11.95 for 75 ml, which is a bit more expensive than e.g. the Body Shop balm which comes in 100 ml tubes for about the same price.
The scent is not unpleasant. It's "barbershoppy", not very similar to the Tabac shaving soap in my experience. It's subdued, but it lingers a little longer than I would like, I could still catch a whiff every now and then two hours after my shave.
If you normally use an alcohol-based splash followed by a balm, you could use just this balm as an alternative, as it combines the best of a splash and a balm in a single product. Highly recommended.
Edit. The pictures I attached to this review did not show up, so I attached them to this post in the After Shaves forum.
Addendum. Seven hours after my shave, I received a (female) compliment on how nice and masculine I smelled. This stuff lasts a LOT longer than I would have thought. Well, that's not necessarily a bad thing. I'll just have to adjust my expectations, i.e. forgo my cologne if I use this.
The product is a white balm which also contains 22% alcohol; it has the good properties of an alcohol-based after shave (nice burning sensation, disinfecting the skin) but it does not leave the skin dry, tight and with a "tugging" sensation, something which I do get with alcohol-based splashes.
It comes in a white tube which stands on its head. The cap doesn't pop open but screws off (see picture here); a pop-open cap would have been more convenient.
It cost me € 11.95 for 75 ml, which is a bit more expensive than e.g. the Body Shop balm which comes in 100 ml tubes for about the same price.
The scent is not unpleasant. It's "barbershoppy", not very similar to the Tabac shaving soap in my experience. It's subdued, but it lingers a little longer than I would like, I could still catch a whiff every now and then two hours after my shave.
If you normally use an alcohol-based splash followed by a balm, you could use just this balm as an alternative, as it combines the best of a splash and a balm in a single product. Highly recommended.
Edit. The pictures I attached to this review did not show up, so I attached them to this post in the After Shaves forum.
Addendum. Seven hours after my shave, I received a (female) compliment on how nice and masculine I smelled. This stuff lasts a LOT longer than I would have thought. Well, that's not necessarily a bad thing. I'll just have to adjust my expectations, i.e. forgo my cologne if I use this.