Item Description
I got this when I first got into wetshaving figuring that anything that added to the softening and lubricating of the beard would make for a better shave. As with 66.6% of the preshaves I've tried (2 out of 3), this really doesn't do anything for the shave.
The gel comes in a small plastic puck as shown below
nothing special about the packaging, but it fits the bill. When you open the preshave you get a clear amber gel that smells primarily of rosemary.
according to classicshaving.com, you're supposed to apply to the beard and let it soak in for 2 minutes while you're whipping up lather, loading your blade, etc. Then apply shaving cream (it is safe for brushes, the primary reason I tried it). When you put it on, it's got a slight warming sensation, which makes me think it most likely has some pepper in it, but besides that, any improvement you might get I would think would be a placebo affect from adding one more component to your shave. I used it the first two weeks I had it, thought it was fantastic because my shaves were so good, then forgot to pack it when I went on the road, and still got great shaves with just cream and ASB. At that point I decided to give the proraso pre-post a whirl, and noticed that it did soften my hairs quite a bit more, as my shave became much quieter. I then went back to the Taylor's and definitely noticed an increase in the sound (louder) and feel (tougher). As far as I'm concerned, pre-shaves are pretty much an unnecessary luxury, and I wouldn't go spending $19.99 on something that slightly warms your face and adds another step to your shave. If you want to try a pre-shave, I'd go with proraso as it is much cheaper, does soften the hair a bit, and gives you that great cool tingly feeling on your face. Pass on the Taylor's herbal pre-shave gel.
The gel comes in a small plastic puck as shown below
nothing special about the packaging, but it fits the bill. When you open the preshave you get a clear amber gel that smells primarily of rosemary.
according to classicshaving.com, you're supposed to apply to the beard and let it soak in for 2 minutes while you're whipping up lather, loading your blade, etc. Then apply shaving cream (it is safe for brushes, the primary reason I tried it). When you put it on, it's got a slight warming sensation, which makes me think it most likely has some pepper in it, but besides that, any improvement you might get I would think would be a placebo affect from adding one more component to your shave. I used it the first two weeks I had it, thought it was fantastic because my shaves were so good, then forgot to pack it when I went on the road, and still got great shaves with just cream and ASB. At that point I decided to give the proraso pre-post a whirl, and noticed that it did soften my hairs quite a bit more, as my shave became much quieter. I then went back to the Taylor's and definitely noticed an increase in the sound (louder) and feel (tougher). As far as I'm concerned, pre-shaves are pretty much an unnecessary luxury, and I wouldn't go spending $19.99 on something that slightly warms your face and adds another step to your shave. If you want to try a pre-shave, I'd go with proraso as it is much cheaper, does soften the hair a bit, and gives you that great cool tingly feeling on your face. Pass on the Taylor's herbal pre-shave gel.