The illustrious Trumper Skinfood (Coral)

I just tried this for the first time this morning, and I really like it. I used a Cobra Classic razor, and after rubbing a few drops of Coral Skinfood on, it felt like I never shaved! It does have an odd tacky feel for a few minutes afterward, but that goes away, and the smell can also be described as "odd": at times, very rosy and nice, at other times sort of chemical-ly and like Froot Loops. But it wears away pretty quickly and leaves the skin feeling moisturized and taut.

There is no alcohol, so that is a plus, and while there are menthol crystals, its not very mentholated and didn't seem to cause any "red cheek flareups" that something like Proraso caused. I think this is the beginning of a beautiful relationship!

This is good stuff and fits neither into the after shave or after shave balm category. It is a unique product and different from many out there. Trumpers seem to have created a 3rd way for post shave products. The smell, well, its rose, plain and simple and if you like roses then this is a damn fine product. There are 2 others from the trumpers stable, Lime and sandalwood but it's this one that receives the most chatter. The plus points are that you need a small amount, it soothes and kills any razor burn immediately. It is not easily absorbed and leaves a fine layer of film on the skin which serves to protect the whole day. Don't pour too much or you will have problems as your skin cannot absorb much more than a thimble full. If you are a dedicated after shave balm user then you will feel that your skin has not been moisturised, and this is probably true. There is a subtle difference between moisturising and protecting.

Summing up, this product is one of those that you either have in your collection, or you dont. I have it and use it from time to time. I actually keep it in the fridge (next to the cranberry juice!) and when applied cold, the benefits are far greater.

Based on the sampler I got from GfT (which, by the way, lasts way longer than the shaving cream sampler... I'm just sayin'), this stuff is excellent.

Price: A little goes a long, long way - so I think it's a decent value

Quality: This is a subjective opinion rating - kind of an overall rating. I just think it's very, very good - but not quite perfect, you know?

Fights Razor Burn: The testament to this was the time that I dulled the edge of my straight with poor stropping technique. I was feelin' some burn, but skin food put the brakes on that.

Cooling Sensation: A tiny bit on the light side in terms of cooling, but a very comfortable amount for daily use. I can't use Proraso every day, but this stuff, I could.

Scent: Floral/Rosey, sure. Not my typical cup of tea, but it grows on me. Purely subjective, of course. Not super strong, which is appropriate for an AS.

Efficacy: Overall, it is very effective.

Moisturizing: Alright, but not great. By no means greasy on my face - PS, if it's greasy on you, you're probably using a bit too much, IMO. I was surprised at how little I needed.

No Alcohol Burn: Next to none on my face. Of course, I hit it with a cold water rinse and an alum block first, so maybe that's why.

In general, I'm just very impressed with Skin Food (I have a sample of Limes as well). I think you have to try this at some point, but my advice would be to get the 100ml bottle. It will last longer than you think.

I'm noticing that Floral is a dominant theme in GFT stuff. I used the "GFT" scented shaving cream and cologne sampler with the Coral skin food, and I was initially self-conscious of how flowery I smelled. I got compliments, though. Maybe British dudes think it's cool to smell like flowers...

Another from the sampler set. My favorite of the skin foods (GFT kindly sent me all three) based on scent alone. The Coral seems to be a little more viscous than the other two, and the scent stays around longer. A good combination with my Thayer's Rose. If there weren't so many other balms out there to try, I might buy a bottle of this, but it didn't steal my heart enough to make it a must-have.

Price:

For a product, that does not live up to any of its proclaimed functions, any price above nothing is too much.

Quality:

Goo in a plastic bottle.

Fights Razor Burn:

No it doesn't. Again, this thing does nothing. It is not soothing.

Cooling sensation:

None, but I don't think they advertised this, so I will not rate this.

Scent:

99 cent store rose scent.

Efficacy:

None, I repeat none. Neither as a preshave, nor as an after shave or a preparation for after shaving.

Moisturizing:

There is just no difference if I apply this or if I don't.

No Alcohol burn:

Yeah, 10 on this one


Conclusion:

Skin Food is the perfect example of how the wet shaver is being manipulated by the shaving industrie all over again. It is a product, which does literally nothing, yet we are encouraged to buy it. Even the name skin food is ridiculous. Your skin is an organ and like all you organs it is supplied with nutrients which are in your blood. If you want your skin to be properly nourished, you need to eat properly. If your skin is bad all the time, it certainly won't get better from high priced cosmetics. Let your skin recover. In most of the cases, things just get worse because the fancy stuff contains lots of suspicious ingridients. Trumper's Skin Food is nothing but a useless can of goo, which will at best give your skin irritations. Sometimes, less is more, especially concerning your skin.

Sooths the skin, but it smells like Avon liquid bubble bath that my mom used to buy back when I was a wee lad. To each his own, so if you like the smell you should use it.

If you have sensitive skin, definitely try before you buy. This stuff made my neck and chin turn beet red...I definitely had some kind of allergic reaction to it. And this was after applying a very small amount 45 minutes after shaving.

Nice, but expensive. I don't think I'll buy it again. For my skin I can get about the same results with the stuff that I get at the drug store (or even by using a little Corn Huskers). The rose smell is OK but it has a grandmother smell to it. Personally, I think it is a bit overrated.

I like it. My skin dries out in winter so I wouldn't use this, but inthe summer/spring/fall it is quite lovely

I love this stuff, and it has turned me on to rose-scented shaving products. The consistency is perfect, IMO. It's runny and does not leave a greasy residue. It feels light. As for its efficacy, it moisturizes v. well. I give it high marks.

This was also my first rose-based product, and I have to say I was a little unsure whether I would like it or not. But after several month I absolutely love it. I use it together with the Trumper's Rose Cream and it it wonderful. You have to use just a little, as it can make your skin feel "sticky" if you apply to much.

Most of the comments on this product have already been made, but I wanted to add that it is also a great pre-shave product.

After reading one member's report of visiting London and having a shave (I think at Trumper's), I decided to slather some of this on for preshave purposes...

A VERY luxurious shave resulted.

I have two 500 ml bottles of SF, one Limes and one Coral - received as a part of a multi-product buy on the BST forum. After this experience, they'll be used more often as pre-shave products - as much as I do enjoy their after shave properties!

Price: This stuff is basicaly just fragrance, aqua, and glycerin....the standard Trumper markup is applied and you have Coral SF. Not necessarily bad, just for what you get, there are better products for the price.

Quality: Quality is decent although I have heard from others that some receive inconsistent batches....cannot comment further on this.

Fights razor burn: Being the first high end after shave type product I had used at the time...I wasn't impressed at all with the razor burn curing qualities. Yes it is very moisturizing and smells nice but it doesn't help out with razor burn like other products I have.

Cooling sensation: Slightly cooling although if you want cooling I suggest Proraso AS splash.

Scent: This is highly subjective...I personally am not a huge fan of rose, especially on other people, but I love the smell of this product out of the bottle and on my face.

Efficacy: As a moisturizer, Skin Food is quite good. I find it is absorbed relatively well and leaves the skin nicely conditioned. As I said before, I would not really recommend this as an AS for curing razor burn. Being primarily water and glycerin, the intent of this is moisturizing.

No Alcohol Burn: This will not sting the skin when applied as it is alcohol free.


Overall I agree with what Joel says....really an over-hyped product but for the most part moisturizes the face well and provides this comfort for a few hours. Unless you really love this stuff, I would recommend getting the Trumper sampler kit which included Coral and Lime SF as well as other samples for a few dollars.

This is the first rose scented product I have sampled and I just LOVE the wonderfull smell which evoked childhood memories of sweets in the playground. The ASB qualities are IMO like the limes, just average. I too experienced the coral 'glow' and found myself applying moisturiser a while after using this lotion. I love the smell tho and would apply this throught the day just to top up the scent, I don't even mind the stickness that comes with slapping too much of this great scented product, just stop and smell the roses until it dries up.
Would I spend my hard earned cash on a bottle of this? I just don't know. It's certainly not the best ASB out there, but have I mentioned how much I love the scent?
I have a strange urge to eat Turkish Delight.

Ah, the mighty CSF. I was looking forward to trying this for myself.

I applied this directly after the cold water rinse, instead of my usual aftershave. The first thing I noticed was the wonderful scent, which really is particularly pleasant. Of course, it might not be for everyone, given diversity in tastes.

However, that was before the pain started.

Like one of the posters above, this really burned my face. It isn't an alcohol burn, clearly, but it is very painful. Thankfully, the pain was shortlived.

The overriding sensation was one of "sealing" the skin. It feels very much as if some sort of interesting, thin membrane is being formed over the surface of the skin. I was reminded of "liquid elastoplast", which forms a firm layer when applied to a wound. The CSF was much more dilute, and the layer was very flexible, and not unpleasant, but there was definitely a deposit of some kind occurring.

In future, I will not use this directly after my shave. I will try it in conjunction with my normal T&H Ultimate Comfort ASB, which does a great job of easing my skin out of its shave, and is scentless so should be complementary to CSF, which I would consider to be a "finishing" cream.


Toodlepip,

Hobbes

The price may seem a little steep, but there are more expensive products out there and a bottle of this will last a long time.

The scent is OK, pleasant, though not my favorite. As far as efficacy is concerned, it does it's job. I feel it's a bit overrated and there are better products, but it does a pretty good job overall. There is not much of a cooling sensation. It's VERY moisturizing though, and can be too tacky if too much is applied.

Overall a pretty good product, but overrated and a little pricey.

My sample of skin food was vastly more oil-based than the bottle I bought at CO Bigelow... I am concerned about the consistency. My current bottle feels much too watery for my liking, but it does seal my skin rather well.

The only downside (aside from the price: a paltry $30 for 100mL) is I find myself feeling somewhat of a residue on my skin throughout the day. Not much, and only noticeable when I, say, rest my sweaty hand on my sweaty cheek...

But a product I would recommend. I'm currently using it as my daily AS, but that might change due to its high price and sparse availability.

The scent I don't mind, to me it smells "high-end." YMMV

The smell reminds of my Grandmother's bathroom and Lawrenece Welk (Rose Milk ) but the ability to "restore" my neck is amazing. I did some experimenting this week which did not go well. Razor burn and serious nicks. I reached for the Skin Food and it instantly felt better (some stinging). Two hours later my neck was almost back to normal. A little pricey and the smell is, well, rosey. No moisturizing but that is not what I use it for. I will definitely keep this on my shelf at all times for those, "What was I thinking?" and occasional burn.

This is great stuff, and while the price-per-bottle is high, a little goes a very long way.

The smell is classic roses, love it or hate it. There's no burn because there's no alcohol. It is very soothing and moisturizing, and I don't find it tacky at all. I prefer to use this after an A/S, astringent or toner of some sort.

If you're on the fence, get a sampler pack from Trumper; call/email them and they'll tell you how. It'll set you back about 6 bucks (unless the dollar gets weaker), but includes this and the Lime skin food in generous enough sizes that you'll not run out for weeks (months?).

I don't have razor burn issues, so that got a 10.

I love this stuff. I tried this when i first received my sampler pack from Trumper and it was love at first sight... or scent. It's just what real roses smell like.

Price: It's expensive but well worth it for me. Either you like it and consider the cost irrelevant or YMMV.

Quality: I've not found anything close to it scent wise but when it comes to performance there is better.

Fights Razor Burn: I've never really used this for "fast" shaves and i've allways used it as an aftershave balm after using a cream or soap by one of the 3 T's. Taking a good amount of time shaving never produces any razorburn for me anyways.

Cooling sensation: Application feels great but i've had better.

Scent: Like i've said... it smells divine.

Efficacy: It does what it's supposed to do very well allthough I'm not to sure about using it as a pre-shave preparation. It seems to be a such a waste.

Moisturizing: Indeed it is a superb moisturizer. I have used similar preparations but in this case i think this is a clear winner.

No Alcohol Burn: None indeed. It does not contain any alcohol.

My sampler container is still half full and i have bought another 100ml bottle. I will continue to purchase this wonderfull skinfood as long i keep using floral creams and soaps.