Truefitt & Hill Grafton Aftershave Balm

I am glad I grabbed a bottle of this stuff on sale (25% off), because the $42 prize tag (without shipping) probably would have kept me from ever trying it. I took some time to read about the scents from T&H and decided that the Grafton was most likely to be one I would keep around. The scent is something you imagine being applied in high end barbershops to guys wearing expensive suits who make way more money than you do. I wouldn't go so far as to call it a formal scent, but it is something I would gladly apply when donning a suit for a nice social gathering - but it could also be used going into the office and out to upscale bars (not the scent for the Friday night fish fry and bottles of PBR).

Basenotes has a relatively favorable review of the scent, and I think the one I agree with most would be this one:

This is a top tier green fougere and possibly one of the finest "barbershop" scents around. Lavender is the main star here, but unlike various raw medicinal interpretations of that note, the lavender in Grafton is presented in a very nose-pleasing manner. Its stripped of its at-times harsh natural edge, and brings about a certain uplifting "brightness" to the composition inconcert with a backdrop of refreshing. The lavender powers through the fragrance, and is accented by a delicately weaved incense note which injects just the right amount of smokiness to keep the scent well balanced. The rose and lemons, while not that obvious to the nose, do their part in providing a scent barrier which prevents the incense-lavender combo from going into overdrive...

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While the scent is fantastic, the overall performance was disappointing from such an established shop like Truefitt & Hill. The balm has a moderate to high viscosity much like lotion and goes on comfortably, but does not feel greasy. Afterwards the skin feels soft, but not tacky.

For those who don't like a stinging alcohol burn, this would most definitely appeal to you - there is no burn, nada. The moisturizing properties are good, but not spectacular. This was first used on a winter morning in Chicago so the dryness of the season might have hurt, but even if that is the case, I doubt it would add more than a point to the score. Where I was most disappointed was in the underwhelming soothing feeling provided by this balm. Even some of my least favorite balms (I am almost strictly a balm user) still perform as good or better.

I really want to love this balm as the scent is great and is greatly appreciated by the general public, but the performance will not have me running to buy another T&H balm any time soon unless it is improved. The overall performance isn't terrible, and I personally don't believe it is worth the steep price, but it is a decent if unspectacular aftershave balm.

Truefitt and Hill Grafton aftershave balm is one I like. I picked up a bottle last summer at the London's in Charlottesville. The price is on par with mid range aftershaves. The bottle itself is a classic design with a pleasing label that imparts a sense of quality.

Now on to the more important aspects of Grafton. The quality is good. The lotion is slightly on the thick side, but consistant throughout the bottle. On application, the facial skin begins to soothe any razor irritation immediately. There is a slight cooling sensation, but it is minimal at best.

Grafton has a unique scent that you will either like or dislike. Not a strongly held opinion either way. I like it. I find the scent fades within the first hour or so. Definitely won't last all day.

There is no alchohol burn as this is alcohol free. Grafton is a mid range moisturer. It goes to work immediately, but may not have the staying power of other selections to provide all day comfort.

One of my favorites from T&H. Does what it is supposed to do and leaves a nice scent that is not overpowering. A little on the pricey side, but then what from T&H isn't.

I'm not really a fan of T&H's balms. I find them way too thick and greasy. They don't do much for razor burn either. For the price, that just doesn't cut it for me. The only plus sides are that I find them very moisturizing and I love the Grafton scent.

I love this stuff. I really T&H products, but I don't really want to (I don't know why, I guess I just wish I loved more obscure stuff). Grafton is my favorite T&H scent, where 1805 is my wife's favorite scent-- so I don't use Grafton as much as I would like too.

Anyway, I love this stuff.

Price is a little steep for me, but it's worth it.

Quality, well, it's very moisturizing-- as I find that is the way most T&H products treat my skin.

Fights Razor Burn, I don't get a lot of razor burn, but when I do it's not that sever. This takes care of it for me. But, again, I don't get much razor burn so I gave it a 7 here.

Cooling sensation. I don't think there is any menthol or whatnot in it. So I gave it a 2.

Scent, 10, see above.

Efficacy, 10, see above.

Moisturizing, 10, see above.

No alcohol burn, well, it doesn't burn my face so I gave it a 1.

Tested this ASB from my T&H sampler pack. Fantastic scent to complement the cream, unfortunately it is much too greasy for me to ever use (plus too pricey). This balm really burns my skin as well. Nivea Replenishing ASB is much better for only a fraction of the price. I found the 1805 balm to be much more moisturizing.

I love this balm. For me, T+H balms are the Goldilocks balms. They are not too heavy (think AoS/L'Occitane) nor too light and milky. They are just right.

I dinged it slightly on price because ounce for ounce, it's actually more expensive than Penhaligon's balms. Other than that, high marks across the board. It soothes and cools after even the worst shaves. It's highly moisturizing without any sense of feeling heavy or greasy. Scent wise, it matches up perfectly with the Grafton cream and cologne. Just a top notch product.

This is one of my go to aftershaves. Its a balm but isnt too balmy. This is Truefitt & Hill's lightest scent so its good for sensitive skin. I recommend.

I'm not a fan of Truefitt and Hill balms, which is unfortunate because their colognes and creams are very nice. This balm smells good, kind of what I imagine a British barber shop would smell like. Like others have mentioned it has an 'older well to do gentleman in a nice suit' scent to it. It's not exactly what I want to smell like, but it is a nice and very distinctive smell.

Unfortunately it is far too thick and greasy. It has a consistency comparable to sun tan lotion, and I don't know if the word 'balm' even really applies to it.

Right when I applied it, it felt very greasy. There was a slight burn, which faded after a couple of minutes. It did not cool. Many hours later though, the greasy feeling it left on my face had faded and I did feel quite moisturized. But that's a long slog to go through when so many other products work so much faster.

So, despite the nice scent, I can't recommend this balm at any price, let alone the forty or fifty dollars they're asking for.