Better Balm: CF or GR Standard?

[scottb]

Castle Forbes AS Balm vs. Gentlemens Refinery "Standard" Balm:

Does anyone have a sense that one is better than the other? Both get rave reviews, but let's say price-wise you could only get one.

If there's a 3rd option better than these two, fire away. I've been pretty happy with L'Occitane's balms, but sometimes I want to try something different.

 

[drandall]

if you want to try something different, i have 2 excellent, affordable suggestions:

1) saint charles shave aftershave milks: wonderful, light and very effective. they come in a wide range of scents, last a long time (you just use a few drops) and at around $10 a bottle, you can't beat the price. sue puts in the good stuff.

2) proraso liquid cream aftershave balm - more expensive at $16 per bottle, but a great no-nonsense ASB with a light scent, quick absorption and good moisturizing properties

 

[sanuginz]

Between the two you give I'd say the TGR is the one. If you have oily skin it may be the best on the market. CF is more of a gel if you like that I don't. I'd also recommend and prefer, 1) Wesley & Scott or 2) Car Hydrolast Conditioner.

 

[goby]

if you want to try something different, i have 2 excellent, affordable suggestions:

1) saint charles shave aftershave milks: wonderful, light and very effective. they come in a wide range of scents, last a long time (you just use a few drops) and at around $10 a bottle, you can't beat the price. sue puts in the good stuff.

2) proraso liquid cream aftershave balm - more expensive at $16 per bottle, but a great no-nonsense ASB with a light scent, quick absorption and good moisturizing properties

I have both and love both. SCS has the best values in samples at $2.50 for 1/2 ounce. 1/2 ounce is quite a bit, probably good for about 30 shaves.

 

[The Nid Hog]

Between the two you give I'd say the TGR is the one. If you have oily skin it may be the best on the market. CF is more of a gel if you like that I don't. I'd also recommend and prefer, 1) Wesley & Scott or 2) Car Hydrolast Conditioner.

Which CF do you have? I have the lavender, but it isn't anything like a gel. It's a light balm, like an aftershave milk. The preshave is kind of like a gel--sort of a thin version of Cornhusker's. Works like crazy, 'tho. I like Castle Forbes a lot, but SCS is fantastic.

 

[scottb]

thx fellas, it helps. I really enjoy the proraso balm and scs...I guess I was just debating whether to pad an order in order to get free shipping, and I really like the CF sample I have, and I've heard so much about GR standard balm, but the price tag for both just hurts.

 

[sanuginz]

Which CF do you have? I have the lavender, but it isn't anything like a gel. It's a light balm, like an aftershave milk. The preshave is kind of like a gel--sort of a thin version of Cornhusker's. Works like crazy, 'tho. I like Castle Forbes a lot, but SCS is fantastic.

I had the lime. The consistency was thick and gooey, not a milk in my batch. It dried up on my skin. I also like the SCS aftershaves especially splashes.

 

[scoopster]

For me CF smells better. TGR performs better. The way that TGR stuff absorbs into the skin is quite amazing. I haven't tried anything that performs better in that regards. If you like to enjoy the scent of a balm as you put it on go with CF I find that one a bit thicker and you have to be much more careful about over-application.

For me a middle of the road product between the two is the QED balms. They smell heavenly (but not as good as CF) and perform a bit better than CF but not as well as TGR. QED is much much cheaper than the other two and a lof of scents available.

 

[scottb]

I'd love to try them, but I don't think Charles is making the QED balms anymore.

If that's not true, somebody let me know as I'd love to get some.