Hey everyone, recently I picked up a tube of the original Speick Mens Shaving cream. I've got to say, I am extremely impressed with this product and can strongly recommend it to everyone. Out of my usual categories (from worst to best) of Yuck, Bad, Good and Excellent; I would rate Speick in the Excellent category. Naturally, the things that matter to be are ease of use, performance, scent and post-shave.
I'd like to point out that the formulation of Speick cream is different to the soap/stick. The creams are vegetable based (but not vegan as they have beeswax) and the soaps/sticks are tallow based. I have not used the soap/stick so I can't compare them. The cream has a very nice, clean formulation with good ingredients that won't react to the majority of peoples skin. I would rate this product with the top TOBS cream Aloe Vera and funnily enough where I am it is competitively priced with TOBS working out to almost the exact same price per ml. The tube is a simple metal tube (I think its aluminium but I'm not 100% sure), but it is easy to dispense the product and doesn't seem so cheap that it would break or deteriorate with time.
For ease of use, I just squirt out a similar amount as I would toothpaste on my toothbrush either into my bowl or straight into the brush where I proceed to mix a lather. Each time has yielded excellent lather that is slick, cushioning, non-drying, hydrating and non-foamy or bubbly. Seriously, after using GPure for over a month, this stuff is a godsend. Takes about 30 seconds to get a great lather. I find it takes more water than TOBS creams, in fact it was easy to not use enough since I'm used to not adding that much water as of late. Ease of use is great. Can't get any simpler, dialing in water doesn't take long and its pretty much impossible to add too much/too little unless you're an idiot.
Performance is also fantastic. I've used it on its own and with preshave and its undeniably a very slick and protective lather. Again, in many ways I would rate it better than baseline TOBS and DRH and maybe even a cut above my all time favourite Aloe Vera. The residual slickness is ok, certainly enough for me to do additional clean-up swipes if necessary or feel my face without any grippiness if I wanted to check my stubble. Its not going to wow you though. Arko has somewhat better residual slickness. It goes onto the face easy, stays on the face, is shaved easily without clogging, rinses easy, doesn't leave residue etc. Just great all around! I don't know if the Speick plant extract actually does anything but my face hasn't been irritated at all and I haven't cut/knicked myself either.
The scent is a herbacious lavender foward scent that is weak to mild in terms of strength. It is a masculine lavender scent (so it is on the darker end) but is not as dark as TOBS or DRH. There is no anise, aniseed, clove or licorice undertone to the scent. There is no overall spiciness at all actually. Just a nice, pleasant and clean scent that I can almost guarantee will not irritate the skin. There is little parfum or fragrance in this product (which is important to me). Everything you smell is mostly derived from an extract from an ingredient. i.e. There is lavender oil and speick extract.
Post-shave is good as well. Not too greasy or oily. Not drying. Skin feels good. Thats it. For me this level of post-shave is excellent. I just follow up with a splash as I always do and then use my face moisturiser after. Skin feels smooth and healthy. Even the brush feels nice and soft after shaving. Some products definitely leave the brush feeling drier or stiffer than it probably should be.
Overall, a nice and affordable product which I can highly recommend if you are looking to try something new.
I'd like to point out that the formulation of Speick cream is different to the soap/stick. The creams are vegetable based (but not vegan as they have beeswax) and the soaps/sticks are tallow based. I have not used the soap/stick so I can't compare them. The cream has a very nice, clean formulation with good ingredients that won't react to the majority of peoples skin. I would rate this product with the top TOBS cream Aloe Vera and funnily enough where I am it is competitively priced with TOBS working out to almost the exact same price per ml. The tube is a simple metal tube (I think its aluminium but I'm not 100% sure), but it is easy to dispense the product and doesn't seem so cheap that it would break or deteriorate with time.
For ease of use, I just squirt out a similar amount as I would toothpaste on my toothbrush either into my bowl or straight into the brush where I proceed to mix a lather. Each time has yielded excellent lather that is slick, cushioning, non-drying, hydrating and non-foamy or bubbly. Seriously, after using GPure for over a month, this stuff is a godsend. Takes about 30 seconds to get a great lather. I find it takes more water than TOBS creams, in fact it was easy to not use enough since I'm used to not adding that much water as of late. Ease of use is great. Can't get any simpler, dialing in water doesn't take long and its pretty much impossible to add too much/too little unless you're an idiot.
Performance is also fantastic. I've used it on its own and with preshave and its undeniably a very slick and protective lather. Again, in many ways I would rate it better than baseline TOBS and DRH and maybe even a cut above my all time favourite Aloe Vera. The residual slickness is ok, certainly enough for me to do additional clean-up swipes if necessary or feel my face without any grippiness if I wanted to check my stubble. Its not going to wow you though. Arko has somewhat better residual slickness. It goes onto the face easy, stays on the face, is shaved easily without clogging, rinses easy, doesn't leave residue etc. Just great all around! I don't know if the Speick plant extract actually does anything but my face hasn't been irritated at all and I haven't cut/knicked myself either.
The scent is a herbacious lavender foward scent that is weak to mild in terms of strength. It is a masculine lavender scent (so it is on the darker end) but is not as dark as TOBS or DRH. There is no anise, aniseed, clove or licorice undertone to the scent. There is no overall spiciness at all actually. Just a nice, pleasant and clean scent that I can almost guarantee will not irritate the skin. There is little parfum or fragrance in this product (which is important to me). Everything you smell is mostly derived from an extract from an ingredient. i.e. There is lavender oil and speick extract.
Post-shave is good as well. Not too greasy or oily. Not drying. Skin feels good. Thats it. For me this level of post-shave is excellent. I just follow up with a splash as I always do and then use my face moisturiser after. Skin feels smooth and healthy. Even the brush feels nice and soft after shaving. Some products definitely leave the brush feeling drier or stiffer than it probably should be.
Overall, a nice and affordable product which I can highly recommend if you are looking to try something new.
