Crabtree and Evelyn – Nomad Shaving Cream

I feel that I am teaching my Grandmother to suck eggs withthis review as Crabtree and Evelyn are one of the biggest names around and mostpeople have tried their products but… I was brought a 100g tube of Crabtree and Evelyn’s Nomad Shaving Cream as a gift (thank you!) and the rest is history! Firstthings first how does it look? Well what can I say? C&E have obviouslyspent some time and money getting their packaging just right. The used of a creamywhite background and classical text really stands out and tries to scream classat you. C&E have a nice little addition of a key to roll the tube up tohelp you get every last bit from the tube – nice! The only thing I would sayagainst the packaging is the top C&E use. They have tried to make it looklike an artist’s oil paint tube, which means that the top is small and quite fiddlyto put back on even with dry hands and can cross thread quite easily.

Ok it looks nice, really nice but how does it smell? One wordWOW! If you have read my other posts you will be fully aware that I love woodyspicy scents and this is exactly what the Nomad scent is. The scent is quitestrong and lasts well filling the bathroom with these scents. I still got thescent when I rinsed at the end of my shave but I was not enough to powerthrough my balm and aftershave. The scent did not do as well as I hoped with “theother half test” with my wife preferring the citrus scents over woody scents –no accounting for taste, look who she married!

So the Nomad shaving cream looks nice and smells amazing butdoes it have it where it really counts? I lathered this cream each time with myNF Tubby 2 and a bowel. The cream lathered up really well with very littleeffort and an almond sized amount produced 3 easy passes. The lather was verythick and luxurious with very small bubbles. It held the heat and moisture fromthe bowel and brush well. When applied to the face it was very stable and didnot dry out quickly. There was a nice amount of slickness left on the face betweenpasses and for each pass the lather went on really well. After my shave my facefelt hydrated and smooth. C&E make a point of telling you they have vitaminE in the cream but the fact is most creams and soaps do.

Overall I love this cream and if you did not get that by nowthen I really should not be writing anymore. It lathers really well and smells amazing.It is a little on the pricy side given you can get more of a cheaper cream forless but traditional shaving, for me, is about luxury and treating yourself. Iam always a little sceptical about what goes into products by larger companiescompared to the products I use from smaller producers but I think this reallycomes down to the individual’s own feels about chemicals used.

Scent Lather Hydration Overall

5/5 4½/5 4½/5 14/15

Body Shop Maca Root Shaving Cream

When someone recommended to me to try Body Shop’s Maca RootShaving Cream the shaving snob in me said “Body Shop how can they trump the big names in the shaving world?”. Well lets see shall we? I got a 200ml tub of this shaving cream but it also comes in a smaller tube. Aesthetically Body Shop have done the normal things to appeal to male buyers – dark blue tub colour and bold style font. I quite like the look of the packaging but you cannot compare it to the big names in shaving.

So what about the cream itself? Lets start with scent. Hard to place, I have read reviews of this cream where people like the cream but did not like the scent. To my nose it has a traditional scent of an old barber shop but with nutty under tones. This scent instantly appealed to me as it was more like the woody scents that I love. Although the cream’s scent is quite strong it does not over power the scent of any balm or aftershave I used. With “the other half test” this did quite well and got the thumbs up.

So how did it lather? I used two methods to lather this cream; bowel and face each time using my NF Tubby 2 brush. Bowel method – with a small dip and twirl of the brush coating the tips I managed to achieve a good quantity of lather quickly and easily, more than enough for 3 passes. Face method – with the same amount on the brush the cream lathered up quickly on the face with plenty left for all 3 passes. The lather itself did have some small bubbles but retained heat and moisture well. While on the face it was stable and did not dry too quickly. Between passes there was a nice amount a slickness remaining which I think is essential for a “pain free” shave. After my shave each and every time my face felt hydrated and clean.

Overall I was presently surprised by the Body Shop Maca Root Shaving Cream. It lathered really well and the shave was as good as the big name creams I have tried. I my opinion this is an everyday shaving cream for the morning workday shave. Are there better creams on the market? Yes. Are there creams wit better scents? Yes, but for the price this is a very good cream that you will not be disappointed with.

Scent Lather Hydration Overall

3½/5 5/5 3½/5 12/15