This is a wordy rambling of a review, I understand it's boring and probably most won't want to bother reading it (don't blame you lol) so I'll post a summary for the TL;DR crowd.
Pricey
Expensive looking
worked well for my initial shave, no irritation and the razor + blade were both freaking amazing.
INTRO - INITIAL IMPRESSION - BEFORE 1ST USE
I randomly discovered the Bevel Shaving System a few weeks ago. I don't even remember what I was looking for when I stumbled upon it, but I did. It's a DE shaving kit that's made for men who have coarse thick hair and suffer from razor bumps. While outside of the testimonials, the web site doesn't specifically say it's a product that was developed for men of color. Shaving is shaving (in the end) but this is most definitely geared towards men of color from a marketing standpoint. If you look at the pictures of men on the web site, almost all are black. I'm surely not a black man, and I don't suffer from razor bumps, my skin... I could probably dry shave against the grain and still not get any razor bump lol. So I really don't fall into any of the target demography for this. But my logic is, if it works well on men with typically unruly hair who have skin that's prone to razor bumps and ingrown hair. It should be fantastic for anyone else right? I do have very odd facial hair though, it's a bit coarse and fairly thick. I did some Googling for reviews and most of what I found was positive. The majority were from black men. I did find a few Youtube videos of fellow Caucasian males who said they liked the system. And the unflattering reviews were mostly due to the price. It's subscription based, and breaks down to about $100 for a 3 month supply. You can cancel at any time (still have to finish paying the remainder of the 3 months) and you can pause the shipment at any time. I think they only allow a 1 week or 1 month pause though. In a few months Target will start carrying the line. Not sure if it's going to be B&M or just online. But, you'll be able to get whatever you want, instead of an entire kit.
I'm a sucker for shiny objects, so long as they perform well, everything in the kit looks absolutely beautiful imho. And since the review I found were mostly favorable I decided to give it a shot. It's billed monthly @ 29.95 for 3 months. With S&H & tax it puts it right at $100. Definitely not cheap, but my setup prior was all The Art Of Shaving, now I've never kept track of how long what I buy lasts. So I can't comment on how it compares to Bevel price wise, but I can say for sure that TAOS is expensive, possibly even more than Bevel. I know plenty of good brands exists out there that are substantially cheaper. But like I said shiny objects tend to pull me in me lol. And IMHO TAOS and Bevel both look super clean left out on my bathroom counter. My Proraso stuff's definitely great quality, but the packaging has always lead to me leaving it in my medicine cabinet. That's a superficial thing, I understand many people don't care and many always keep their products out of sight any ways. Oh, check out my ghetto $6 home made lather bowl in the back. I bought a square cereal bowl and a souffle dish at target. It works pretty well, I wanted to build my own Scuttle, but after a few minutes of thought, I realized I didn't have the skills to pull it off. The bowls kind of small but I've learned how to make good lather in it.
The packaging is absolutely beautiful, it looks expensive (lol it is...) a heavy cardboard box which is beveled on 1 edge. You open it and everything is secured in with some sticky rubber to keep it in place. Does any of this matter? Ultimately no, but it sure looks nice. I'll be keeping the box for sure. Another nice touch is it comes with a small quick start guide with drawings showing you how to DE shaving. I already know how but for a 1st timer it's a nice touch. One could just Google and find better and more idepth guides sure, but for a person new to DE it's better than nothing. I know when I went from cart to DE I could have used a quick start guide. I also like how the guide tells you how much to use. When I 1st started to DE shave, I was unknowingly using way too much of everything. Which isn't so much of a big deal if you're using inexpensive stuff. But, if you're dropping $100 for Pre/Post & shaving cream from TAOS, or another high priced brand. Using even 2x too much will = $$$ real quick. IF you use the recommended amounts of everything this kit's suppose to last you 3 months. They don't say it's enough product to shave every day for 90 days. They don't say exactly give a number, other than you should shave every day for the few weeks, then shave at least every other day. I will say this, even without having used it once, you're not getting a lot of product. The shaving cream's 3.6oz, where my AOS is 5. That's a pretty big difference. So if you're going to shave every day, you definitely will have to pay attention to how much you're using. Also they have an 800 number for members who need 1 on 1 shaving help. Won't be something I ever use, but it's an interesting thing to offer.
A lot of thought went into the design of this razor, I saw the Futur at the AOS store Rancho store and was drooling over it. I can't say this looks better, but this is one of the sexiest razors I've seen.
Here it is next to my Merkur.
On the top it has the Bevel logo, which just add's to the visual appeal of the kit.
The razor's BEAUTIFUL, like stunning to the point I don't want to use it because it will eventually get dirty and old looking no matter how careful I am or how much I clean it lol. While there's nothing wrong with how my Merkur looks, but this sucker's just on a whole other level. I've been wanting a Murker Futur for awhile now, and this has quenched that thirst. But looks mean nothing if there's no substance. Upon picking it up it felt good in my hand. I don't know where my food scales at so I can't weigh both, it definitely is heavier. Not a whole not, and not overly heavy. The handle feels very smooth, which I'm not sure will be good when I'm actually shaving with it. We shall see.
The brush looks nice too, it really popped out at me. While it's not girly, I could see a female wanting to use it for her make up. As opposed to my brush, which is pretty bulky and females tend to not like how it looks much. But again, looks mean nothing if it won't enhance my shaving experience. It's not as bushy as mine, but that's partly due to mine being almost 2 years old and having been thru many many shavings. The hairs feel good, it's firm but not harsh. Their booklet recommends you do a face lather, but also explain you can use a bowl. I've never done a face lather, but tonight for my 1st shave I shall try it their way to see how I like it. Oh, I'm sure it's obvious but the Bevel brush is on the left.
A pic of my AOS tub next to the Bevel stuff, I like the AOS containers A LOT. And as much as I like Bevel's packaging, for now at least, I still like AOS better. Although when the glass bottles for the after shave lotion get low it's a pain to get it out.
I like how it looks on my counter, It doesn't exactly scream manly, but they have a nice elegant & classy feel. Of course now if I'm going to bowl lather I'm going to need to upgrade my ghetto creation lol.
The priming oil, shaving cream and after shave lotion all smell nice, but are mostly netural. Not strong or offensive, I tend to wear calogune any ways so I'm not too worried. IMHO I like my AOS better when it comes to fragrance.
What confuses me is it includes 60 blades, If you shaved every day for 2 weeks like they suggested, then every other day it would be 52 blades (unless my math sucks) 60 seems like a random number. I probably would never use a new blade very shave. even every other I'd only need 45. Any ways, you get 60 blades. And unsurprisingly they look identical to every other DE blade I've seen. Outside of the Shark stamping on my Super Chrome blades, I couldn't tell one from another. After I shave tonight I can give an assessment of how good the blades are. Since this kit caters to black men, who typically have very thick facial hair I would imagine these should be awesome. But, that's just an assumption at this point.
I'm sure some uber shaver on here can detect differences in the blades, dunno they look the same to me *shrug*
Even if like me, you don't mind dropping the cash on it this systems very pricey no matter how look at it. Is it worth it? That depends on your definition of the word. It would work out to about $1.11 a day if you shaved every day. Most people I know don't shave anywhere near that often. But us on these forums aren't anywhere near normal when it comes to shaving lol. While I can't say I shave every day, I do shave often. And buying this might get me back into the DE mode. When I 1st got my Merkur I shaved every day for a month and loved it. I think Bevel could re-ignite my desire to shave. But even if you only shave once a week, it'll still work out to $1.11 a shave. That's assuming there's enough product here to actually make it thru that 90 shaves. With how small the bottles are, I'm wary that even being frugal it's not going to last 90 shaves. Time will tell I guess.
The Razor's FANTASTIC, the handle did slip a bit in my hand when it got wet, will require some adjusting on my part. The weight was spot on, and the blade was superior to the Sharks I use. I was very impressed with how effortlessly it cut thru my hair. And while I don't get razor bumps, sometimes I get some redness on my neck and I can nick my soul patch and bleed easily at times. That area has always been a problem for me. There was zero irritation on my neck. And only a few small red spots on my soul patch, which were gone after about half an hour. This was the best shave I've had in a long time.
I didn't like the face lathering, I followed their technique and just didn't get much lather, and nothing was left on the brush for when I needed a 2nd pass. I'll chalk it up to probably doing it wrong, I shall take another 2 or 3 shots at it before I revert back to a bowl. I like the bowl method any ways, but I'm curious how well this method works when done correctly. I did really love how slick the razor was on it, I suspect when I get the water to cream ratio down it will be even better. It's been ages since I've used anything besides TAOS so I can't comment on how it compares to other popular soaps or shaving creams. The lubricity was excellent and I never felt any burn.
The priming oil's pretty smooth and slick, it has a sent but nothing like the Proraso I used the last few shaves. The restoring balm smells good, it goes on light and the fragrance is very mild and clean. I can't comment on how either work since this is the 1st time using them. But I shall report back every few weeks until the kits gone. Neither are sticky which is a huge plus. If the restoring balm can replace my AOS Ocean Kelp after shave lotion as my favorite, I'll be beyond impressed.
PROs:
CONs:
I know I commented on the price as a con for some people, but if you need a good razor and brush, I'd say those 2 pieces alone while not quite, are worth semi-close to the price you pay for everything, and you can cancel after the 90 days is up. I'm curious how much those 2 will be when they start selling everything on it's own. Hummm if I cancel and sign up again do I get another razor and brush in my 1st shipment? lol
Pricey
Expensive looking
worked well for my initial shave, no irritation and the razor + blade were both freaking amazing.
INTRO - INITIAL IMPRESSION - BEFORE 1ST USE
I randomly discovered the Bevel Shaving System a few weeks ago. I don't even remember what I was looking for when I stumbled upon it, but I did. It's a DE shaving kit that's made for men who have coarse thick hair and suffer from razor bumps. While outside of the testimonials, the web site doesn't specifically say it's a product that was developed for men of color. Shaving is shaving (in the end) but this is most definitely geared towards men of color from a marketing standpoint. If you look at the pictures of men on the web site, almost all are black. I'm surely not a black man, and I don't suffer from razor bumps, my skin... I could probably dry shave against the grain and still not get any razor bump lol. So I really don't fall into any of the target demography for this. But my logic is, if it works well on men with typically unruly hair who have skin that's prone to razor bumps and ingrown hair. It should be fantastic for anyone else right? I do have very odd facial hair though, it's a bit coarse and fairly thick. I did some Googling for reviews and most of what I found was positive. The majority were from black men. I did find a few Youtube videos of fellow Caucasian males who said they liked the system. And the unflattering reviews were mostly due to the price. It's subscription based, and breaks down to about $100 for a 3 month supply. You can cancel at any time (still have to finish paying the remainder of the 3 months) and you can pause the shipment at any time. I think they only allow a 1 week or 1 month pause though. In a few months Target will start carrying the line. Not sure if it's going to be B&M or just online. But, you'll be able to get whatever you want, instead of an entire kit.
I'm a sucker for shiny objects, so long as they perform well, everything in the kit looks absolutely beautiful imho. And since the review I found were mostly favorable I decided to give it a shot. It's billed monthly @ 29.95 for 3 months. With S&H & tax it puts it right at $100. Definitely not cheap, but my setup prior was all The Art Of Shaving, now I've never kept track of how long what I buy lasts. So I can't comment on how it compares to Bevel price wise, but I can say for sure that TAOS is expensive, possibly even more than Bevel. I know plenty of good brands exists out there that are substantially cheaper. But like I said shiny objects tend to pull me in me lol. And IMHO TAOS and Bevel both look super clean left out on my bathroom counter. My Proraso stuff's definitely great quality, but the packaging has always lead to me leaving it in my medicine cabinet. That's a superficial thing, I understand many people don't care and many always keep their products out of sight any ways. Oh, check out my ghetto $6 home made lather bowl in the back. I bought a square cereal bowl and a souffle dish at target. It works pretty well, I wanted to build my own Scuttle, but after a few minutes of thought, I realized I didn't have the skills to pull it off. The bowls kind of small but I've learned how to make good lather in it.
The packaging is absolutely beautiful, it looks expensive (lol it is...) a heavy cardboard box which is beveled on 1 edge. You open it and everything is secured in with some sticky rubber to keep it in place. Does any of this matter? Ultimately no, but it sure looks nice. I'll be keeping the box for sure. Another nice touch is it comes with a small quick start guide with drawings showing you how to DE shaving. I already know how but for a 1st timer it's a nice touch. One could just Google and find better and more idepth guides sure, but for a person new to DE it's better than nothing. I know when I went from cart to DE I could have used a quick start guide. I also like how the guide tells you how much to use. When I 1st started to DE shave, I was unknowingly using way too much of everything. Which isn't so much of a big deal if you're using inexpensive stuff. But, if you're dropping $100 for Pre/Post & shaving cream from TAOS, or another high priced brand. Using even 2x too much will = $$$ real quick. IF you use the recommended amounts of everything this kit's suppose to last you 3 months. They don't say it's enough product to shave every day for 90 days. They don't say exactly give a number, other than you should shave every day for the few weeks, then shave at least every other day. I will say this, even without having used it once, you're not getting a lot of product. The shaving cream's 3.6oz, where my AOS is 5. That's a pretty big difference. So if you're going to shave every day, you definitely will have to pay attention to how much you're using. Also they have an 800 number for members who need 1 on 1 shaving help. Won't be something I ever use, but it's an interesting thing to offer.
A lot of thought went into the design of this razor, I saw the Futur at the AOS store Rancho store and was drooling over it. I can't say this looks better, but this is one of the sexiest razors I've seen.
Here it is next to my Merkur.
On the top it has the Bevel logo, which just add's to the visual appeal of the kit.
The razor's BEAUTIFUL, like stunning to the point I don't want to use it because it will eventually get dirty and old looking no matter how careful I am or how much I clean it lol. While there's nothing wrong with how my Merkur looks, but this sucker's just on a whole other level. I've been wanting a Murker Futur for awhile now, and this has quenched that thirst. But looks mean nothing if there's no substance. Upon picking it up it felt good in my hand. I don't know where my food scales at so I can't weigh both, it definitely is heavier. Not a whole not, and not overly heavy. The handle feels very smooth, which I'm not sure will be good when I'm actually shaving with it. We shall see.
The brush looks nice too, it really popped out at me. While it's not girly, I could see a female wanting to use it for her make up. As opposed to my brush, which is pretty bulky and females tend to not like how it looks much. But again, looks mean nothing if it won't enhance my shaving experience. It's not as bushy as mine, but that's partly due to mine being almost 2 years old and having been thru many many shavings. The hairs feel good, it's firm but not harsh. Their booklet recommends you do a face lather, but also explain you can use a bowl. I've never done a face lather, but tonight for my 1st shave I shall try it their way to see how I like it. Oh, I'm sure it's obvious but the Bevel brush is on the left.
A pic of my AOS tub next to the Bevel stuff, I like the AOS containers A LOT. And as much as I like Bevel's packaging, for now at least, I still like AOS better. Although when the glass bottles for the after shave lotion get low it's a pain to get it out.
I like how it looks on my counter, It doesn't exactly scream manly, but they have a nice elegant & classy feel. Of course now if I'm going to bowl lather I'm going to need to upgrade my ghetto creation lol.
The priming oil, shaving cream and after shave lotion all smell nice, but are mostly netural. Not strong or offensive, I tend to wear calogune any ways so I'm not too worried. IMHO I like my AOS better when it comes to fragrance.
What confuses me is it includes 60 blades, If you shaved every day for 2 weeks like they suggested, then every other day it would be 52 blades (unless my math sucks) 60 seems like a random number. I probably would never use a new blade very shave. even every other I'd only need 45. Any ways, you get 60 blades. And unsurprisingly they look identical to every other DE blade I've seen. Outside of the Shark stamping on my Super Chrome blades, I couldn't tell one from another. After I shave tonight I can give an assessment of how good the blades are. Since this kit caters to black men, who typically have very thick facial hair I would imagine these should be awesome. But, that's just an assumption at this point.
I'm sure some uber shaver on here can detect differences in the blades, dunno they look the same to me *shrug*
Even if like me, you don't mind dropping the cash on it this systems very pricey no matter how look at it. Is it worth it? That depends on your definition of the word. It would work out to about $1.11 a day if you shaved every day. Most people I know don't shave anywhere near that often. But us on these forums aren't anywhere near normal when it comes to shaving lol. While I can't say I shave every day, I do shave often. And buying this might get me back into the DE mode. When I 1st got my Merkur I shaved every day for a month and loved it. I think Bevel could re-ignite my desire to shave. But even if you only shave once a week, it'll still work out to $1.11 a shave. That's assuming there's enough product here to actually make it thru that 90 shaves. With how small the bottles are, I'm wary that even being frugal it's not going to last 90 shaves. Time will tell I guess.
FIRST SHAVE + IMPRESSION
The Razor's FANTASTIC, the handle did slip a bit in my hand when it got wet, will require some adjusting on my part. The weight was spot on, and the blade was superior to the Sharks I use. I was very impressed with how effortlessly it cut thru my hair. And while I don't get razor bumps, sometimes I get some redness on my neck and I can nick my soul patch and bleed easily at times. That area has always been a problem for me. There was zero irritation on my neck. And only a few small red spots on my soul patch, which were gone after about half an hour. This was the best shave I've had in a long time.
I didn't like the face lathering, I followed their technique and just didn't get much lather, and nothing was left on the brush for when I needed a 2nd pass. I'll chalk it up to probably doing it wrong, I shall take another 2 or 3 shots at it before I revert back to a bowl. I like the bowl method any ways, but I'm curious how well this method works when done correctly. I did really love how slick the razor was on it, I suspect when I get the water to cream ratio down it will be even better. It's been ages since I've used anything besides TAOS so I can't comment on how it compares to other popular soaps or shaving creams. The lubricity was excellent and I never felt any burn.
The priming oil's pretty smooth and slick, it has a sent but nothing like the Proraso I used the last few shaves. The restoring balm smells good, it goes on light and the fragrance is very mild and clean. I can't comment on how either work since this is the 1st time using them. But I shall report back every few weeks until the kits gone. Neither are sticky which is a huge plus. If the restoring balm can replace my AOS Ocean Kelp after shave lotion as my favorite, I'll be beyond impressed.
PROs:
- BEAUTIFUL razor, I don't know is it a sad thing that I'm so excited over how it looks? lol
- The blades are sharp and cut cleanly. The shaving cream has good lubricity, since tonight was my 1st shave I can't comment on the pre shave, err primming oil or the after shave, err repairing balm.
- While I can't comment on the effectiveness of those previous 2 products, my skin does feel great. And I don't feel or see any irritation. It's a pro, but given the price. This stuff should give flawless results here.
CONs:
- BEAUTIFUL razor, a con because I don't want to even touch it out of fear of making it look less beautiful lol.
- Pricey, while I'm okay with the cost, I could see most not even giving it a 2nd thought. It could be cheaper, maybe when it hits Target it will drop in price. If it works well, I'll probably stay with it. But if it's turns out to not be tops I'll drop it in a heartbeat. TAOS is expensive, but it works beautifully for me.
- This is a nit picky thing, while I'm not a manly man, I do like pre shave and after shave. Not priming oil & repairing balm. THANK GOD the shaving cream says shaving cream on the tube, I was scared it might have some unneeded complex new name. I understand their just words, but it sounds weird. I don't put on a repairing balm after a shave lol.
- Biggest con at the moment, you can't buy anything separately. I know once Target starts to carry it that will change. What do I do if I use too much shaving cream and run out after 75 days? I can pay off rest of 3 months and re-order early? I don't even know what you can do, but it's ridiculous. At best they give you enough product, but there's definitely no excess of anything except blades.
- A subscription only model imho is silly, it's a nice option for people who want it. But offer each thing on it's own. I know this is coming thankfully. Of course this isn't a con for me if after a month of using it I decide to revert back to my AOS stuff. Time shall revel. Thankfully if I don't end up renewing I at least have a sweet razor and pretty nice brush I'm left with.
I know I commented on the price as a con for some people, but if you need a good razor and brush, I'd say those 2 pieces alone while not quite, are worth semi-close to the price you pay for everything, and you can cancel after the 90 days is up. I'm curious how much those 2 will be when they start selling everything on it's own. Hummm if I cancel and sign up again do I get another razor and brush in my 1st shipment? lol
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