Trader Joe's discussion thread

[Jim]

This is the discussion tread for this review (http://www.badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=6299&highlight=Trader+joes)

[moses]

Very very interesting. TJs does it again. I am not inclined to try it, unless they have other scents, but.

I think we have a new winner for all around cheapest quality cream here folks. That price beats the palmolive and the KMF. WOW, that is cheap. (Although, in all fairness, I use less than 1/4 that much 3T).

[mpisarcik]

i LOVE this stuff!

http://in-stereo.net/matt/shave4.jpg

[mpisarcik]

i actually really like the scent, and everything else about the cream. :biggrin:

[TraderJoe]

Wow, would have never thought to lather this with a brush. I guess I'll try the same with my Avalon Organics Peppermint cream shave.

[Drew]

The Trader Joes packaging looks similar to a brand called Alba, which is offered at Whole Foods, and similar stores (stores that would most likely also carry KMF). I have never tried the Alba stuff... someone please chime in if they have. If memory serves, Alba has several scents.

Drew

[jfl]

Drew,

I saw the ALBA while purchasing Tom's of Maine shaving cream ($1.69 at Grocery Outlet).

The 8oz ALBA Coconut-Lime tube cost $2.99.
1) it does not lather.
2) the scent is more peppermint than coconut-lime.
3) personally, I found it much too cooling...to the point that it felt like burning. Rather than do a second pass with ALBA, I whipped up some Body Shop shaving cream to finish my shave.

I was really hoping it would work well as a travel cream. I might give it one more try...(I'll post a follow-up if it works great the second time around. but I'm not expecting much.)

(I haven't tried the Tom's yet. Hope I don't react to the mint in the same way!) Grocery Outlet also had Kiss My Face 4oz tubes for $1.69, but only Jasmine and Peach+???.

Jim

[rafikz]

Your lather looks runny

[Jim]

Moses -just a point - This cream is sold as brush less and if used that way works well, The teaspoon of cream that I used in the review is but a fraction of what you would need for my 5+ passes that I usually do.



rafikz Your lather looks runny
The TJ's does not incorporate like a traditional soap or cream and never will this product replace them for me. It is an option and overall its better than many soaps and creams that I have used.

[TraderJoe]

I tried something unusual with this product: I followed the directions! :001_smile They say to "apply a thin, transparent layer." So, I did. I must say that I miss the fun of working up a great lather, but this stuff is great without it. It is slick and so moisturizing that I didn't even need the usual A/S balm. The downside to this method (other than leaving my brush on the stand) is that it must be reapplied for every pass, which involves rewetting my face and getting the creme all over my hands so I have to rinse every time in order to hang on to my Gillette Fatboy. I also noticed that I had to work hard to rinse out the residue from my razor; it seemed almost gummy, but maybe that's makes it so slick. Like Goosemeplease, I'm not crazy about the sweet scent, but it's not overpowering and seems to fade quickly enough to not interfere with an A/S or EDT. I won't be using this daily, but brushless might make for a nice, occassional change of pace.

This type of shave cream surely does gumm up the razor, but if you don't mind it, and enjoy shaving with this stuff (but don't like the smell)....try Avalon Organics who carries a similar product but has the following scents:

Lavender
Peppermint
Ylang Ylang

I've only seen this at Whole Foods, but its probably carried at other stores as well. Made in Canada.

[Mottern Man]

Thanks for the Review Jim. Next time I'm picking up some 2 Buck Chuck i will grab some

[Jim]

Its a nice shave cream- with or without a brush- I passed my tube on to my brother who does not use a brush and he loves it.

[Mottern Man]

Its a nice shave cream- with or without a brush- I passed my tube on to my brother who does not use a brush and he loves it.

You sold me more now

When I travel I don't always take a brush, I just smear on Proraso with me Mitts

[Queen of Blades]

You sold me more now

When I travel I don't always take a brush, I just smear on Proraso with me Mitts

Doc, who is this "Mitts"? And your wife doesn't mind this person smearing Proraso on you? :confused:

:lol:

[jduffy]

Thanks for the Review Jim. Next time I'm picking up some 2 Buck Chuck i will grab some

My friend has dinner parties and she always has a caveat in the invite:

"Mr. Charles Shaw is NOT invited." :biggrin:

[Mottern Man]

I see I am getting Razzed here :frown: Story of my life.

[Jim]

I see I am getting Razzed here :frown: Story of my life.
Only worry when it stops!:rolleyes:

[Mottern Man]

Only worry when it stops!:rolleyes:

good point:thumbup1:

[Amyn]

This is worse at lathering than Caswell Massey and that is hard to beat. I am not a fan of fruity scents. Those are one too many things for me to overcome. One use with this cream was one time too many for me. Sure it is cheap, but what use is it if you use it only once.

[masonjarjar]

My friend has dinner parties and she always has a caveat in the invite:

"Mr. Charles Shaw is NOT invited." :biggrin:

I'm with her. Either the quality of that stuff is wildly inconsistent, or I just don't get it..

My favorite wine to buy at T.J.'s is J.W. Morris Gewurtz for $5.99.

[moses]

I'm with her. Either the quality of that stuff is wildly inconsistent, or I just don't get it..

My favorite wine to buy at T.J.'s is J.W. Morris Gewurtz for $5.99.

Eh, I wouldn't drink it.... Actually, that's not true. My standards are not so high that if it was the only wine around, I wouldn't have a glass. But not my choice, and not very good. On the other hand, it can't be beat when you want a lot of wine to cook something with.

-Mo

[bonzo60]

I work for TJ's and this product is actually private labeled by Alba. You can buy Alba at Whole Foods. It's an o.k. product. I use it for travel in the warmer months. I have noticed a slight inconsistancy from time to time. It was reformulated last year. The old formulation was apparently causing skin irritation and after a barrage of complaints and returns it was pulled. It is a wildly successful item in a lot of markets. It has a large following with the cartridge razor crowd youths. I can not confirm this rumor, however I hear that $2 Chuck causes a decrease of facial hair growth. Better to spend a few bucks more to insure this does not happen to you.

[TAsunder]

I've got a tube of alba. I think it's the aloe kind. It's weird. It doesn't lather in the traditional sense. It goes on translucent and sort of reminds me of a shaving oil. But I do use it regularly because I have a weird beard and translucent cream helps me prevent accidental cuttings of the beard portion of my face.

[masonjarjar]

I kind of like the smell of this stuff... a nice change of pace.

It works well in combination with Van Der Hagen or Williams soap.

I haven't tried it solo straight out of the tube yet.. maybe tomorrow.

No wait, I haven't used Floris Elite since Saturday.. :001_wub:

-Mason

[masonjarjar]

Ok, here's how you use this stuff.

1. Heat your mixing bowl and brush in hot water and let sit in sink during shower.

2. Empty bowl and shake & squeeze brush.

3. Squeeze generous amount of Mango SC into the bowl (about a half-dollar size amount)

4. Swirl your brush on it. Your brush will probably soak it all up. Don't worry about lather.

5. Apply to your face, again, don't worry about lathering, just get a good thick layer on there.

6. Shave away.

I did it this way and got a fantastic shave this morning. I can't change anyone's mind about the scent, but if you don't worry so much about lathering the stuff, it works great. I'm sure it probably works ok using your hands, but I thought I'd get a little more heat using the brush/bowl.

Have fun.

-Mason

[Nancy Boy]

Your lather looks runny

+1

I saw it there and smelled it and it didn't really do anything for me. Plus the texture looked a bit thin.

[jss]

I used it as a superlather with HBS Spice soap. It provided a very slick and nick free shave. It way ahead of canned goo. IMHO

[TOB9595]

Thanks for the review.
Ya know...It's cheap enough to get a tube and try out.
Like with so many things...Ya love it or ya hate it
:)
Tom

[lucky]

I have used this a few times now and have had great shaves each time. My lather has always been a bit thin, but very slick and moisturizing. To me it doesn't smell anything like honey or mango, all I smell is coconut so go figure. Pretty affective all in all.

[ancora imparo]

Great price +Great Utility = Great Product!

Just tried this today for first time. Decent lather, but very interested in trying the lathering tips (thanks for that!) to maximize this cream. Very slippery and consistent. Did not dry out at all. Lives up to its billing as a "moisturizer" cream. I thought the scent was strong initially, but I either got used to it quickly or it dissipated fairly soon. Did not leave me smelling like a chick drink like I feared. You really can't go wrong with this one. Try this one for sure.

[BourbonCrew]

I picked some of this up a few weeks ago and have loved every shave with it so far. It's not a lather cream (although you can get it to lather with the right technique), but it's super-slick and creates a great protective cushion. My face has felt great after every shave. For the price, there's no reason not to give it a shot.

[j6ppc]

This has been my go-to daily cream for over a year. Hard to beat the price and I feel it is a great example of a brushless cream. rating lather only as a 5 since it is not really supposed to create a lather in the traditional sense. Scent is inoffensive but just average IMHO.

[sandpaper]

I did post some comments before I figured out how to use this tool, so will be brief here.
Efficacy: Slippery-est cream I have ever used. Helps the blade just glide across your face.

Moisturizing: Very good at this too, left my face feeling better than most dedicated moisturizers.

Lather: Not a chance. Think of this as lube rather than shaving cream.

[sevo75]

I've a tube of the Mango TJ this summer, and I had no problem getting a nice lather. All I did was add a bit more water( than I would for say a Proraso). For the $ it's hard to beat, and no methylparabens( nasty preservative, which science still doesn't know the long term affects, but they put it into everything!)

[bokaba]

I just got the plain version. It is very good and the lather is excellent for the price. Even though unscented, it contains essential oils of lavender, avocado, olive oil, and aloe vera.

[knlgskr]

I contacted Alba in Petaluma, CA and they confirmed that they make TJs shaving cream. FWIW I like it and get good shaves with it and also with the sensitive skin version.

[john1134]

Just picked this up (I love TJ's!) and cut the hell out of my face this last time I used it. I don't yet own a brush so I haven't been able to try a lather, but it makes sense that people are saying it is so hard to lather...it's super thin! If you follow the directions and apply to the face, then you need to reapply for every stroke. I didn't do this and now I'm bleeding all over the place. :eek:

Overall, this was nice, but its too hard for me to use with a DE. Maybe I'll bring back the Mach 3 if I need a quick shave.

[3fltenant]

I just used this cream for the first time today and also cut my face up with a DE. Not sure why but maybe I used too little. It's very thin. I do notice that my face feels very moisturized now though... well the parts that don't look like a Fangoria cover.

[Nuclearbuddy]

I do like this stuff but they aren't kidding about how much water it takes. When you get enough water it gives a great shave. Clogs up my razor tho:angry:

[Greglam]

This is worse at lathering than Caswell Massey and that is hard to beat. I am not a fan of fruity scents. Those are one too many things for me to overcome. One use with this cream was one time too many for me. Sure it is cheap, but what use is it if you use it only once.
Just FYI, this is a "brushless cream", i.e. it's not meant to be lathered. Just wipe it on with your hands and then shave.