I’ll admit it: when Bold for Men contacted me about their product, Bold for Men Dry Shave Gel, I was inherently skeptical. When I hear the term “dry shave,” it doesn’t exactly get me too excited. So why, I asked myself, would a company brand itself as a “dry shave” gel? That’s sort of like saying you’re selling “nails on a chalkboard” chalk. Strange, but intriguing–I’ll be a trooper and try it out.
When I received the sample, it came with some instructions (which I’ll explain later) that are very specific to this product. What is unique about the Bold for Men Dry Shave Gel is that it isn’t just a shave gel–it acts as a preshave treatment, a shave gel, and an aftershave. I thought the “dry shave” bit was weird, this is reaching alien territory. My original thought was how in the world can an aftershave do the same thing as a shave gel? They serve two totally different purposes. My skepticism rose.
So, to use this stuff, you have to follow three steps:
1. Apply the gel onto your dry skin and wait 30 seconds
A view of the Bold for Men Dry Shave Gel.
Alright, easy enough. I squirted some out onto my hand, and gave it a smell and a gander (pictured right). The smell is something I can’t quite place–like a cinnamon mint? The smell is pretty nominal, and it won’t stick with you (which is good).
I applied it to my skin, and almost immediately felt a warming sensation. When I inhaled through my nose it was sort of like smelling one of those rubs you put under your nose to clear your sinuses. It was generally relaxing.
2. Shave normally
The shave was decent. One of the benefits to creams is that you can see where you’ve shaved already. This clear gel makes it hard to see if you’ve missed a spot, which makes it sort of hard.
The gel also didn’t do much to stand my hairs up or soften them, really, and this meant that I ate up my skin with my razor because I was basically dry shaving. However, the shave did leave my skin decently smooth, given it was a dry shave.
3. Reapply the gel as an aftershave
My skin really needed some moisturizer after that shave, but I went with the plan to apply this as an aftershave. Did it work? Yeah, as advertised; but nothing more. I had the same heat sensation as when I applied it for step one, but I eventually put some actual moisturizer on my skin to help with the effects the shave had on my skin.
Overall, the Bold for Men Dry Shave Gel is good. It’s above average. I can see this being a great asset if you’re traveling, camping, or are a minimalist-type of person. The main drawback is it’s use as an aftershave–the last leg is the least successful. As a pre-shave treatment and a shave cream, I think this type of all-in-one marketing would apply to some guys out there; but I’d stick with a balm or moisturizer for a post-shave treatment.
If you want that warm lather barbershop treatment, this is not for you. However, if you’re a guy who travels a lot and doesn’t want to carry around a shaving brush and a shaving soap dish, then you should check it out.
