I was sent some samples of a new shaving range to try. It is called Bluebeard’s Revenge and apart from when they contacted me I haven’t heard anything about this brand nor seen it on any shelves anywhere. There were three items – a shaving brush, a shaving cream and an after shave balm.
So how did they look? The brush was a bit of a disappointment. It was light weight and had bristles that managed to be both rather poor at working up a lather, and rather uncomfortable to use. It also had a rather indistinct logo screen printed onto it which had the effect of making what looked rather cheap to begin with even cheaper.
The shaving cream itself, once I had switched to fingers instead of brush, was pretty good. It foamed easily and softened the hairs just as a good shaving cream should. A little of it went a long way and it was an enjoyable experience. The after shave balm was also pretty good. It didn’t sting, rubbed in easily and had a pleasant green note, almost minty, which was just the ticket. It left the skin feeling soft and in smooth. I liked it enough that when it runs out I will certainly consider purchasing it.
As I say, I don’t know anything about the people behind it, but I imagine that they are fairly small because I think they have been forced to make a few compromises on the packaging. The boxes look good. They have a customised lid with a skull and cross bones embossed onto it that is quite impressive. The actual jars let this impression down being thin and a bit too flexible.
A brand is more than just its formulations. It should have a personality as well. Bluebeard’s Revenge certainly has that. It boldly states that if you are a member of the bum fluff brigade, the product is not for you. This is a rough, tough product for rough, tough men. Oh and its not for girls either. You have been told.
I like this tongue in cheek humorous approach. Men don’t like to take themselves too seriously, or at least don’t like to appear to take themselves too seriously. So humour is a good way of getting them on board. This is something that Bulldog and King of Shaves do very well. Bluebeard’s Revenge have got the message too. I did wonder if they maybe should try to get a bit of gravitas in there too. They might be just a bit too flippant, and perhaps a bit more focus on the actual benefits of the products would be in order.
I think they are have a big job ahead of them establishing this brand. Men are a lot more conservative about their personal care products than women. And it is hard to see exactly what this brand offers that would motivate guys to seek it out. But good luck to them. It would be good to have more choice in the shaving sector.
Bluebeard’s Revenge looks interesting!
Nice job Colin! 🙂
You left out “Decelerine”, one thing that sets them apart in the market. Traditional wet shaving is becoming extremely popular among men these days and I think it may be off your radar. As for the brush, did you soak it and then try whipping up a dollop of it in a mug? The cream lathers really well.
I only ask because I too recently reviewed this product, although the N. American version Dreadnought. Due to copyright they had to change the name here. But it seems I had the exact opposite experience. Here is a vid of the lather in action: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgplse4h_z0 if you like you can follow the link on youtube to the review.
Cheers,
Douglas
Hello Douglas. I only used the product once so I couldn’t really comment on the Decelerine. The claim to reduce the rate of hair growth is an extraordinary one, and would require extraordinary evidence to justify it.
I have seen people reviewing a BB shaving brush that is a stand alone product and looks very different to the one I had. We may have been using different items. Certainly the handle of the one in your video isn’t made of beechwood like the one I was sent.
Good luck in your campaign to promote the moustache. We all need to work to end facial prejudice.
Hello Collin,
Sure decelerine may sound extraordinary and I have yet to see the results myself after only a few weeks using the aftershave daily, but be that as it may, I still believe it worth mentioning.
As for the brush in the video, that was one from my collection, I was not sent a brush.
Thanks for the quick response and wishings of luck, same to you my fellow reviewer!
Best regards,
Douglas 🙂
It appears that DECELERINE™ is a brand name ingredient from the Spanish firm Lipotec, which is ultimately owned by Lubrizol.
Indeed it “sounds extraordinary.” The claims in the marketing literature are even more fascinating:
Here’s the ingredient list in INCI format:
«sources: http://dir.cosmeticsandtoiletries.com/detail/tradeName.html?id=21270, http://www.lipotec.com/en/products/decelerine-reg-functional-ingredient/»
The claims are a marketers dream, but from a more pragmatic point-of-view, isn’t this like sucking and blowing at the same time?