* Taylor of Old Bond Street is a family business that has been making male grooming products since the 1850s.
* The coconut shaving cream smells really good; almost like a trip to tropics.
* The cream is very smooth and has the feel of moisturizer on your skin.
* Foam is easily mixed up when aerated with a brush and a bit of moisture.
* The resulting shave is incredibly smooth without the need of a preshave.
Summary: I visited the Taylor of Old Bond Street store when I was in London last year at the suggestion of a wet shaving aficionado. The feel is a very old school, upperclass gentleman’s club, yet there is a friendly feel and a real focus on service. I had tested one of the creams previously but decided to sniff all of them to see which I liked best – the decision was between almond, rose, and coconut. Something about the coconut spoke to me and I’ve enjoyed many amazing shaves ever since. Not only is a preshave not necessary, an aftershave balm/lotion is optional- which is saying a lot since I have extremely sensitive/reactive skin. The 150 gram/5.3 oz bowls are priced between 8 and 9 pounds in the store – which is quite reasonable for the quality and if you buy them in the US, the markup isn’t horrible considering the import fees – putting them at between $14-$16 each. A funny story, though, looking at the ingredient lists, I saw coumarin and thought to myself why would they put in the prescription drug for preventing blood clots as that didn’t seem to fit with the genteel old school natural approach. A little bit of research proved I was being an idiot – as coumarin is a fragrance compound and is completely unrelated to Coumadin.
Taylor of Old Bond Street products are available through West Coast Shaving,
Italian Barber, and Amazon.
Disclaimer: Product purchased for review – no disclaimer need. No financial compensation is received for this review or any others. All opinions are mine. Image courtesy of West Coast Shaving.