Lucky Tiger Vanishing Cream – A rocking icy revelation

The test that was the most fun this week and I should say, most surprising was the Lucky Tiger Vanishing cream.  This is the second Lucky Tiger product I have tested and based on the results of their  Cru-butch pomade, I was fairly sure that this stuff would not disappoint. This is an after shaving moisturizer which comes in a rather large tub of 340.2 g.  I suspect that the jar is actually meant for Barbers who would manage to get through it in a reasonable amount of time.  Lucky Tiger is one of those original barber shop brands.  The package label states: since 1935.  As you know, I am always interested in brands with that kind of staying power.  Both for the nostalgia presentation aspect, but also for the fact that if something has been around this long, it certainly has something unique about it.

When unscrewing the lid, you will find a seal.  Once removed, you will be presented with something that looks nothing like an after shave cream.  At least as far as what we have been accustomed to.  The product almost looks like snow or ice and it is hard.  Not a typical texture for after shave.  If anything it has the exact same texture as the Proraso pre-shave products I have been so impressed with. In fact, there are more comparisons to be made than just the texture.  The pre-shave offers a very pleasant tingling sensation that raises the hair.  The Lucky Tiger cream does more or less the same thing but it is perhaps more of a cooling effect on the freshly shave skin.

So let’s start from the beginning.  I shaved with my trusty Merkur 180 using a Derby blade along with the Stephan shaving cream.  The reason why I picked this shaving cream is nothing more than the fact that it is sold side by side to the Lucky Tiger cream at OBSCO and that the jars look very similar.  Both come from a past time.  Ideally, I would have used the Lucky Tiger shaving cream, but this stuff is nowhere to be found in Canada.  So here we are.  If you know of re-seller in Canada please leave a comment. Since it can be bought directly from Lucky Tiger in the US, I am thinking that I will simply bite the bullet and pay the crazy shipping.

As usual the Merkur + Derby + Stephan combination rendered a superb shave. Onto the after-shave!  This product being hard left me a tad perplex, but I go for it and take a small finger scoop and start relaxing in my hands and then proceed to apply it on my face.  This being my first time, I actually took too much.  Very little of this stuff is required to cover a face.  Less than the size of a dime.   The surprise is how well it covers.  Once relaxed, the texture almost feels like a creamy icy butter.  This is quickly followed by the cooling sensation which has some very decent staying power at nearly half-hour.  Obviously, the sensation gradually dies down over time, but what I am trying to convey is that even a half-hour later my face still felt surprisingly fresh and cool. I mentioned I had initially applied too much so I simply wiped the excess off with a towel.

TEST STAGE:

• State: Out of the shower
• Razor: Merkur 180
• Blade: Derby
• Pre-Shave: None
• Shaving Cream: Stephan
• After-Shave: Lucky Tiger Vanishing Cream

The product is called “Vanishing cream” and that is a relevant name as the product goes on white, but is quickly absorbed by the skin and vanishes.  My face was not left feeling greasy, or waxy or oily.  The cream offered a perfectly fresh result.  It might not be as refined as some other after shave creams in its hydration properties, but it makes up for it with the rocking cooling effect which by the way pretty much takes care of any raw feeling the shaving might of left you with.

The jar itself was some $18, but considering how little of this stuff is needed I will venture that you are covered for some 6 months plus of Monday-Friday shaves.  That makes it a cost-effective product in my books.

The cooling effect might not be for every one as it is different from what we are typically expecting, but I will say that after using this cream for already 2 days it is moving up to my favorite discovery this month.

PS – When shopping at OBSCO, don’t forget to mention or use the STYLE4MEN discount code at check out.

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