I’ve always had issues with shaving, because I have very pale skin that shows every blemish, ingrown hair and cut. I’ve tried all sorts of combinations of shaving oil, face scrubs and cream cleansers to prep the skin, as well as an SPF15 face cream afterwards; so would any of these balms deliver – or would I react like Macaulay Culkin in Home Alone?
Nivea Sensitive Post-Shave Balm (£2.63 for 100ml), was thick and gluey, and not fast-absorbing, leaving my skin feeling sticky. Even after it had absorbed, when I put on my face cream, it felt as if I was wearing a mask. I won’t be trying this one again.
Fire Fighter (£20 for 50ml), on the other hand, left my skin felling really nice, with none of my usual post-shave sensitivity; but the redness didn’t go down and my skin was a bit shiny, too. The scent lingered longer than any of the other lotions I tried, though, so I’d give this another go.
Sensi-Baume (£15 for 75ml) absorbed very quickly, but left a bit of razor burn for a few hours. I applied my usual face cream, and it didn’t feel heavy or oily.
I didn’t need to use much Multi-Tasking After Shave Balm (£22 for 50ml): it spread easily, absorbed quickly and didn’t feel heavy. As for the claim it tackles razor burn, well, it’s true: the skin on my neck was a bit sensitive, but the redness went after 15 minutes. My skin didn’t feel shiny or oily, and my face cream didn’t feel too heavy, either. In short, I loved it: I went back to my old cream once after the test, and promptly ditched it for this one.
• Next week: All Ages model Rachel Joi Riggall on metallic nail polishes.
