This ‘Perfectly Groomed Gentleman’ product review is brought to you by the power of Twitter. When the Big Tree Trading Company followed us on Twitter I decided to checked out their range and take advantage of their generous January discount and free postage deal and buy the full mens shaving range to test.
Everything arrived very promptly and I waited for a Sunday morning when I had plenty of time to have a luxurious hot bath and a proper shave without having to rush.
Pre shave Oil
This is an element of shaving which I discovered relatively recently and which is now part of my everyday shaving routine. A pre shave softener or skin food prepare the skin and bristles and having tried this and found the difference to be really noticeable it is now part of my daily routine. The Virtus Pre Shave Oil comes in a handy size bottle with a pump which dispenses just the right amount of oil for one shave. Applying the oil to washed and warmed skin gives a feeling of pure luxury.
Shaving soap
The shaving soap requires working up into a lather with a good shaving brush, ideally in a small bowl but it can also be done in the palm of your hand. when applied to the chin it smells great and you feel that you are really taking care of yourself. Much better than those expensive aerosols full of chemicals.
After shave Balm
More is less, two pumps of the caring soothing balm was slightly too much and one would have been perfect. The balm is not oily and is absorbed into the skin well. The smell is very distinctive and took a little while to get used too but I now declare myself totally hooked.
An hour after shaving and my skin still felt moist and nourished which is a great feeling as my usual moisturiser is very quickly absorbed, leaving my skin feeling dry after just a short while.
Being all natural products the balm doesn’t have any chemical additives which would provide sun protection but I’m informed that the natural Shea butter used does provide some degree of protection.
My regular moisturiser has no smell at all and so I really noticed the balm’s fragrance, but both my daughter and my wife declared it to be very acceptable.
The result of my shave was an incredibly good, close shave and my chin felt great all day. I have a fairly heavy beard growth and the test of a really good shaving regime is that I don’t have a blue chin by early afternoon. I can say that, even on a cold evening I still had very few bristles making this one of the best shaves I have ever had.
The following day was a normal working day when I don’t have time for luxuriating in the bath before I shave. I used the three Virtus products as part of my normal, slightly rushed morning shave and again got excellent results.
If I have one tiny grouse it is that the pump action pots are hard to close without dispensing a measure of oil/moisturiser. this only really comes up because I was away for the weekend and had to put all the products into my shaving bag to travel home. However, for home only use they are ideal and when I get more practiced I am sure I will get it sorted.
I love small British companies, and I wish Big Green Tree Trading every success. They have a great natural product which really works. They have excluded some of the nastier and chemical Parabens (used as a preservative) and ‘SLS’s (which can cause skin irritation and dryness) and the result is as plain as the smooth supple chin on my face.
Following this review we have had some discussions with the company owners and I am delighted to say that they have been kind enough to offer our readers an opportunity to experience these great products themselves.
Place an order with them before the end of February to get a 15% discount. Use the code ‘GENT’ The web site address is http://www.biggreentreetrading.com/
By the way, this discount code works for all the products in the Big Green Tree Range so use the code to buy yourself something from the Men’s grooming range and possibly an early mother’s day gift.
We will be sure to keep you updated with new product when they are launched.
