Review: Go Bold Shave Gel
Submitted by The Zook on 27 Oct 2008 09:34 am
First of all, I appreciate the opportunity to evaluate this product, thank you.
Skin Irritation
My skin did not like this particular product and I developed a couple in-grown hairs after just one use. I stopped using it on my head and the remainder of the week was spent face shaving only, which provided an 'ok' shave.
Moisturizing
Go Bold seemed to dry out rather quickly and adding water did not seem to rejuvinate this product like it does others I have used, therefore it's necessary to use more than usual to get the job done. My skin didn't feel dry after using it however.
Smell
Just another menthol-like scent... not sure why everyone seems to lean toward this but no big surprises here. Out of the bottle the scent is pretty strong, however once applied it fades quickly and does not overwhelm.
Value
I cannot comment on the value of the product, but $4/bottle would be a fair price for this product in my opinion.
Packaging
The dispenser was nice, much better than tube style dispensers and didn't seem to leak at all. Not distracting and blended in with the bathroom decor :)
Summary
Like any skin care product, what works like a charm for one person may be the worst choice ever for another. This didn't work very well with my skin which tends to be a little on the sensitive side and acne prone. The original application feels slick and I had high hopes. Unfortunately it became sticky and needed frequent re-application to get the job done. If you do not shave against the grain like I do then perhaps this product would work quite well.
Not recommended for single blade (DE, SE, straight razor) users.
As always, your mileage may vary.
Submitted by Kryten on 28 Oct 2008 06:08 pm
Skin Irritation
The product while having a menthol scent doesn't have the cooling effect of other shaving products. This to me is a plus when I don't want my scalp tingling or in the rare event I've had a wound on my head, the menthol can hurt.
Moisturizing
It works well in the shower where I shave 99% of the time. It leaves a clean slate with no greasy feel but not drying either. I can apply glossy lotion after or leave my head with it's usual matte finish. :)
Smell
The smell is a nice menthol that doesn't linger after rinsing, again leaving me free to apply whatever I'd like after my shower.
Value
$14.95 is too much for as little as you get, I can get products from other companies for $7 from local retail stores for the same amount of product offering the same benefits.
Packaging
Like the pump, makes things handy in the shower. The bald guy on the bottle is cool.
Summary
Overall impression is this product works as advertised, I get a good close shave with little to no irritation, it's not greasy or drying. The price is a little steep and I don't tend to buy from internet companies as shipping and handling adds to the price.
Razor used: Gillette Fusion Power
Submitted by KC on 30 Oct 2008 08:18 am
Smell: It reminds me of fresh Eucalpytus trees which is a good, clean smell that will wake you up in the morning. Also the smell doesn't linger after the shave which is a good thing. Your shave gel should not replace an aftershave or cologne.
Skin Irritation: generally allows the blade to glide over the skin when properly applied. However, the product foam goes away quickly so sometimes it's hard to determine if you have enough gel on a certain spot of the face or head. Once or twice during the shaving process, I've had less lubrication in a patch than I thought which has caused to skin to get slightly red; more of a learning curve than anything.
Moisturizing: The greatest strength of the Go Bold gel. The reason I like this product is how my skin feels after the shave. It feels smooth, supple and refreshed like I've had a mini-facial. Also the skin is not oily or slippery like you get with so many moisturizing products.
Packaging: I like the pump and the bottle size fits nicely in the medicine cabinet. The graphics look very current and "with it". The Go Bold folks might want to try to also package this formula as a shave gel for folks who don't shave their heads and for that market the graphic might need to be fine-tuned (perfect topic for a focus group). The biggest drawback to the packaging is that it would be slightly inconvenient to pack in a gym bag or toiletry kit when on the go or on travel.
Value: A little costly compared to similar products in the marketplace. Advertising should emphasize the ingredient list which is natural and impressive. That feature could justify a premium price.
This is exactly the type of product for which I'd love to create a marketing plan. It has awesome potential.
Submitted by Rickenbacker on 31 Oct 2008 01:55 pm
As in the past, I put new blades in everything before starting my evaluation. I use a Headblade Sport with generic Sensor-type blades, and either a Gillette double-edge razor, or a Bic disposable triple blade.
I like the consistency of Go Bold gel. It's non-greasy, smooth, and like most gels, doesn't really produce a lather. With any razor, I was able to get baby-butt smooth on my head and face. I did find that Go Bold really didn't respond to adding a little water for a second pass. I had to put more gel on. There were no skin irritations, no razor burn...very nice, clean feel when done. With performance, I have no issues with Go Bold gel at all. The pump dispenser is a nice touch.
Go Bold Gel is a good product. There are two things that keep it from being a great product for me. One is the smell. Very strong menthol/eucalyptus. I fully expected it to freeze my head, as strong as the scent was. There was no overwhelming cooling sensation however, just a clean feeling. But, the smell was too overpowering for me.
The other issue for me is price. $14.95 for 8.5 ounces is a little much, when there are other products on the market that perform as well for half the price. It's a competitive business, and for some of us, it's a price-driven decision.
Submitted by tanner on 4 Nov 2008 06:14 am
I would like to thank you for letting me review this product and I hope that my review will help. I used two different types of razors. The headblade and the mach 3, both with new blades. I also used this product on my face to shave.
SKIN IRRITATION : I found that with this product I had no irritation at all. To me this is a big plus. I did not receive any razor burns or bumps on my head with this product.
Moisturizing: I liked the way this product felt on my head. I did not feel any cooling effect neither did I feel as if my head was to dry after my shave. I did not feel the need to spread a lot of lotion on my head after I was done.
SMELL: I am not a fan of the smell of this product right out of the bottle. It was a little overbearing and I was worried that the smell would linger after my shave. I was pleasantly surprised that the smell faded quickly and caused no interference with my aftershave.
VALUE: I was surprised at the cost of this product to be honest. I think it is a little on the high side but for the amount of product I needed to use ( 4 pumps for the head and 1-2 for the face) it would not be cost effective except for middle to high end users.
PACKAGING: I really liked the pump bottle and the color of the gel. It is aesthetically pleasing and the design is great. My kids like the bald head.
Overall I would buy this product but it would not be one I would use everyday. With all the different products out in the market the cost alone would be a big factor in the decision to buy a different product.
Submitted by Rebob on 4 Nov 2008 07:59 am
This product is ok. I like the pump bottle that it comes in and the fragrance is good. I had to get use to not getting a lot of lather as I do in regular shaving cremes. One thing I did notice is that if you really take your time the lather will get dry and then it feels like you are dry shaving. The fix is to add water then the moisture is back. The price, in my opinion is totally outragous. It seems like you have to use quite a bit if you are going to use it for your head and face. I don't think it would last 30 days. That could get expensive, which I already think it is.
Submitted by DrumDawg on 15 Nov 2008 08:10 pm
Smell: Well. There is just no other way to say it. It smells somewhat medicated. It does not bother me, per se; but does have that menthol thing going on. Not in a pleasantly minty way, but not in a Dr. Johnson, paging Dr. Johnson kinda way either. Somewhat neutral.
Skin Irritation: Well. I am unsure how this would be if you did NOT lather it with a brush. I just brushed it on. It lathers about as well as a Williams Soap Puck. so with that done, it does not irritate the skin, it does not seem to lead to razor burn. a pretty good product for shaving the head (with the slight exception of eye irritation if it gets in your eyes).
Moisturizing: I would say neutral on this. It does not dry my skin, but does not seem to moisturize it either. It DOES seem to set the skin up to soak up some ASB very nicely though. however, this is winter, and just about everything does that.
Packaging: nice. I love the pump bottle. the color is quite aesthetic. If i had seen this in the store, i would have at least picked up the bottle to see what it was about.
Value: This stuff lasts forever. I have used it 2/3 times weekly to shave my head; two pumps per shave (two passes); yes i said that, one pump per pass (using a brush to lather on my head). So at this rate, this stuff would last at least six months (probably a good bit more). at 15 bucks (or a nickel short of); this is quite a value.
Submitted by BulletHead on 19 Dec 2008 09:16 am
I really liked the packaging and ease of use with this product. It definitely does provide a nice close shave. I also had no irritation with my shaves and my skin did not seem overly dry afterwards. The smell didn't really play that big of a role for me since I shave in the shower which tends to keep fragrances down. From what I did smell it seemed very herbel in nature. I was thinking that the price tag might be a bit much, but for the amount you get vs. how much you use per shave, it balances out well. A very nice product!
