Value for Money: Shaving gel

Gillette Fusion Hydrating Shaving Gel €4.99 for 200ml

Is this the best a man can get? Hmm, it is grand and it does its job without much complaining but “the best” is a bold claim. It certainly creates a thick lather with the smallest of spurts – and that’s the key you need to be very gentle when you press the button or the gel will spill out all over the place and, at this price, that that is the last thing you need. And of course we do need to talk about price. It is pretty horrendous – although it is found on special in big supermarkets and pharmacies betimes. It could be our imagination (not even Pricewatch is immune to the magical powers of marketing, after all) but it does seem to make shaving easy.

Verdict: Grand

Star rating: * * *

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Cien Shaving Gel €1.49 for 200ml

In price terms this product is hard to beat, or at least we were unable find a cheaper gel. It has a delicate fragrance – so delicate we were unable to detect it – but that's grand, we don't really give a rashers if our shaving gel smells lovely. All that we care about is that it takes the skin-shredding pain out of shaving and this product certainly does it. While it is the same size as the Gillette product it did not seem to last as long although that could be because we were a whole lot more flaithulach with it.

Verdict: Great value

Star rating: * * * * *

Nivea Men Cooling Shaving Gel €2.39 for 200ml

This is "for men who want a comfortable shave with a cool, invigorating kick". Pricewatch is just such a man. Was the shave comfortable? It was fine. Did we get a cool, invigorating kick? We got a vague tingle which might be what they meant. At €2.39 this is good value. The problem is that it was selling in our local Tesco at this price on a half price offer. And if the Tesco people are to believed – and why wouldn't we believe them – we will have to pay more than a fiver for this in November and that, to us, seems ridiculous.

Verdict: Very good at this price

Star rating: * * * *

L’Occitan Shaving Gel €19 for 150ml

If money was absolutely no object than this would absolutely be the shaving gel for Pricewatch. We love the heavy scent of lilies which endures long after the shaving has ended and the lather does seem soapier and smoother than the competition. But sadly money is an object. And this seems like an unconscionably high price to pay for something so everyday as shaving gel. And as if the price wasn’t troubling enough, the can is also 25 per cent smaller than the competition. If we got two weeks out of this we reckon we’d be doing well which means that a year’s supply of shaving gel would cost us close to €500. And that, frankly, is ridiculous. It is lovely though.

Verdict: Very lovely. Very, very expensive.

Star rating: * *