Reviews

    Leaf Shave

    Michael GLevel 3 21 Reviews

    2 months ago

    For years I've been shaving my head with a cartridge razor and it was awful. Even with a good brush and some excellent shave soap, the process took forever, was painful, and was generally unpleasant. I'd been researching safety and DE razors that were good for head shaving, and found that Leaf was repeatedly mentioned as a favorite. Lucky for me, my wife had one that she wasn't using very much, so I ordered some blades to try and off I went. This thing is AMAZING. I still don't love having to shave my head all the time, but with the Leaf I really don't mind it as much. It's faster, more comfortable, and gives a better shave than the cartridges, and I can't imagine using anything else. One important thing worth mentioning is that the Leaf is pretty heavy when you compare it to a cartridge razor and if you're using it for wet shaving, the grip ($5 from their site) is a must. For anyone curious, I'm using Nacet blades at the moment and they've been great. Planning to try some others to see what works best.

    Zack's Mighty Organic

    Michael GLevel 3 21 Reviews

    6 months ago

    Super crunchy, but not overly thick, perfect texture and rigidity for dipping. We get the sea salt tortilla chips and everyone in our house loves them. I gave these 4/5 instead of 5/5 because every once in awhile I buy a batch and they are WAY too salty. Lock down the consistency and these are 5/5 all day. Excited to try some of their other flavors based on the review.

    Blueland

    Michael GLevel 3 21 Reviews

    8 months ago

    We just reordered the Blueland dishwashing tabs, laundry tabs, and oxi laundry powder and they've been great so far. Minimal packaging and footprint, clean dishes and clothes, and the oxi powder has a really lovely scent. This stuff works, it saves space, and it doesn't cost more than the liquid detergents that I was previously buying.

    PrettyBoy

    Michael GLevel 3 21 Reviews

    8 months ago

    Of the many men's skincare brands I've tested, Pretty Boy is the one I've liked the most so far. I'm a 40+ guy and when it comes to skincare, first and foremost, I'm looking for something that works, and with Pretty Boy, my skin looks and feels better. I haven't had any dry or flakey skin, I've had fewer breakouts, and I even got complimented on my skin looking good (which as an older guy, was really lovely). For me personally, the other things I'm looking for are an inoffensive smell (Pretty Boy is unscented) and the feel of the product (Pretty Boy is a gel that goes on easily, without leaving any greasy or shiny residue). I also really like that Pretty Boy is an all in one, which makes it easier for me to use reliably; one application in the morning and one before bed and I'm done. Overall, I really like this product and while I plan to continue testing other brands, I intend to keep a bottle of Pretty Boy in my top kit going forward.

    Stasher Bag

    Michael GLevel 3 21 Reviews

    a year ago

    Great alternative to the usual ziploc bag waste. Perfect for snacks, kids stuff in the car, hikes, and beach trips. We have a set of Stasher bags that we use all the time. Pros - less waste, reusable, durable, and colorful bags. Cons - sticky texture on the bag can sometimes take salts and seasonings off of internal contents, need a dedicated place to dry them. These are worth the effort and definitely a staple in our house.

    Phoenix Shaving

    Michael GLevel 3 21 Reviews

    a year ago

    As a hirsute gentleman with sensitive skin, I've been a devout shave brush / shave soap user for many many years. Something I didn't realize before moving to a brush shave is that the world of shave soaps is a total rabbit hole. Tallow, plant-based, natural, scented, there are literally hundreds of companies from little one-person shops to big multi-national brands playing in the game and it's often hard to know what's what. I found Phoenix during one of those deep dive research sessions trying to find a good shave soap for sensitive skin. There are a LOT of products on the website and if you don't know what you're looking for, it can be very overwhelming, and even if you do know what you're looking for, it's a little hard to tell what's what. I purchased one of their CK6 Bay Rum shave soaps and a container of their unscented aftershave balm. Their CK6 formula is supposed to rival a tallow based soap - a claim I was a bit dubious of at first. However, I found the Phoenix soap to lather really well, it smelled great, and my shave was excellent. I had noticeably less razor burn on sensitive areas on my neck, and it really did shave like a tallow soap. It does lather a bit heavy, and I went through the first container of Phoenix shave soap faster than I normally would, but trial and error seems to be correcting for that. The unscented after shave balm was luxurious. I feel ridiculous typing this, but it was creamy, yet still light-weight, and definitely soothed my skin. I use it immediately after I shave and the next day and my skin stays soft and irritation free. As far as I can tell, I've also had less ingrown hairs. The product is a 5/5. The 4/5 rating is because the website is just way too much. I love the individual product stories and imagery, but it's a bear to navigate.

    Vacation

    Michael GLevel 3 21 Reviews

    a year ago

    What’s not to love about a well executed throwback brand that makes a great product? First and foremost, I love the actual sunscreen they make. It goes on easy, they have lots of different types and spf levels, and all of them smell like, well, they smell like vacation. Tropical, airy, but not overly scented like the Hawaiian Tropic that many of us remember from our childhoods. It’s just enough of a scent to give you the sense memory but not so much that it’s overwhelming. Then there’s the branding itself. Vacation is fun, nostalgic, and we’ll executed. They have a clear idea of who they are and they do it really well. The only ding I’d give them is on price, but compared to similar sunscreen brands, they are where you’d expect them to be. Overall, really dig this brand and have already Re upped a couple of times on their products.

    GOODLES

    Michael GLevel 3 21 Reviews

    a year ago

    Plain and simple, Goodles is delicious. We've tried a bunch of different flavors, and the consensus across 2 adults and 2 kids, is that these are a hit. The in-store combination of the packaging - the food photography is on point, as are the vibrant colors - and 2 for $7 sale were enough to get me to try a couple of boxes and I'm glad I did. The non-sale price is a little higher than I'd normally pay for boxed Mac and cheese, but given how much my kids like it, it's worth a couple dollars more for the good stuff.

    Jackfir

    Michael GLevel 3 21 Reviews

    2 years ago

    Purchased through a Thingtesting offer

    I wanted to use the Jackfir moisturizer for a bit before leaving my review, and after a month, I'm happy to report that I really like this product. In a month since I started using it regularly, my skin has been noticeably healthier looking and less dry. I've been on a mission to find great skin care products for men, and the last two moisturizers I used both left me with dry and sometimes even flaky skin. I have somewhat sensitive skin and I haven't had any breakouts or other issues with Jackfir. One thing I've noticed about the Jackfir moisturizer vs. some of the others I've used is just how little of it I need to use for a single application...a little bit goes a long way, but it gets absorbed pretty quickly and doesn't leave any visible residue or oiliness. Overall. I really like this one and will almost certainly try out some of their other products.

    Feedback

    I like the product, and though it won't stop me from using it, I wasn't crazy about the scent. I read on the box what it's supposed to smell like, but to me it just has this kind of strong muskiness vibe, but not good musky, more like time to clean the sauna musky. It's a totally subjective thing, but the scent didn't land for me. Good thing is that it goes away pretty quickly and again, the product is so solid that I don't care. My only other complaint is that it doesn't have any sunscreen in it. My guess, given how many skin care products opt for moisturizers without sunscreen, is that it's not easy to mix the two (or at least not easy to mix the two and end up with as good of a product). So for now, it's Jackfir then some sunscreen, which is a bit of a bummer, but worth it.

    Who Gives a Crap

    Michael GLevel 3 21 Reviews

    2 years ago

    I was super skeptical when my wife announced that we were changing away from my beloved ultra soft toilet paper to something made from bamboo. I was especially concerned about the perceived roughness and thinness of Bamboo toilet paper (sorry if that's TMI). Suffice to say, I've been very happy with the move and most of my fears have been assuaged. Bluntly, it isn't quite as soft as the old stuff, but Who Gives a Crap makes up for it in another ways - sustainability, company mission, convenience, to name a few - but it is soft enough, and I'm glad we made the move.

    Feedback

    Not much unless you can figure out how to make it a little softer.