shaving

Thanks to TwinLuxe, we have three $100 giftcards for any of their products (including high-end shaving kits, shaving creams, and other men's skin care products). TwinLuxe is a newer brand offering luxury shaving products for men, and the accessories to go with them. I initially announced and reviewed one of their shaving kits here. TwinLuxe offers seven skin care products, each having been specially formulated for the brand. The skin care products range from shaving cream, to post-shave creams, as well as moisturizers. To enter for a chance to win a gift card, all you need to do is visit TwinLuxe's website and choose what your most desired skin care product the offer is - and then comment below with your choice. You can see the full range of TwinLuxe skin care products here. Good luck and follow TwinLuxe on Facebook here.

THANKS TO ALL WHO ENTERED. THE GIVEAWAY IS NOW OVER.

To enter, leave a comment on this post sharing which TwinLuxe skin care product you like most. The giveaway ends on February 11th at 8:00pm PST. See additional rules below.

* To enter, leave a confirmed comment below.
* The comment must be left and confirmed before February 11th, 2011 at 8:00PM Pacific Time.
* You may only enter once.
* Three winners will be selected in a random drawing.
* Three winners will each receive one $100 TwinLuxe giftcard that can only be used once, subject to products availability, valued at $100, for full details and restrictions please contact TwinLuxe.
* Open to legal residents of the 50 United States, and the District of Columbia, who are 18 and older.

See full giveaway rules here.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch reviews site aBlogtoRead.com.

Most men shave every day so investing in quality equipment isn't so much a luxury as a necessity. If you prefer to shave old-school Pils Bauhaus has a set of tools with all the character of old world style but with a classy modern spin courtesy of light-reflecting stainless steel. Made almost completely of satin-finished stainless steel and high mountain silver-top badger hair in a small factory in Germany each piece is finished by artisans for a luxurious and detailed result. The pieces are sold individually but the full shaving set includes a double-edge razor, stand, and a bowl filled with Pils Bauhaus shaving soap for $650.

I remember when I was about 16 years old and I got a package in the mail from Gillette. It was a shaving razor, a few blades, and a can of Gillette shaving cream. I never asked for the kit. The clever marketing move done by Gillette gets men to use their products at a young age. Gillette taught me the "supermarket" approach to shaving, but I didn't learn what a "good shave" was until years later. The truth is that most men these days aren't familiar with the "art of shaving" (which is coincidentally the name a retail chain).

The modern gentlemen is expected to have knowledge in a number of areas, but topics concerning traditional forms of men's grooming are becoming lost. It is a shame, because the "supermarket" shaving experience doesn't even come close to what a proper shave can offer.

While not alone in this pursuit, new brand TwinLuxe is trying to get the "message" out there to men that a 'good shave' is a luxurious experience. In a sense it certainly is. A good shave is a process that requires good tools and a little bit of skill. Those wanting the modern convenience of a safety razor can forgot the straight razor experience, and still enjoy much of what a traditional shave has to offer. TwinLuxe intends to cater to the discerning individual by offering a high-end (according to TwinLuxe, they offer the most expensive regular production shave set currently on the market) shaving kit and accompanying men's skin products - each specially formulated by TwinLuxe.

Sure, Gillette's got a shaving cream that's so intense it will make John Cena accost you in the men's room, but what if you want grooming products that go the way of all natural caring, as opposed to cage match? In that case you need wares from Dino Caracciolo's Crown Shaving Company. Part of a family that's been in the barbering business since 1955, Caracciolo wanted to create lathers and lotions free of chemical fillers and synthetic fragrances, that would pair old world luxury with masculine appeal.

The five products are ambassadors for natural ingredients: the supreme glide pre-shave formula contains aloe, meadowfoam seed and orange fruit extract, the shave cream has Shea butter and white tea leaf extract tinged with eucalyptus and spearmint, the aftershave lotion is coconut and jojoba oils along with vitamin E, and the peppermint tea tree body wash and peppermint tea tree conditioner are similarly dedicated to the natural care of your skin. They're available online only, with the entire set of five offered for $75.

Hommage, the Parisian purveyor of luxury grooming equipment, skincare and spa services for men, has created a limited edition, platinum-sheathed straight razor using the same ancient layering techniques as the Crusaders' swords, for $30,000. Called the Damascene Razor, the blade is hand-forged in Germany with 128 layers of legendary Damascene steel, with a rose and torsion pattern. The sheath is plated in pure platinum, treated to resist tarnishing.

The razor comes in a lacquered gift box of Tanzanian anigré wood. The name Damascene is often attributed to the steel swords made in the vicinity of Damascus, Syria and first gained its mythical reputation during the medieval Crusades. According to Hommage, "the blade of a Damascus steel sword was said to be able to cut a piece of silk in half as it fell to the ground and was strong enough to cut through a rock without losing its sharpness." And now you can use it to get the world's most expensive shave.

The majority of shaving brushes seem to be designed for men or, if not distinctly masculine, are overtly asexual. The Whish Body Brushes are glitzy and designed to appeal to women in much the same way that other bejeweled gadgets and accessories. Each brush is made with 100% badger hair for the best lather possible and sits atop a Swarovski crystal-covered base, available in both full and half sizes. You can select from 19 different crystal color combinations, from jet black to sapphire blue and topaz (pictured, right). Price: $180.