Shaving Product Review - Chiseled Face Groomatorium "Cryogen"

Value (Cost, Packaging and Performance)

Lather (Density, Glide and Feel)

Post-shave (Healing, Moisture and Feel)

Scent (Quality, Strength and Longevity)

Do not taunt Happy Fun Ball™ If you're a menth-head then this is probably the chill you're looking for... Chiseled Face Cryogen #soap and #aftershave. Wusses need not apply.

This is not your average aftershave. This is Cryogen. We took the comfortable level of menthol in our other aftershaves and multiplied it by eleven. This will sting and make your eyes water. Some say it is not even usable, but we like it...

This is not your average soap. This is Cryogen. We put a ridiculous amount of menthol in here. So much menthol, that no other scent could be added – the soap recipe just couldn’t take any more additives without breaking down. This will sting and make your eyes water. It might even make your lips go numb. Some may say it is not even usable, but we like it...

We believe this is the coldest stuff on the market, but if it isn’t – someone out there is crazy…

I've actually done an extensive review of Cryogen previously, so I shant repeat. Suffice to say that this is more than likely the coldest soap and aftershave out there (with perhaps the exception of Barrister and Mann Arctique which is fairly close). This offering from #chiseledface leaves nothing to be desired... Except maybe scent - there isn't one. You wouldn't smell it anyway. While Arctique has some, the menthol pretty much puts it not only in the background, but the back of your mind. The chill is front and center. This stuff rocks!

Just a brief note on the rating chart above. The packaging got a mixed review, as you can see in the photo - the soap is the new packaging whereas the aftershave is the old. The new packaging and branding is outstanding. So while I took a point off here, all the new stuff gets a full above average rating. Also the scent... I couldn't rate the quality or the longevity as there simply is no scent. This is menthol, the whole menthol and nothing but the menthol. Plan to use another scent when you're done shaving. In fact, I went with Laila Geir Ness because it seemed apropos. Fans of WDW (Walt Disney World) know that the Norway Pavilion (where many first encounter this scent, if not Nordstrom's) was recently given an "overlay" (as it's called in the scene) of the Disney movie "Frozen." Yeah, so... #GeirNess #EdT it was!

The lather loaded up easily and produced copious amounts of somewhat lighter density lather, providing a nice cushion and outstanding glide and secondary lubricity. That said, the high menthol content makes it a bit unstable. You'll need to whip it up again between passes if using a scuttle, or work it a bit more on your face if not. Other Chiseled Face Groomatorium soaps don't have this issue; it's purely the menthol in this case. Seriously, you can see the crystals on it when it dries. The face feel of both the soap and aftershave is at the high-end of average but it really teeters on above average.

Hardware was an easy choice... Riddle time! What takes off four days of growth in a single pass? The #Merkur #Futur (which I freshly cleaned and reassembled) with an equally fresh #PolSilver blade and set on "3." Seriously, one pass and I could've walked away... But who does that? The #BSB Shaving Brush stood its ground in the chilly lather, warmed only by the #GTP scuttle. Talk about a dichotomy... Face-freezing, nut-shriveling lather - that was warm.

It's been too long since I broke out the heavy menthol artillery and with the cool, rainy weather we've had here (seemingly forever) I could no longer fight the urge. The urge to over-metholate! If you're a fan, you must get some. The software performs most excellently and the menthol kick is among, if not the best. Don't be put off - if you're a fan of menthol and used to ludicrous levels, this stuff isn't that bad. It will make you smile though.