Ursa Major Stellar Shave Cream review
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Boys get an all natural skin care company of their own (but don’t mind if we share).
photos: we heart this
The hubby is a big fan of shave creams. I mean the fancy stuff in a tube, not the aerosol cans that pervade a drug store aisle. He’s got sensitive skin that always borders on dry; so he needs something a little more nurturing, a little more pampering. He considers himself something of a shave cream connoisseur – at one point he even used the fancy shave soap with the brush that I’ve only seen in old timey movies and television.
So I was excited to receive a “fancy” shave cream from Ursa Major for my latest wht review. The hubby would love checking out a new brand and get a kick out of playing beauty team tester.
Named after the northern constellation (meaning ‘Great Bear’) Ursa Major the company is based in Vermont. At a time when products that are “Made in the U.S.A.” are all too scarce, which earns them bonus points from this reviewer. Specializing in men’s skincare, the company takes pride in producing all-natural products.
Their Stellar Shave Cream ($22) boasts being 99% natural and containing good-for-you ingredients such as aloe, birch, sunflower, willow bark and oat protein. The super natural formula is also free of parabens, petrochemicals, sulfates, synthetic fragrance or color and a bunch of other chemicals that are probably best avoided.
As expected, once I handed the Stellar Shave Cream over the husband, he dutifully and thoroughly tested out this manly shaving cream. Though you know I couldn’t resist checking it out myself, so check the comments for my (and the review team’s) thoughts. For now, here’s the hubby’s.
HE SAID:
My first impressions were that this is a thick and lightly scented shave cream – I’ll generically describe it as “herbal”. For me, this is a big plus. There’s nothing I hate more than using the “air-in-a-can” shave cream that smells either like musk or chemicals. (There is a hint of ginger in this, which cuts the overtly herbal tones to the fragrance ~ Krista) Stellar Shave had a very good consistency in the hand and a the light scent didn’t overpower on the face.
I followed the instructions exactly. The packaging directs you to use a nickel-sized dollop and to work it into your whiskers. At this point when applied to a damp face the cream started to thin out noticeably. I was sure this was going to be like dragging a dry razor across my face, but thankfully that was not the case. The small amount allowed my razor to glide across without any hang-ups. When finished, I did the hand test and decided I needed to go over my stubble again. I followed the directions again and on the second pass, my face was smooth. My face was left feeling smooth, but a bit dry.
The need for a double shave could have been a result of my typical shaving habits. I am not a daily shaver, I shave three days a week. For this test I used a fresh Gillette Mach 3 razor.
Overall, this was good, but there are several other brands below this price point that offer a smoother shave that leaves your skin feeling more hydrated. However, if you’re looking for something that has fewer chemicals, this may be worth the trade-off for you.
Pros:
• Nice consistency
• Light smell
• All natural ingredients
• No potentially toxic ingredients
Cons:
• Required a double-shave to attain smoothness
• Slightly dry skin afterwards
• Pricey
Ok, we’ve heard from a boy. Review Team – Did you find Ursa Major’s shave cream to be “Stellar”? And we heartsters – Do you ever “borrow” your husbands shaving cream? Or does he “borrow” yours?
Krista currently lives in a semi-haunted house in New England with her hubby/best friend and obscenely big-eared dog. She thinks the world would be a better place if people smiled more and ate more dark chocolate. She is a firm believer that humor can be found in everything and that Tom Selleck’s moustache has healing properties…
Disclosure: This review includes products that were provided by the manufacturer/PR firm for our consideration. For more info, or any questions, please see our disclosure policy.
I could have given my sample to my husband, but I love a nice shave cream – so I didn’t! And I’m glad I didn’t because I like Stellar Shave quite a bit. I didn’t notice any problems with being left feeling dry. It does feel like it’s a hybrid of a clay mask and a cream (I wonder if it does have any clay in it?) But it really is very creamy, super thick and it doesn’t disappear when you you rub it in. And it felt like I was using something special. I’ve never omitted an “Oh!” with plain ol’ shaving cream! I was left feeling smooth.
It’s expensive if you were going to use it to shave your legs. But I’d totally buy this for a man. Maybe even myself and have an armpit only cream – oh, the decadence! 4 stars from me.
I think this product is maybe best left for the fellas. I tend to shave my legs/pits in the shower and I found myself losing too much product while I let it “sink” in, per the instructions. Not very cost effective. It also takes quite a bit of product for legs, so again, not cost effective for me. I would probably sneak this for pits, though, if it happened to be nearby. Overall, this is more of a guy product and the way it’s supposed to be used is probably more in keeping with how a man typically shaves (i.e. in front of his sink w/ a mirror as opposed in a wet shower), so I think this would probably be a lovely gift for the gents in your life. Side note: this was pretty drying on my hubby, so include a good moisturizer if you give this as a gift :) 3 stars from me.
I’ve used the cream a few times since the original writing. I have to say this is going OFF of my shaving cream rotation. It thins entirely too much when I use it and has always required a double shave (even when I increased shave frequency). That on top of the dryness and the general irritation my skin is left with, means this isn’t the shave cream for me. Ladies, I implore you to find out the skin type of the man you buy this for. If it borders on dry and/or sensitive, I would recommend steering clear.
Great review Mike/Krista! At the beginning I was all jealous I didn’t get it to test on my sensitive skin hubby and ready to add it to the shopping list, but by the end of your very thorough test, I’m rethinking it, unless they have a more moisturizing version. Darn, I was really hoping to give him some incentive to shave the creepy stache he’s decided to grace me with for the last month!
My hubby had a creepy ‘stache…for 2 minutes. He had grown a beard several months ago and then shaved off the beard and left the moustache. I took a picture of him with it to show him why facial hair doesn’t work for him. He looked like he uses candy to lure small children into his white kidnapper van outside a playground. Horrifying. Just horrifying. :P LOL
Call me selfish but, I kept this travel sized shaving creme for myself. I covet all things travel size. As a big fan of natural ingredients, I love that the Aloe is the first ingredient in this shave cream. It was not moisturizing so I needed lotion after my shower on my legs. To be fair, I am not sure that is a fair criticism because it is winter. I am always fighting dry skin. I just was not wowed by this product.
Three stars
Aw, I love luxury shave creams, but if it requires double shaving and dries your skin out a little, I’ll have to give it a pass. :(
I didn’t need a double shave, but I don’t have boy stubble either!
Too bad my hubby doesn’t razor shave (electric only), this sounds like the kind of gift he would like! He’s Armenian and Sicilian so he’s got pretty oily skin and I think his face would easily handle the potential for drying. As for me? Dry skin on my body with a combination face (not that I shave my face, hahah!). Guess we’ll have to pass! Shame, it’s cute woodsy packaging.
I agree with @stef on this one, it just feels special. I thought that it was a very nice product. I love the packaging. And I felt that the cream gave an overall decent shave. I did not find it drying. I used it on my legs and arm pits and found that I was able to get a fairly smooth shave. And I actually enjoyed the scent. I kept this one for myself BTW as my husband has a lovely and full beard that requires very little shaving cream. But yes, he and I typically share shaving cream. I say that this one is great for both ladies and men. 4 stars from me!! I say that it would make a great gift for that special guy in your life or for you when you want to “Treat Yo Self”!!
My hubs is wearing the stubble/beard these days so he couldn’t be persuaded to give this a go. As for me? Well, in spite of the fact that it’s winter, I’m not sporting the stubble trend…this is L.A. after all.
I found this cream to be a lot like Noxema–right down to the herby meets menthol or eucalyptus-like scent. That’s not a bad thing at all; I learned to shave using a jar of Noxema as a young girl. The cream is richer in consistency than Noxema by far. Unlike others, I didn’t find this drying and my skin felt quite soft afterwards. And, unlike Noxema I’m sure, this get extra points for it’s naturalness.
That price point is rather troubling, though–neither hubs nor I could afford the luxury of a $20+ shave cream. On the other hand, maybe once–like when that stubble meets beard comes off. That’ll be a celebratory shave. 3 stars.
So hubs decided to clean up the beard and shave his neck (I may have requested) and I suggested he use this. He thought it was the best shave cream ever! He was amazed that he didn’t cut himself (as he usually does) and thought this left his skin super soft (I must agree). He wanted to buy some more and asked if it was expensive. When I told him it was $22 (quite a bit more than his Aveeno) his eyes nearly popped out of his head. He loves it but, like me, would rather put our premium product $$ into good quality facial moisturizers. I wish I could upgrade to 4 stars…but since Mike downgraded, I guess it all comes out in the wash.
I am using this product and it really brought good results and worked well for me. Great post!