Pall Mall Barbers Review

Worst part of being a man? For me definitely the constant need to shave.

Well what if I told you that there was this magical place that just did it for you! Crazy right? AND that in this magical place there were these magicians that just magically knew everything about shaving.

Fine. I’ll tell you. It’s called a barbers and although there are plenty of them around London, “Pall Mall Barbers” is the one you want.

Traditional barbers are back in, with more and more millennials opting for these shops rather than generic hairdressers or doing it themselves. AND with facial hair having made an explosive comeback in 2015/2016 and continuously rising, these barbers are getting booked up. So you better rethink your hair-removal strategy and book yourself an appointment.

I recently went in to the Pall Mall Barbers Fitzrovia branch with my 5 month growing beard to refresh my facial hair (I couldn’t bear the thought of standing in front of the mirror in my cold bathroom for 45 minutes trying to make my cheap blade work). I opted for the 5 step hot towel shave and It was so worth it.
I had the lovely, entertaining and welcoming Cara serving me. Definitely ask for her! We started off with the PMB pre-shave scrub. Bearing in mind i had no idea what this 5 step shave included, this was a lovely surprise. Basically a face massage followed by an amazing hot-towel face wrap.

The scrub is designed to soften hairs, acting as a daily wash or to prepare the skin for shaving. With natural prickly pear seed oil and Amazonian guarana seeds, the sandalwood and clove scrub helps remove any dead skin cells and open pores to prepare the skin for shaving.

Cocoa butter and Shea butter help to lubricate and soothe the skin, whilst leaving a soft and supple finish. Ideal for sensitive skin, the pre-shave scrub will help you get a smoother and closer shave. They actually sell this scrub in stores so please enquire. Then we moved to the PMB shave oil. This was again like another face massage when applied, and really soothes you ready for the shave. This was followed by another hot towel face wrap (which I just couldn’t get enough of). Softening stubble whilst protecting sensitive skin, the soothing shave oil adds an additional protective layer prior to a shave. Pall Mall Barbers bespoke shave oil contains sweet almond and jojoba oils – each renowned for their smoothing properties. Application of the shave oil forms a protective barrier between your delicate skin and the razor blade, enabling a smoother glide, a closer shave and a more precise finish. Also available in stores.

Now to the actual shaving with the PMB shave cream. Cara thoroughly brushes in the shaving cream in different directions in order to get all the little hairs up. She then shaves twice over once downward with the grain and then again against the grain. Although Cara was very conversational throughout the pre-treatments this was the moment of concentration and the silence really added to the relaxation of the treatment. One thing I was quite cautious about was being cut by the blade, but Cara was so attentive and gentle – not a single cut. She finishes off with a refreshing cold towel.

At this point I’d lost count and thought we’d finished but no, onto the fourth step. We all hate how sensitive and raw your face feels when you’ve just shaven so this cooling gel is exactly what you need after a shave. AND of course if it’s applied together with a soothing massage then you can’t really complain.

Proven to reduce the impact of razor burn, the cooling gel provides a beautiful cooling relief to the skin. Ideal for those who are prone to shaving irritation or sensitivity and brimming with high-quality, pure Aloe Vera, and a blend our cooling gel brings relief to delicate skins.
Combined with the anti-inflammatory properties of witch hazel extract, PMB cooling gel provides the perfect refreshing finish to your shave.
The final step, PMB post shave balm. The post shave balm helps to rejuvenate and soften skin after shaving, and can also be used in place of a daily moisturiser. Combining intense hydration and soothing elements with prickly pear seed oil and glycerine to absorb deep into the skin, reducing redness and irritation and leaving skin soft and supple.

The whole process was a beautiful, relaxing and luxury treatment which I will definitely be having again and I can 100% recommend. I walked out feeling young, refreshed and ready to take on the day. It costs £50 and takes approx 45 minutes. But if you are in a rush or want something cheaper they have plenty of other services to choose from.

Website: www.pallmallbarbers.com

Written by Alvin Engutsamy