Brisk Beard Care Review

Reviewed by Deborah Banasko

I have to admit, I do love a man with a beard, my husband being one of them, so I am reviewing this from the point of view of a beard-adoring wife (and not a bearded lady). 

Until now I’d given no thought to how one may clean one’s beard. My husband isn’t what you’d call a modern man, so his product of choice is apparently pretty much whatever is to hand; be that shampoo, hand soap or my face wash (news to me!). It really makes sense to have a special product to keep a beard maintained given the effort involved in the trimming. 

The first product that my hubby tried was the Brisk Citrus Beard and Face Wash (RRP: £6.99), made from natural ingredients. The smell is more of a musky citrus rather than an all-out zingy lemon, so it does smell masculine. The product claims to cleanse and condition, leaving the beard soft and manageable.

It isn’t a huge bottle (150ml), which has its advantages if your husband has a little wash bag like mine does. He only had to use the smallest amount so this will last a while. His face smelled lovely afterwards, slightly less of a citrus scent than when in the bottle and I really like it.

From his point of view his face and beard was soft and less oily, so a huge thumbs up on this product.

The Brisk Beard Oil (RRP: £6.99) is designed for use after washing to soften, tame and groom. Now my husband isn’t one for pointless products so whilst he is happy to use the face wash, the oil would need to be quick and easy to use and actually serve a purpose for him to continue with this product. He tried both the citrus and cedarwood scented oils. The citrus again is fresher whilst the cedarwood is a masculine woody scent, but both are actually gorgeous on the skin and I personally don’t have a preference.

His beard was softer and less scratchy afterwards (his bristly beard is usually a complaint from the kids, so this was a huge plus for us). His beard is quite short and usually well-trimmed so he didn’t notice a difference in how it was tamed, but I can imagine it would smooth down a longer beard and help to control it. From my point of view, it had a slight shine (non-greasy), looked soft and the smell was lovely. 

On the packaging there is a guide of how much to use, dependant on beard length, and it’s quick to use; just a case of using the little dropper to dispense the oil onto the hands then massage in. I noted that he didn’t wash his hands afterwards, so it clearly didn’t leave an oily residue. The bottle is a decent size for the price considering how much you use and is fantastic value for money.

My husband said that he would use the facewash daily as his skin felt great and the smell beats my fruit and floral-smelling products that he’d been using. The oil is something that he’d absolutely use if he were going out and at weekends to look extra smart, though he probably wouldn’t bother for work. I’d imagine anyone with a longer or wilder beard may benefit more from this as a daily product.

The pricing is competitive and what you’d expect for a quality product, with £6.99 for each item (full price at Boots). However, Boots and other retailers appear to have great offers periodically on these items.

There are a range of other Brisk products on the website and it has links to view/purchase items directly from Boots.

I have several bearded family members and never know what to buy men at Christmas. I like to buy “smellies” (soaps, bath creams and body lotions) for the ladies in the family as they appreciate a pamper, but I have never really thought that men appreciate the shower gels and deodorant that they receive. My husband sees them as everyday essentials, and not gifts.

However, the Brisk range is a bit different, as it’s a product just for them and their “man beards” (grrr masculine!) and both my husband and I think it would get a smile of appreciation at Christmas. You do get sick of buying socks and undies, and this is something that most men wouldn’t think to buy, so it’s a bit of man-pampering and a treat! Plus, it’s a fairly priced product that they could continue to buy afterwards if they liked it. The packaging is pretty cool as well!

I would give Brisk beard and face wash and beard oil 4.5 stars out of 5; fantastic masculine smell, good value for money and a unique Christmas gift. 

Rating: 4.5/5

For more information visit www.briskgrooming.co.uk or buy from www.boots.com.