‘I tested a ‘lawn mower’ personal grooming shaver before a date – it’s my best friend’

Men need to keep on top of hair in certain areas to impress wives, girlfriends, boyfriends, husbands and potential partners – this will genuinely make it so easy

I’ve been a man for 14 years now and if there’s one thing I’ve learnt besides how to pay a mortgage and the importance of a good desk chair, it’s that you need to keep your stuff tidy. Down there. Especially for your partners, but for anyone single like me, it’s got to be ready at a moment’s notice.

Fail to prepare, prepare to fail. Having used everything from razors to repurposed beard trimmers (it was decommissioned from my face), I needed a more manageable solution. That’s where Manscaped comes in – who has slashed their best-selling products for Black Friday.

This includes their face-shaving kit – The Chairman, down from £218 to £150 with an additional 25% off at checkout; the body shaving kit – The Body Care Kit, down from £58 to £45 with the 25% off discount; and also their pubic shaving device, the Lawnmower, down from £110 to £100. However, I opted for the Performance Package 5.0 Ultra, which, besides possessing a name that makes me feel safe putting spinny blades near my most prized treasure in this land, comes with everything you need for date night.

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Not only did I put this to the test, I did it before meeting a… close friend. So this review has officially been double-checked.

My Honest Review of Manscaped’s Performance Package 5.0 Ultra

The Package – currently £135, down from £210 – made an impression the moment I tore open the postage wrapping as it comes neatly prepared in a tidy box. Inside, I found:

• The Lawn Mower 5.0 Groin and Body Hair Trimmer
• Weed Whacker 3.0 Pro Electric Nose, Ear and Eyebrow Hair Trimmer
• Crop Soother Ball Aftershave Lotion
• Crop Perserver Anti-Chafing Ball Deodrant REfined Set
• Magic Mat Disposable Shaving MAts
• Boxers
• The Shed Toiletry Bag

The amount included for the Black Friday price is exceptional. A basic trimmer like the Gillette Intimate Trimmer i5 comes in at £40.49 (down from £44.99) from Amazon. However, Manscaped promises even better action with the Lawn Mower.

Immediately I knew my device was in safe hands with this device. The grip is comfortable, making it easier to get to slightly trickier spots around the junk. It comes with two separate guards for different length trims, if you prefer to go with the curated look. It also has a foil blade to get that extra smooth aesthetic.

As someone who has a break-rate of everything they’ve owned of BamBam from the Flintstones, the heads come off easily, which is especially useful if you’re in a rush. I used the flat blade to trim the hairs on the two potatoes, before going in on the foil blade to ensure there’s no weird stubble.

Putting anything near your junk is for the brave – I previously used a Gillette Fusion5 razor in the shower, a terrifying task that would make Genghis Khan shudder. However, it was genuinely the easiest shave I’ve ever done. I was worried the foil blade would tug at the hairs, like those foil blades are want to do, yet it actually made for a much easier, calmer shave.

This particular time I was in a rush – fitting in… quality time with my… close friend… after work in Black Friday week – and it was almost completely fine. While the Lawn Mower does come with SkinSafe Technology to help reduce the risks of nicking yourself, the rush meant I did manage to get it at one point. Disaster, right? Well, unlike nicking yourself with a razor blade, this was more like a warning shot, and within five minutes I was completely fine and ready to go.

The hero product genuinely gets five stars from me – safe, manoeuvrable and produces an aesthetic that, let’s just say, garners compliments. But what about the rest?

Weed Whacker

This trimmer is perfect for anyone who relies on the ball of fire patted against their ears in a Turkish barber shop (like I used to, I do miss my Bethnal Green barber) to keep tidy. It doesn’t tug at all and keeps often under-focused-on areas well looked after. It also has an eyebrow comb too to keep them under control but unfortunately I am cursed with the sweatiest forehead in the United Kingdom, thus need all the help evolution’s got for me.

Crop Soother Ball Aftershave Lotion and Crop Preserver Anti-Chafing Ball Deodarant

These are particularly good for the sweaty men amongst us. While I didn’t use pre-meeting-said-close-friend, I did test separately.

The Aftershave comes out as a smooth cream that you rub into your special area. If, like me, you have the skin sensitivity of a newborn babe, test a little bit first before going fully in. It ended up feeling completely fine. The smell is masculine and refined – good if your partner is into that. They’ll have told you after smelling a body aftershave you’ve used before.

I wasn’t too sure about the Ball Deodorant, but it does have that trademark masculine smell. It’s not a spray, but rather a cream, and I did have some issues removing the protective layer, resulting in a slight creamy mess. Again though, it was fine on my notoriously sensitive skin, but do test a patch before committing.

Finally, the boxers are genuinely the softest pair of pants I own. They are great and fit really well, definitely recommended for people who don’t skip leg day. Could probably do with slightly smaller branding on it so it’s not screaming “I shave my balls!” to everyone who sees the band, though I suppose that is good advertising for prospective partners.

Do I recommend Manscaped’s The Performance Package 5.0?

Look, if you go au natural and that works for you, great. However, men need to make sure they are grooming for both themselves and partners. Be considerate. No one wants fuzz balls. The Performance Package 5.0 to me is an absolute league of its own in terms of quality.

The Lawn Mower is a piece of art that’s easy to use and creates a visual anyone will be pleased with. The set is worth it for that alone (it costs £100 standalone in the Black Friday sale). And while the two smelly bits are more add-on bonuses than ‘worth the price’, the boxers are great and the Weed Whacker a necessity for us hairy boys. Top marks.

Pros

• Very easy to use
• Protects from most nicks
• Creates a perfect look
• Creams good for sensitive skin
• Masculine scents
• Amazing boxers

Cons

• Protects from most nicks
• Aftershave and deodorant are for special cases only

Those looking for an alternative shaver, I have previously used the Philips Series 3000 Beard trimmer for the downstairs. While it’s affordable (£29.99 down from £40), it doesn’t give the same level of curation as the Manscaped package.