Change How You See Yourself

Last week I wrote an article about the Billion Dollar Razor Scam.

It’s about the reality of an industry hell bent on churning out cheap products. Products designed to dupe you and our society into a recurring nightmare of disposable and unsatisfying junk.

I was tired of the piles of terrible razors and ineffective “solutions” for a better shave and smoother skin.

So I started a quest to find what I’d been searching for (but didn’t know it) my entire life...

Before I go further a quick sidebar about the economics of marketing to men and women. It’s important because it comes into play shortly.

Have you ever been to the dry cleaners?

Once I went to the dry cleaners to pick up 20 shirts and my bill was like $300. I just about lost my shit. $300 for 20 shirts. I was pissed and said hey the sign says 99 cents men’s shirts.

The dry cleaner got flustered, fast.

You see the problem was… my wife dropped off the shirts. I wear some pretty colorful patterned shirts and the dry cleaner assumed that the shirts were HER shirts. 300 bones.

Yup, absolutely true, the dry cleaner charges 10X plus to women for the same job. Why? Market demand. Apparently, women pay more for shirt cleaning because women pay more for shirt cleaning. I am no social justice warrior but it does seem crazy…

Insanely unfair.

You see the same thing happens in women’s cosmetics. The market is inflated by need, demand and performance. The promises people in advertising make are rarely delivered upon.

Plus, men make up less than 1% of the 60 billion-dollar facial care industry.

Except at Dr. Lancers office. The men at home are stealing the women’s products.

Dr. Lancer’s line of women’s products perform so well they destroy the competition on quality. He has prestige, quality and reputation...better, he obviously has results. Therefore he commands the price. It’s that simple. Better result. Higher price. You’ve bought a car before. You get it.

That’s when Dr. Lancer said the thing that was on my brain.

“I’ve been working on a line specifically men for a few years but …”

“You need a great razor…” I finished his sentence.

“Exactly.” He said. We were bonded that second. I continued with my interruption.

“I’d like to try your products. If they are what you say they are, and I have no reason to doubt you, then ….If I were to go hunt down the best razor blade in the world... a really quality blade that stayed sharp and didn’t aggravate or leave collar rash, would you try it? Then if you liked that, perhaps I could help?

I sometimes leap before I look…

He simply said, “Sure, swing by the office. I’ll have Tracey set you up. By the way you can get a really good razor, they are about $100-200 dollars and no straight man will pay that.”.

So, the next morning, I showed up. Tracey had a gift pack of plain white labelled products for me and for my business partner and she walked me through the regiment.

Tracey has a lovely English accent and is clearly well-versed in both the product line and the value of the ingredients. I missed half of what she said because I am more of a hands-on person so hearing the ingredients was like drinking out of a firehose for me. She knew her stuff. I didn’t know her stuff. But I knew the result I was looking for. She pointed me to the shaving store. I had not realized such a thing existed.

But two blocks later there I was standing in front of a glass case and a young lady named Mandy. It was like a Museum of men’s grooming and the prices were…museum quality. So, I way overpaid for a razor from the Louvre. Stupid money.

Yes, it was heavy, expensive and had individual 5-cartridge blades but Mandy promised it was the best I could get. It was 5 bladed and cost $175 dollars. Mind you I was in Beverly Hills yet I almost choked on the receipt as I signed it. What had I got myself into?

I sported back to my hotel room, whipped my shirt off, proceeded to the bathroom and dove into what I can only describe as the most rewarding shave I had ever experienced.

    

First step: Daily Exfoliating Deep Cleanser:

I put a quarter size dollop in hand as instructed. The label said: Reveal a smoother, younger-looking complexion with this daily scrub that combines Ivory Palm Powder, Pineapple Enzymes and AHAs + BHAs for an effective, deeper clean.

Sounds girly and like BS... but I scrubbed. It was grainy. It smelled great. But there was a sandpaper-esque feel to the experience. I thought well if it it’s good enough for Clooney…I don’t think he’s Lancer’s client, but when faced with any task that for a second diminishes my manhood I tell myself that Clooney must do it.

It actually …was great. When I rinsed it my face felt raw and fresh, was a little red from the experience but I’ll admit… I was kind of getting into it. Maybe it was the whole Beverly Hills thing, I don’t get much pampering and I was pleased so far.

>>> Pamper yourself HERE

Then came Step 2: The Dual Cleanse and Shave…again I read…

Sulfate-free formula contains gentle yet effective coconut-derived agents that won’t dry out skin or cause further irritation. Xylitol helps to keep skin clear and prevent irritation caused by shaving. Shave Strip Technology is comprised of water-soluble resins that provide the same lubricant action used in lubricant strips for razors, giving a soft feel and smooth application while reducing razor drag.

A little blah bah blah to me but I’m a caveman. So here I go…and I get to try out what a $175 dollar razor feels like. Okay that thing took a full minute to get out of the package. It came with two 5-blade replaceable cartridges, each touting a two week use life. I lathered up my face, forehead, neck….It was foamy but not like shaving cream, just like a good soap. Again, I may not look good but I was now convinced, I was going to smell good.

The first swipe with the razor and in my haste, I must have used it upside down…I felt nothing.

I flipped it over and no…That was the back. I was right the first time. I was shocked.

I suddenly realized I had never used a really-decent razor in my whole life.

This thing cut like a hot knife through butter. One stroke after the next it glided completely effortlessly without resistance at all. One stroke shaving.

Now I knew enough to shave with the grain of my beard, then against it. In seconds, I had finished but when I rinsed…holy smokes. Now there’s smooth…then there is smooth. My skin had not had that texture since I was in the ninth grade. It was like a baby’s butt. Zero stubble, zero cuts…even my neck which is usually like shaving a porcupine…perfectly glassy smooth…I toweled off…it was amazing…no cheap towel fluff left behind, no nicks. I thought a sharp razor surely meant blood and towel fur.

I still had purchase remorse over the price…I don’t care how good a razor is I will never pay $175 dollars for one…ever. This was a business expense for an experiment. I’m just too cheap. But dammit-all…that was one hell of a shave. I felt my face, I leaned into the mirror for the first time in a long time.

Now I haven’t mentioned my exact age but suffice it to say I am getting older every year. I already have a few greys peeking out and a few crow’s feet coming in.

The next step: A dab of Dr. Lancer’s Anti-Aging Serum for Men.

I was starting to feel pretty, so now’s when I tell myself…If it’s good enough for Beckham, it’s good enough for me. So, a dab of the serum on my finger and there I go...around the eyes, the forehead…the smile lines.

It’s heavier like a gel, but went on my skin smoothly and my skin drunk it in, and I had - I’ll admit a lovely glow going. Dr. lancer was winning me over. Am I a metro-sexual now? Oh, who gives rat’s ass…these Hollywood dudes were stealing this stuff from their wives, at least I smell like a man.

Last step: Moisturizer with sunscreen. I read again…

Protect and hydrate the skin with this ultra-light moisturizer with sunscreen. Combining powerful sun protection with shine management, this unique sunscreen is formulated with nourishing Cotton Peptides while Ginger Extract reduces excess oil for a matte, comfortable complexion all-day-long.

Alright cotton peptides and ginger extract whatever the hell that is…meet my face. A dime size amount and boom…my face was white. Like really-white…I got concerned that they gave me the wrong thing or it said dime size and had I used quarter? I re-read the bottle and reached for a towel to wipe of the excess…but by the time I looked back up. It was gone. In about 10 seconds it had soaked in and I am generally a humble man. I have a lot to be humble about. You might say I have a face for radio.

But when I looked in the mirror for the first time in an awfully long time.

I liked what I saw.

?I actually liked… how I looked.

I felt different...about myself.

I don’t spend a lot of time in front of the mirror and I usually rely on my personality for my confidence…but I’ll tell you something from that moment forward I felt better about me.

I realized that even well over 40.

I should be taking care of myself every day because it makes a difference in me.

But I’m not done. I got dressed and I went to meet my partner in the lobby for our first meeting of the day, which was lunch.

He said “what the hell happened to you?”

I said what.

He goes I don’t want to sound too… well …you look great. You’re like glowing.

And then it hit him. You used the Lancer stuff?

Yup. But I got screwed on a razor.

He insisted that we take ten minutes so that he could go use the product before our meeting. I went to my room and loaned him my golden razor with the second blade, because sharing a razor blade is like sharing a toothbrush.

I met him in the lobby ten minutes later…and he, I have to say…looked pretty good.

So, for 4 months we travelled the world. In search of building a better razor, like the $175 one but one we would personally buy regularly. It was a shit show.

I’d occasionally stop by the neighbors with a six-pack in exchange for some wisdom and engineering advice from time to time.

We learned everything we could about razors, steel, plastic, form factors, shipping…all the stuff we needed to know to make a great razor. We went after supplier for steel in Germany then Switzerland, plastics and handle makers in Sweden, then France, then China then Singapore…we found one thing here, one thing there. We hired an engineer, a designer, a graphic designer…a box maker a logo person…all the stuff you forget you need to do when you come up with a good idea.

Let me tell you. It takes five times longer and three times your budget, always. Nothing good is easy.

Yet we did it.

We friggin’ did it.

You are about to get the same shave I got. I promise.

>>> Get the shave you’ve always dreamed of

So, we moved ahead making our own razor, mind you I can’t give away the formula but it is essentially a razor with steel from Europe, a coating and private manufacturer in the U.S., a handle designed in Scandinavia with a five-blade cartridge that lasts easily for two weeks.

This is as identical to the immaculate razor of Beverly Hills as I can tell, and I use it every day. My face feels as smooth at 8 pm as it does at 8 am.

Now flash forward six weeks and we’re back with Dr. Lancer…and his male clientele who are now on the men’s product and our razor for over a month.

Everyone loved the combination, they loved our razor, his anti-aging shave system the whole shebang. The test was a success.

Then we sat down for our first cost analytics meeting together. We came in at a retail of…wait for it,

$379 bucks…don’t click away.

I had the same emotions that you are having right now. That’s why I’m telling you the story. If you imagined the scene I threw in the dry cleaners was a shit-fit you should have been there for this exhibition. I humiliated myself.

I used every word inside the bible and out. And I was not done. There is no way in hell anybody is going to try this system for $379.

Then some stupid jack ass in the products corner said, ”but it’s really good. You guys have been using it for 4 months and you love it.”

Yeah…but we’ve been getting it for FREE dumb ass. We work here. There is no man on the face of the planet that will jump into the shaving business for four hundred bucks.

Then that same kid, Brian is his name…said exactly what the guy in the dry cleaner said about shirts. “Well that’s what we charge the women.”

Boom.

Okay Brian. Well we’re selling to men. So how much does it cost to make…?

With the razors, blades and the four products at 5 ounces, a sixty-day supply. $80 bucks cost all in.

My blood pressure started to come down. My partner is a peacemaker and he piped in.

Well nobody wants to try anything for 60 days. I felt the steam leave the room. Why don’t we repack for say 30 days? Cut the cost way down and then sell it for about half that.

Brian said. You won’t make any money. It’s cost you $10 just to advertise and get the customer in the door.

Okay, so we spend $10, give them $40 and charge $49.

Brian speaks… “So how are you going to make money?”

Well I think we all agree that we love the product. Hollywood, athletes, lawyers…agents. stars…everybody loves the product…If it is what we think…

In month two, we make 10 bucks a head…If they like it they will stay…just like me. If I like something…if I get addicted to the result. I stay. Nobody is going to hate us for making 10 bucks in America if we deliver. People like success. Just don’t be greedy.

So, we have a razor that’s worth $30 with two quality 5-blade cartridges that last for 2 weeks or so…you have $160 worth of world class shave, skin and anti-aging care for men. They’ll look and feel great, get confidence. They’ll smell great and ladies love that attraction trigger. It’s good for guys with beards and partial beards…Clean necks, no collar rash…

I think we got them for life. If we can just get them to say yes to try it.

So, my part of the business has always been just telling the story. That’s why I’m here. I want you to say yes and have the same experience I had for just 1 day…then 29 more in a row. Then make up your mind. It’s about a buck and a half a day to look your best, fight aging and take care of yourself…It is low risk high reward. That’s what men want.

>>> Start your experience today

I want to be clear. This is not about the razor and it’s not about the product. It’s about the combination. You need the razor to exfoliate and shave so the product can do its job. Get it?

We want you to have both the experience and the result. You can.

Here’s what I want you to take a chance on for 30 days.

2 ounces of Daily Exfoliator- Regularly $29.95

2 ounces of Dual Cleanse and Shave Regularly $19.95

2.5 ounces of Daily Moisturizer with SPF Regularly $19.95

1 oz of Men’s Anti-Aging Serum Regularly $55.00

1 Kick Ass Razor with 2 Shaving Heads Regularly $60 Handle & Blades

Whole Experience - $159.00 value. My friend, you will pay only $49 to get all this and help us launch this brand that’s devoted to “shave care”. Doing what you are already doing, yet in a way that will finally make a real difference.

That’s it…$49... We’re losing our ass in the first month to acquire you as a lifetime customer. Because we know we will. If you try this, you will be hooked. You’ll be back. You’ll tell your friends. Your lady friend will tell her friends. If we didn’t make the product smell so manly she’d probably steal it.

We are “shave dealers.” ?

You will experience what I experienced in that hotel room in Beverly Hills. A face that you will like to look at again. A face your partner will want to touch. The combination of the products and the shave will give you a visible result that will improve every day over the first month.

Remember it’s good enough for Clooney, Beckham and me…

Well it’s good enough for you and me to feel like they look.

Below is a link to give you that deal… cancel anytime or stay forever and we’ll send you enough product for every month in a size that you can get through TSA and look good everywhere life’s travels take you.

We’ll even keep that price for you as a loyalist for as-long-as you stay. If you ever bust the handle let us know we’ll send one with your next order. You’ll never go back to the old world.

It’s not for the cheap.

It’s not for the shortcut guy.

It’s about a better result.

Do this for yourself just once.

I hope you try it. I know you’ll like it…and if you don’t we even have a simple way to give you your money back.

Oh, I never mentioned. The Product is called Polished. It changed the way I see myself and I know it will do the same for you.

Here’s the link:

>>> Change how you see yourself

Thanks for reading,

RL

PS. The better it gets. The better it gets.