Value for Money: Shaving Gel

Gillette Fusion Hydra Gel €5.99 for 200ml, €29.95 per litre Highs:While it might not be quite the best a man can get (no shaving foam is, really), it is quite good and a small amount of it does go a long way. You should expect to get several weeks worth of shaving out of it. It smells fresh and clean and rinses off razors handily enough.

Lows:Launched to tie in with a five blade razor, a cynic might consider it to be a triumph of marketing over substance. A quick scan of the canister reveals that the "aloe-enriched formula is infused with hydrating emollients and lubricants that form an invisible layer of protection". An invisible layer of protection, eh? Lucky they told us it was there or we'd have missed it entirely and regretted spending six quid on what looks to be fairly ordinary gel in a bright orange container.

Verdict:The emperor's new shaving gel?

Star rating:***

Tesco Regular Shaving Gel

€1.79 for 200ml, €8.95 per litre

Highs:This is a pleasingly no-nonsense, cheap product that eschews all the ridiculous boasts to be found prominently displayed elsewhere. A very small squirt of gel delivers a surprisingly large amount of creamy lather, enough to cover several faces simultaneously. It has a very lemony scent.

Lows:It might well be a little too lemony for some tastes and might also be ever so slightly harsher on the skin than some of the other brands reviewed. On occasion it struggles to deliver the gel to your hand in as sprightly a manner as you might like, with the consequence that quite a bit of it ends up not on your face but flowing lava-like down the canister in a decidedly wasteful fashion.

Verdict:Cheap and lemony fresh

Star rating:***

Wilkinson Sword Man Utd Shaving Gel

€2.47 for 200ml, €12.35 per litre

Highs:This is a pretty efficient, keenly priced gel which has a fairly neutral smell. We liked the nozzle which delivered a good amount of gel effortlessly and was shaped a bit like a concrete pill box on a Normandy beach - or maybe it was just very early in the morning when we were looking at it.

Lows:Wilkinson is "the official male grooming partner to Manchester United", which is, of course, completely and absolutely ridiculous. Who on earth is this product aimed at? PriceWatchis a lifelong supporter of Man Utd and even it would baulk at carrying its support as far as the shower.

Verdict:Functional and cheap but a bit juvenile.

Star rating:***

Simple Shaving Gel

€4.49 for 200ml, €22.45 per litre

Highs:If the Gillette gel is all about manly ruggedness and the Wilkinson one about the scarily devoted football supporter, this is one which believes itself to be for the more delicate spirit. A small amount goes an incredibly long way - "a good-sized blob" is what the packaging tells us to use, which we do. It's enough to cover our face, head, neck and ears in a thick blanket of creamy white soap. While we might dispute its claim to be 100 per cent fragrance and colour free, it lacks the cheap aftershave smell some gels have and it does seem to have a calming, soothing effect on skin.

Lows:Although maybe we were just fooled by the marketing. It is one of the more pricey of the mainstream brands on the market.

Verdict:Nice and simple

Star rating:****

L'Occitane Shaving Gel

€19.95 for 150ml, €133 per litre

Highs:As the price tag would suggest, this is very much the high-end choice and consequently carries with it an undeniably self-indulgent air. From the brushed chrome canister to the largely French product description, this is also a pretty cool-looking product. It has a gorgeous citrusy smell and a very luxurious feel to it. It delivers a nice, even layer of thick soap and is easy to shave off.

Lows:Oh but the price, the price, how ridiculous is the price! It's far too dear for everyday use. It loves itself perhaps a bit too much - the canister even goes so far as to tell us it has been "dermatologist tested", as if that is something really special and not what you would expect from every single shaving gel ever to have reached our shops.

Verdict:Luxurious but ridiculously priced.

Star rating:**