St James of London Sample-pak

First off, the quality of these gels and lotions is top notch! I enjoy trying various products, because I get tired of using the same scent everyday. The smell of these is some of the best I've used, very pleasing and lasts a long time. As for the sizes, they are small, but a little goes a long way. I'm getting at least 4 to 5 shaves from each sample. My only negative comment is the packaging, they arrived in what looks like a standard sandwich bag. Overall, very pleased!

St James shaving creams are really fantastic. Quality exceeds the best of several other premium brands I’ve tried. It’s expensive though, so I didn’t want to spend a lot buying a large tub that I may not like. This sample was a perfect solution. I got 4 good shaves out of each packet, so it’s worth it based on the shave count alone. I definitely recommend this!

The St James colognes caught my eye because their branding is on point and I'm a 35 yr old man who is attracted to the idea of smelling like an English gentleman. I got this to try out the different products before I committed to a whole bottle of any one of them.First, the little packets say they are good for up to 4 uses. I'd say the shaving cream is good for 2 if you are frugal. They are the size of a quarter.1. Cedarwood and Clarysage: I tried this first because I envisioned smelling like a Tolkien elven village. It reminds me more of grandpas and medicine cabinets. It's not an offensive smell but I couldn't imagine wanting to smell like this every day. I'm not a woman so I'm not sure if it's an attractive smell for them. 3/52. Sandalwood and Bergamot: Bergamot is one of my all time favorite smells. I literally keep a bottle of bergamot oil by my bed and rub it under my nose. The bergamot smell in this comes out while shaving, but is less noticeable otherwise. It also doesn't really smell like any kind of wood, but I can't put my finger on what the other smell is. It's not a very masculine smell--not that it's a cotton candy spray that makes you think of a 13 year old girl, but a woman could definitely wear this. It reminds me of a bright, summery perfume you would get a sample of in a magazine. I like it but wouldn't want to smell like this every day, and if you are aiming at "distinguished older gentleman" probably look elsewhere. 4/53. Black Pepper and Lime: This really surprised me. The title is ridiculous and neither of those things make me think of something I want to rub on my face and smell all day. However, it doesn't really smell like pepper or lime. It's definitely the most masculine scent of the bunch. It has that dark musk that seems more serious and interesting than the others. 4/54. Lavender and Geranium: My least favorite. I usually like lavender just fine, and floral smells in general, but this is a mix of lavender and a weird citrusy smell that is like cleaning products or medicine. It smells very similar to a topical anti inflammatory gel a sports medicine doctor gave me in college for tendonitis. Not horrible, but no way I would buy a cologne of this. 2/55. Mandarin and Patchouli: Like the Black Pepper and Lime, this doesn't smell anything like oranges, and has a surprisingly dark, manly scent. Pretty pleasant to shave with, and I can't imagine a woman smelling like this. 4/56. Tonka and Tobacco Flower: The only tonka I know is toy trucks, but this doesn't remind me of any pipe tobacco I've been around. Like the Bergamot one, it's a very bright, summery, young scent that is borderline feminine. I'm not ashamed of wearing it but it's a little too Teen magazine for me to buy a bottle. 3/5Well, what can I say? Twelve bucks for a handful of quarter-sized soap and gel packs, not a good deal in my book. However, when I factor in how much money I saved buying all those bottles to try them, I'm glad I bought it.The result: I probably won't buy any of these colognes for the current prices, though if they were more in the $20-30 range I might get the Mandarin or Black Pepper. I'd consider buying shaving creams of the few that I liked if they were ten to fifteen bucks. However, the 5oz shaving creams are $27, which is about three times as much as classics like Cella Milano of the same size. Maybe I'm just not enough on a gentleman, but while these scents are interesting, most aren't especially attractive to me and I feel the price is more a product of marketing the elite aesthetic.

I agree with the other reviews about price/value. I assume someone got a bunch of St. James samples somewhere and decided to bag them up & sell them. OK, not going to dump on anyone for trying to make a buck.The real value here is being able to try the various scents without spending $40 on a regular bottle and then learning that you don't like it. I really like St. James lime & black pepper aftershave, and wanted to see what the others are like. Working my way through them; so far the lavender/geranium is nice, the cedar/clary sage is OK, but doesn't really smell like either. I get about 4 shaves per sample, so there is enough to decide if you like it.All in all, I like the sampler, just wish it were a little cheaper.

I only received 9. This review obviously doesn’t reflect the actual product.

These shaving creams and after shaved all smell fantastic. I’ve purchased cologne based on these and are amazing. The small scents are great for travel after shave or shaving cream

Super thick creme that still allows a close shave. Amazing scents.

Pricey for what you get and it isn't a great sampling of all their product. A mixture of creams and post shave jells, would have preferred a sample pack of all creams or all post shave gels etc, and at a reasonable price point. Don't bother.