There's no doubt that this cream is top-notch.  I've used inferior brands (inferior in terms of cost) such as Gillette and Barbasol, and Gillette was pretty good until I tried Proraso.  Perhaps it's my skin, but when I initially applied it, while still providing a soothing effect, the cream maintained a subtle sharpness.  It might've been the combination of the cream and a new badger brush.