It's All Smooth for Palo Alto's Bevel Shaving Company (Yep, That's Golden State Warrior Harrison Barnes)

It's All Smooth for Palo Alto's Bevel Shaving Company (Yep, That's Golden State Warrior Harrison Barnes)

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Tristan Walker is kind of the bomb. The founder of CODE2040, a nonprofit that paves paths to success in the tech sector for black and Latino people, is now bonding his deep love of minority communities with his experience in business to blaze new trails in the better beauty movement.


The entrepreneur, once a resident at venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz and former biz dev director at Foursquare, founded Walker & Company with the goal "to make health and beauty simple for people of color." All too aware of the complexities of having course and curly hair—as well as the dearth of products out there designed specifically for minorities—Walker launched his company's first signature brand, the Bevel Shaving System, to target the skincare needs of men of color.




And with celebrity endorsements from Golden State Warriors forward Harrison Barnes and rapper Nas (who has raved about Bevel's new electric trimmer, due out later this month), Walker and Bevel are on fire: Bevel took home GQ magazine's Grooming Award last year and, as of very recently, is now available in Target stores nationwide.


So what's all the fuss? Well, the innovation of Bevel Shaving System is actually based upon an age-old grooming tradition: the single-blade, safety razor shave. Because a century ago, gentlemen didn't have unwanted razor bumps and ingrown hairs. Because they weren't using multi-blade razors that cut hairs beneath the skin's surface causing them to curl up and inflame the skin. (Anyone remember the brilliant SNL skit "Platinum Mach 14 Razor?" Yeah, like that.) Walker's delightfully old-school safety razor promises men a clean shave without skin irritation. And, while it's ideal for men of color, it's useful for anyone combatting pesky ingrown hairs.


(Courtesy of Bevel Shave System)


The five-part system prepares and repairs skin with clean, nontoxic priming oil (made with lavender and olive oils); a naturally exfoliating badger hair brush; a rich shave cream with shea butter, aloe vera, and white tea; and a cooling after-shave balm with jojoba oil and infection-fighting tea tree oil. And, of course, a sleek stainless steel razor that would make your grandpa proud.


But Bevel's business model is anything but old-fashioned. The system is available via a Dollar Shave–esque subscription—$90 buys a three-month supply, and they throw in the razor and badger brush gratis. Products are also available a la carte ($10-$50) at Target. // Bevel Shaving System, getbevel.com

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