Celebrity grooming products are nothing new. Brad Pitt has Beau Domaine. Duane Johnson has Papatui. Idris Elba has S'able Labs. Each focuses on issues important to the man behind it: lab-tested anti-aging technology, serving disadvantaged youth groups, and the needs of melanin-rich skin, respectively.
And then there's Jake Paul's new line, W (which, if you guessed it, stands for “win”).
The products aren’t focused on skin needs or social good, but rather aim to give Gen Zers “a much-needed upgrade to their self-care routine” and newfound confidence. You heard that right. Available exclusively at Walmart and priced at just $10 a bottle, you too can have the confidence of a man who made headlines this November when he fought AARP-qualified, undisputed heavyweight champion of the world Mike Tyson.
At first glance, the products are as loud and in-your-face as their names suggest. A two-in-one shampoo and conditioner, a bar soap, a face wash, a pomade, a body wash, an antiperspirant, and the must-haves for every die-hard influencer: a body mist and a hair gel. After one sniff, I knew these products were for me.
The original W scent, which claims to feature “mood-enhancing scent technology,” is so overpowering it dwarfs a Yankee Candle store, and is clearly aimed at men who use body lotion as a scent. (Please try one of my top cologne picks instead.) We didn't try the other scents, Fresh Ice and Deep Woods, but we didn't think they were necessary, considering they sound more like Powerade flavoring and bug repellent than scents you'd want to stick around for.
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The formulas meet the minimum criteria for public consumption: no parabens, phthalates, sulfates, or dyes. But the products themselves, like the body wash, left my skin feeling a little dry and tight. The scent also lingered much longer than I had hoped. But overall, they weren’t remarkable, if affordable. But investors clearly saw value in the venture, as it raised $14 million in capital. But something tells me the bigwigs behind the cash injection aren’t using W in their high-rise home bathrooms.
I think what’s most disappointing about that line is its condescension toward the very audience it’s intended to help. “Gen Z has the lowest self-esteem and self-confidence of any generation,” the PR ad dubiously claims. It goes on to say that Paul is benevolently imposing this oppressive strain of musk on a younger generation “longing for courage and belonging.” And they think Paul, who once mocked a dead man in Japan’s “suicide forest” and engaged in a kissing contest with his own father, is the man to give it to them.
I have more faith in Gen Z and their ability to smell out bullshit. Choose literally any other product in the grooming aisle, because they’re less likely to make you smell like an energy drink-loving, racially swearing stunt king who’s trying to pander to your supposed lack of self-confidence. There are much better grooming products out there.
Related: We Tested the Best Grooming Products for Men in 2024