All the men's hair stylists and product people I've ever chatted with have had this to say about dudes and their products: They find one and stick to it. 

We women seem happy to flit from one cream to the next, but guys are loyal to what they know works. At least generally speaking. 

I knew this going into the First Ever Male Road Test, so I assigned myself an Ursa Major product, too. Okay, I might have nabbed the face wash because the cedar, spearmint, lime, lemon, rosemary, black spruce, owyhee, vetiver, and lavender made me want to crawl inside the bottle and live there. 

Instead, I've been using it not just as a face wash—it exfoliates like a dream—but as an all-over shower gel (if it's strong enough for a guy's mug it must be just fine for my forearms, right?) and I will tell you that I have completely turned my back on whatever it was I used to employ in that regard. See how we ladies are? I've forgotten that other product already.

The Vermont-based skincare line may be made for guys, but I am not letting that stop me.

Except for that I have no context for shave cream. Ditto face balm. So I gave them both to our art director.

Like me, my male tester fell hard for the essential oil scents, the packaging, and the overall branding. These are products you want to fall in love with. And while the art director reported that the shave cream felt great on his skin (gotta be the ginger and vetiver), he says it didn't hold his shave as long as his usual stuff. (He's a Kiehl's guy.)

Now the face balm, well, I'm not sure the average guy knows what to do with face balm, or why to do it. But the art director reports that he used it even on non-shaving days for normal hydration and while he found it maybe a little too thin and watery, on the other hand he really appreciated that it wasn't sticky or heavy.

So what about it, guys? And ladies, what do you get from the men in your life? Is there more brand loyalty for them? And what does this mean for a quality, small-batch, new-to-the-market line like Ursa Major?

Gentlemen and ladies, you'll find the complete line at Blackbird. My hunch is that you'll like it—provided your heart doesn't already belong elsewhere.