I've Tested Thousands of Grooming Products. Here's What I Think About Jake Paul's New Line

Celebrity grooming lines 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 them: lab-tested anti-aging technology, serving underprivileged youth groups, and the needs of melanin-rich skin, respectively.

And then there’s Jake Paul’s new line, W (that stands for “win,” if you couldn’t guess).

The products focus not on skin needs or social good, but on giving Gen Z a “much-needed upgrade to their personal care routines" and bestowing newfound confidence. That’s right. For just $10 a bottle, available exclusively at Walmart, you too can have the confidence of a guy making headlines by fighting the AARP-eligible undisputed heavyweight champion of the world Mike Tyson this November.

At first glance, the products are as loud and in your face as their namesake. They include a two-in-one shampoo-conditioner, bar soap, face wash, pomade, body wash, antiperspirant, and products essential to any try-hard influencer: body spray and hair gel. After one whiff, I knew these products were a pass for me.

The original W scent, which claims to have “mood-boosting fragrance technology,” is so overpowering it puts a Yankee Candle store to shame, clearly catering to guys who use their body wash as fragrance. (Please, try one of my top cologne choices instead.) We didn’t try the other scents, Fresh Ice and Deep Woods, but considering they sound more like a Powerade flavor and bug spray than scents you’d want clinging to you, we didn’t think it necessary.

The formulations meet the bare 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 fragrance stuck around a lot longer than I would've hoped, too. But overall, they were unremarkable, albeit affordable. Investors, however, clearly saw merit in the venture, as it just raised $14 million in venture capital. But something tells me the bigwigs behind the cash infusion aren’t using W in their high-rise home bathrooms.

I think perhaps the most disappointing thing about this line is that is speaks down to the very audience it purports to help. “Gen Z has the lowest personal confidence and self-esteem of all other generations,” its PR pitch dubiously claims. It goes on to say that Paul benevolently pushes this brand of overbearing musk to a young generation that’s “craving encouragement and belonging.” And they think—or the brand hopes—Paul is the one to give it to them.

I have more faith in Gen Z and their ability to sniff out crap. Pick literally any other products from the grooming aisle, because they're less likely to make you smell like an energy drink-loving, racial slur-slinging stunt king who’s trying to pander to your supposed lack of confidence. There are much better grooming products out there.

Related: We Tested the Best Grooming Products for Men in 2024