Los Jabones de Joserra - Masala Connection
03.11.2024 - Sunday Comeback
- Brush: RazoRock 400 Noir SE 24 mm
- Razor: Wilkinson Xtreme 3
- Blade: Xtreme 3 cartridge
- Razor: KAI Captain J-7 kamisori shavette
- Blade: KAI Protouch MG
- Lather: E&S Rasage - Barber (sample)
- Post-Shave: Thayer's Original toner; alum block; Alterra men natural ASB
2 passes on the head; 1 plus cleanup on the face. Great dome shave, bad face shave.
First off apologies about the lack of my skincare article - I had about 4 rough drafts but each time my inner perfectionist deemed them not good enough. Imperfect grammar, rambling too much, information being too superficial... I'll try to get back at it this coming week.
Today was a test shave: first of a cartridge razor that I'll take around for travelling near the end of this month. I really like Wilkinsons/Schick's Xtreme 3 disposable razors for head and body shaving, but finding an old one with replaceable cartridges at the dutch discounter yesterday was cool. It's not as flexible as the dispos, but still passed with flying colours.
Then came the moment of using my old kamisori shavette again... and oh boy, do I suck with it. Bless the Japanese for guarded AC blades, otherwise I would have mutilated my face badly. The handling and coordination requirements are vastly different to any DE or SE razor. I liked how great it felt to sculpt the contours of my moustache, but the goatee was troublesome. So I actually scraped off a tiny patch of epidermis near the lower left part of it, on the neck. But well, without the guard it would've been a solid cut. Alum fixed what my lack of technique caused.
The soap is an old sample of E&S. I had way too many of these and now's a good time to kill it. Barber is a very solid barbershop scent, but more in the perfume definition than the wetshaving one. Less sweet, more aromatic. I like this, but not enough to get a full tub.
Hope everyone had a nice weekend โ๐ป
First off, massive respect for helping your wife with such a sensitive issue. ๐๐ป
Now, if she actually wants to shave with a DE or SE razor, it's generally recommended to start with a less sensitive area than the groin for body shaving. The legs are a really good starting point, alternatively the armpits are also rather tough.
However, in your/her case, if it's just to get a close shave before a laser hair removal... I seriously wouldn't bother with a DE. A basic electric body shaver should be mild enough to get rid of the hair but don't hurt the follicles. Alternatively, there are disposable razors by Wilkinson Sword (Schick in the USA) with a flexible head - means it doesn't only pivot, but actually adapts to the contours of your body. These here are what I mean. Don't let her pay the "lady razor tax" though.
As for lather, I'd recommend a brushless cream, shaving oil or a transparent gel to see better. It might also come in handy to use (shower) mirrors. Best of luck!
26.10.2024 - Saturday Strathcona shenanigans
- Brush: AP Shave Co. black & clear handle w/ 30 mm Tuxedo Fan knot
- Razor: Leaf Thorn
- Blade: snapped KCG
- Lather: MacDuff's Soap Co. - Old Strathcona (sample)
- Post-Shave: OAM sensitive skin toner; Capanova Natural aftershave repair balm
-> 2 passes on the dome, 1 for the neck and cheek lines. A really great shave!
Hadn't posted in a while since a few shaves were boring shower shaves with a cartridge. Feels good to use something proper again! I felt in the mood for a barbershop scent, but couldn't decide - so I used a chunk of the huge sample @sahenders@sub.wetshaving.social graciously provided to us for BVWSC Nยฐ2. I lathered it up in a new candle coaster I got myself (the old lid I've been using has finally RIP'd). Lo and behold, it worked great. MacDuff's base is really a treat and gladly I experience no irritation from the Oak moss.
Today's aftershave balm is a new one I bought on Friday, it's by a natural cosmetics brand that seems to be on clearance sale. The balm has a gel-like texture and absorbed very quickly. It unfortunately contains alcohol, but also lots of skin food ingredients to balance that out. Only downside is that it makes my dome shine like I polished it, so it's only getting used for late shaves ๐
I personally got myself a no-name round fogless shower mirror from amazon. It is shatter-proof and has a twist-action suction cup, making it suitable for a lot of different surfaces. Since you seem to be based in the US, this one here seems to be like the one I got. I personally like that you can twist it 360ยฐ, personally I use it regularly to trim my beard and occasionally to shave my head.
16.10.2024 - Buena Vista Wetshaving Social Club shave Nยฐ3: LPL Narcisse ๐
- Brush: AP Shave Co. snakeskin handle w/ 26 mm Silksmoke Flattop/Fan hybrid
- Razor: Leaf Thorn
- Blade: snapped KCG
- Lather: Le Pere Lucien - Narcisse
- Post-Shave: Southern Witchcrafts - Necromantic; Phytorelax Aftershave scalp cream
-> 2 passes on the dome, 1 for beard contours. A relaxing and enjoyable shave.
Third edition of the BVWSC and this time we get yet another european artisan: Le Pere Lucien from France with their masculine floral Narcisse . Since narcissus is pretty common around here, I was really intrigued when it was suggested. Florals are often not my kind of thing, except for Ylang-ylang, so the combination LPL has created had a high bar to clear.
And I must say, it did so with flying colours. Once the sample arrived (side note, PB&T666's handling of samples is the new damn gold standard IMHO - great work all around!) I was already surprised how it didn't smell overly cloying or sweet. It's definitely a good scent to wear and more on the mild side in terms of fragrance. The base was quite a surprise - I already have Cedre-Patchouli (sorry francophones, can't properly do the apostrophes) and it's more leaning towards a hard soap. This felt like the same, but it really started to get a good lather going very fast and after the shave, my skin already felt good. Really nice. Judging by the botched job my translator did with the LPL website, Narcisse should also contain bergamot, tobacco and vetiver. The former two I adore, the latter is a love/hate relationship depending on how it is used. Fortunately, this here gets my seal of approval.
Finished the shave with a less fortunate floral (wisteria and rose together with honey and red wine). At least it wasn't as unbearable as SW Tres Matres, my personal least favourite floral ever. If more of them would be like Narcisse , I'd use them more often.
As always, it was a pleasure to join in for the BVWSC shave!
18.09.2024 - BVWSC part. II: Canadian Druid in a barbershop
- Prep: shower
- Brush: AP Shave Co. Snakeskin handle w/ 26 mm Silksmoke Flattop/Fan hybrid knot
- Razor: Leaf Thorn
- Blade: snapped BIC Chrome Platinum
- Lather: MacDuff's Soap Company - Old Strathcona
- Post-Shave: Moon Soaps - Old School balm
-> 2 pass head shave, 1 pass face shave. Good shave overall!
Today's BVWSC shave is done with a soap I found really interesting. MacDuff's Soap is an artisan I heard many positive things about; their inspiration from Canadian landmarks and the great outdoors is also something I find intriguing. Plus, featuring their dog on the tub art and in their logo is a huge bonus point with me too.
I really have grown to like barbershop scents, even though as a german I never was inside one at all. Old Strathcona is definitely a very unique take on this genre - once the very generous sample by @sahenders@wetshaving.social showed up, my initial impression was of an old time cologne for mature gentlemen. Luckily, that's not everything!
The soap lathered very fast. Props to MacDuff's Soap base, this one gets slick quick and turns into a beautiful lather with just a bit water added to the brush. Once lathered, the scent turns away from the cologne-style barbershop and more towards something green. Everything makes sense now that I'm reading up the official Scent description . Djundjila and walden also mentioned anise which is described as basil and tarragon; I didn't get much of that (my nose is sus) but much more of a herbal, green and slightly salty cologne (I guess the salty parts come from the mushroom absolute?). Call me weird and maybe it's my ADHD, but I pictured a druid like Miraculix sitting in a old school barbershop chair. Hence today's post title. I really like when a soap takes me on such a little daydream journey, especially on a stressful day like today.
Performance wise, apart from the quick lathering and the good slickness, it's also very skin-friendly. I tested it on both my head and face, each with their individual problematic areas and had no irritation or burn whatsoever. I could see MacDuff's as something I might pick up in the future - I really like unique barbershop scents and this one definitely fits the bill. Thanks sahenders for your suggestion and the generous sample! Compared to CFG Ghost Town Barber, my favourite barbershop and my newest HAGS Barberwood, Old Strathcona is way less sweet. It's earthy, mossy, dark without being divisive. Perfectly suited for the upcoming autumn season!
I apologize for my lengthy writeup and any incoherent rambling that it may contain. Hope it's been at least a tiny bit entertaining for you folks! I'm already looking forward to our next BVWSC shave in October. The sample by @PorkButtsNTaters666@sub.wetshaving.social already arrived yesterday and it also smells very intriguing and mysterious. Have a good night (or day, depending on your time zone)!
First Line Shave - Life & Death
Hooray for Old Strathcona! ๐ฅณ Very interesting choices this time again. It was difficult to pick just one first spot, so I went by my gut feeling. Now I'm really looking forward to trying MacDuffs soap! The scent description sounds very intriguing already. I love barbershop scents with a unique twist, so this could be right up my alley. Thanks to everyone for voting and to @sahenders@wetshaving.social for nominating the winning soap!
Now I found myself an old wooden lid from a rituals shaving cream and will press the soap into that to simulate loading from a puck - the BVWSC shave can commence soon ๐
And yes, Bud Spencer++ ๐ช๐ป
03.07.2024
- Prep: warm water
- Razor: RazoRock Hawk V2
- Blade: KAI Captain Protouch MG
- Brush: RazoRock Beehive 28 mm
- Lather: Moon Soaps - Union
- Post Shave: Moon Soaps Old School balm; moisturiser
Back into head shaving with a 1 pass shave. I also switched my Lemmy client/app from Eternity to Thunder and now enjoy a bit of a nicer interface after getting more familiar with it...
Shaving my head with the Hawk is very nice, I did this before my late shift and it gave me a good result. Union is lightly mentholated (quite nice for a not so warm day here) and over time, the very fluid old school "balm" has grown on me. I like the pump mechanism. I hope to shave more often now that I'm back at my regular workplace and my home.
Unfortunately I don't feel very well since my grandmother is probably going to die soon and the whole situation has me torn. She wants it and due to her age of 91 and her various ailments, it's the best for her. But it's still my grandma and the process hurts. I'm glad to have my work to distract me a bit.
DaveWave94
joined 1 year ago
Congrats on the kill!
The witches of the South should be pleased by your offering and shall grant you great shaves from now on! ๐ง๐ผโโ๏ธ
JK, I hope it heals up soon. Cuts suck.