15 July 2024
3rd Week of July Setup
Pre-shave: Face brush-washed with VdH Natural brush and Stirling Mentholated Pre-Shave Soap
Razor: Gillette Slim, setting 9
Blade: Astra Superior Platinum, shave 1
Soap: Stirling Glacial Mango Sunrise
Brush: Stirling Pro-Handle Synthetic
After-shave: Aqua Velva Ice Sport
My box of Stirling goodies arrived today...so it just naturally had to be the Setup Of The Week!
Brush-washing with the Metholated Pre-Shave soap was refreshing and delightful. I came close to building up a shave-worthy lather, and would've tried it as a shave soap today if not for the new tub of Glacial Mango Sunrise sitting on the vanity...
The Pro-Handle brush face-lathered the Glacial Mango Sunrise soap to perfection once I got the hydration sorted out. It took a lot more water to do the job than my RazoRock Snowman synth would require. The Pro-Handle knot also doesn't have as much backbone as the Snowman. In the hand, the Pro-Handle felt just right ergonomically, and it didn't get fumbly when lather got on the handle. On the face, the Pro-Handle feels wonderfully soft and luxurious. I'm calling it a winner!
And the soap? Simply marvelous. The Astra SP was a fitting test for a new soap, as I tend to get less-than-smooth shaves from that blade. Today's shave, however, was as smooth as butter. Initially trying the SP blade with the Slim set on setting 5, after a few swipes I opened it up all the way to setting 9 and got a wonderfully close and comfortable shave with no problems whatsoever. The menthol level was just perfect, too. I really didn't care for the fragrance of the soap in the tub, but quite enjoyed it once I lathered it up.
Aqua Velva Ice Sport doesn't pair well with many soaps/creams, but it's a wonderful match for the Glacial Mango Sunrise soap.
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