Menthol Monday: Prep: Hot shower, Neutrogena Invigorating Face Wash, TSD Jasmine Sambac preshave balm Brush: Simpson 56 Best Badger Soap: Ginger's Garden Grass Stain Menthol Snow Razor: Merkur 41c 1904 OC Blade: Bic Chrome Platinum (2) Passes: WTG, XTG, XTG (4, 5, 6) Post: Cold water splash, Bloc Osma alum, Dickinson's WH, Lucky Tiger Menthol AS Balm Cologne: Shagya by Parfums de Marley (sample) It continues to surprise me that more folks here at the Den aren't using Ginger's Garden soaps more often; they're really outstanding performers with great lather. The Bic performed admirably, as well, on Day 2, again showing no indication of any bloodlust on its part and delivering a BBS shave. It had been many months since I last reached for the Lucky Tiger mentholated balm, as I regularly had issues with it not absorbing in my skin. However, a long, cold, very drying winter combined with the looming PIF month had me reaching for it one more time, to see if it had any place in my rotation. . . . Nope. Even when my face feels dried out, it won't absorb. Looks like this tub of AS balm is going to be PIFed next week.
Monday 23rd February Warm shower Hot towel B&M Bay Rum scuttle lathered Finest Badger brush made by myself Gillette NEW Norfolk Nickel Personna Lab Blue (3) Cold rinse Thayers Superhazel DR Harris Bay Rum aftershave
Shaved with my "Mystery, Roller Guard razor from Argentina" for the very first time this morning. Looking at the difference in blade exposure on the 'aggressive' vs the 'mild' side had me rather worried but I lathered up using the most excellent soap from Soap Commander, loaded a new blade and hoped for the best. Read more here if you're curious Razor: Mystery Razor Blade: Ladas Brush: L'Occitane Plisson Soap: Soap Commander, Endurance A/S: The Veg
Razor: Gillette Goodwill #164 1931 Brush: Jerusalem Olive Wood/WD Silvertip 24/48 Mug: Old Spice 1985 Cobalt Blue Cream: The Body Shop Maca Root cream Blade: Feather (1) Post shave: Thayers Cucumber WH, Jack Black balm, Vintage Avon Trazarry AS Loaded a new Feather and checked the alignment. It still looks strange with the studs showing through the top cap, but the Feather was aligned perfectly. From the side it looks a lot like my Gillette Old Type Open Comb Ball End, but shaves like my Tech. I whipped up The Meca Root with the Silvertip in my favorite mug. First pass WTG going slow and very nice glide with no pressure with this light razor. Second pass XTG on my face and then ATG on my neck. The Meca Root for was nice and slick and helped get a great shave. A little touchup on my neck, and done. Great razor! Very smooth. The WH felt good and then some JB. Finish with vintage Trazarry AS. Have a good one!
Prep - Shower / Woods Of Windsor Cedar Woods soap / Pre-lather / 3 min steam towel Razor - Gillette Ball End Tech Blade - Polsilver Super Iridium (#1) Brush - Omega 20106 Soap - Arko with Eucalyptus & Lemongrass EO's After - Frozen towel / Alum Result - BBS Still working through a re-run of my blade trails. My beard has changed in so many ways since I started with DE a year ago, I decided I needed to go through some blades again. Totally different experience with the PSI tonight, none of the tugging that made me ditch it first time around. I never doubted they were one of the sharper blades but they planed right through four days growth without a single issue. Very comfortable, although I realise the Tech has a lot to do with that. As for the soap, back to the ever faithful Arko. I keep trying other soaps but every time I return to Arko, it reinforces just how good it is. Pepped it up with four drops each of Eucalyptus & Lemongrass essential oils. Whilst the scent combination was fantastic , I didn't like the feel of it at the start, felt like it was burning me but having used them separately before, I pushed ahead. Glad I did because it numbed the hell out of me, to the point that I couldn't even feel the frozen towel I always use afterwards. For those that haven't tried it, stick with it, you won't want to go without it after you get used to it. Makes all the blood rush to your face after you remove it, bringing all that lovely oxygen with it. All in all, a fantastic shave!
Those are some great photos y'all have posted! For me: prep: Hot water shower razor: VDH Blade: Astra Soap: TSD barber shoppe (sample) post: cold water rense Had trouble making lather with the new soap, first pass WTG with decent lather, second pass WTG lather was almost pathetic. I stop with two passes to save time and to save some irritation. skipped the aftershave, thought it may help to reduce some of the redness on my neck, but no luck. I have found the cold water helps the most. My wife says that the redness is not noticable, but it drives me crazy. It doesn't hurt, but I think it looks bad.
SOTD - Menthol Monday, Feb 23, 2015 Hot shower Prep: Peppermint PSO Brush: Simpsons Duke 3 Soap: Stirling Glacial Lemon Chill Razor: Merkur 38C Blade: Lord Super Stainless (4) Post: Stirling Lemon Chill WH Aftershave: Homemade Snowball Fight splash
SOTD Menthol Monday, February 23, 2015 Krampert's Frostbite Soap Whipped Dog Silvertip 30 X 50mm RazoRock Stainless Stealth Slant w Triad Copper Handle Gillette Silver Blue #5 Krampert's Frostbite Aftershave
02/23: For Menthol Monday I went with TOBS Peppermint (sample from @Gilligan and Walter) and Gillette AS Gel. The second lather was extra frigid. A super smooth DFS with the Slim/Lab. The WD made lather a little slower with TOBS than the Plisson does, but once the right amount of water was added it really exploded. Growth: 1 day Prep: Shower; Corn Huskers Lotion Lather: TOBS Peppermint Brush: WD High Mountain Razor: 1964 Slim (3,1,5) Blade: Personna Lab Blue (1) Post: Alum; Gillette AS Gel
I really enjoyed my shave this morning with the Glacial Obsidian soap - man, was that lather ever bone-chillingly cold. It made my eyes tear as soon as I started working it up into my face, and by the time I was ready to re-lather for my second pass my face almost felt numb. Why would I be surprised - every Glacial variant is cold like that!
Tuesday's shave will feature the following items: Neutrogena Men Facial Wash Large Horsehair Barbershop Super Speed/SuperMax Blue day 2 Stirling Glacial Lavender SS Gold Bond Moisturizer Stirling Glacial Wintergreen WH Aramis EdT Once again I'm going all-out with my Mentholated Heavy Artillery so I can freeze my pretty little face to the max, and this is a perfect set-up to do it with. That Neutrogena face wash is loaded with menthol, the Glacial Lavender soap lays a freeze on you which starts within seconds and gets stronger with each pass, and the Gold Bond moisturizer keeps it going. A couple of slaps of the Glacial Wintergreen witch hazel can almost make you see your breath - that's how frigid it is. What a shave I'm going to have!
