All of em! Astra SP, Voskhod, and Feather are all popular here, with blades is best to get as big of a sampler pack as you can. Soaps, Arko, Tabac, and any Stirling are good places to start in my opinion. But seriously, everything is so YMMV that you have to try it all for yourself.
I'm a fan of the Russian blades. Gillette Yellows, Voskhods, Ladas, Astra SPs... As for soaps, I like Stirling Soaps, TOBS creams and of course Shave Dens stuff.
You should try every blade you can. Trying as many blades as you can is important in order to see which blades works for you and which don't. You should give TSD soaps a try along with VDH Delux for an easy to obtain, inexpensive local soap and Arko for an effective, inexpensive stick soap.
C. O. Bigelow SC (made by Proraso) is available at Bath and Body Works. VDH Luxury is a great local soap (Walmart/Target).
As for blades, every beard is different, I would recommend a sample pack, My favorites are Astra SP and Personna Israeli Reds. Favorite soaps: Kilo of Cella croap and Van der Hagen hard soap both give great lather
Depending on where you live, there are four "must trys." Van Der Hagen Luxury Shave Soap. Wal*Mart, Walgreen's, Target, etc. Real Shave Co. 2x Moisturizing Shave Cream. Rite Aid, T.J. Maxx The Body Shop's Maca Root Shave Cream. The Body Shop. C.O. Bigalow Shave Cream. Bath and Body Works. The online options are endless. Semogue Boar brush. If you don't like chipping paint, get one of the acrylic handled ones. Softest boar brushes on the market. Astra Superior Platinum's get a lot of love here and at less than $10 per hundred shipped from Amazon, they are a good deal too. I recommend starting with a large blade sampler pack instead.
i REALLY like the "Top Ten Sampler" from TryABlade.com ... as it has the 10 most popular blades (probably according to his sales) and many of the ones already mentioned. remember, though, YMMV. when i'm getting someone started on this journey, i give 'em a tuck of derby (sharp but forgiving) to get started the first few days, suggest a couple packs of "Top Ten", and then have 'em follow the 'must have' 30 day rule (see @GDCarrington). a tub of proraso green (same as the c.o. bigalow mentioned by @PLANofMAN ... except tub vs tube)
You should make an order from Bestshave in Turkey. It is fun. I got two Arko sticks, some Arko High Performance shave cream, and the #6 brush. It takes about 5 weeks to get your stuff, but it is pretty cheap prices and when it shows up out of the blue it is really exciting.
Everyone is going to have their own interpretation of what is the "best" but here are a few products that I can think of that have worked great for me: Brushes: Omega S Synthetic brush Fine angel hair synthetic brush Soaps: TSD soaps (any scent you like) Tabac Tiki Soaps Stirling Ogalalla Soaps/Aftershaves Soap Commander Mama Bears MWF LEA Shaving Puck Musgo Real Cream Vintage Soaps Kiss My Face Shaving Cream (can sometimes be found locally and is a great deal) Aftershaves: Pinaud Products Aqua Velva GFT Spanish Leather Windsor TOBS Germyn Street Fine Aftershaves Folsom & CO. Black Powder, and Shambala
I forgot about Kiss my Face, never used it myself. A lot of people use it on top of soaps to create a "super lather" and it's found (I believe) in an unscented pump bottle at Whole Foods stores. Edit: also in Limes, Mint and a few other varieties.
The most important "must have" is technique ... http://theshaveden.com/forums/threads/30-day-rule-meet-the-30-day-focus-greater-flexibility.42673/ You might want to take a look at some of the references contained in my signature line below for discussions of the 30 Day systems and more on shaving hardware and software or CLICK HERE!
There are some good blade samplers on Amazon. As for products, I suggest trying out Proraso products for starters. They are very user friendly.
Blade sampler! Soaps, maybe try palmolive stick, MWF, Tabac... Again preference here is a personal matter.
Yes! I liked his systems so much that I started a thread for practice, discussion and sharing of info. Take a look at the thread and grab a blade sampler. My only real advice is pick a tool and master it! (H/t @swarden43 ) If you are interested, feel welcome to join the discussions! !NEW! July 2015 30 Day Rule/Focus Pic & Discussion Thread
maybe not a "newbie" but someone who is a few months in...you know where im going with this...GILLETTE ADJUSTABLE, it is IMO a must have for anyone who is a convert...for a newbie, I would have to say (like others) VDH luxury soap is a great/easy soap and astra blades.
For blades I would recommend a blade sampler as many others have recommended. For software for a newbie I would recommend The body shop maca root shaving cream. I always get great shaves with it, it's slick and protective and the price is really not bad.
Ladas. Personna Lab Blue. Astra SP. TSD ISZ. MdC. MWF. Klar Kabinett. Tabac. Arko. Stirling MITA. Etc...
