SoS: April 24, 2017 - April 30, 2017

You too - have a great weekend!

 

29 April 2017

* Blackbird Polished 101
* Iridium Super
* WSP Original 2-Band + Oscar11 Rootbeer Translucent C7
* Mystic Water Marrakesh
* Unrefined Shea Butter
* Bergamot/Vetiver EO


​

 

Good picture beautiful brush.

 

Fragrance - Tommy Hilfiger (Original 90's Vintage)
Aftershave - Tommy Hilfiger (Original 90's Vintage)
Shave Soap - Catie's Bubbles '95 Liquid Labels Luxury Shave Soap Formula
Deodorant - Lucky Girl Boutique's Pure Body Delights "Tommy Boy"
Pre-Shave Oil - Lather & Wood "Unscented"
Post-Shave Balm - Nicci Marie Hyaluronic Acid Anti-Aging Serum
Razor - Antique Gillette ABC "Empire" Razor (fully restored/re-plated by Razor Emporium)
Blade - Voskhod Teflon Coated
Razor Stand - ThinkGeek Executive Knight Pen Holder
Brush - London Cutlers Antique Silver Modified Synthetic Boar Shave Brush
Brush Stand - Jac Zagoory's Butterfly Pen Stand
Soap Bowl - Paul Revere silver plated replica sugar bowl

I'm also taking a bath with the soap Sheryl of Lucky Girl Boutique made for me.


Time traveling is fun. Today I'm going to smell like 1995.

Edit - Shave is done. I have shaved with some of these products already in the experimental phase for product scent match verification, but it was the first shave with my newly restored Empire Razor.

With Catie's Bubbles '95 Liquid labels as my shield and a Voskhod blade I attempted to 'go for it' with a 3-pass shave on both my face and the back of my neck (while using a mirror to ensure I lined up the hair in back evenly). My skin is sensitive, so I usually never do 3-pass shaves due to irritation/razor-burn, which happens no matter the products I've used. The first pass was clean and no issues, as usual.

The second pass I noticed that my synthetic boar brush was holding the Catie's Bubbles soap like a champ. Lather just explodes with this brush because the tougher knot hairs must be creating more friction. Catie's Bubbles never has issues producing lather anyway, but this brush doesn't take a whole lot of effort to load up and hold a 3-pass+cleanup amount of soap. I could clearly feel that this brush has more of an exfoliating action due to the stronger bristles and moderate backbone. What I liked about this brush is that the back bone wasn't "too strong" as I expected it would be. My toughest synthetic backbone comes from the Gentleman's hanger brush I use with my Royal Water shave setup. This brush has just the right amount of "give" to allow for a deep-reaching load of soap. On this second pass I noticed the beginnings of irritation. I was using too many strokes and was impatient trying to get the results that a 3-pass is for. I was mixing in counter strokes meant for the 3rd pass and I shouldn't have. I should have been patient and worked the grain correctly and trusted the blade.

The 3rd pass I figured out that I should have used pre-shave oil, if only just to try to add to the already excellent barrier that Catie's Bubbles soap provides. I should have played it as safe as I could considering a 3-pass is not territory I venture into 'ever'. But this was my first formal shave with a complete kit and I wanted this shave experience to be complete. The 3rd pass on my neck proved what I already knew. I put too much friction on my neck in pass-2 and my sensitive, reactionary skin decided to give me some red flush to indicate it was not down with my super-aggressive shave today. I tried to add just a touch of water in the hopes that I could enhance the slickness, but that wasn't the problem at all. My technique and impatience in pass-2 cost me and I got a couple of neck weepers.

The classic, 90's aftershave from Tommy Hilfiger obviously was not designed with modern skin conditioning elements. There wasn't even any glycerin in this one. The burn was bracing and as old school as it gets. I then applied my Nicci Marie face moisturizer with all of its advanced skin care ingredients.

I am grateful that after about 20 minutes now, there is no sign of any irritation or redness on my neck nor any sign of a nick or cut. So the irritation was truly minor. My skin always initially "over reacts" to minor trauma, but calms down when the damage is non-consequential. This is actually quite normal for my skin to over-react. That's why I usually only do a single pass then a targeted clean-up on any rough spots, then call it a shave.

I happen to own the original vintage 90's aftershave and cologne. So, this was not the modern reformulated stuff. It was the real deal from 20 years ago. This was a great shave and someday I will attempt another 3-pass shave, but it will be with pre-shave oil in the mix in an attempt to enhance protection more. I don't think it will make a difference though because Catie's Bubbles Shave Soap is about as moisturizing as it gets. I honestly don't use the pre-shave oil much anymore and it was mostly like "training wheels" for improving my shaving or for use when I run into a shave soap that I know will dry my skin after rinsing.

Anyway, that was my shave for the day and it turned out to be a BBS one. The irritation is not an issue now and it looks and feels top shelf.

 

April 29

Z3 Gillette Super Speed
Feather (2)
JR # 160 Louisville Slugger brush handle with Omega 10098 boar knot
Jabonman Eufros Oriental Breeze shave soap
Alum, Thayers Lavender witch hazel, and unrefined shea butter
Fine Platinum aftershave

I enjoyed a fantastic two-pass shave with my Bride's birth quarter Super Speed and my first ever shave with one of Jayaruh's Louisville Slugger brushes, JR # 160. Jim's artisan brushes are the real deal, and this one is already a favorite. The handle fits perfectly in my hand, and the fit and finish are excellent. The Omega boar knot is already starting to break in after a few test lathers. And as was fitting for my new brush and its soap destroying knot, I used my Jabonman Eufros Oriental Breeze shaving soap, which is also a favorite.

Enjoy the weekend. And, oh yes, I am clean, smooth, and refreshed...

 

Saturday, April 29, 2017

Paladin Sumo
Fine L'Orange Noir
Colonial Razors The General
Feather Pro
Fine L'Orange Noir Aftershave
Terre d'Hermes

​

 

How's this for a face-freezing setup?

Sunday morning:

Neutrogena Men Facial Wash
Razorock Plissoft 26mm Monster
Super Speed/Astra day 7
Stirling Glacial Lemon Chill S/S
Stirling Lemon Chill W/H
YSL Pour Homme EdT

Nothing but the best!

 

Great looking setup and picture Tim.

 

I love that brush Amigo.

 

Good picture Charlie. I really like that soap.

 

Lately I have been using a stainless steel bowl from Princess Auto. It works well.

 

I like that brush.

 

It has been a while since using the Body Shop Maca Root soap or a Croma Diamant blade. The Maca Root was terrific as I remembered. The Croma seemed not so sharp. I didn't remember that. Perhaps this one is an outlier. As I recall I quite liked the Croma Diamant. Over all a pretty good shave, it took some work to get it close.

I have been revisiting blades that I haven't used in a while. For several months I have been using either Gillette Silver Blue or Kai. Most of the blades I revisit are far nicer than I remembered. It must be improved technique. That is why I find this blade so surprising.

RazoRock Protege razor
Semogue 1305 boar brush
Croma Diamant blade
Body Shop soap
Thayer witch hazel

 

*MONGOOSE/FEATHER SUPER
*DECLARATION BRUSH WORKS WASHINGTON
*BARRISTER & MANN FEROX
*CRSW NOURISH/REPLENISH

 

Gillette Bostonian (Canada) Razor
Voskhod Blade
Hardright Badger Brush (Restored)
Dirty Deeds Green Tweed Soap
Dickinson's Witch Hazel
Aqua Velva Musk After Shave

As with yesterday's shave, this Dirty Deeds soap performed great. The only difference being that with the badger brush, it just takes a little more lathering than with a boar brush. I can't quite tell what the scent is, but it's nice. An excellent two pass, with some touch up, for a really smooth BBS shave.

 

Thanks Doug. Have a great weekend, my friend.

 

Saturday, April 29

MdC Fougère~~Stirling Finest~~Feather AS-D2~~Personna 74 (5)~~Fabergé Brut
Have a great day!​

 

Good picture with a beautiful brush Joseph.

 

Schick Type M Injector
Schick blade
Whipped Dog synthetic brush
TOBS Coconut
Pinaud Clubman aftershave