Shave of the day 30th April

Razor: Schick “Lady Eversharp” & Pereira Shavery shavette
Blade: Schick Injector & Shark Super Chrome
Brush: Semogue TSN LE 2012
Lather: Pereira Shavery Shavery Cream w/ Activated Charcoal
Aftershave: Myrsol Aqua Balsamica
Additional Care: Alum Block & Big Red Beard Oil

Shave of the day 27th April

Razor: Wilkinson Sword Classic
Blade: Shark Super Chrome
Brush: Gustavo Romano Manchurian Badger, imitation horn
Lather: Pereira Shavery Shaving Cream w/ Activated Charcoal
Aftershave: Myrsol Aqua De Limón
Additional Care: Alum Block & BullDog Original Beard Oil

First shave report – Pereira Shavery cream

The first shave with this new soap was – and this is a good thing – blissfully normal. The lather has a slightly grey tint from the charcoal, and the scent loosened up a bit and embraced me as I was removing my stubble. Facial feel wasn’t too dissimilar to the Cold River Soap Works’ Glide, which is a recent favourite of mine. Since I had bloomed the soap and have fairly soft water, about half a minute of loading was plenty enough for two passes and lather left over.

The post shave feel of the first shave was also a good one, with no noticeable drying out of my skin. As a side note the floral scent of the Pereira works very well with the Proraso Wood & Spices.

Shave of the day 25th April

Razor: Wilkinson Sword Classic
Blade: Shark Super Chrome
Brush: Vie-Long #12705B
Lather: Pereira Shavery Shaving Cream w/ Activated Charcoal
Aftershave: Proraso Wood and Spice
Additional Care: Alum Block & BullDog Original Beard Balm

The alpha and omega of a good shave

The one major lesson I learned after taking up traditional wetshaving is that good prep-work is alpha and omega. A great shave is built on a good prep, just like a good house is built on solid fundations, and to me prep-work includes everything you do up until the blade touches the skin.

  • I wash my face vigorously, preferable with Dr Bronner Soap. Some days – if I notice unclean skin or hints of razor burn – I use my Clarisonic face brush thingy.
  • I rinse off all the soap. Absolutely all, since soap left on the skin can ruin the lather for me.
  • I build my lather, using my choosen brush and shave soap. Some soaps requires light loading, some heavy.. some like a dryish brush, others needs it soaking wet.
  • I rinse my face again.
  • I apply the lather… getting good coverage over every part of my stubble with at least a centimeter over-coverage.
  • Then, and only then, do I reach for my razor.

You don’t build your house on sandy ground if you want it to remain standing, and you don’t shave without doing your prep if you want a damn fine shave. Simple as that.

Shave of the day 23rd April

Razor: Wilkinson Sword Classic
Blade: Shark Super Chrome
Brush: Vie-Long #14033
Lather: Asylum Shave Works Frankincense & Myrrh
Aftershave: Asylum Shave Works Frankincense & Myrrh
Additional Care: Alum Block & BullDog Original Beard Balm

Clarisonic face brush thingy – sort of a review

I’ll come clean; after borrowing my Better Half’s Clarisonic face brush for a long while – so long she got me my own brushes for it – I went and bought my own Clarisonic Mia 2… in part so I can bring it with me when I travel without being spotted with a bright pink thing in my toiletry bag (and without my Better Half getting annoyed at me for abducting her Clarisonic).

First things first; I did consider getting the Alpha Fit, however reading reviews online indicates issues with the battery in that model, so I picked up a white Mia 2.
That aside, lets get on with it. The Clarisonic Mia is waterproof with no holes water can in through – this is a great thing for something meant to be used in the shower. It sits nicely in my hand, however it might be a bit bulky for someone with smaller hands. The battery last for a long time, and takes a few hours to charge when empty.

Unlike cheaper electric face brushes the Clarisonic range uses what they refer to as “micro massage”, in other words the head don’t spin around but jiggles back and forth. It might sound gimmicky, but it works rather well. Ingrown hairs and clogged pores clean right up.
It has a timer on it too, to make sure you spend enough time in each area of your T-sone… it may sound like a bit of wankery, but again it works.

The two drawbacks of the Mia 2 I’ve found so far is the amonth of space it takes in my bag when traveling and the fact that it really, really makes my nose tickle… but then I’m much more ticklish than most so don’t take that as a problem for everyone.
Is Clarisonic worth the price? The short answer is yes; it makes cleaning my face easier, and it helps clean up potential skin issues before they turn into problems. It is fairly expensive though, so if you allready have good skin with little to no issues you may not need to splurge.

Shave of the day 18th April

Razor: Mergress “Bling”
Blade: Shark Super Chrome
Brush: Vie-Long #13051M
Lather: Prairie Creations KISS
Aftershave: Proraso Liquid Cream After Shave
Additional Care: Alum Block BullDog Original Beard Balm

The last of the KISS; I would get more, but the store seems to be down…