mr_bad_example | (no subject)

I don't think it's any big secret that I lead a life that can be described as "shaving-intensive." I'm always looking for ways to improve the experience. I've always heard that a shaving brush was a wise investment. I picked one up at The Body Shop a few years ago, but it really didn't do much for me. I might have gotten better results if I had stuck with it, but I was very impatient at that time in my life. Then a couple of days ago, I saw that Target was carrying the Proraso brand, and they had the stuff for 10% off. I'm not one to argue with the Italians when it comes to the tonsorial art, so I picked up a brush and some shaving soap.

Shaving brushes are made with bristles of either boar or badger hair, badger being what the more expensive brushes use. I bought a less expensive brush. I had expected that the boar brush would be a bit coarse, so I was prepared for that. What I wasn't prepared for was what happened when I ran some hot water over it. Hoo. That's the smell I left Iowa to escape. Them's definitely boar bristles, all right. I expected the spider in the corner to start spelling out plaudits in its web. I'm given to understand that the smell eventually goes away, and in fact, it wasn't so bad today.

The brush works pretty well with the soap. The soap has menthol and eucalyptus oils, so not only does it have a nice old-skool barbershop smell, but it also gives the skin a nice cool tingly feeling. I can't say whether I actually got a closer shave, but I did seem to stay smooth for longer than usual. And in addition to the tingly feeling, it also feels like my skin is less dry than it is when I use gel.

All in all, the brush/soap combination gives a pretty good shave. Now I just have to become alarmingly profligate with the Edge gel so I can use up the half a can I have left.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I got some Italian model shaving brush at the Wedge, as well as Burt's Bees Bay Rum Shaving Soap. It smells really nice, though the smell doesn't linger with you throughout the day. As far as razors go, I'd like to experiment with a straight razor, but right now, for my money, nothing surpasses the Gillette Mach 3. It sounds ridiculous, but being prone to razor burn and spot-bleeding, this particular make-and-model are efficacious in protecting my face from unsightly abrasions and lacerations. To be fair, I haven't tried that battery-powered one that supposedly shocks your whiskers to stand on edge.

Ah, the late lamented Burt's Bees Bay Rum. *moment of silence*

As far as straight razor shaves go, I haven't had really great luck with them. I've gotten them from a couple of different barbers, and not only have they not been nearly as close as a Mach III (of which I am also a huge fan), but they also gave me a bad case of razor burn. (And then the guy slapped on some alcohol-based aftershave. Try that and you'll find out what a day is.) I've had the best luck with the Mach III, too, although the Schick triple-blade does run a pretty close second.

I also haven't tried the Gillette Electified Skin-Flaying Device, in either the three- or five-blade configurations. That's just Clive Barker stuff, right there. "[S]hocks your whiskers to stand on edge." Heh. I always wondered if that was how they worked.

You know, I just like the way the Mach III Turbo Power hums in my hands. I can't really tell you that I notice a great deal of difference between the manual and powered Mach IIIs. (Of course, I think we're using Turbo blades, and I haven't a clue what the difference between those is supposed to be either.)

Our Gillette rep said she bought her father the Fusion (five bladed) manual razor and he said the blades wear out more quickly than the Mach IIIs do. At the cost of blades for even the Mach III, there's no way I want to try out the Fusion unless someone gifts it to me. (I'm sure the Fusion blades aren't compatible with the Mach III handles, just like the power and manual blades aren't compatible.)

I should clarify that among men's razors the Mach III is my favorite. For the closest, smoothest shave of your life, you cannot beat women's leg hair razors. I dunno, maybe it's possible to spray primer all over all that pink...

I think the concept of Dr. McGulletcutty's Celebrated Electrical Larynx Shearer is that it administers some minor pulse or frequency to your skin, which replicates the "raised hackles" effect in cats, or extreme fright in humans. I can understand the concept should lend itself to a closer shave, as I've applied a similar principle in popping zits. It pleases me to think prototypes caused the subject to defecate themselves or attack the lab techs in a burst of adrenaline.