Today I reached for St James of London because it just works. I was sent this from a subscriber because when he used it he had a reaction to it, so he thought I would enjoy it, and I do. It's so easy to lather, I just took some in my fingers and massaged it into my beard, then I used my brush to just make sure it was in the beard. This soap has great slickness and glide, which allows me to use my razor without fear of irritation, and the post-shave feel was awesome.
In this YouTube video, I talk about the movie from 2009 called Paper Man
Summers are getting hotter, and combating this heat takes strategy. For this, I recommend Cold Fusion shaving soap and aftershave. This one is extremely cold, so cold that it comes with a warning. We don't use synthetic menthol like some other artisans do. This one does not creep up on you; this is full-throttle pure menthol crystals, and when you open the lid, you will see them on top of the soap. Over time, these will melt right in for even more menthol power.
Not only is this shaving going to be the coldest you've experienced, but the aftershave will just put it over the top. If you have the guts to shower with the Cold Fusion Bath Bar, then get ready for every part of your body to chill, and we mean every part.
Also in today's YouTube video, I discuss the Netflix mini-series Untamed
When I was starting out in this hobby, I tried everything I could get my hands on, and then I came across Phoenix Artisan Accoutrements, or PAA, as they are commonly known. They have gone under different names, How To Grow A Mustache, HTGAM, but the owners stayed the same, Erik Hodges (aka Douglas Smythe) and Frances Towle. They sent me a shaving soap called Solstice, which is one of my favorite scents of all time. I honestly will never tire of this scent, for me, this does it all.
The soap base is that of his early work. Frankly, I find nothing wrong with it. Crown King is, I believe, his current base. I have been told it's a winner. I was to load the brush right from the tub and then make a fantastic face lather, which got right into the beard. This allowed for a superior slickness and glide, and the post-shave feel was a good one.
Today, we use The Green Knight shaving soap from Wet The Face. The fragrance is a harmonious blend of nature’s treasures, designed to captivate and invigorate. It opens with bright notes of sweet orange and mandarin, like the glint of sunlight through the trees. As the scent deepens, spicy layers of cinnamon bark, clove leaf, and clove bud emerge, evoking the warmth of a hearth amidst the chill of winter. Fresh and cooling hints of eucalyptus and mentha leaf intertwine with the earthy richness of pine and cumin, grounding the experience in the heart of an ancient forest. Finally, a subtle touch of grapefruit and the nourishing essence of wheat germ complete the profile, leaving you refreshed and ready to face your day with the courage of a knight.
Also in the YouTube video, we look into the company American Apparel, A book "I Regret Almost Everything" A Memoir
Today I'm using Faith Hope Shaving Soap, the HIM collection. This one is Key West, and as of this writing, it's no longer available on her website. The person I speak of is Deborah Bruijn. She was raised in San Diego, California, and is now a proud Southerner settling down in Alabama’s Gulf Coast in a beautiful, small, arts and craftsy town of Fairhope. She has a chemist degree and has worked for 10 years in the biopharma industry, took time off to have a family, and now has turned her talents to soap making. She belongs to the Society of Cosmetic Chemists, Handcrafted Soap & Cosmetics Guild, Alabama Soap and Candle Association.
Today I used the De Vergulde Hand shaving puck. If you never tried it, now's the time. It's an amazing shaving soap that has been around for over 450 years, and I'm not kidding. If a shaving soap has lasted that long and is still being sold today, do you think you deserve to try it?
I bloomed this puck in warm water for two minutes, then soaked up the bloom water with the brush and dumped the rest out of the bowl. This made for a very easy time lathering, and the lather went on thick and creamy. Plenty of slickness and glide for the razor, and the post-shave feel was fantastic.
It was at the end of the day, and I needed to relax. I started setting up for the evening shave and came across my Vintage BayRum Generations. On the label, you can see a picture of many generations, all at the kitchen table. The father is passing down the traditions of wet shaving to his two children, just as his grandfather did years ago.
I'm not sure Bayrum has this effect on everyone, but it calms me down, and that's exactly what I was trying to do with this shave. I lathered up with it using a bowl, of course, and it created a thick creamy lather that got right into the beard. I used my single-edge razor and cut through 7 days' growth with ease. This had plenty of cushion and glide, providing an irritation-free shave.
The aftershave of the same scent was applied, and I couldn't have been more relaxed.
