A week or so I did some online impulse shopping at West Coast Shaving, and decided to order some of their cream sampler offerings. I've never dipped my toe into the sampler pool. I've usually relied upon the reviews you good gents offer and take your word. 99.5% of the time, the purchases made based on your advice has been bang on.
The package arrived yesterday with fourteen TOBS, nine Trumpers and nine assorted "Executive" creams.
I was immediately struck by how puny the containers were. "That's not enough to properly gauge whether or not I like the individual cream". Based on my first go this morning, these puny pots are more than enough. I finger smeared a good portion of TOBS Lavender on my beard this morning and while I cheated and rubbed a bit of La Toja stick on my jawline before the second pass, just to be safe, there is more than enough Lavender left in the container for two more shaves. With 32 of these pots I'll have lots of sampling to do.
So, why did I go with the Lavender right off the bat? My very first software purchase years ago when I started down this path, from Amazon I believe, was a tub of TOBS Lavender. I hadn't done any research, jeez I was so clueless I didn't know there was a difference between soaps and creams. Yay, I'm old fashioned shaving! And it went as well as expected. Poorly.
Well, it's the fault of the "soap", right? Operator error?? Pshaw, I know what I'm doing! That's the reason for a light La Toja application...I thought I would need a little more protection. Paranoid overkill? Maybe. But overall the shave was very, very good.
My first experience years ago with Lavender soured me on TOBS until I pulled the trigger and ordered a whack load of samplers.
Two lessons learned. First, dipping that toe into the sampler pool seems to be a pretty good try out for products that I've read about here on B&B, but have been shy about buying.
Second, what didn't work way back in your callow youth, just might work once you get some education.
The package arrived yesterday with fourteen TOBS, nine Trumpers and nine assorted "Executive" creams.
I was immediately struck by how puny the containers were. "That's not enough to properly gauge whether or not I like the individual cream". Based on my first go this morning, these puny pots are more than enough. I finger smeared a good portion of TOBS Lavender on my beard this morning and while I cheated and rubbed a bit of La Toja stick on my jawline before the second pass, just to be safe, there is more than enough Lavender left in the container for two more shaves. With 32 of these pots I'll have lots of sampling to do.
So, why did I go with the Lavender right off the bat? My very first software purchase years ago when I started down this path, from Amazon I believe, was a tub of TOBS Lavender. I hadn't done any research, jeez I was so clueless I didn't know there was a difference between soaps and creams. Yay, I'm old fashioned shaving! And it went as well as expected. Poorly.
Well, it's the fault of the "soap", right? Operator error?? Pshaw, I know what I'm doing! That's the reason for a light La Toja application...I thought I would need a little more protection. Paranoid overkill? Maybe. But overall the shave was very, very good.
My first experience years ago with Lavender soured me on TOBS until I pulled the trigger and ordered a whack load of samplers.
Two lessons learned. First, dipping that toe into the sampler pool seems to be a pretty good try out for products that I've read about here on B&B, but have been shy about buying.
Second, what didn't work way back in your callow youth, just might work once you get some education.
