...or ballin' on a budget
I'm quite a novice to wet-shaving but I have been using some expensive products to start off with. To change things up a little I thought I would do a little experiment with some of the less elite items on the market and some after shave that I didn't have to pay for.
I picked up a box of Williams mug soap (manufactured by your friends at Aqua Velva) and a handsome VDH boar brush at the grocery store. As I soaked the brush in hot water -- hoping that it wouldn't disintegrate before my eyes -- I dropped the puck into the shaving bowl. It smelled incredibly cheap and felt really "flaky" as opposed to that smooth glycerin feel. As I whipped heartily with the brush I was surprised to see some foam actually starting to form! It wasn't a particularly wet foam, but it did stick to my face long enough for a quick WTG pass with the Mach 3. I whipped a little more for a second pass. At this point the foam actually seemed a little slimy to me. It could be that all shave soaps are like this... I'm not sure. After an ATG pass and a rinse I splashed on some Acqua di Parma after shave balm that I finagled from the Nordstrom cologne counter.
My shave wasn't particularly smooth and I still have a lingering soap flavor on my lips (yuk!) but I still had fun with my experiment. The $5 brush did lose quite a few of its stiff hairs and looked a little funky after it dried but I might keep it around. The AS was nothing special in my opinion. The scent did nothing for me and it is worthless as a moisturizer or soothing balm.
All in all was the shave luxurious? Not in the slightest. Was it rewarding? Yes. (I certainly appreciate my finer implements and products now.) But was it fun? Absolutely!
I'm quite a novice to wet-shaving but I have been using some expensive products to start off with. To change things up a little I thought I would do a little experiment with some of the less elite items on the market and some after shave that I didn't have to pay for.
I picked up a box of Williams mug soap (manufactured by your friends at Aqua Velva) and a handsome VDH boar brush at the grocery store. As I soaked the brush in hot water -- hoping that it wouldn't disintegrate before my eyes -- I dropped the puck into the shaving bowl. It smelled incredibly cheap and felt really "flaky" as opposed to that smooth glycerin feel. As I whipped heartily with the brush I was surprised to see some foam actually starting to form! It wasn't a particularly wet foam, but it did stick to my face long enough for a quick WTG pass with the Mach 3. I whipped a little more for a second pass. At this point the foam actually seemed a little slimy to me. It could be that all shave soaps are like this... I'm not sure. After an ATG pass and a rinse I splashed on some Acqua di Parma after shave balm that I finagled from the Nordstrom cologne counter.
My shave wasn't particularly smooth and I still have a lingering soap flavor on my lips (yuk!) but I still had fun with my experiment. The $5 brush did lose quite a few of its stiff hairs and looked a little funky after it dried but I might keep it around. The AS was nothing special in my opinion. The scent did nothing for me and it is worthless as a moisturizer or soothing balm.
All in all was the shave luxurious? Not in the slightest. Was it rewarding? Yes. (I certainly appreciate my finer implements and products now.) But was it fun? Absolutely!