For today's shave I decided to do something I have NOT done in over a decade or more.
That is, use "Proraso Original" or "Proraso Green" shaving cream. I actually didn't have any on hand and had to pick some up from a local fancy pharmacy the other day. Also grabbed the AS lotion/splash, which I honestly do not remember trying BITD.
While I was there I got to smell the "Red" version that wasn't available when I started wetshaving. I thought I would go for that one, but it had a weird note to the scent that I didn't like. Don't get me wrong, I like woody scents and sandalwood scents, but their interpretation of such wasn't for me. So, on with the "classic" eucalyptus + menthol version.
Preheated my scuttle, then squeezed out a 3-4 cm "snurdle" of the cream which I then applied to the top and "core" of the brush. Let that warm up a bit in the scuttle and lathered up. Note that I rarely use mentholated creams or soaps anymore and was surprised how this one hit. It was a bit chillier than I remember from BITD! Face definitely felt pretty cold even though the lather and brush were warm.
For the razor I pulled out my Gillette Super Adjustable and loaded a Feather blade. Left it on mild settings, 2 and 3 today. I rarely use this razor anymore except for backup/travel duty. It was my first DE razor though so I have a bit of sentimental value attached to it. It is a great shaver, provided you use proper technique. Never found much use for settings above 5 if I am being honest.
The AS splash is quite nice. It has the eucalyptus + menthol but also a sweet, citrusy note to it and is quite refreshing. I wouldn't mind using this with a non-mentholated cream honestly.
Now recently I have heard some folks complain about this stuff. Menthol creams are not for everyone. If they're not for you, you probably want to choose a different "flavor". They some interesting ones out now but it's a bit of a gamble since some of those are website exclusives only.
I noticed the cream no longer contains SLS which IIRC the old cream and tub soap did. I had zero problems lathering it up quite thick. If you're having problems lathering this stuff you need to look at your water hardness, how much product you are using, and your overall lather building skills. This stuff lathers fine and the lather is very stable, even in a heated scuttle.
It's getting colder here and honestly I probably won't use this cream much until summer comes around again. It should be very refreshing at that time, though I probably wouldn't use it more than 1-2 times a week because I don't prefer creams with menthol. Nothing wrong with it per se.
My 2 cents.
That is, use "Proraso Original" or "Proraso Green" shaving cream. I actually didn't have any on hand and had to pick some up from a local fancy pharmacy the other day. Also grabbed the AS lotion/splash, which I honestly do not remember trying BITD.
While I was there I got to smell the "Red" version that wasn't available when I started wetshaving. I thought I would go for that one, but it had a weird note to the scent that I didn't like. Don't get me wrong, I like woody scents and sandalwood scents, but their interpretation of such wasn't for me. So, on with the "classic" eucalyptus + menthol version.
Preheated my scuttle, then squeezed out a 3-4 cm "snurdle" of the cream which I then applied to the top and "core" of the brush. Let that warm up a bit in the scuttle and lathered up. Note that I rarely use mentholated creams or soaps anymore and was surprised how this one hit. It was a bit chillier than I remember from BITD! Face definitely felt pretty cold even though the lather and brush were warm.
For the razor I pulled out my Gillette Super Adjustable and loaded a Feather blade. Left it on mild settings, 2 and 3 today. I rarely use this razor anymore except for backup/travel duty. It was my first DE razor though so I have a bit of sentimental value attached to it. It is a great shaver, provided you use proper technique. Never found much use for settings above 5 if I am being honest.
The AS splash is quite nice. It has the eucalyptus + menthol but also a sweet, citrusy note to it and is quite refreshing. I wouldn't mind using this with a non-mentholated cream honestly.
Now recently I have heard some folks complain about this stuff. Menthol creams are not for everyone. If they're not for you, you probably want to choose a different "flavor". They some interesting ones out now but it's a bit of a gamble since some of those are website exclusives only.
I noticed the cream no longer contains SLS which IIRC the old cream and tub soap did. I had zero problems lathering it up quite thick. If you're having problems lathering this stuff you need to look at your water hardness, how much product you are using, and your overall lather building skills. This stuff lathers fine and the lather is very stable, even in a heated scuttle.
It's getting colder here and honestly I probably won't use this cream much until summer comes around again. It should be very refreshing at that time, though I probably wouldn't use it more than 1-2 times a week because I don't prefer creams with menthol. Nothing wrong with it per se.
My 2 cents.
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, I find that a tub of PG outperforms pretty much every soap I have ever tried ( incl. the artisan stuff).
