Congratulations men! Happy shaving
I was surprised by both my cheap little Omega boar brush and by Proraso red tube shaving cream. For such inexpensive items they work really well and the scent of the Proraso Sandalwood in particular is quite pleasant.
One thing that actually exceeded expectations for me is aftershave in general. As a lady I obviously shave my legs and not my face. I had never thought to use A/S..thinking it was really just for facial use, until Casie with Maggard's Razors used it in her YouTube video. It makes SUCH a difference in the way my skin feels after a shave!
Proraso Green after shave lotion is fantastic for me.
The biggest surprise for me is that I have Cella, Razorock One X, and C.O. Bigelow in my rotation and the one that seems to consistently give me the best shaves is the Bigelow! It's just great stuff especially for the price.
I'm in my favorite. I did not like the smell of Sterling Coniferous, I far exceeded my thoughts about it. I like their PSO and the A/S, the product is far better than I thought it would be.