Really coarse stubble/Sensitive skin. Still have issues.

The DE89 should suit you better than the R41 you've been using until you have nailed your technique. I've used mine paired with Astra SP's and achieved good results. In my opinion, you made a good razor choice.
Re the body butter, when I use it for my pre shave I dry my face, as I've found if I leave my face wet it can mess with my lather.
Your skin will still be hydrated and your stubble softened from your shower. It's always worked for me at least.
You might want to go with 2 WTG on your neck/sensitive areas instead of WTG and XTG, and see if the result is acceptable. It could save you more irritation.
Early on, I found creams easier to lather and they can do a good job at creating good glide and protection. I like the sound of the Lime & Pomegranate cream!
 
Yeah I will dry my face and then apply the body butter. I might try 2xWTG on my neck then and see how it goes. Think I will need at least a XTG though as even with that I will still have loads of thick wirey stubble left

Matt
 
@mattprince have you got an alum block?They are good for both getting rid of discomfort and for measuring how good your technique is (or when to change your blade): the less sting the better. I find a dab of distilled witchazel (kept in the fridge) helps soothe irritation too. Forget Thayers get a bottle of pure distillate from Boots for a few quid.
 
No point getting out the shower drying your face then adding product like a preshave imo, just leave your face wet and add much more cream to your bush than a "pea" sized amount. That's a big red flag for me right there as I suspect the quality of your lather (ing) hasn't been adequate...use plenty of product and practice. Start using a bowl too, once you know what your doing and what to look for you can move to face lathering.
 
As @antdad says, keep that face as hydrated as possible. Drying it off only undoes a step prior to shaving. Further to this, he's bang on with adding more than a 'pea-sized' quantity of shave cream. Soap is pretty cheap in the grand scheme of things, especially on a shave-by-shave basis.
@Paul L - The EJ Limes & Pomegranate was unfortunately lacking a little in the limes department for me so I sold my soap on before I used it. If you're into super-sweet fruity scents then it'd be right up your ally!
 
No point getting out the shower drying your face then adding product like a preshave imo, just leave your face wet and add much more cream to your bush than a "pea" sized amount. That's a big red flag for me right there as I suspect the quality of your lather (ing) hasn't been adequate...use plenty of product and practice. Start using a bowl too, once you know what your doing and what to look for you can move to face lathering.

In my experience of using Wilkinson's body butter as a pre shave, as Matt intends to , if I leave my face wet and apply the body butter it kills with my lather. I either pat my face dry or leave it a bit moist and get good results with this product. Quite the opposite to Proraso pre shave in my experience.
As always , everyone's experience with products is different but that's what works for me.
I agree with you on experimenting with the amount of cream, it's quite fun as well as a learning curve.
I dare say when Matt has mastered bowl lathering with his new cream he will be able to make an excellent lather as if it's second nature.
 
I didn't mean to be completely dismissive of your advice but if a product kills lather be it on a wet or dry face I just wouldn't recommend it whether it works for you or not. Usually when someone's struggling the cause(s) are usually more fundamental and in this case I think it could be lather quality or lack of, spend 15 minutes practicing making it thick and slick and that will save the OP a countless number of poor shaves as well as pre-shave. ;)
 
No point getting out the shower drying your face then adding product like a preshave imo, just leave your face wet and add much more cream to your bush than a "pea" sized amount. That's a big red flag for me right there as I suspect the quality of your lather (ing) hasn't been adequate...use plenty of product and practice. Start using a bowl too, once you know what your doing and what to look for you can move to face lathering.

In my experience of using Wilkinson's body butter as a pre shave, as Matt intends to , if I leave my face wet and apply the body butter it kills with my lather. I either pat my face dry or leave it a bit moist and get good results with this product. Quite the opposite to Proraso pre shave in my experience.
As always , everyone's experience with products is different but that's what works for me.
I agree with you on experimenting with the amount of cream, it's quite fun as well as a learning curve.
I dare say when Matt has mastered bowl lathering with his new cream he will be able to make an excellent lather as if it's second nature.
I didn't mean to be completely dismissive of your advice but if a product kills lather be it on a wet or dry face I just wouldn't recommend it whether it works for you or not. Usually when someone's struggling the cause(s) are usually more fundamental and in this case I think it could be lather quality or lack of, spend 15 minutes practicing making it thick and slick and that will save the OP a countless number of poor shaves as well as pre-shave. ;)

Sound advice here.
 
Usually when someone's struggling the cause(s) are usually more fundamental and in this case I think it could be lather quality or lack of, spend 15 minutes practicing making it thick and slick and that will save the OP a countless number of poor shaves as well as pre-shave. ;)
I know this is going to sound a little on the sad side but I've sometimes loaded my brush and made a test-lather either in a bowl or on my hand to get a feel for certain soaps on days where I don't shave. Yes, it's a little wasteful but I can see where I need it to be for it to do its job properly. It gives an indication as to how much water it'll take on as well as how long to load for, what it feels like at peak slickness, what the lather is supposed to look like etc... :)
 
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