SOTD: Saturday 8 th - Friday 14 th June 2019

SOTD - Holiday shaves 04 - 08 June

Pre-shave: Warm shower and cold water splash.
Soap: LEA Shaving stick.
Brush: Wilkinson Sword - Finest bristler.
Bowl: NA.
Razors: Gillette Blue 2.
Post: Cold water, Floyd Mentolado Vigoroso, Clinique post shave balm.
EDT: Basil and Lime.

Holiday-shave.jpg

SWMBO booked a last minute holiday; Mijar Spain :cool:. We hand carry on luggage only, so decided to shop local for shaving supplies, with some duty free treats. The Gillette Blue 2 and the Clinique balm were pre-packed.

There was a good supermarket 5 minutes walk from the hotel - very reasonable: Wilkinson shaving brush €5; LEA soap €1.5; Floyd €5!

I soaked the brush and bloomed the soap in cups filled with bottled mineral water; excellent result - very good shaves througout the holiday. I can't believe that I picked up Floyd for €5 - used very liberaly as this was a 150ml container, which I knew was not comming back with me.

Using mineral water to build the later worked very well - I am now totally convinced that the softness of the water is a key factor in getting good wet shaves. It felt wierd using a cart again; I did not want to pack a DE razor and buy blades local - as the last 2 times I did that airport security asked me to empty my carry on luggage as they wanted to make sure no DE blades were packed, which I thought was fair enough.

Two pass shaves and DFS + / BBS - with no issues to report.

From Monday through Wednesday this week, I my shaving recipie was:

Pre-shave: Warm shower, Wright's Cold Tar Soap, and cold water splash.
Soap: Tabula Rasa Olibanum (Frankincense) Shaving Soap.
Brush: Simpsons Chubby 2 - Best Badger.
Bowl: Giles Shaving Co, Spotty Pedestal (Blue).
Razors: Ocram (v2).
Blade: Feather AC (Professional)
Post: Cold water, Fine Snakebite, followed by Tabula Rasa Cool (Blue) Aftershave Gel.

Good shaves with the Ocram; happy to be back shaving with a SE again.

Thursday's shave was with the Rex Ambassador (O), setting 1.5 with an Astra SP (Green) - an excellent 2 pass shave. Today, The I loaded up the Blackland Vector, with a Kai Captain (Pink) blade - also an excellent 2 pass shave.

The Rex Ambvassador was RAD gone mad; I have a (M) series and picked up the (O) from the Gentleman's Groom Room; Ian had new stock in and the (O) series looked different; I can't put my finger on it - I did some research and the (O) has a range of minor upgrades. I don't know if it was in my imagination, but I felt I got a better, smoother shave from the (O).

My shaves over the last few weeks have reinforced that I enjoy the variation in razors, soaps, blades etc.

I hope everyone is good.

All the best,

Chris

 
Oh how time and drink catches you up. This was last night's shave

At the end of this most wonderful of days the theme for my shave was 'opulance'

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My Lords, my ladies and men of a gentle disposition, for this evening I give you a shave of the most ostentatiously palatial opulence. A shave of esteem, of exuberance and extravagance. So to keep you waiting no longer I hand you over to your compere for this evenings shaving activities to no lesser than the lavishing Larry luscious.

'Ahem'

A razor of grandiosity, the one and only Colonial General
With an exuberant edge, the copious captain of blades, grande Kai
Of exceptional ravishing stock, Razorock the sumptuous brush
Beyond stupendous, Collezione Barbiere of Parma an Italian shaving soap of plush beyond lush (by adding a letter P :unsure: ? )
The palatial Penhaligon's Blenheim Bouquet

After a very lovely day with my in-laws (which should probably be illegal) this evening brought about a shave with the single aim of being luxurious in every way possible.

Actually today my father-in-law was 82 and for a man who is riddled with arthritis, has had one stroke, three heart attacks and lives with prostrate cancer he is incredibly resilient. Some say he stays this way just to annoy people. Good on the man and may he continue to annoy.

So after a pleasant lunch a stroll in Southport was had where I bought him a watch for his birthday. Nothing extravagant, but just a little something as in all my years of being with his daughter I have never seen him wear one. I can't say I have ever seen him so overwhelmed, and then he mentioned he has never had a new watch in his 82 years of being here. Wow! To be honest he was born in poverty in 'Scotty Road' Liverpool and he has never stopped being any different despite doing well in life. God bless the old bugger as annoying as he is.

Just a little of my usual waffle, but the day can very much dictate what direction a shave goes

This particular shave was all about quality products and a quality shave. Why not spoil yourself?

First a good face wash with the lovely scented Apothecary Oils Lemon Grass facial bar and already feeling spoilt. Smelling fresh and things haven't even started. Bring on the dancing girls and bring on that smooth Italian act, Sig Di Parma and his lusciously lovely shaving soap. The ADP is what I consider among the best in the pack. It lathers wonderfully, is wonderfully scented and overall it is wonderfully wonderful. Indeed a most wonderful soap. One mountain of lather later and this is the way to go.

The ravishing Razorock brush did his magnificent brushing brilliance and Sig Di Parma was already being thanked.

Enter the General and his grand offering of being a grand performer. And too bloody right. Do razors get much better than this? I don't think so. If it went to head with my Ikon B1 it would certainly win on the 'I've got a bigger head' stakes, and every bit the equal on the results.......nearly. I love this bristle shifting machine and with a Kai Captain onboard this beautiful bristle removing exercise was effortless, effective and bloody brilliantly beautiful.

A cold water wash and the usual wet of Witch Hazel and what a wonderful sensation of being sensationally wonderful. A splattering of M&S moisturiser and heavenly blissful. A spray of Blenheim Bouquet and the end results were sublime. Smooth as buggery and as lemony as a lemon. Pity the scent didn't last much longer than the water disappearing down the plug hole, but I enjoyed its 30 second longevity.

Quite simply this is one of my SOTY to date. Sensational, smooth and scented.................for 30 seconds as I mentioned, but refreshed to a whole new level. And still space for some more Blood Stain Child


And happy birthday to my father-in-law and may he continue to annoy for many more annoying years
 
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