Soap 53
Mixing it up a bit, I finally picked another soap. My previous experiments with soap were less than thrilling, I have been finding that I enjoy the greater protection offered by even cheap creams, but this isn’t “shave with lots of creams” so I forged on and picked a soap at random.
11 Cream 9
I took a strip of samples on Thanksgiving vacation with me to try out, and the first chosen was number 9. It had a light woodish, almost piney smell that was pleasant but forgettable; more of an afterthought than a highlight.
Cream 27
I picked 27 because it was one of the few coloured samples I had on hand. There is a red and a purple (I assume rose and violet?), but the rest are all white, except 27 which is yellow. Sadly, this wasn’t a good indicator of interest.
1 Apologies for no updates recently, I’ve been traveling and generally busy so I’ve been shaving with my Castle Forbes “go to” cream which is reliable. I finally found the time for some Shave By Numbers though!
Cream 29
When we started this Drew asked if I liked menthol. I told him that I wasn’t a big fan. He clearly ignored my comments.
3 So instead of waiting the full 2-3 months to try all these numbered containers before revealing the contents, Drew has decided to release the results a few at a time. Four days in, and we have our first key update!
18 Soap 32
My second soap experience again had a pleasing but fairly artificial scent which started to get annoying after a while. It generated a good lather with robust and big bubbles.
14 Cream 2
This cream was really uninspiring. It went on thick and easy, more like paint than the milky #1 I used earlier in the week. It had a strong but inoffensive citrus smell, and a robust body to the lather.
7 Soap 31
This was my first experience of a shaving soap, instead of a shaving cream, and it was quite a wild ride. Whipping the small amber chunk into a suitable lather was a lot of effort, but the application to my face revealed a rich and satisfying body to the lather. The scent was mild and pleasing, although my untrained nose couldn’t tell you what even begin to identify the ingredients.
3 Cream 1
Initially applied it too thin, needs rather more product than expected. Lather had a milky quality, was largely scentless, and easy to apply. Left to settle on my face for a minute and it really kept its body.
8 Around a year ago I started shaving with a real razor, a real shaving brush, real shaving cream, and real routine. It’s changed my life: my face has been happier, the routine has been great for my organization, and it’s just fun.
My good friend Drew recently picked up the habit too, and as only he is able to, he quickly amassed a huge supply of shaving creams, soaps, balms and razors. Sensing my envy, he took my upcoming birthday as an opportunity to provide me with the ultimate shaving sample set.
33 shaving creams, 27 shaving soaps, an even dozen shaving balms, and a ziplock bag of assorted razor blades. And in his infinite wisdom, Drew decided to keep the key to the numbered containers a secret, presumably so that at the end of my little sample test he can reveal that my favourite is in fact created from Himalayan goat feces.
In what will probably prove a wildly unpopular and self indulgent move, I’ve decided to keep a “tasting diary” of this experience. You have been warned.
Shave by Numbers.
33 shaving creams, 27 shaving soaps, an even dozen shaving balms, and a ziplock bag of assorted razor blades. And in his infinite wisdom, Drew decided to keep the key to the numbered containers a secret, presumably so that at the end of my little sample test he can reveal that my favourite is in fact created from Himalayan goat feces.
In what will probably prove a wildly unpopular and self indulgent move, I’ve decided to keep a “tasting diary” of this experience. You have been warned.
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