a close shave

In addition to being The Summer of Sequels, this summer was also The Summer of the Double-Edged Razor.  Having heard good things, I decided to research the double-edged razor because my Venus razor was dull and I needed a new cartridge anyway.  After hours of research - literally - I made my purchases.  

I chose the Lady Gillette to be my razor.  In all my research, I learned that there's basically only one razor made for women, and that's the Lady Gillette.  They haven't been made since the 70's, but you can find them for cheap and in good condition on eBay.  It's a good women's razor because it's longer than the typical face-shaving razor, making it good for maneuverability.  I looked at several razors made for men but ultimately settled on the Lady Gillette.

1 used 70's-era Lady Gillette - $17

For my shaving "aide," I decided on a shaving soap rather than a cream or gel.  I'd be lying if I claimed part of the reason wasn't because of the nostalgia of using a soap.  It reminded me of a barber shop, and I really wanted to have one of those sweet brushes used to lather it up.  But that wasn't the only reason.  I learned that shaving gels often have glycerin in them, which can make for a slipperier surface and be great for shaving, but it also tends to reduce the lather.  My personal opinion is that shaving through a lather is more comfortable.  And I mostly decided on a soap versus a cream because creams come in a spray can and are, therefore, more expensive.

When it came to choosing a soap, most reviews and articles I read said that the most popular women's soaps were those with a pretty fragrance.  I decided I'd rather have the best soap than the most feminine-smelling one, and discovered Tabac.  Many people refer to it as the "gold standard" of shaving soaps.  They also claim it doesn't cause irritation, lasts a really long time, comes in a ceramic dish (if you're going for old-fashioned, might as well go all the way!), and "in just a few brushes, it produces a lather so thick you could practically call it a solid."  I'll be honest, that last review was the one that really pushed me over the edge.

1 Tabac Original Shaving Soap with Ceramic Bowl - $20

I did a ton of research on blades because eeeeveryone said the blade you choose can really make or break double-edge shaving for you.  They recommended buying a sample pack, so I found one with five kinds of blades I wanted to try - Derby, Astra, Personna Platinum, the Israeli Crystal, and the Japanese Feather.

1 DE Blade Sample Pack, Choice - $10.50 (40 blades)

Finally, I bought myself a shaving brush.  Most of what I read said that, although badger bristle brushes are better quality, they're also more expensive, and boar can be just as good but is way cheaper.  So I got a boar.  I also researched brands and styles of brushes and decided on the Omega because of its quality for the price.

1 Omega 10049 Boar Bristle Brush - $9

TOTAL: $54.50

Tune in next time for the exciting finale!  Same bat time, same bat channel.

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"Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much."  - J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone