Taylor of Old Bond StreetLavender Shaving Cream Bowl, 5.3-Ounce 01003

I decided to upgrade my morning routine and give myself something to look forward to when I'm feeling lazy and thinking about sleeping in. I also felt like it was time to stop using an electric razor since it was leaving me with a very amateur-looking shave (lots of stray hairs that I couldn't get no matter how much I tried). I wanted to get the most out of the safety razor experience, so I did a lot of research into which products are needed and how to use them. I made all of the purchases together on Amazon and tried them out as a set. After using an electric for the past 10 years, I was pretty worried that I would get some serious razor burn, but to my surprise I had none whatsoever! I was pretty careful to not get too aggressive with the shaving, so I went WITH the grain and only made one or two passes on each area. The result was a shave that was 100X closer than an electric with no discomfort, nicks, cuts, or razor burn!Here's what I bought and why:Safety Razor: Parker 96R – Long Handle Butterfly Safety Razorhttps://www.amazon.com/dp/B002IFFSOS/ref=cm_cr_ryp_prd_ttl_sol_2This safety razor has a great weight to it, a long handle for a comfortable grip, and a black and chrome coloring that looks great with the other items on the list. The butterfly razors seem to be the easiest to open and close for changing blades.Razor Blades: Astra Superior Premium Platinum bladeshttps://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EXPTR0W/ref=cm_cr_ryp_prd_ttl_sol_4One of the great things about safety razors is that the blades are SUPER cheap. These Astra blades are some of the most popular and highest quality blades I could find. At $0.10 each, you can clearly see the cost advantage to regular razors. I have been told that one blade should last about a week. That means that 100 is nearly 2 years’ worth! Do yourself a favor and buy the best blades you can get. There’s no reason to save a few cents to get blades that dull quickly and give you razorburn.Brush: Perfecto 100% Badger Shaving Brush - Blackhttps://www.amazon.com/dp/B00VF1NI5M/ref=cm_cr_ryp_prd_ttl_sol_40This brush is a fraction of the cost of the higher end brushes and it felt GREAT and worked up a nice, foamy lather very quickly. I don’t see any reason to buy a more expensive brush, especially if you are just starting out and want to see if you enjoy this process before you commit to a high-dollar brush. Personally, I still wouldn’t get anything more expensive.Bowl: Schöne Stainless Steel Shaving Bowl with Lidhttps://www.amazon.com/dp/B00OQDEL8Y/ref=cm_cr_ryp_prd_ttl_sol_37I think this is a matter of preference and taste in aesthetics. This bowl matches the other items that I bought and has a lid, which I am hoping will allow me to make my soap last longer. It seems to be well made and is a great size for working up a lather with the brush and is shaped well for holding it in your hand while you apply the lather. I think there are a lot of options for you to choose from, so pick something that matches your style if this one isn’t for you.Razor and Brush Stand: SimplyBeautiful Deluxe Razor and Brush Standhttps://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AG92BXY/ref=cm_cr_ryp_prd_ttl_sol_35This stand looks great and is balanced well so that it holds my brush and razor without falling over. I chose black for two reasons. One: It matches the other things that I bought (razor and brush). Two: It should resist rusting better since it is coated.Pre-shave Oil: The Art of Shaving Pre-Shave Oil, Sandalwoodhttps://www.amazon.com/dp/B000FGTTTM/ref=cm_cr_ryp_prd_ttl_sol_3The Art of Shaving makes some great products, but some of them have changes in recent years, so you can’t rely on the ratings alone. I read through them and found that the pre-shave oil is still a very popular product and from my experience, it definitely helps prep your beard and skin for the shave. Applying the oil is step 1 in safety razor shaving.Shaving Soap: Taylor of Old Bond Street Sandalwood Shavinghttps://www.amazon.com/dp/B0007MW2ZW/ref=cm_cr_ryp_prd_ttl_sol_1TOBS shaving soaps are the highest quality soaps I could find based off of smell, quality of lather, and consistency of the product quality. This soap is more like a cream. I scooped out some with my fingers, put it in the bowl, added some hot water, and then worked up a lather. It felt and smelled amazing! In reality, I didn’t want to wash it off because it just felt so good!After-shave Balm: Truefitt & Hill Sandalwood Aftershave Balmhttps://www.amazon.com/dp/B004OWPW0I/ref=cm_cr_ryp_prd_ttl_sol_29This was my biggest splurge of the whole set-up and I did so for several reasons: First, using after-shave balm is said to be gentler on your skin than alcohol-based after-shaves. As I mentioned before, I switched from an electric to a safety razor with no skin irritation at all. This cream soothes the skin and makes it soft. It was the perfect way to finish my shave. Second, this stuff is rated as the absolutely best smelling after-shave balm out there and I can attest to that. It smells so great that I stopped using my cologne. Based on the small amount that is needed, this bottle should easily last for a year or more. Three, there are other “luxury” brand shaving balms that have been bought out by big brand companies and their formulas have changed significantly as a result. That means that some of the products out there have great ratings, but only because of the number ratings BEFORE they recently changed. If you look into other luxury shaving brands, then you will see what I mean.Razor Disposal Case: Feather Styling Razor Disposal Casehttps://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DWGEY1K/ref=cm_cr_ryp_prd_ttl_sol_36Even used razors are sharp, so I bought this little case to keep stray razors off of the counter, or better yet, off of the floor. Just drop in the used razor when it’s too dull for shaving. It holds over a hundred, so you can go without emptying it for a few years. It’s pretty cheap, so maybe you can just throw it away when it’s full? Your choice.That’s my whole set up. If you want to get into safety razor shaving, then I highly recommend the products on this list. All-in-all, you will spend about the same on this list than you would on a TAOS starter kit that only has the oil, brush, soap, and balm. I’m a morning shaver, so the sandalwood scent works great for me, but evening shavers may consider the same products in lavender scent if you want a relaxing experience to help you sleep.

Taylor of Old Bond Street Sandalwood - This is just plain the Finest Shave Cream on the planet !! I have to say the scent of the Sandalwood version here is just incredible as other people have said. Below is a fairly lengthy explanation of the use and application of this Excellent product. I hope that other guys who have never experienced this product and its application and use will read through my explanation below and experience for yourself one of life's very fine pleasures! This product coupled with Musgo Real Lime Glycerin Oil Soap simply provides the finest shave possible. First of all it really is best to acquire for yourself a Badger Hair brush for use in creating a lather from the Taylor Old Bond St. product. You can experience the Product without a brush; Yes a good quality brush can be costly, but they last a long time and you really cannot appreciate the full effect the Brush provides in both creating the Lather as well as the application onto your face of the lather. We all spend a lot of money on things, just break down and do yourself a favor and get a brush. Don't feel too distressed by spending $50.00 for one, It's well worth it andthe benefit of using a brush is pretty much invaluable through its ability to create a wonderful lather of the cream. It just cannot be effectively created and experienced in any other way. Here is the process to follow in the use of Old Bond Street & Musgo: Run a good quantity of HOT water into your sink and place your Badger Brush into the Hot Water, this will Heat up the bristles of the Brush, Next Acquire a wash cloth and place it in a sink of HOT water, wring it out somewhat and then warm your face with it for approx.1 minute, place the wash cloth back into the HOT water a couple times as needed. The purpose here is to soften whiskers and warm the skin., Next lather up a small amount of the Musgo Oil soap with HOT water a spread around your face with your hands, this will pre-lubricate the skin and whiskers and provides the basis for a very smooth, gliding surface for the razor. Next retrieve the Badger brush from the hot water in the sink and shake out most, but not all of the Hot Water, then dip it into the TAYLOR of Old Bond St. and get a small quantity onto the Badger Brush. Next lather it up in a small bowl or cup, (you don't need to go out and spend much money on a cup or bowl) it will take about 30 sec. to 1 min to create a nice lather, and it will likely be necessary to add a little water to the bowl as you "fluff" up the lather. The point is to create a somewhat fluffy lather. If you use too much water, the lather will be runny and will pretty much just run off of your face when you place it onto your face, on the other hand not enough water and the product will not lather up much in the bowl, so there is a bit of a fine line here. When you are finished, shaving, I like to apply a small amount of water across my face and then reapply the remaining lather from the brush to my face and then shave once again in a different direction or pattern. Whiskers tend to grow in a certain direction on your face, and everyone's face is different so shave a second time in a different pattern or direction. Finally, rinse your face with Warm Water, and pat it dry with a towl, don't vigorously wipe your face with towel. You want to keep your face moist as you next apply an aftershave or lotion. May I here recommend one of my favorite aftershave cream which is NEUTROGENA RAZOR DEFENSE. This product will not sting or burn your face, it also moisturizes the face, and is so silky smooth. NEUTROGENA Razor Defense is simply the best. Give it a try!! Here is my summation of everything above. The process of creating a lather with the brush takes some practice, but stay with it and by and by you will get the hang of it. Once you familiarize yourself with the process of everything described above, it all becomes fairly easy and does not take as much time as in the beginning if you are new to this. Use of the products noted and the effort of skin preparation and application of the lather simply produces the finest shave you will ever experience!! There simply is nothing better!! Canned Shave cream does not even come close to this. People who have not tried this or experienced a shave as described are simply missing out on one of life's GREAT Pleasures. Your skin will feel so wonderful when you finish. Lastly I have to say the scent of the Sandalwood version of Taylor here is just incredible as other people have said. You will experience the masculine scent of this superb Product and feel invigorated and ready to Tackle the World in the day ahead of you. Shaving becomes a pleasurable experience you will look forward to and not a drudgery. Don't deny yourself one of life's simple pleasures any longer. ENJOY !!