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7 days agoYep, I later found out that this was his parade role in Broadway musicals. Seems natural that he made an appearance as some kind of ruler again!
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Joined 11 months ago
Cake day: September 29th, 2023
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14.08.2024 - quick & easy dome shave
- Prep: head wash
- Brush: AP Shave Co. Snakeskin w/ 26 mm Silksmoke Flattop/Fan hybrid
- Razor: Leaf Thorn
- Blade: snapped BIC Chrome Platinum
- Lather: Jean & Len - Fresh Menthol Rasierpaste (shaving cream)
- Post-Shave: Thayer’s Original toner; Phytorelax Aftershave scalp cream
-> 1 pass head shave. No frills, just good enough.
Yet another awfully hot summer day invoked a serious craving for menthol again. However, after a pretty exhausting day I needed something that would work quickly. Luckily, this combo of mentholated shaving cream and a Flat/Fan knot brush does just that. Definitely not my favourite scent, but still acceptable. I hope to use something fancier once the weather has calmed down a bit.
Today I decided to look up how Yul Brynner shaved his head and found close to no resources about it. After questioning DDGs open source AI, it told me that he was quite meticulous about it, often spent more than 30 minutes for shaving his dome and… he allegedly used a straight razor. Now, everything the AI says is to be taken with a massive grain of salt, but if true - kudos to him, that takes balls of steel. And in case anyone wonders why I know of such an old school actor, The Ten Commandments is shown every Easter season over here. Together with Telly Savalas of Kojak, he as King Rameses was one of my only two bald childhood heroes (pretty funny that I favoured the villain in the biblical epos though).
13.08.2024 - And again menthol
- Prep: cold water
- Brush: Omega Roma Colosseo 31 mm
- Razor: Leaf Thorn
- Blade: snapped BIC Chrome Platinum (new)
- Lather: Moon Soaps - Union
- Post-Shave: Thayer’s Original toner; Phytorelax Aftershave scalp cream
-> 2 pass head shave and again a bit contouring. Cool and good.
Today was the hottest day of the year in Germany, with temperatures rising to over 35°C and the “felt temperature” (aka how hot/cold does it feel like for the average person) rising over 40°C. Even after two showers in a single day, I still didn’t feel so fresh. Time for some menthol again - I reached for the safe option, barbershop scent with a tiny little amount. I could’ve definitely used something with a stronger menthol content today though… Sometimes, laid back doesn’t quite cut it.
I also used a “new” snapped BIC blade today, or rather the remaining half. It’s quite impressive how efficient their cut is when they’re fresh!
Now that the bot is back in business, may I kindly request that we get a Free Talk Friday thread again? My ADHD simply doesn’t allow me to remember posting one of these on time, but I feel something lacks when we don’t have one.
I distinctly remember that the aftershave was way worse than the soap (cause yeah, it being cheap meant I would buy a full set back then) since it was reminding me of the smell of decaying flesh.
Sunburn under the jawline is rather unusual… So far I had ears, neck, nose, top of my head (head shavers shouldn’t go out without sunscreen) but never the jaw/mouth area… I’d take a guess and blame the soap unfortunately. IIRC, most of the TGS soaps are quite heavy on the fragrance component.
12.08.2024 - Yet another menthol shave
- Prep: cold water
- Brush: vintage yellow bakelite handle w/ 22 mm SynBad knot
- Razor: Leaf Thorn
- Blade: snapped BIC Chrome Platinum
- Lather: Abbate Y La Mantia - Blu Tobacco
- Post-Shave: Thayer’s Original toner; Phytorelax Aftershave scalp cream
-> 1 pass head shave + beard contouring. Good shave.
Today was a damn hot day, even nursing school was cut short due to the high temperatures. So some menthol cool down was in order.
I find Blu Tobacco still very enjoyable. Crazy how fast you can load up even a small diameter synthetic brush with it. No idea what black magic AYLM puts in their hard soap recipe, but I dig it. The small brush used to be an old boar brush of my grandfather, but since the old bristles fell out the SynBad was a pretty good replacement. Due to the small diameter of the hole, me and my dad had to set the new knot with a really high loft - a blessing in disguise, as this makes it great for lathering on my head due to the high amount of splay. Plus it still reminds me of my grandpa, so win-win.
The aftershave cream is btw the same stuff I used to list as “Headshave ASB”, but since my last order they finally print an english name on the tube 😅
Glad to hear you’re still alive, but sorry about the car breakdown. That stuff really sucks.
Amber Fougère by TGS was the first soap I used just a few times before unceremoniously dumping it in the trash bin. No skin reactions at all, but this scent is horrible IMHO. It’s rare that something actually makes me cringe and choke when I sniff it, but this soap managed it. Really putrid smell. Worst of all, since I had come in contact with it in the pretty early days of my wetshaving journey, it put me off all fougeres since I thought they’d be similar to that. Oh well, live and learn 😅
11.08.2024 - Shaman shave test
- Prep: cold water
- Brush: RazoRock 400 Noir SE 24 mm
- Razor: Leaf Thorn
- Blade: snapped BIC Chrome Platinum
- Lather: E&S - Shaman
- Post-Shave: Thayer’s Original toner; Phytorelax Aftershave scalp cream
-> 2 pass head shave and 1 pass around the beard. Good shave!
First try of E&S Shaman. It was a bit tricky to lather up, but once I managed to do so it totally exploded with lather. That’s why I did more passes than usual. The scent is a interesting mix. Different kinds of tobacco (pipe and flower), leather, some woody notes… I can definitely see what they were aiming for with the name & tub art. Also, their base made my skin feel really good! In general, a very positive first impression of this soap. However, more shaves will be required of course.
Had a bit of a uneventful weekend, apart from setting up my new smartphone today. All this signing in for every app again was a bit annoying, but the phone also came with some wireless headphones as a freebie which are surprisingly comfortable to wear atm. If something is looking a bit off in my posts, it’s probably because I still need to set everything back up the way I’m used to do things!
06.08.2024 - Refreshing menthol
- Prep: cold water
- Razor: Leaf Thorn
- Blade: snapped BIC Chrome Platinum
- Brush: RazoRock Beehive 28 mm
- Lather: Jean & Len - Fresh Menthol Rasierpaste (shaving cream)
- Post Shave: Thayer’s Original toner; Natura Siberica ASB gel
-> 1 pass head and neck shave.
Sometimes you just need something that works quickly and has the right ingredients.
Today was a hot day, so I craved something with a good dose of menthol. Fresh Menthol does just that, despite smelling like a sports ointment. Those shaving creams in a tin or glass jar also work great for me as a head shaver, since I apply the cream to my scalp like a moisturizer and then just lather up with a wet brush. Low effort, good results. Not great, but sometimes good is all you ask for.
04.08.2024 - Blu Tobacco, second shave
- Prep: cold water
- Razor: Leaf Thorn
- Blade: snapped BIC Chrome Platinum
- Brush: RazoRock 400 Noir SE 24 mm
- Lather: Abbate Y La Mantia - Blu Tobacco
- Post Shave: Thayer’s Original toner; Natura Siberica ASB gel
-> 2 pass head shave, very comfortable and refreshing.
Second use of AYLM Blu Tobacco after only dry shaving my head for a few days. A cool contrast! This was much closer.
Blu Tobacco is by all means a good soap. Not extraordinary in any category, but good. The scent is to me a perfect summer variant of HoMs Tobacconist, as the added menthol and maritime notes are definitely a good choice for warmer weather. It’s still surprising how easy this hard soap is to lather with synthetic brushes, this one just explodes after a 10 second load. Had enough to do two passes on my head, so I did to not waste any of the good stuff. Really good that our BVWSC event made me curious about AYLM soaps - this one’s a real great scent, plus a travel friendly aluminium tin and puck size.
31.07.2024 - Blu Tobacco quick affair
- Prep: warm water
- Razor: Leaf Thorn
- Blade: snapped BIC Chrome Platinum
- Brush: vintage yellow bakelite handle w/ 22 mm SynBad knot
- Lather: Abbate Y La Mantia - Blu Tobacco
- Post Shave: Thayer’s Original toner; Saponificio Varesino Cubebe sample; moisturiser
-> 1 pass head and neck shave. Rushed as hell, but still comfortable.
Last day off before returning to nursing school tomorrow, so I still wanted to get a first try of Blu Tobacco. Despite the fast shave, it didn’t disappoint. Off the puck, it smells like unlit menthol cigarettes on a beach. Not the crowded holiday season beach though - more of a well hidden spot in early spring when the sand is still a bit damp. I dunno how to describe it better, there’s certainly something maritime instead of the typical “aquatic men’s cologne scent” like Cool Water or AdG.When lathered, the menthol provides a nice cool down without overstaying its welcome. The tobacco stays noticeable (huge pro) and the maritime notes tie everything together nicely. I already like this soap and it was surprising how fast it was to load and lather for a hard soap. Post shave skin feel is not as “balmy” as e.g. B&M, ZM or Mammoth. But still good and refreshing. Further uses will show how much I really like it.
Actually I had to rush because now’s an awful time for me to be still be awake, but I tried to update my laptop for tomorrow and after two failed updates, it’s now stuck in an eternal restart cycle. A fairly new laptop I just bought last year… Sigh. So tomorrow I’ll have to make do with my notepad, a pen and my smartphone. Plus way too much coffee after a short night 😵💫
No problem/gern geschehen!
Sun ozon ist die Eigenmarke von Rossmann, bei dm ist es Sundance. Der genaue Name von dem Sun ozon ist “med face Sonnenfluid LSF50 mit Feuchtigkeitseffekt”. Hoffe dass hilft 👍🏻
That’s a good idea 👍🏻
30€ is still very expensive, especially for a soap you don’t like… I guess you pay more for the fancy packaging and the Dovo name.
this won’t be my favorite soap, I think - too bad, it wasn’t cheap ☹️
Judging by the price I saw when looking it up - this is way overpriced for an A&E soap! 39€ is crazy. By comparison, you get A&E Barbiere Classico, their own barbershop scent in their new Ultima base for ~27€ here . I can’t say anything about their Ultima soaps, as I’m only familiar with their Kaizen and K2e. However, even the K2e which is a very good base is only around 23€ everywhere.
However, I am glad to hear your skin has recovered enough from yesterday’s blood bath that you can already shave again!
As I live in Germany, my product recommendations might not be as helpful for anyone outside the EU. I usually get something for sensitive skin by one of our two biggest drugstore chains, ‘Rossmann’ or ‘dm’. They have their own brands which are basically the same stuff for both, just under different names. One is “sun ozon”, the other is “sundance”. Weird names, but both have a “sensitive skin SPF 50+ face fluid” that does the job. Sadly it isn’t a 100% reef friendly sunscreen. Since it also is similar to other sunscreen in that it makes your skin shiny, this sucks for baldies if you don’t want to blind everyone when the sun hits your dome. I usually combat this by applying the sunscreen together with a mattifying moisturizer (there are a lot of good ones for oily/combination skin).
Two general recommendations I can give though: one, avoid special “bald guys” cosmetics. Those are usually way more expensive than others and offer nothing more in return. Good face moisturizers are usually better. Two, witch hazel toners can really make a difference on your scalp. I feel like it helps to keep your skin smooth and bump-free and it will also help to close micro cuts from shaving.
Personally I can’t stand Wilkinson Sword DE blades, tried them at various times throughout the years and every time they sucked. Harsh, not as sharp as they need to be but still enough to cause some bleeding. IMHO a sample pack like those of Razor Blades Club from Sweden are a good choice to find your ideal blade. I myself shave really comfortable with BIC Chrome Platinum, Perma-Sharp and Rapira Platinum Lux. Shavettes are also very unforgiving, even more than a real straight razor. The only ones I’d recommend there are those who could take guarded AC blades, like Feather and KAI. But those are a bit more pricey than your typical turkish barber shavette.
As someone who suffers a receding hairline since he was 19 and is now 30, shaving my head at 20 was one of the best decisions of my life. It’s mostly a confidence issue, as others have already stated. Look at some bald celebrities like Dwayne Johnson, Patrick Stewart, Jason Statham and so forth… They own their look and they look good. If it’s only a temporary thing for you, know that hair will grow back soon.
How to deal with it?
- Sunburn and skin cancer risk is a big issue. Always use sunblock, I personally prefer spray and gel over cream.
- Headwear is obviously important too for protecting your scalp. Whatever you prefer: caps, bandanas, different hats. Choose one that fits well on your bald head, that means a little smaller than those you used with a full head of hair.
- Exercise is, as someone else already pointed out, very important when you rock a smooth dome. Looking fit and improving your posture can do wonders for your self confidence.
- Accessories and jewelry play a very big role too for bald people. Bracelets, necklaces and big aviator sunglasses usually look great.
- Social: according to a study, fully bald people are usually perceived as taller, more aggressive and dominant than their counterparts. This isn’t only positive as it means a lot of people could feel intimidated by you too. Smiling and a helpful, open-minded attitude do wonders there.
In general: if it’s only for treating a medical issue and therefore temporary, don’t worry too much. You’re so much more than just your hair! And hair will grow back with enough patience.
Hope you’ll have a speedy (and smooth) recovery. One of my very first shaves with the Wilkinson Classic and the included blades went like this too. Hopefully this won’t dissuade you from safety razors - I promise not all of them are as harsh!
Also, greetings by a fellow german!
Hooray for Old Strathcona! 🥳 Very interesting choices this time again. It was difficult to pick just one first spot, so I went by my gut feeling. Now I’m really looking forward to trying MacDuffs soap! The scent description sounds very intriguing already. I love barbershop scents with a unique twist, so this could be right up my alley. Thanks to everyone for voting and to @[email protected] for nominating the winning soap!
17.08.2024 - Shaman Head Shave
-> 2 pass head shave, 1 pass neck cleanup. Very comfortable shave.
Second use of E&S Shaman soap - still a very nice scent, but it takes noticeably longer to get a good lather going with it. It requires a really wet brush and the lather also has a slightly brown tinge to it. Scent is a real banger though, definitely up there with the good tobacco fragrances. Today something that smells like plum stood out to me, but since there’s not a single mention of plum in their official scent notes, it might have been the combination of something else. Overall though, it’s not really suitable for the current warm season and should feel much better once fall/autumn weather hits.
Head shave musings: a) I really get my best results from two pass shaves, anything more would be useless - a single pass shave is serviceable, but delivers the same results as my RX5 dry shaver. So if I have the time, I should always opt for two passes.
b) using two balms is uncommon, but since the Moon Soaps one has the consistency of a toner, it felt natural. Still will be the last balm by Moon that I get - I actually prefer scented toners and ‘common’ aftershave balms (well, not as common as drugstore stuff but rather the less-artisan stuff) c) I actually looked up Yul Brynner’s shaving routine again and really found some pics that showed him shaving his dome with a straight razor in front of a mirror. So yes, the man was really a fucking bold head shaver. I only did it once with my KAI shavette loaded with a guarded blade and even that was intimidating. Much posthumous respect to Yul!