Saturday, April 06, 2013

Bucket List Item: Straight Razor Shave

After mentioning that I have always wanted to experience a Straight Razor Shave, my girlfriend, Tori, gave me a Royal Shave gift certificate for Christmas from The Art of Shaving barber shop in La Jolla.


My barber's name was Hugo and he started with a very Hot Towel and then an application of Pre-Shave Oil to help lubricate my skin. He told me a lot of people can't take the heat very well, but I thought it felt great.


After working up a rich lather of warm Shaving Cream across my face, Hugo used the straight razor to shave with the grain. I could feel the sharp edge of the blade, slightly scrapping against my skin as he worked his way across my face. He told me that he first learned to use the straight razor while shaving men's heads back in Barber School.


After the first pass, he reapplied the thick cream and shaved across the grain of my face, avoiding the neck since it is prone to irritation for first timers. For the more experienced, there would be one more pass against the grain for the closest possible shave.


Finished with the razor, Hugo gave me another Hot Towel infused with Lemon Essential Oil before applying an After Shave Mask. Removing the mask after ten minutes, he wrapped my face with a Cold Towel to close my pores. It felt deliciously cool against my skin.


A spritz of Hydrating Toner and some After Shave Balm and I was finished in 45 minutes. It was a fun experience and Tori said my face has never felt so smooth. Mission Accomplished!

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