PORTUGAL, SOTD "themed week" August 1st - August 7th 2011

Mühle R41+Gillette Wilkinson Sword, Semogue Caravela, Dr. Selby lavender cream, Givenchy AS Stick

Gillette Slim
Derby Blade
TGN Finest
GFT Cocunut SC
GFT Sandalwood Skin Food

Hardware:

• Merkur 34 HD
• Derby blade
• Superior 22mm SBB
• Weller bowl

Software:

• Susie's Lemongrass soap
• Witch hazel
• SCS Mediterranean Citrus Splash
• Lucky Tiger's Vanishing Cream

This morning:

- Grandpa's Pine Tar Wonder Soap
- Proraso Crema Pre & Dopo Barba
- Veleiro Creme de Barbear
- Semogue LE 2010
- Pils 101NE with Perma-Sharp Super (2)
- Dopo Barba di Camaldoli

Thursday morning,

Gillette NEW Long Comb,
Personna Red Pack Blade (3)
Rooney 1/1 Best Badger Brush,
Arko shave soap w/ hot water lather,
Finish with cold water rinse. DFS!

Pre-Shave: Hot shower
Brush: 26mm Saville Row 3326 Silvertip Badger
Razor: 7/8" Iwasaki 2-chou Gake (二丁&#22451 w/waxed cotton handles
Strop: 30/40/45 (Neil Miller Linen / Imperial #1 Horsehide leather / Imperial #2 Cordovan leather)
Überlather: Czech & Speake №88 Shave Soap + Glycerin
Toner: Thayer's Witch Hazel (Rose Petal, no alcohol)
Moisturizer: Trumper's Fragrance-free Moisturizer
After Shave Splash: Truefitt & Hill "English Leather" AS
Results: This Iwasaki is an amazing shaver. She's got brains and beauty. Delivered a smoooooooth as butter shave, especially coupled with the C&S, which provided for a lubricating, moist and super rich lather . Something tells me that I am going to love today.





Have a WONDERFUL Thursday gentlemen .

Thursday


Razor: Merkur 38C Barber Pole
Blade: Personna (US)
Brush: Omega Boar 10049
Soap: Boots
A/S: Master Bay Rum
EdT: Quorum

C&E Sandalwood
Everready 250D
Slim Adj w/Shark (3)
Barber's Choice Bay Rhum

#15
Gillette Black
Rooney Heritage 2XL
QED Lime
TOBS Victorian Lime
AdP Colonia Assoluta

Thiers-Issard Spartacus, 5/8, Full Hollow Ground, Round Point
Cyril R. Salter(Streich-Riemen) Strop
Simpson Chubby 2 Best
Martin de Candre
Alum Block
Spanish Floid Mentolado Suave​

Thursday morning:



Apologies, but "Douro" is as close as I get to "Made In Portugal"

This shaving cream is very inexpensive - and very easy to find in my hometown. Albeit it is not as good as Confiança or Claus Porto creams, it is a fine shaving cream, and delivers a very close, confortable shave.
But this cream holds a sentimental value to me. It is produced by Nally, an old portuguese soap factory (founded in 1928) that is situated in Lisbon, right next to my old university. And that makes me remember those good old times.

The Semogue 2000 is an impressive brush, one of my favourite ones, by Semogue. All and all, a most excellent shave, topped by the refreshing touch of the "O Melhor" ASB.

Thursday:

Thiers Issard in Super with horn handle
T&H Grafton Cream
Feather AS non-folding straight
TOBS Alum Block
Proraso Balm
Proraso Splash

Proraso pre-shave
TOBS Sandalwood
CC Nutman finest badger
Gillette 1940s SS with Gillette Platinum
Thayers witch hazel
Carthusia Uomo

Thursday

5/8 Rauh Gebruder
Tabac
Kent BK4
Simple for Men AS Balm
Tabac AS

Thursday afteroon:

Horse hair brush Nr. 6
Arko stick sliced thin and whipped up in a bowl
Lord Smart Razor, L.625
Lord Cool blade, 2nd shave
Thayers Lemon
Body Shop Razor Relief, <2008 formula

My first shave with Arko stick, and the best soap I've tried so far, which may not be saying much after VDH, Williams, and Fitness. (My skin doesn't like the VDH or Fitness).

There are still three creams at least that I like better. The one constant from yesterday's shave was the blade (Different razor, different soap maybe too many variables)

Will be trying the Arko soap with other setups in coming weeks while the jury is out.

Today:

Semogue 830
Top Secret (Confiança)
Merkur 34C
Gillette Bleue Extra NOS
Nivea Gel Fluid Energetic