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Pasteurs (NYC)

Hi,

I live in NYC on the upper east side and am planning to go to Pasteur's pharmacy tomorrow on 62nd and Lexington (for my first time). I have the following products, but am looking to enhance my collection with some aftershaves, colognes, and perhaps some more shave soaps and creams, etc... I am not sure what I should buy and am having a tough time picking and choosing through the reviews.

My beginner collection:

1. Merkur HD (Derby Extras)
2. Shavemac 25mm Silvertip
3. Taylor of Old Bond Lavender Cream
4. AOS Lavender Cream
5. Proraso Cream
6. Tabac Shave Soap
7. Proraso Pre-Shave
8. Neutrogena razor defense balm

Any help is appreciated in recommending products that I should buy. Thank you so much in advance.
 
With what you have on hand already I would say try a DR Harris soap or cream, or a Trumpers soap.A nice aftershave splash would fit in your stash as well. Cambridge Chemists is just across the street at 64th so stop in and say Hello there as well, Scott gives a nice discount to B&B members.
Have fun!
 
If you tell a bit about your likes/dislikes, we'll be able to give you better recommendations.

Its sort of like asking "How long is a rope?"

Here are some suggestions:

AS products

Musgo splash - one of the best out there - good scent, good on the skin

Spieck splash - another winner

Proraso Splash - you seem to like the Proraso stuff and this is good stuff

Proraso Balm - another winner fromthe Proraso line

Trumper skin food - very light glycerine-rich balm that I really like - it really seals the skin and I use it a lot in the winter - pricey, but it lasts a long time - my bottle is over a year old and and I still have 2/3 left. I have the coral, which I enjoy - I've sampled the sandalwood, which is on my list of products to buy - likely in another couple of years when my current bottle runs out!

Soaps (if you buy the refills and not the ones in the wooden bowls, you save a ton of money and the refills fit into ziplock bowls pretty well).

Harris soaps
Trumper soaps - I think the sandalwood and coconut are tops.
Palmolive shave stick - great soap for the price IMHO

Creams - I don't use a lot of creams, so I wont make any recommendations.

Scents - I am a sucker for Penhaligons and Floris - the best thing to do is try a bunch and see what you like. They also have a great range of scents from Trumper and T&H (I quite like the Grafton and Trafalgar).

Brushes - there is absolutely nothing wrong with your Shavemac and there's no need to get another.

But...if you're in the market for a new brush, I'd see if they have any pre-Vulfix Simpson brushes left in stock. I'm not saying that the Vulfix-made Simpsons won't be good, I think they'll be different and the Simpson brushes had an undefinable "something" about them that kept many of us going back for more - even though they had QC issues from time to time. If you do buy an old-stock Simpson brush and find its not for you, you'll be able to sell it for what you paid - no problems.

The "best" grade of hair is great and represents excellent price/value.

Happy shopping!

Oh yeah, load up on the samples - especially the colognes!
 
Amazing information! Thank you so much for the help.

With respect to what I like and don't like, I still think that I am too much of a newb to really have preferences. I like the way that the AOS cream lathers and it has great lubrication. However, since I've refined my lathering, I haven't used the Taylor's much. Also, using a soap with this brush is really tiring, so I've stuck with creams for the last week or so. Going to go back to the soap this weekend!

I really like the neutrogena post-shave balm, and I do have proraso post-shave lotion as well (I forgot about that).

So, I am still trying to develop my tastes and determine what I really like.

Thank you very much for the help. Now, I have some idea as to what people like and what I should try.
 
All good advice above. I frequent Pasteur's 34th Street location which I understand has an even broader product selection. Pasteur's is a unique store, which the owners have painstakingly turned into the shaving mecca of New York. Owing to the proximity of the 34th Street store to the UN (about 10 blocks away) you are likely to meet wet shavers from all over the world. My suggestions would be to take advantage of their policy allowing you to touch, feel and smell products before selecting them. Introduce yourself to the owners, Steve and Leon, who are often on hand, and eager to accommodate. Most importantly, ask other customers who you meet in the store about their favorite products and why, and what they are buying that day and why. Pasteur's attracts many experienced wet shavers who are eager to make helpful suggestions. As to product, you have a very good start already. I would suggest that you pick up several 5 packs of different blades, as this can change the shaving experience as much as the razor itself. My personal all around favorite is Polsilver Super Iridium (for its combination of sharpness and smoothness). As your technique improves (consistent blade angle, little to no pressure, shaving only where you have lather, etc.) you may want to try the sharpest blade, which is Feather from Japan. As to soaps and creams, you already have proraso, which is great, and I would suggest that you buy at least one Tallow based hard soap (such as DR Harris from England), one Italian softer soap (such as Cella) -- often called a "croap" since its consistency is between that of a cream and a hard soap, and one triple milled French soap (such as pre de provence, provence sante or Institut Karite). If the idea of tallow (rendered fat) turns you off, you can get comparable cushion and glide from vegetable soaps that contain Kokum Butter and/or Shea Butter in the ingredients list -- Razorock soaps have excellent and very affordable formulations of both Tallow based and non-Tallow based soap formulas. Good luck and great shaves
 

mswofford

Rest in Peace
I agree with suzuki (Chris) about looking at Simpson brushes; Being able to handle brushes in person before buying is a terrific advantage over buying online.
 
Pasteur's is a great brick and mortar resource for all our NYC friends. I hope that you have a fun and productive foray there.
 
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