Men's Shaving: Merkur Safety Razor & Kiehl's Shave Cream

Merkur Solingen Double Edge Razor · $43

Merkur Super Razors (10) · $6

Kiehl's Ultimate Brushless Shave Cream - White Eagle · $16

After receiving a mini of the Kiehl's shaving cream in the his August Birchbox,  Richard knew he wanted to buy the full size which ultimately sent him on a journey to (also) find a better razor. 

The Brushless Shave Cream is pretty awesome — it's packed full of menthol leaving your freshly shaved face nice and cool. Before applying, Richard usually puts a warm cloth over his face to make the hair softer and easier to shave off. Afterwards he applies a small amount of the cream to his face — it's quite thick and there is no lather so it's pretty different if you're used to shaving foams. The thing he likes most about this is that the menthol "makes the hair stand up on end" which obviously is going to make it easier to get a closer shave.

The next step was upgrading from a Gillette razor to a Merkur Double Edge safety razor. He grabbed one at the Art of Shaving store for more $$ than he could have spent on Amazon, but oh well. Razor wise, it's heavy, really well made and not to mention elegant. It takes him longer to shave because unlike the Gillette which follows the shape of your face, you actually have to work and turn to get a proper shave with the Merkur. That said, as you get more used to using this kind of razor you do get faster/better over time. The razors themselves cost basically nothing which is a total plus; $6 for 10 vs $22 for 8 Gillette refills. They also last longer because you can easily dry them after each use — something you can't really use with a disposable razor. Most of all, he says shaving now is "fun".

All in all, switching to a great product and using better tools leads to a better experience. It also leads to a cleaner and smoother face *swoon*.