The clean wet shave, which after the hipster craze which has waned in popularity more recently, has become the normal state of the face. The smooth style that some women are more fond of, my wife included, shunning any rough feeling of my cheeks as I come in for a loving kiss.
The ritual itself has its own way, like the Mandalorian of my bathroom. Getting the foam right, checking your blade, warming your face is a ritual on par with Aztec sacrifice, okay maybe not like that, but if you make a mistake your sink can become similar to what I guess Aztec altars would look like. Or the end of Django Unchained, with fewer bodies.
What can elevate the art of shaving are the ingredients. The right blades, a very personal taste, I like something that is forgiving so there are no cuts, or less cuts than some super sharp blades. Decide if you are going to use a shave oil, I use a great one that comes in a small oil can. The two most important are the razor, a good weight as you don’t use any pressure and the soap. I recently went to classic barbers Truefitt & Hill and I am now hooked and my love has certainly grown for the classic shave, if it was at all possible, due to the smells that now come with the shave.
I will always be an advocate for these finer things brought by the simple art of shaving, this is the way.
