- June 28
- Brush: Omega 10098 Boar Brush
- Razor: Baili Twist to Open DE
- Blade: Astra Superior Platinum
- Lather: Arko – Shaving Soap Puck
- Post Shave: Lucky Tiger – After Shave & Face Tonic
- Fragrance: Stirling Soap Co. – South Padre
Let’s work through a price list here:
Omega Boar Brush: $14.99
Baili TTO: $5.99
Blades: $.08 per blade
Arko: $5.95 per puck. 90g per puck = 3.17oz = $1.87 per ounce
Lucky Tiger Face Tonic (full size): $18 for 8 ounces = $2.25 per ounce
Stirling Fragrance: $26.95 for 50ml = 1.69oz = $15.94 per ounce
Everything here is the cheapest item I have.
I realize this is supposed to be one of those days where we struggle and whine and say “THIS STUFF ISN’T USABLE!!!!” But, you know what. This is very usable. I used this DE for years using canned goo and/or Cremo. Using Arko was a walk in the park. It never fails to deliver with its fantastic lather and unbeatable price. This little puck proves that you don’t need to spend a fortune for a rich, slick shave, as long as you don’t mind using the scent of a urinal cake.
Lucky Tiger’s Face Tonic Splash wasn’t my favorite. I wouldn’t call it unusable, but it certainly didn’t bring me any joy when I used it and the scent wasn't the greatest.
Stirling’s South Padre EdT provided a really nice wonderful, scent reminiscent of a beach getaway. The best part? It’s incredibly affordable, so I can smell fantastic without feeling guilty about the cost. The bad part? The beach getaway didn’t last nearly as long as I would have hoped. The scent was gone faster than I could say "What time is high tide?"
All in all, today's shave was not only smooth, but effective and kind to my wallet. It just goes to show that you don’t NEED to spend a lot to get a top-notch shave. Maybe there are a couple things here that would be better to spend a little more on, but overall, it wasn’t the worst shave I’ve ever had. If there's one thing I've learned in my limited time doing this: There is a law of diminishing returns with high-end gear - A $300 razor doesn't shave 30x better than a $10 razor. These Baili razors aren't bad at all.
Challenge: All my cheapest wetshaving products.
Today’s shave was all about getting a great shave without breaking the bank and I didn't hate the results.