Razor: Occam's Razor O.R.E.N
Blade: Feather Professional Artist Club ProGuard Blade
Lather: Proraso Green/Refreshing (Classic Formula)
Brush: Heritage Collection Ever-Ready 3-Step
Bowl: Fine Accoutrements Fine Lather Bowl
Post 1: P.A.A. Alum w/ No-Slip Grip System & Dry Dock System
Aftershave: Proraso Green/Refreshing (lotion)
Aftershave: Proraso White/Sensitive Skin (balm)
What a timeless classic... Proraso's Green, Refreshing shaving cream is iconic, and for good reason. With its Eucalyptus Oil and Menthol formula, it provides an amazingly fresh, clean, evergreen quality that I've really missed. I've gone far too long without using it for a shave and with temps as high as they are, I could really make good use of its cooling effect.
It's quite amazing how a dap or two of this cream blows up when worked into a lather. I put a couple of dabs in my Fine Lather Bowl and with the help of my Heritage Collection Ever-Ready 3-Step High Mountain White badger brush, the bowl was full in no time. It really was fun watching it grow.
I did three passes with the O.R.E.N. on level three. With its wide Artist Club head it made short work of my facial real estate. This of course saved me time. And with a ProGuard blade installed it was smooth sailing. No post-shave irritation at all.
I would like to use this razor with a non-guard blade but unfortunately, I don't have any at this time so that will have to wait for another day.
To top this "Green" shave off I splashed on a healthy dose of Refreshing aftershave before applying some White, Sensitive Skin balm. This combo worked well from a functional standpoint but even though the balm is pretty close to being fragrance-free, it does impart some of its own scent which seemed to mute the scent of the splash a little. This wasn't a big deal. Just something I thought I'd mention.
Overall this was a very enjoyable shave and I'm glad to have this gear.
Take care, stay cool, and enjoy your shaves.