Palmolive Classic Changeup

Having felt the edge of a Personna Super Chrome plowing through my skin entirely too much lately, I gave myself a treat: new soap! And an old razor, the Rimei. I guess that, to me, this is the Sunday shave experience, like a straight razor shave to some men. I don't expect to get a flawless shave, but satisfaction comes from the use of the tool itself.

I wish I had left behind all concern with prep as well, but I continued with oil and cured witch hazel, and palm lathered by applying the stick to my wet hand. In my confusion, I wasted an entire lather, instead of just using what stuck to my hand, on prep. Something was a little irritating, either the menthol in Shave Secret, or the strong deodorant scent of the soap. Maybe the combination.

Reviewers have claimed that their fragrance was gone after one pass, but I found this soap to be a real "eye-opener," "classic" as in the Coast or Irish Spring bath soap from the years when I was in high school. I wouldn't think it appropriate for anyone who is going to apply cologne, unless maybe it's Polo or Drakkar Noir. The monstrous opening does fade, but believe me, there's enough fragrance oil in this stuff that it's gonna stick to you. Or, as in this case, mix with your shaving oil and stick to you.

So after losing my focus, I ended up shaving the first pass on crema, and to make the most of it, shaved regionally back and forth, WTG and ATG (lightly, with skewed strokes) without relathering. Then, to get a shave close enough for my taste, I used the stick like I should have in the first place, direct to face, and shaved directly ATG. Which was not a problem, but due to the low natural pitch of the razor, I still missed some pickups, which I did not bother with.

Instead, I finished with a second oil cleanse, again Shave Secret, which I am now regretting as the mid-morning burn works itself out. I have to remind myself that, despite the smell, I am not a summer intern in 1986 NYC, and have free use of my home bathroom to apply some cologne.