Quote Originally Posted by RSully View Post
although whilst it feels bad compared to my cheeks, the mirror tells me it's infinitely better than my old cartridge was). Is it just a case of continued practice and trying out different things until I find something that works?
I'd encourage you to think about this quote from your post. How long did you shave with a cartridge razor...more than 2 weeks? If so, therein lies your answer. With time you'll get better shaves, but, how good a shave are you chasing? If you shaved with a cartridge for 3 years and didn't know any better, why chase BBS now?

As to use of your hands on different sides of your face it depends on what is most comfortable and works for you. I've been at this a while and still switch around sometimes to see if a slightly different grip, or direction or even crossing over with my other hand works better.

The main thing is that you enjoy yourself and take victory in the fact that you're getting better shaves than you were before. Enjoy!