Thread: Hello, my Aussie friends!

Hey all,

I've got a question about a product my girlfriend brought back from a trip to Melbourne.

It's Aesop's shave serum, and I tried it out this evening.

I didn't like it much at all... but maybe I wasn't using it properly?

I used a wet hot face cloth to warm my face, and left it a little wet as per the instructions, and then rubbed some of this "serum" on to make a thin lather on my face.
I shaved, as usual, but found that it left a slippery film behind and I wasn't able to pull my skin taut and actually finish shaving. Odd, because she told me it was recommended at a store for straight razor shavers.

I think it would be a better product for safety razor or cartridge shaving, honestly, but I want to know if anyone else uses it and how they are able to stretch their skin while using it.

I must be doing it wrong!


Thanks for any info!

Cheers,

Scott

Maybe it's just one of those really fancy products that high end salons push that really aren't any good? I much prefer Col. Conk's bayrum soap.

Hi, I'm assuming you're shaving with a straight. I've never used or heard of the serum, but you need a lot of cushion in your lather for SR shaving. I think you need less cushion and more glide for DE shaving. I think maybe the product is meant to be used with a plastic thingy, as you say. I tend to not stretch my skin at all when using a DE, apart from facial contortions. I stretch the skin on the line of my chin both up and down when using a straight. To stretch the skin down I pull the skin on the lower part of my neck down. I used to use Proraso Pre-shave cream every shave. These days, I use no pre-shave product at all. I just shower, splash my face with hot water, and face lather, mostly using soap these days rather than cream. Until a few weeks ago I used only creams. I changed to soaps mainly because I could find all natural soaps I wanted to buy easier than all natural creams.

Carl

Yes, I use a straight, unless I'm flying somewhere and am only taking a carry on bag!

I found more info about this "serum" online, and they recommended a couple squirts in a bowl to be lathered up. I tried it, but honestly couldn't get it to keep a proper lather, so my GF will be using it to shave her legs hahaha.

True, one needs a heady lather to straight razor shave with, one that's creamy. This product is more slick than creamy, and I agree it would be better suited for DE shaving.
Ah well, it was still nice of GF to think of me while she was travelling.
I won't discourage THAT! haha

No, I was going to say, don't you dare tell her you don't like it! say "that cream was lovely, I really appreciated it, I think that gift brought us closer together. Here's a list of some other products, sorted into categories; creams, soaps, brushes, razors...."

Originally Posted by scott64a

Maybe it's just one of those really fancy products that high end salons push that really aren't any good? I much prefer Col. Conk's bayrum soap.

Manufacturers sometimes try to build a better mousetrap without ever having caught a mouse before.

You could also try using the "serum" as part of making an uber-lather, part cream/soap/serum/glycerin/water. But Carl is right, tell her thank-you for such a thoughtful gift. Any significant other who not only encourages but also buys products for our hobby/addiction/madness is worth her weight in gold.

Interesting. I actually have some samples of that stuff sitting under the clutter on my desk here somewhere. I have not tried it yet. I have tried their hand cream and found it very greasy.

Aesop is a rather high end brand here, and tend to be in the same market as, say, Crabtree & Evelyn and L'Occitane. I noticed a while ago that they were moving into the men's market when I went past one of their shops and saw that they were selling some Simpson brushes with their own badging, for very expensive prices. I popped inside to investigate further and that is how I came away with the samples.

The girl working at the shop told me that they had had a barber there in the store doing a SR demonstration at the launch of the new product, but he had been using a disposable blade straight.

Excellent replies, all. I did indeed let her know how much this gift was/is appreciated, and i would have faked enjoying it but she saw me struggling with it and couldn't help but notice the redness after using the cream. She absolutely loves that i tried it a few different ways before giving up on it.
How lame that the "barber" was using a disposable straight!

Originally Posted by scott64a

Excellent replies, all. I did indeed let her know how much this gift was/is appreciated, and i would have faked enjoying it but she saw me struggling with it and couldn't help but notice the redness after using the cream. She absolutely loves that i tried it a few different ways before giving up on it.
How lame that the "barber" was using a disposable straight!

They probably have to for health and safety reasons, I'm guessing.