Love-Hate relationship with Proasso....

Well, I was in the mall and walked by Bath and body works, and decided to look in for shave cream. They have the CO Biglow Cream, which states on it that it is Proasso. So For 5$ i get a tube.

Now I have been stuck with VDH shea butter with aloe so i was hoping for much better product. When I got home I lathered up and well, I felt like vicks vapor rub was mugging me in a dark ally. The whole shave I was wondering just why on earth i hadn't started to soften up my vdh just in case.

So I decide to man up and finish the shave with the proasso, and found it did a good job of softening the wiskers, but after all was washed off and done, my face felt sooooooo good.

Ive tried it a few more times, and while i cant stand it actually on my face, I love the feeling it gives after.

I need to find to find something that feels good on, and after.. I'm not upset about spending the fiver, but man i cringe when i start to make the later still.

Anyone else have this?

I liken it more to Noxema on steroids as opposed to Vicks. Not sure how long you've tried it, but wait until the temps get up in the high 80's to mid 90's. You'll have a real appreciation for it then. I'm not that crazy about the fragrance either.
I tend to lean on products on the lower end of the cost spectrum. I've yet to come across anything that makes my face look and feel as good as it does with Proraso other than Omega, but it's the same stuff made by the same company.
Musgo Real is a close second for me. It has a mild musk fragrance and a bit tricky to get the lather consistency I want. The reason we take showers is to get rid of the musk:confused:. But it leaves my skin feeling great and I get a good smooth shave with it like Proraso.
Vulfix also makes some good creams that makes my face feel good and not so tricky to lather up and doesn't break the bank. I think they make it in 4-5 different fragrances. But you probably won't find either of these in your local stores.
I'm sure Truffit & Hill along with Castle Forbes make some fine creams that would work as well, but they're out of my budget range.
I've used Proraso in the jar the better part of 3 years. It goes a long way for 7 bucks. So I smell like Noxema for an hour or so, no biggie. For me it's hard to beat for close, comfortable shaves. Then after wards my skin looks and feels great.:tu

It's the best that I have found for the price & the one I use as a reference for all other soaps...

Have you tried Derby yet? I found it on Westcoastshaving.com and they show it as being 2.75 for a 100g ( 3.3 oz). I just order some of the lemon scented stuff so will let you know how it goes.

i JUST whipped out a proasso soap. it was FANTASTIC. while it smelled like a barber shop/old man. it felt GREAT!! the shave was awsome and my face feels great after =p

For the price it can't be beat. I'm able to get Proraso at the drug store locally here in Ontario so I've made it my go-to cream. I absolutely love the feeling it gives you after the shave and use it year-round even in the frigid cold months.

I just realized how you spelled proraso...err pro-asso

Every once in a while I'll bust out the Proraso tub... a great classic. Not as lubricating as my go-to Tabac or Irisch Moos but gets the job done. I do sometimes mix it with these aforementioned soaps to get that nice refreshing feeling. :)

My tube is looking like something the cat dragged in.

Just had a shave with it , works for sure with a great menthol lather but think it will linger around my bathroom for a few years.

I like the scent of Proraso but I find that I need to load my brush with more of this cream than any other, and it seems to dry out faster than my other creams, but for the price of a tub I can't argue. A really nice cooling sensation on a hot day.

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Originally Posted by aznaod7

i JUST whipped out a proasso soap. it was FANTASTIC. while it smelled like a barber shop/old man. it felt GREAT!! the shave was awsome and my face feels great after =p

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+1 on the barber shop/old man scent. I still like it. It's not my favorite but it's definatelly on my top 5.

I dunno - I like the bigelow - I have used the hated Caswell massey soaps and while they do the job - I think the shaving cream works the best for me and I like the feeling of post shave with the bigelow...and ya can;t beat the price.

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Originally Posted by Vllaznia

I like the scent of Proraso but I find that I need to load my brush with more of this cream than any other, and it seems to dry out faster than my other creams, but for the price of a tub I can't argue. A really nice cooling sensation on a hot day.

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Ah, that's about what I was going to post, but you said it better. While lathering in a bowl it seems to go from too foamy to too sticky, add a bit of water and then too foamy, too sticky, over and over. It's good stuff when I get it right, though.

Actually, Arko Sensitive (I know, I know) works up easier and gives me an equal or better shave, but ... I have a pet theory that when Arko is combined with certain aftershaves, it composts - on my face. Sure smells like it does. :hmmm:

I'm surprised you are having trouble getting the water to cream ratio right to get good lather. I have found Proraso to be one of the most forgiving and easy to use creams in this regard.

Try Proraso and Williams... ;-)
Or another hard soap.

Mixing the two dials down the eucalyptus
and adds some slip and glide to the
Williams.

A pea size bit of Proraso is all that I need or want some days.
Do work the lather in a cup -- it needs
more water than you might expect but water
must be added bit by bit so a lathering
mug is a good thing.

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Originally Posted by GastonD

Ah, that's about what I was going to post, but you said it better. While lathering in a bowl it seems to go from too foamy to too sticky, add a bit of water and then too foamy, too sticky, over and over. It's good stuff when I get it right, though.

Actually, Arko Sensitive (I know, I know) works up easier and gives me an equal or better shave, but ... I have a pet theory that when Arko is combined with certain aftershaves, it composts - on my face. Sure smells like it does. :hmmm:

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I have found that after I'm done shaving, I add about a teaspoon of water to the jar and snap the lid back on. Next day or so later when I'm ready to shave again, soak my brush and let it drip till it drips no more. Then swirl the brush a couple times in the jar and build the lather on my face. Couple more swirls in the jar and a dab more water lathers up good every time given a good face prep. I haven't found anything that leaves my face as soft and smooth as Prorasso does post shave.
I've read so many good things about Alraz's "da bomb", I'm considering sending him a PM for a hybrid blend of Prorasso.

I'm new to this, so I don't have the last word, but Proraso/Bigelow is one of my favorite creams, along with Arko Commando: love the scent on both. I just finished up a shave with an uberlather of ShaveDen SubZero and Palmolive Ultra Moisturizing. Smooth shave, but I'm still "cleaning up" with my DE while I patiently work through the learning curve with the str8.

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Originally Posted by holli4pirating

I'm surprised you are having trouble getting the water to cream ratio right to get good lather. I have found Proraso to be one of the most forgiving and easy to use creams in this regard.

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Oh, it's likely my fault, I just started trying the creams recently after years of hard soap pucks. Also, I'm using a fairly new and stiff Omega Pro boar brush, and I suspect that a boar brush would work better with the tube creams.

It's more like a love/love situation for me. I know most people hate the old barber smell, but I absolutely love the smell of menthol.
Mind you, before I start applying lather I use the proraso preshave cream, which softens the skin a bit and opens your pores, maybe if you combined them both you'd get a more comfortable feeling?

i almost purchased some bigelow last night... i decided against it cause i wasn't sure what i'd use as my aftershave? my two main aftershaves are old spice and clubman bayrum.. would either of those mix poorly with the "noxema on steriods" smell?


which aftershave is recommended for prorasso?

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Originally Posted by vthomlinson

i almost purchased some bigelow last night... i decided against it cause i wasn't sure what i'd use as my aftershave? my two main aftershaves are old spice and clubman bayrum.. would either of those mix poorly with the "noxema on steriods" smell?


which aftershave is recommended for prorasso?

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A very inexpensive one like H2O works well.
It is not every day where a fragrance rich
aftershave is appropriate.

h2o just doesn't have the burn i like in a good aftershave.. perhaps some unscented witch hazel.

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Originally Posted by vthomlinson

h2o just doesn't have the burn i like in a good aftershave.. perhaps some unscented witch hazel.

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Burn implies to me that you are a bit hard on your skin
and not getting the protection and glide that some of
us like to see from our shave soap.

Witch hazel is mild and "classic" so yes that is
a good choice same for an alum block.

But for me burn is a symptom that I could prepare
my face a bit better. There are many ways to
shave with a cream like Proraso, try them all.

The day I fell in love with Proraso was when I
had just loaded the brush and had extra on
my fingers and then splashed water on my face
for a second time and rubbed that bit of Proraso
on my face full strength.

My Proraso method is now: splash cool water on my beard
walk to the kitchen and start coffee. Come back
and start building a Proraso lather in a mug. But when
I splash cool water on my face the second time I apply
a half pea size bit of Proraso and rub it into my face.
I do this in parallel with the Proraso in the mug. Next
I build a thick lather by dribbling water bit by bit into
the mug as I whip up a lather. The process takes me
about three min for me. The key points
I think are: three min water on whiskers before the blade,
water plus Proraso on the face about half-way through,
and then shave with a smooth thick Proraso lather.

We are all different so YSMV (your shave may vary).

i suppose i could be softer on my skin.. i for some odd reason enjoy a nice burn/tingle.. i could avoid the burn entirely by fully closing my pores with a cold towel after my final pass.. but since i enjoy the feeling.. i rinse with tepid to cool water and then pat dry with a towel.. my usually aftershave splash then provides me with my desired burn..

it's just something i enjoy. i have very non sensitive and compliant skin anyway.. i could abuse the hell out of it and still have the face and complexion of an 8 year old boy.

good old Aqua Velva goes well with Proraso.

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Originally Posted by MadWolf

Well, I was in the mall and walked by Bath and body works, and decided to look in for shave cream. They have the CO Biglow Cream, which states on it that it is Proasso. So For 5$ i get a tube.

Now I have been stuck with VDH shea butter with aloe so i was hoping for much better product. When I got home I lathered up and well, I felt like vicks vapor rub was mugging me in a dark ally. The whole shave I was wondering just why on earth i hadn't started to soften up my vdh just in case.

So I decide to man up and finish the shave with the proasso, and found it did a good job of softening the wiskers, but after all was washed off and done, my face felt sooooooo good.

Ive tried it a few more times, and while i cant stand it actually on my face, I love the feeling it gives after.

I need to find to find something that feels good on, and after.. I'm not upset about spending the fiver, but man i cringe when i start to make the later still.

Anyone else have this?

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I love the Porasso. I don't know if the effect is different in the tube as it is in soap form in the tub (which I have), but I tried it for the first time last weekend and it feels good on or off.

Kiehl's Lite Shaving Soap gave me the heavy camphor effect that you seem to be describing and it stunk so much I gave it away to someone who loves it.

Colonel Conk's Bay Rum shaving soap cost me $3.25 a puck at West Coast Shaving and lasted me over two months.

This morning I used Mama Bear's Awakenings with the cold menthol-peppermint effect and it felt great, but I think that cost me $9.95.

With all the choices out there there's bound to be something that does it all for you from start to finish.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by GastonD

Oh, it's likely my fault, I just started trying the creams recently after years of hard soap pucks. Also, I'm using a fairly new and stiff Omega Pro boar brush, and I suspect that a boar brush would work better with the tube creams.

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Well, that came out nonsense. Ugh, the things I sometimes write when I'm sleep and tired-ey. I meant to say that a badger brush would likely work better with shaving creams.