Thread: How do you decide?

I sometime have a craving for a certain scent. If i dont have one of those then i look into my cabinet and wait for one to call out to me.

For me, the texture has a lot to do with my choice. If my face is somewhat raw, or I have more than usual growth, I'll choose a thicker cream. I'll also choose a thinner cream if I'm using a DE, mainly because the thick cream tends to plug up the razor a bit too quick. Scent doesn't sway my decision any, as all the creams in my stash smell good. In addition, I do try to rotate the creams accordingly.

I'm bad when it comes to soaps/creams, I have more than I'm willing to admit. SAD/SCAD? I enjoy trying them and I try to stick to a rotation, but may be in the mood for something specific that day. I probably use creams 2x as much as soaps because I think soaps will keep better in the long run.

First I consider scent, but considering scent is considered almost concurrently as I consider need. Scent is chosen for 'the day'; do I want the scent of freshly mown lawns, English college halls (whatever they smell like), no scent, barber shop? The 'need' is chosen to match the razor; does it need a lot of cushion? Is the razor more or less forgiving? Am I using a DE or a SR? I like a thinner cream for a DE shave. I have two razors that require a lot of cushion (Burrell, Törnblom) and others (W&B) that could operate with really thin cream. I actually look forward to choosing my cream, sometimes I even do it the night before and lay it out, sometimes I swap them right at the last minute. I think about it way too much.

I am lazy, so I usually go with the one that's closest within my reach. I typically have 3 or 4 scattered across three shelves in the bathroom so depending on where I'm standing when I decide to pick the soap/cream the one that is closest is different.
Unless I have a really strong desire to use say the CF lavender, the Coates Rose, or Colleen's Cavendish Black, etc., in which case I suck it up and do the few extra steps toward that specific one. Yeah it's hard out here for a pimp

I randomly select among four creams. One of my four works well on a one or two day old heavy beard after a shaving lay off. Sometimes I'll use the same cream two days in a row.

I use an empty SRD shaving soap container for making up lather because it has a screw on top. It's nice because some mornings I'll make up too much and I like to save it. So the next day, I'll add a different cream to the mix just so I do not waste any of my creams. Once I had all four of my creams mixed in together. But I do get to the point where I will wash out the container for sanitary reasons.

For the most part, I guess I do as Lynn says, "luck of the draw".

I have something of a rotation going. I have already found a few products that are keepers, and I've bought a full supply. Then I have my myriad samples, which I rotate in between the keepers. Most of the samples are fun, but only a couple will likely make it onto the keeper list.

I only have 22 ShaveCreams - and I pick creams of the day based on these criteria -

1. Preferably use lime and mint scented creams during spring & summer and sandal/cedar wood, almond and lavender scented creams during fall & winter - but do not always follow this rule though

2. I use my more expensive creams like Acqua Di Parma and Santa Maria Novella less often than the more mainstream creams like TOBS, Trumper, Truefitt&Hill, DR Harris & Edwin Jagger creams

3. If I have a heavy beard growth - 3-4-5 days I tend to use a thicker cream (Acqua Di Parma, Acca Kappa 1869 Tub, Castle Forbes, Fitjar & DR HARRIS).
When I have less beard growth - 1-2 days I tend to use a thinner cream (Truefitt&Hill, Jagger, TOBS, Penhaligons or Trumper)

Originally Posted by CHSeifert

...I only have 22 ShaveCreams...

Do you think possibly you're 'in denial'? I can't help pondering the relationship of the second word here and the fourth. 'ONLY' 22? 'Only'?

Random grab, but as one get low I tend to use it alot more so I can get another puck into the container. I only have 6 tubs that I use so when one gets low I have to find something I haven't tried in a while to refill it.