Introducing another classic aftershave, the Aqua Velva Ice Blue! A decently priced household common aftershave, probably a staple AS splash for many wetshavers in states and ard the world, I got my friend returning from states to get me a bottle of the shelf of a nearby departmental store.

Scent – Distinct. No muskiness and not overpowering but masculine enough. Now it is not as complicated and spicy as the Old Spice ( lacks the old school scent of OS ).Amazingly the whiff worked for ur dad’s era, and Ice blue will still work for the modern male like u! The liveliness transcends time and does not go out of fashion.

The menthol component guarantees a degree of scorch on the shaven skin but not as hurting as the Alt Innsbruck that I got.

If u got a chance to visit states, get urself a bottle of this decently priced AS that so many ard the world loves. I have yet to see this product being sold in Singapore locally.  Shipping from overseas will mean u get mauled by shipping costs since it will cost much more than the innocent blue bottle.

Highly recommend this elegant blue concoction in a neat glass bottle.* Heard they are switching into the plastic bottle soon.

Shave well and be well

Ryan T

* note the Dimethicone used – a group of polymeric organosilicon compounds aka silicone. You can find activated dimethicone in infant colic syrupt such as the household Colimix as well!

Scent – Peppermint, Grapefruit, Orange, Lime, Bergamot and Ginger oils. But the lime is probably the more detectable of the rest. Very faintly scented, absolutely no menthol or other cooling effects, which is probably good for individuals with sensitive skin.

This Hydropane is not even the usual conventional shaving cream that we speak. It behaves like a like a gel like lubricant. And like their silicon grease cousins in machines, this does not fail to provide superb lubrication. On a Gillette Regular Superspeed you can probably go a few more passes with no friction.

You have to continuously dab with warm water on the gel across the face. The product is somwhat watersoluble but not as soluble as your typical cream. One problem I found was it was not the easiest to wash off the shaved skin , you need a few more passes to clear it compared to my other non silicon shaving products. You will also need abit more effort to clean up the razor post shave since it has a little tenacious ability to cling onto the razor under running water.

And one last thing, this fella does not lather at all. So do not bother to dabble your brush into this silicone gel. ( Billy Jealousy does carry a whip cream variant which is sold in whathewants as well )

Meanwhile, shave well and be well!

Ryan

SWMBO smacked this shot for me!

Weapon of choice.. today I shall demonstrate with my Edwin jagger brush. Not that you cannot do as competently with the boar brush But i wanted something a little more cushy and soft on the face today.

Soak the brush in a bowl of hot water to .. sterilise .. but mainly warm up the brush and soften up the hair a little !

Wet the soap puck with a few drops of warm/hot water (Actually non heated tap water doesn really matter ) . In this case I am illustrating with my Taylor of Old Bond Street Lavendar soap in a wooden bowl. Go spend some time showering while the rest of your stuffs are indulging in their own soaking! Give your preshaved face nice warm rub or a good warm towel press.  Supposedly helps to open up the pores.. I dunno but feels pretty comfortable

I flick my brush dry ( no dripping for me! ) and start working the warm hair on the semi wet soap surface in a swirling motion to pick up soap and load the brush. For a thicker pickup and a thicker lather, swirl a little longer with few more drops of water over the puck.

Ta-da! And a nicely loaded brush! All ready for the lathering!

Now with the bowl of hot water, I discard most of it except less than a small teaspoon residue. The amount of water you would wanna mix in lathering is of course dependent on the thick creaminess of the lather you intend to produce, and also the amount you want to generate, and finally varies with the characteristics of each soap. You can probably start with a few tiny parts of water and sprinkle more water as you lather if necessary ( than to overload with water and make a watered down voluminous lather.

You can also get a shaving scuttle which retains abit more heat to keep the lather warm. But I am pretty lulled by the comfort of my current salad bowl actually. Scuttles ain’t too easy to find locally ( maybe i did not try hard enough ), but you can get one easily from overseas shaving forums, or ebay for instance.

And a quick succession of nice sustained wrist swirling action for a minute or two , working the loaded brush in the bowl. Reminds me of my mum beating up eggs. This part probably needs abit more practice on your soap before you become a proficient master class bathroom latherer!

Yea! Lathering +1, Canned goo -1

* Oh did i mention, the excess foams you can always use it to wash the face. With a stiffer brush such as a boar brush or a synthetic brush, you can probably do a neat  exfoliative little dermabrasion on the face !

Lathering 2, Canned goo -2..

Finished off with the following today

- Regular Superspeed , Gillette 7 oclock blade, Swiss Pitralon AS splash, and abit of Body Shop Of A Man AS balm

Ryan

Gentleman, presenting a more common ( or getting more and more common ) shaving product seen locally. You can easily find it in provision stores, and especially so in the CK supermart chains ). Reasonably priced as a household brand under Ginvera / Bio-essence, you might remember the Nugeno advertisement label as the one endorsed by Hong Kong actor Raymond Lam 林峰 . Right smack before I started milking the tube, I had some initial reservations on its shaving performance since it is dubbed “double action” , like a Jack of 2 trades that backs up as a cleansing foam. ( Then again I adore doubling up my Arlington SC as a facial soap as well ) But I figure to give it a shot since my last tube of Biore facial cleanser is running low as well, and i would love to test out that bit of Witch Hazel component within.

No intricate boxes or packaging, just the glossy green plastic tube with a CK supermart plastic bag for ya! But for the budget price tag, I was not hoping for any other unnecessary fancy accessories. There are other men facial products under the Nugeno Cool series as well.

The cream itself carries a slightly stickier pastier consistency ( no worries it is defeinitely not oily! ) compared to my other creams. The bit of fragrance was endorsed by my SWMBO – yea! Makes it a little more worthwhile. I think the lack of the muskiness makes it a little more acceptable for her (  ”ewwuuuuu .. ” is her synonymous substitution for muskiness ) There ain’t any stinging discomfort as well – great for non mentholated users. And probably a bonus if you have oily skin, and oily chin.

Lathering – not its strongest suite, I would certainly not label it lacklustre but a little more foot work .. erh .. finger work patience should do the trick.

Actually while my neophytic assumption that the uncanny cream consistency itself might have somwehat affected miscibility and as such the brush lathering in some way to get a quick rich thick lather, I have been using it as a quickie brushless shaving cream with much success! Yes. My favourite setup currently couples this cream with a combi of the widely available Gillette 7-oclock DE blade in a popular Gillette Regular Superspeed DE Razor. While lacking obviously in the cushion of a thick whipped up lather , the brushless application provides a surprisingly smooth glide as the blade does its work. And yes the BB smooth shave is still achievable without any undue stress on the skin.

Brushless local shavers, try this! I actually have a slight preference using this Nugeno brushlessly than my Truefitt & Hill UCSC brushlessly. I think the pasty stickiness of the Nugeno somewhat affords abit more moisture to the shaved skin. Of course it comes with a price – you need a little more effort to clean the razor after a shave down.

Will I buy it again ? Yup! Cheap and good for that convenient brushless shaving

Ryan

This is a mild to medium aggressive one piece TTO razor that feels great for fingery shavers, no tonnage of the fatboys, and even the slim adjustables. Though relatively lighter, it is pretty balanced.

Although seemingly less abraiding than say a Goodfella chrome, this razor engages the stubbles pretty well and I can get away with minimal passes and yet achieving a downright BB shave ! I must have gotten like only one negligent chin nick from the daily shaves for the past 2 weeks I was using it.  I think it would be pretty awesome for newbie DE shavers!

To clean the razor after the shave, release the TTO knob a little turn to unstress the razor blade into its native shape, and gush water along the head.

Here are my Ranger boys ( I loved the Ranger Tech so much I figure i get myself another to go along ).

Compared to my Milord ( rested on an Austrian Original Sachertorte booklet ! ):

( This is a later version Milord with a guard on the sides otherwise retaining the general form and structure; the older Milord should look like a Ranger Tech that is gold plated )

Shave well, Be well. An excellent example of high value with old TECHnology

Ryan T

Easily the favourite shaving cream of my current lot ( and I am glad I got a nice tub of it .. which is running a little low as of this time of writing )

Fragrance is classy and yet not overpowering, the topnote citrus and the bit of pleasant fern engages very well and gives the whole shaving experience a refreshing lift. Which makes the lathering process an aromatic treat as well.

The silvery silky cream lathers pretty well ( though not quite on par as the T&H Ultimate Comfort Shaving Cream) racks easily to produce thick luxurious lather that cushions the shave well. And it is easily brushless as well. Simply get a nice swab of the cream with the fingers and work on your chin.

Highly recommended. I got mine from westcoastshaving, and I need to pay their site a visit again soon.

Ryan T

Comes in 3 different casing variants ( I did not post the other box of mine )

Like the predecessor, it is built like a tank to last, and the weight distribution is as well balanced from the head to the thicker barber pole style handle. Heavier than the Gillette Tech / Super Speed, this razor is a breeze to finger gripe and control ( Again I think the Fatboy which i adore has abit of asymmetrical balance )

I would grade it as medium aggressiveness like the earlier 1934 version, and has not drawn much flake from my skin from multiple passes during shaving.

Blade replacement is as easy as the other TTO designs.

An old school classic

This copy I own is an earlier variant with the rivets of the hinges showing. The curved teeth at the edge of the comb allows slightly more blade exposure compared to the Old type straighter teeth razors, and gives me great shaves even with the Feather blades!

*  I must admit that I got this wonderful razor much at my infancy of wetshaving and got a few little cuts but with better technique, it gives great shave like any other! Medium in aggressiveness, it is slightly less aggressive than my Goodfella but more aggressive than my Edwin Jagger Bulbous.

Very well constructed and probably will last longer than a few generations! The heft is just right and better balanced with finger grip than the Fatboys.

If you are looking for a nice history filled razor shave, this is one to get!

Ryan T

Edwin Jagger Extra Large Silver Tip brush

Edwin Jagger Extra Large Silver Tip brush

Very thick white balm, thicker than The Body Shop Aftershave balm. Carries a slight masculine musky scent that lingers for more than 30 min, no hint of  fruitiness. ( SWMBO does not really like things too musky, so I apply and go to work with it than to apply at home – heh ) I find it leaves a slight layer of tackiness, and almost thin oil like feel ( and ! sheen ) even 30 min post application here in a humid sunny tropical Singapore ( As you can see, Nivea advises liberal application so I apply liberally too! ) . Perhaps the viscid balm might be beneficial for drier seasons or individuals with dry skin. Very slight cooling effect from the bit of alcohol in it ,  you can consider a degree from non detectable – good option for those looking for a lenient non burning post shave balm.

You might like it, give it a shot. I bought this 100ml glass bottle for less than a song – tag was less than half of what I paid for my Body Shop Aftershave Balm; and the cut-rate did not cut corners.

Ingredients ?

Water, Alcohol Denat, Glycerin, Distarch Phosphate, Cyclopentasiloxane, Panthenol, Fragrance, Tocopheryl Acetate, Bisabolol, Creatine, 1-Methylhydantoin-2-Imide, Ubiquinone, Propylene Glycol, Oyster Shell Extract, Sea Silt Extract, Cyclohexasiloxane, Triceteareth 4 Phosphate, Carbomer, Sodium Hydroxide, Tetrasodium Iminodisuccinate

Many stores in singapore carry Nivea products, you might save a dollar plus or more a bottle when you buy from the neighbourhood provision stores compared to some of the bigger pharmaceutical stores in shopping centres.

Check out more details at www.niveaformen.com

Will I get another bottle ? Nope. Too many other things to try

Ryan T