Dear reader,
Let me start by introducing myself. I’m Johan, almost 40 years old now, and I’ve been living for years in the beautiful Barneveld. During the week, I work as a Planner at a transport company nearby. On weekends, you’ll often find me mountain biking in the woods or riding my motorcycle around.
I have been a loyal customer of Manandshaving for years. How that came about is a long story. I’d like to take you along on my shaving and beard adventures.
Shaving, beards, and other morning hassles
Do you recognize this too? Shaving was always a 'must' for me. When my beard started itching again after 3 or 4 days, I had to shave again. Phew, I often postponed it for another day. The next day, you stand in front of the mirror for minutes, hesitating and rubbing your stubble. With a ‘fresh’ reluctance, you decide to shave anyway. First, wet the beard, carelessly spray a big cloud of shaving foam from the can, and quickly spread it over the beard. Bored, I grabbed the razor and moved it quickly back and forth over my face. The sooner I finished shaving, the better. After shaving, I usually had a burning sensation and red spots on my neck. In short, not a pleasant start to the morning. A little aftershave balm softened these shaving irritations somewhat. A quick fix of my hair and ready to head to work.
If I really didn’t feel like wet shaving, I often grabbed the electric shaver. A quick pass over my cheeks with the device and presto, done. Not always a success either, though. Usually, I still felt stubble. And after shaving, my skin felt dirty and sticky. Because it was never completely smooth, you spent the rest of the day rubbing your fingers over the missed spots. To your own great annoyance. The next day, you’d wet shave anyway for a smoother result.
I believe I’m not the only one who dislikes shaving. Many men find shaving too much hassle. Because of the shaving irritations and burning sensation, shaving is a painful experience. Not really something to look forward to in the morning. But it can be different...
Shaving as a zen moment in the morning
... Several years have passed now, and shaving is no longer a daily obligation for me. Shaving is now a zen moment in the morning. Every morning I shave with pleasure and feel fresh and lively afterward. I’ve even recently bought a nice antique oak display cabinet for my collection of shaving soaps, aftershaves, shaving brushes, and razors. This always makes me happy. My wife, a little less ;-)
Johan
