Are Shaving Sticks the Best Invention Since Shaved Parmesan?
Yes, I am well aware that the old saying goes “Since Sliced Bread”. But I prefer parmesan rather than bread. And shaved parmesan, as found in Ceasar salad, is my favourite variety.
But the topic is beard shaving. Or body shaving, depending on your needs. Can you recall the times you grabbed a can of shaving gel, pressed the button and the right amount of the substance came out? Well, me neither. For me it was always either too much or too little. Usually the former, which often reminds me of this scene:
Since I started traveling, I wanted to keep my dependency on liquid cosmetics to a minimum. Shaving gel is particularly troublesome since it only lasts a few weeks if I want to keep it under 100ml. Surely there needs to be a better solution?
I found several alternatives. First, I learned about various cosmetic leaves. There were shampoo leaves, body wash leaves, fabric wash leaves, and shaving leaves. They can be best described as sliced soap. While quite convenient for transportation, they didn’t win my heart. They are not necessarily easy to use and they take much space due to the hard plastic case. Thus, our love affair was short.
Shaving sticks were next. Shaving sticks look a bit like deodorant sticks. They’re solid, easily applicable and convenient in transportation. Just like the poster shows.
I tried several shaving sticks since I first heard about them. Tailor of Old Bond Street looks and behaves like a deodorant stick. It has this mechanism you can twist to either hide it or… stick it out. Pity, my mechanism broke when I had more than half the stick left. I was forced to dismantle the entire device and apply the foam with the old-school method. La Toja is a bit simpler. The stick is covered in aluminum foil and there’s a protective cap. You take off the cap, cover your face in soap, then put the cap on again. Finally, I tried Speick Shaving Stick that was even more barebones. Just the stick and foil.
Out of the three, La Toja is my preferred one. It does not add much volume nor weight beyond what’s essential, yet it’s well protected during travels. And if you want to keep a no-liquids bag to quickly pass the airport security, this can be a great start.
But what about the question contained in the title? It follows the Betteridge’s Law of Headlines. Do I believe shaving sticks are the best invention since shaved parmesan? I could certainly suggest some better ones. But, if you’d ask me whether they could improve one’s life, I would definitely recommend them to you. Ever since I tried, I’ve become a daily shaving stick user, whether traveling or at home.
Remember not to use shaving sticks and shaved parmesan at the same time. They may not go well together.
