I’ve been playing around a lot with shaving creams lately. I had noticed that almost every “Shave of the Day” picture I had been posting on Instagram featured a shaving soap, and usually a tallow-based shaving soap at that. Having realized this, I decided to start mixing things up a bit more. So, in the last few weeks, when I wasn’t testing for my Dr. Jon’s Soap Co. “Big Green Monster” shaving soap review, I used almost exclusively creams.
This week, the weather finally cleared up and warmed up, and I jumped at the chance to use some lighter fragrances. Looking through my shaving cabinet, I could see over a dozen creams, most of them Taylor of Old Bond Street and Truefitt & Hill, that I hadn’t used in a while. I came across a blue tub which didn’t sport that TOBS tan or that T&H black, so i pulled it out and immediately remembered the Taylor of Old Bond Street “Eton College” shaving cream. This is exactly what I was looking for without even knowing it!
This citrus-based shaving cream from one of my favorite shops is the perfect accompaniment to warmer days and sunnier skies. For some reason, I have always found this shaving cream to be a little lighter and slicker than some other Taylor of Old Bond Street creams. While I love using all of them, this one is just perfect for spring and summer. I know it’s only March 11th, but I’m already thinking spring and summer, and nothing’s going to stop me. I think I’m prepared to not wear another sweater during the day until October.
Lathering this soap is a breeze (no pun intended), but I have always gotten the best results from my shaving creams using either a softer badger brush (silvertip or super badger) or a well broken-in boar brush. Shaves are slick and refreshing. The citrus gives that sort of effervescent feel that wakes you up and gets you going.
As a whole, the entire Eton College line from Taylor of Old Bond Street is invigorating and zesty. Named after…you guessed it…Eton College outside London, this fragrance suits it’s namesake and I would recommend it as a daytime scent suitable for younger men traditionally, but would not be unappealing on anyone.
Though there is some warmth provided by patchouli oil and mild floral notes, this is primarily a citrus fragrance. One of the great things I love about Taylor of Old Bond Street is their commitment to a fragrance. Once in production, they tend to develop an entire line around each scent. While they don’t have every product available for every line, they do offer a good selection for most of their lines. I’m always a fan of product lines like this because I have this, somewhat, obsession with using one fragrance all the way through my morning routine. Taylor of Old Bond Street makes this incredibly easy to do, and I invite you to shop the entire Eton College line at the bottom of this post.
Taylor of Old Bond Street is a classic English barbershop in every sense of the word, and if you haven’t discovered why, now is the time to. Surprisingly affordable, this is probably the best value coming out of England. Do you have any favorites from TOBS? Let us know!
Regards,
Tailor & Barber
