GroomingThe first stage of a chap's dressing ritual begins in the bathroom. Whether shaving with cut-throat or safety razor, or fastidiously waxing one's moustache, a welll-groomed
visage is the base upon which all sartorial offerings are subsequently placed, and for this reason there must be no compromise on quality. Furthermore, a gentleman surrounded by
attractive grooming items which bespeak a more elegant era will be more up to the task of spreading bonhomie and anarcho-dandyism than someone with a bag of Bic razors and a tin
of shaving foam. |
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Parker Safety Razor
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A sturdy, reliable and, it must be admitted, attractive object with which to remove unwanted facial hair, with enough precision to leave even the most complicated moustache undamaged. This is a thoroughly economical way of shaving as well, with a packet of razor blades giving at least a full month's service. | |
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Cyril Salter Razor
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You may well be of the persuasion of gentlemen who like the notion of old fashioned things and would happily be transported back to the 1930s ... as long as you could take your Mach 3 safety razor with you. The one gripe you have with this marvel of modern technology is that its design is rather vulgar. This sleek little number by Cyril Salter, an ancient British firm, looks like it belongs in the age of steam, but will happily be fitted with your precious triple blades. | |
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Badger Shaving Brush
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There is no more appropriate manner with which to smother every bristle on your beard with shaving soap than with the soft underbelly of one of Britain's best-loved beasts, the badger. Since ivory is no longer fashionable as a material, this is the next best thing, a robust resin that closely resembles the tusk of an elephant. | |
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Taylor's Sandalwood Shaving Soap
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Taylors of Old Bond Street has been providing gentlemen with superior grooming products since 1854, and among their finest products is a wooden bowl filled with a solid block of sandalwood-scented shaving soap. This form of soap lasts up to a year, after which a refill may be purchased and slotted into the original bowl | |
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Taylor's Sandalwood After-shave Balm
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Once you have scraped away every last unwanted bristle, your face will be tingling all over and perhaps bleeding in parts. You are in no condition to enter the dressing room, where you could easily leave red marks on your shirt collars. This balm will soothe away the pain, stem the flow of blood and leave you smelling lightly of Sandalwood. | |
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Mr. Taylor's Moustache Wax
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The fully dedicated Chap will naturally have refrained from passing a razor over the most important section of his face - his moustache. And what could cause more gentlemanly consternation than a droopy, uneven or, heaven forfend, unruly smasher? Mr. Taylor has been keeping facial plumage upright for over a century, and there is no reason for him to stop now. | |
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Bounder Moustache Wax
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The creation of a heavily moustachioed gentleman who was unable to find any moustache wax that gave him needle-sharp whiskers yet could still be washed out with warm water. The ingredients are London beeswax, navy rum, gum Arabic and water, with a speck of vanilla to offset the scent of the tea tree oil which acts, with the alcohol, as a preservative. Bounder is hand-made in small batches and comes in a 25ml aluminium tube. | |
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Moustache Comb
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There is no point in applying the finest ingredients to your burgeoning "lip-weasel", then trying to tame its unruly locks with an ordinary hair comb or a toothbrush. What you need is one of these specialist combs designed exclusively for use on the upper lip regions of the human form. It is made of some modern synthetic material but exudes the aura of tortoiseshell so much that you can almost hear the screams of that intricately patterned reptile. | |
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Morgan's Pomade (7.06 oz)
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There comes a time in every gentleman's life when one's comb reminds one that time is passing ever more swiftly, and one's locks are not as lustrous and full of vim as they once were. This is the time to add a jar of Morgan's Pomade to one's bathroom cabinet. Not only will this ancient unguent add a touch of hirsute brilliance, but it will also darken the encroaching greyness, leaving one's mane looking youthful and more attractive. | |
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Gentleman's Hairbrush
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Often it is not unheard of for betrothed gentlemen to simply grab their spouse's grooming equipment, and idly remark how ineffectual it is while dragging it across one's scalp/bristles/ underarms/pubic area. But it is really one's duty to invest in proper grooming equipment if one wishes to be taken seriously - not least by the aforementioned wifelet. This hairbrush has "man" written all over it (well, it has Janeke written all over it, for that is the brand name, an Italian firm dating back to 1830). | |
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Nasal hair Clipper
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What is a gentleman to do about those unsighly hairs that keep poking out of one's nostrils, especially as the years advance? Yanking them out with a pair of tweezers is too eye-wateringly painful to contemplate, yet they cannot be left to multiply. The answer lies in this nifty little device made by Clipette, which operates by revolving tiny blades around each hair until they drop away from the nose painlessly. | |
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Taylor Luxury Gift Set
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Everything a chap needs for his daily shave except his valet. The razor takes Mach 3 blades, while the handle is pure Edwardian. The soft pure badger hair and the delicious aroma of the shaving soap will invoke the spirit of the British Empire for you every morning. | |