I am a huge fan of artisans and I also try to support small business when I can. However some mass-produced products just cannot be ignored. One major player in wet shaving is PRORASO. We have all heard about it regardless of how long we have been in this hobby. And to be honest it deserves all the recognition it gets.
Proraso green is simply put a no-nonsense shaving soap. A simple menthol and eucalyptus scent that is not only perfect for warmer weather but can also work all year round. This is a great soap to try if you haven’t ever used a mentholated soap before. It is slightly mentholated enough that you will feel the coolness but it won’t freeze your face like some other offerings that are available. An awesome thing about Proraso is that you can get it at a variety of places. Of course most online vendors have it, but so do pharmacies! Here in Canada we can get it at Shoppers Drug Mart for around $10 a tub…..but it does go on sale quite often. I have also seen it a bunch of barber shops all over Canada. It is a staple in many Italian shops and for good reason. 5.2oz for $10 Canadian or less….you cannot go wrong with that.
The main thing I love about this soap is how easy it is to lather. You can have the hardest water in the world or the softest and Proraso will lather like a dream regardless. I have yet to try the Red(sandalwood) or Blue(aloe & Vitamin E), or Proraso White(Green Tea and Oat), but I have given them all a sniff test and they are all pleasant. This is for sure a soap that will forever be in my den. Perhaps I will try the red or blue next, but I will have some Proraso at all times.
Another bonus to the Proraso lines are that they come in aftershaves and balms as well. I know lots of guys like to match up their scents and you can go full Proraso if you chose. I even think they have brushes and lather bowls.
Proraso is definitely not FUGAZI!
NOW ONTO THE SHAVE!!!
Razor : Wade & Butcher
Brush : Semogue IB LE Boar
Soap : Proraso Green
Preshave : Proraso Green Pre Barba
Toner : Thayer’s Aftershave Witch Hazel
Aftershave : Proraso green Pre Barba
First of all HAPPY FATHERS DAY to all the Dad’s out there who read my blog!
So this was my Father’s Day shave last night! I had a very long week and just wanted a no stress easy shave. Whats easier than Proraso?? The Semogue lathered the soap up with ease. The Pre Barba did double duty as both pre and post shave. Love the menthol hit in this stuff and the fact that it can be used as both a pre and post.
The W&B sliced through 3 days growth with ease and left me with a wonderful DFS shave……aside from cutting my lip. 100% user error on the cut as I wasn’t paying attention. Oh well, live and learn. nothing a little alum couldn’t fix.
Overall a wonderful Italian inspired shave. The Semogue brush with its Italian flag colours is a real looker and is a great performer and what more can I say about Proraso!!!!!
The last thing I want to mention is an AMAZING mail call I got on Friday!!
YAAAA BUDDY!! I got my Scent Trunk subscription box! my first impressions are that the presentation is fantastic. Great simple logo. The samples come in a nice velvet bag and the atomizers themselves are great quality as is the labeling. There is nothing cheap about this box at all.
Each of the three fragrances come with a card with some great info about each scent. including the time of day to wear it, seasons it can be worn, Top, middle, and base notes and an overview of the scent itself. A very cool presentation and awesome idea for anyone looking to try some niche scents without having to blind buy an entire bottle first.
Unfortunately I have been fairly congested the past couple days so I haven’t been able to really give a good test to the scents. I want to make sure I give them a fair shake with my sinuses nice and clear. However, just by sniffing the atomizer I can tell you that the MEMOIR MAN by Amouage is an incredible scent to my nose…..WOW. This stuff smells nothing like my designer frags like Dior and Chanel(which i really like).
The three scents I got in the box are as follows…
Memoir Man by Amouage
21 by Costume National
the Good Earth by Atelier de Geste
Stay Tuned for a detailed review of Scent trunk and these three scents!!!
Cheers and have an awesome week everyone!!!
The Canuck Shaver 
When I first saw “PRORASO…Fugetaboutit” ‘I thought some jerk is going to badmouth this beautiful soap. I wont let him get away with it.’ Remember the Canuck motto – ‘We stand on guard for thee.’
I am 82 but only about three years ago started wet shaving with a brush and do it myself lathering soap, croap or cream.
I bought Green Proraso and an Omega Pura Setola boar bristle brush in my local supermarket for $11 each. The boar was not used for very long and will probably never be used by me again if I can avoid it.
Proraso Green is still with me and despite having a small battery of Soaps, Croaps and creams, most of which are very good and some excellent, Proraso will always remain the foundation of my rotation.
I apologize for my original thoughts but “Them thar was fighting words.”
I am a confirmed Rolls Razor addict. I do have a Parker 91R double edge which is excellent and have just acquired a slant which will remain nameless for now as, after 4 shaves, I am not thrilled with it. It does deserve a fair trial. I have tried a cutthroat a number of times but can not produce enough blood for daily trials.
I would like to enter your Wednesday contest.
Mickey Oberman
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What wednesday Contest??
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Fugetaboutit.
I mixed this up with another shaving forum.
My apologies.
Mickey
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No worries
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My Wednesday Contest???
Yes Proraso is a fantastic soap. I could see the scent throwing some people off but thats about it. I havent used a rolls razor but they certainly are a cool looking set up. As for Parkers I do hear mixed reviews on them. And its never too late to start wet shaving!!!!
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I’m currently working through a tub of Proraso Red. Still on the fence as far as scent goes, but a good shave and a great price point.
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gotta agree with you. i have a sample of the Sandalwood cream that i haven’t tried yet. The scent is decent but nothing special. The greeen is my top scent of Proraso, but the scent of blue is pretty nice as well…..kind of a cologne scent to my nose.
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I am waiting for Blue to come out in a tub like the others.
What a display they would make – Green, Red, White and Blue.
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Yep.I would grab the blue in a tub for sure
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I had the same reaction as mickeyobe when I read the title of the post in my email inbox early this morning. I decided to wait until later to read the post, so I could refresh my impression of Proraso Green to see whether our views were in conflict, as the title suggested they might be. I was going to use the Proraso anyway this morning, as I had an early doctor’s appointment and didn’t want to use anything that would raise eyebrows in what is supposed to be a scent-free environment. My impression is that this Proraso has the simple menthol/eucalyptus scent you describe but it doesn’t linger long after the shave. I too used my Semogue IB LE boar, a brush I got a couple of weeks ago and am really getting to enjoy using now that it is well on the way to being broken-in. The Proraso loaded easily and face-lathing produced great results.
So, in the end, no conflict in our assessments of this soap! It will remain a staple in my (limited) rotation.
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Glad we agree! Proraso is a safe choice for sure 🙂
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