Shave me once, shave me twice

Tomorrow begins the national holiday of men's fashion week (wait what? It's not a bank holiday? I have to *work*??) - that celebration of all things manly-man in London, and what better way to kick things off than that most traditional of masculine activities, the wet shave? I've never experienced one before so when Pankhurst offered me a trip down to their Savile Row barbers, I jumped at the chance. Plus, I'll go to any length to get an Ab Fab joke into a post!!

The wet shave is essentially the facial for men. It incorporates all the classics of a facial - treatment oils, massage, heat and cold - but butched up to the #nextlev. You might be surprised to know I've never gone for a professional facial (despite live-tweeting my DIY chemical peels at home) so having someone massage my face for me was quite an eye-opener.

The gays were excited concerned I might find the experience of being shaved by another man arousing - you really don't want the peen popping up in such an über masculine situation. Turns out someone wielding a giant razor right up against your Adam's Apple is far from sexually stimulating! It was all I could do not swallow or sneeze at just the wrong moment.

The treatment starts with menthol shaving balm being massaged into the skin, followed by a soak under steaming hot towels to open the pores and soften the beard. Then the shaving foam is applied using a traditional brush and the hair is shaved first with the grain, then against (to get it closer than close). Cold towels are used to close the pores, and then a combination of aftershave gel, moisturiser, eye gel and lip balm is applied. They even finish off by trimming your neck hair (thankfully he didn't pull my t-shirt down too far there, I haven't quite been keeping on top of that) and even blow-drying the dent left on the back of your head from the barber's chair. You leave the room smelling sweetly of lime and old bay rum, Pankhurst's signature scent.

I thought I would be giving the barber quite the work out, seeing as I haven't shaved properly in such a loooong time, and hadn't even bothered to trim my beard since last week. However, it turns out that while 'full', my beard is also very soft, thus a doddle to shave. Basically what I'm saying is I have the Céline of beards, top of the line. Just another reason I'm so wonderful... *smug face*

It's not something I would do every week - the squirm factor would take a lot to get over - but I would definitely consider a Pankhurst shave for special occasions. Next Tuesday counts as one, right?

P.S. What do you think of my baby face?

xxx

Duck