Brooklyn…home to the newest cultural renaissance here in NYC. Visit us and you’ll find a treasure trove of artists, artisans, and craftsmen, all producing some pretty magnificent stuff. And of course, you’ll see beards. Lots of beards. But while many of our beard-wearing brethren here in Brooklyn wouldn’t know a razor if they fell on one, a few of us actually do shave! I remember watching my Dad shave as a kid, fascinated by what I saw as one of the simplest and purest embodiments of maleness. The guy could ski double black diamonds with ease, fix any broken down car by himself, and seemingly attract the attention of any beautiful young woman (often 20 years his junior.) So needless to say, as a kid I paid close attention, and I came to see shaving as a symbol of the conflation of masculinity and refinement. I mean seriously, can you picture James Bond with a beard? Not happening.
Having decided years ago to be a clean-shaven man, I’ve had time to try many different shave creams. It’s a very important part of shaving that is often glossed over, as silly as that may seem. Many people pay attention to what type of razor they use, whether they shave with the grain or against it, etc. But the fact is the shaving cream you choose will make a big difference. Using a good shaving cream will spare you lots of nicks and rashes, and leave you smelling elegant and, dare I say, attractive. For me, the creme de la creme of creams is
Musgo Real.
Introduced in 1920, Musgo Real is a Portuguese product that was very popular in Europe for decades before finally starting to show up in specialty stores here in the States. You still won’t find it in the corner drug store. It’s a thick, heavy cream that comes in a toothpaste style tube. If one is into all the rituals of shaving, you can put some in a cup and whisk it up with a shaving brush, but it works just as well to put a bit in your hand, add a dash of water and lather it up by rubbing your hands together. On the face it maintains its heavy creamy feel, a noticeable change from the rather anemic drugstore foams and gels. You’ll need to rinse your razor often, but the results with Musgo Real are fantastic. You can shave very close and not have your face and neck end up looking like you just fought it out with Edward Scissorhands. On top of that, the smell is fantastic. The original formula is a heady mixture of vetiver and patchouli, for the most part. A very masculine scent that calls to mind evenings on the Riviera. Ladies tend to respond, um, well to it. In addition to this original scent, Musgo Real now comes in a variety of scents to try out.
You can find Musgo Real in some brick and mortar shops like Dean & Deluca, but depending on where you are it’s often easier to order online, through a shaving products company like Classic Shaving or on Amazon . At around $15 a tube, you can’t go wrong. Now go clean up that face, my man!
