Taylor of Old Bond Street

‘Avocado on your face’

The TAYLOR Tradition was founded on September 1st, 1854 by Jeremiah Taylor, the great grandfather of today’s Chairman. He opened his Hairdressing and Hair Treatment Salon in Bond Street (in the heart of London’s fashionable West End) and gained a reputation in British Society for his botanical extract for hair and scalp treatment. His son, Ivan, using his training as a chemist, succeeded his father, developing many fine herbal treatments. The TAYLOR Tradition continues through the generations. They are determined to keep it a family business.

The TAYLOR Tradition has always been to manufacture products with as pure and natural ingredients as is practicable. ‘We refuse to compromise quality under any circumstances.’ Their product range includes the luxurious and the unusual.

The following fragrances are available in 2.5oz tubes & 150g tub Tubs

Almond Shaving Cream
One of the most favored of all scents among gentlemen. The alluring nutty essence of almond is the ideal introductory fragrance for first-time shaving brush users. This lightly scented shaving cream comes in a 2.5 oz tube /150g tub and can be applied with or without a brush.

Avocado Shaving Cream
A unique herbaceous scent of Rosemary and Lavender on a base of Juniper and woody notes with the added benefit of pure avocado oil for moisturizing. This lightly scented shaving cream comes in a 2.5 oz tube/150g tub and can be applied with or without a brush.

Lavender Shaving Cream
To the truly discerning gentleman nothing surpasses the superior herbal perfume of English lavender. Freshly picked at its peak from the lavender fields of Norfolk this lightly scented shaving cream imparts a relaxing and soothing effect. This lightly scented shaving cream comes in a 2.5 oz tube/150g tub and can be applied with or without a brush.

Lemon + Lime Shaving Cream
A most refreshing citrus blend including Lemon and Lime with a touch of Lemongrass on a base of woody Cedar and Oak. A lightly scented shaving cream certain to please even the most discerning of gentlemen. This lightly scented shaving cream comes in a 2.5 oz tube /150g tub and can be applied with or without a brush.

Rose Shaving Cream
Among British gentleman Rose is the most favored scent. Taylor combines the classic English Rose with a soft woody base of Cedar and Sandalwood. This lightly scented shaving cream is a must for every toiletry locker. 2.5 oz tube/150g tub. Can be applied with or without a brush.

Sandalwood Shaving Cream
Exotic Sandalwood and Cedar are blended with Lavender and Rosemary along with a touch of Jasmine and Rose for a vivacious and enticing yet confidently masculine lightly scented shaving cream. 2.5 oz tube/150g tub. Can be applied with or without a brush.

Eton College Shaving Cream
Inspired by the tradition of Eton - the premier college of royalty and the aristocracy - and especially formulated for its young gentlemen. It possesses a fresh invigorating yet lightly scented fragrance combining sparkling citrus oils with rich woody undertones to enchant the senses of the young - and the young at heart. 2.5 oz tube/150g tub. Can be applied with or without a brush.

Mr. Taylor’s Shaving Cream
For generations discerning gentlemen have selected this crisp and spicy fragrance in which Tarragon and Lavender are combined with hints of Green Galbanum and Citrus producing a lightly scented elegant manly fragrance with warm woody undertones of Cedar and Sandalwood along with Patchouli and Musk. 2.5 oz tube/150g tub. Can be applied with or without a brush.

Shaving Shop Shaving Cream
Revitalizing fresh Citrus is blended with the sophistication and ruggedness of precious Cedar and Oak woods. Add a virile undertone of musk over a floor of Sage and Rosemary and alluring Petitgrain for a lightly scented shaving cream that stimulates the senses and excites the emotions. 2.5 oz tube/150g tub. Can be applied with or without a brush.

St. James Shaving Cream
A very complex fresh herbaceous accord with crisp citrus top notes; it starts with bergamot and lavender on a layer of rosemary and coriander; it continues with juniper and clary sage on a heart of warm clove and thyme; then it finishes with base notes of patchouli and olibanum with a touch of amber. This lightly scented shaving cream comes in a 2.5 oz tube/150g tub. Can be applied with or without a brush.

10 Barclay Crocker Shaving Tips
(for Taylor of Old Bond Street)

1.    Always use hot water before shaving to soften the beard, open the pores and cleanse the   skin.

2.    A pre shave gel is a great help when preparing to shave as it makes the shave easier and protects the skin.

3.    Use Taylor’s moisturising shaving cream and lather for at least 20 seconds.

4.    Ideally, use a shaving brush to lift the beard from the face and soften the hair.

5.    Use a quality razor blade with a handle that offers a good weight and balance.

6.    Always shave in the direction of the hair growth as shaving against the grain can cause razor burns and in-growing hairs. If the hairs towards the base of the throat are growing in the opposite direction to the rest of the face, i.e. upwards, you must shave upwards in that area.

7.    Do not apply heavy pressure to your razor as this can cause razor burn and skin irritation. Glide the razor gently over the face.

8.    Rinse the face with cold water after shaving to assist pore closure.

9. Use an After Shave lotion (see our great selection) to refresh and tone the skin after shaving.

10. Men with sensitive skin should consider using our own Barclay Crocker Vitamin E Aftershave Lotion which can be custom scented to match your Taylor fragrance.

PS.Finally, rinse your brush well, shake out the excess moisture and always hang on a stand with the hairs facing downwards.

OUCH! Getting Rid of Shaving Irritants

Think of it. Daily most men, and even a few women, drag sharp blades across their sensitive skin, tearing away millions of hair strands from their native follicles, usually cutting themselves in the process and even at best, severely irritating their body-enveloping organ. What a ghastly event, repeated hundreds of millions of times around the globe!

Cheer up. There are a number of products available on the market for men and women who want an irritation free shave.

The list is long. Products like face washes, aftershave lotions and special creams are there to keep you free from wounding your skin. However, before you choose a lotion, cream or gel make sure that it suits your skin.

Some may want to consult a dermatologist before starting on a shaving product. There are many prescription products that may save you from shaving uneasiness. Absent this approach, we recommend that:

SHAVING CREAMS. Forget about cheap brushless commercial creams. They are thin, even the ‘best’ of them and will leave your face feeling raw. Brushless, easy as it seems, is not an option for healthy shaving. Attitude is everything. Commit yourself to making shaving an ‘art’. Search sites like www.barclaycrocker.com for the world’s best shaving creams, which come in tubes, tubs and blocks and will make your shaving experience the high point of your day.

BRUSH. Yes, a good shaving brush is mandatory. When you work in the lather for a minute or two, your skin will respond in ways you have never experienced in your ‘pre-brush’ lifetime.

Then, when you use a razor, your skin will be supple and yielding, and your shave will be close, clean and non-irritating.

RAZOR. Straight razor days are, thankfully, behind us. As a

Species, we’ve moved on. There are now 3 and 4 blade razors on the market, some with built in vibrators which actually work to

Make your shave closer than any in the history of civilization. Use one of these.

AFTERSHAVES. Beware of alcohol based products. They will dry your skin and cause further irritation. The best creams we’ve found are the so called ‘E’ creams, natural creams with vitamin E

Extract in the mix. These creams heal the skin and soften it.

INGROWN HAIR. These are frequently found around the bikini area. If your skin is vunerable to this problem, consider banishing shaving and opting for waxing . When the hair is waxed, the entire shaft of hair is removed at the root, preventing tiny stubble from growing  underneath the top layer of skin. If you insist on continuing shaving, look for a lotion containing a slight analgesic to prevent ingrown hairs.

The Rise And Fall Of The Barbershop

It’s unclear why men and women felt the need to remove hair from their faces and bodies in the first place. It’s gone on since cave man days. Long before Christ walked this earth Alexander the Great was reportedly obsessed with shaving his face and body and would never enter battle with a five o’clock shadow. Early Greek women removed hair from their legs by singeing it off with a lamp, and Roman women used creams made from exotic ingredients like bat’s blood and powdered viper as daily hair removers. It was obviously important to both sexes and remains so today.

There is not room in this article to trace the evolution of dipilatories from ancient times to the present so let’s jump to the mid 19^th century A.D. when the barons of commerce (and their ladies) had developed the smoothing of skin to a fine art form. For men: enter the Barbershop. If we were to look inside a typical barbershop of the period our sight would reveal a room with pressed tin ceilings, gas lamps, wooden floors and brass spittoons. Mounted chairs with thick leather seats and backrests stood like sentinels waiting for their hosts and on the back wall of the room hung a rack of custom decorated shaving mugs. This was a place of refuge, a place to smoke large cigars and smell fine bay rum..to have one’s shoes shined and tell dirty jokes in the company of your cronies, all the while gently pursuing the purpose of it all - to remove one’s hair. Behold the golden age of barbering!

Fast forward to Grand Central Station, circa 1950. The same product, hair removal. But now the shoe shine stands have grown into wooden monuments and rows of porcelain finished chairs line up in front of white tile walls. Old black men hand out towels for tips in front of toilet stalls. The straight razor rules. It’s all business.

At the turn of the twenty-first century we are left to ponder where it all went. Now barbershops that remain are low key affairs with no swank or swagger. Those with money go to tony salons to recapture the glow of a past age. Metrosex rules. There are no-smoking signs, linoleum floors and little conversation. Advertising all about warns us to be sleek and shorn. But alas, the barbershop mystique has gone from our lives with the civilization that spawned it and we, like Alexander before us, march into battle shorn -

But essentially, alone.

Proraso – Ludovico’s Tuscan Treasure

More than a  half-century ago a Tuscan entrepreneur named Ludovico

Martelli set out to enhance the art of shaving. Methodically he created and produced a world class line of shaving products, with PRORASO shaving cream as it’s cornerstone. When one opens the  distinctive green package it’s an easy step back into an age before the advent of foams and gels*, when shaving meant taking out quality time and really ‘taking care’ of oneself.

The Proraso factory in Florence is the oldest of it’s kind, a Tuscan proudness. As Martelli himself reflects,” We believe that the coherence of our products helps us, as well as the Quality-Price ratio we offer.

A kind of continuity from generation to generation, even if the products themselves have changed very little over the years. We saw them on the bathroom shelves of our grandfather and father, as we now see them in the locker of the husband, son or boyfriend.”

To the uninitiated, hear it now - the PRORASO brand is not a limited option. The company offers a wide array of scents with it’s shaving cream, including the new ‘Eucalyptus’ and ‘Green Tea’, now available in shave cream pots..fresh and invigorating. Further, as eucalyptus is antiseptic and antibiotic, it is helpful in reducing facial breakouts. Green Tea and Aloe is exceptional for use on sensitive skin. Looking out over the entire product line, there is a complete range of items from Pre-Shave to Aftershave Balms and Splash..even Shave Foams for convenience and Styptic Gel for those occasional nicks and cuts.

Proraso also offers  remarkable value in  a shave-brush made for them by Omega in Bologna, Italy. The brush stands 5″ high with a silver color base. The brush area is 2 ½” high and, when wet, tapers at the top for excellent application of soap.

It may be your time to take a trip on-line - to the heart of Tuscany and the soulful essence of Proraso, one of the world’s great shaving institutions.

*Fast-Shaving foam was invented in the 1960s.

The Art of Shaving; Italian Style

An Italian company comes to the U.S. with the perfect product for every shaving preference.

 

History

Proraso, the company that produces the best selling before and after-shave products in Italy, is arriving in the United States for the first time, with a variety of products made using the same standards of quality they have followed since the 1940s, when the company was founded by the Tuscan entrepreneur Ludovico Martelli. Then, the only way to shave was with a brush and shaving cream; only in the 1960s was fast shaving foam invented. [Read more]

Taylor of Old Bond Street

‘Avocado on your face’

The TAYLOR Tradition was founded on September 1st, 1854 by Jeremiah Taylor, the great grandfather of today’s Chairman. He opened his Hairdressing and Hair Treatment Salon in Bond Street (in the heart of London’s fashionable West End) and gained a reputation in British Society for his botanical extract for hair and scalp treatment. His son, Ivan, using his training as a chemist, succeeded his father, developing many fine herbal treatments. The TAYLOR Tradition continues through the generations. They are determined to keep it a family business.

[Read more]