What’s the Difference Between Colognes, Parfums, and Eau de Toilettes?

What’s the Difference Between Colognes, Parfums, and Eau de Toilettes?

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In the world of fragrances, things can get pretty confusing with all the brand names we see while scanning store shelves: eau de parfum, eau de toilette, cologne, even eau de cologne. But are these just fancy French variations of the same thing or are they distinct products? For once and for all, we want to set the record straight, and clarify what each one of these terms means. In fact, the different names correspond to fragrance concentration levels. In each…

How Our Ancestors Did It: Shaving Through History

How Our Ancestors Did It: Shaving Through History

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The dawn of shaving is shrouded in mystery: no one quite knows its exact beginning, and its cultural meaning ebbs and flows with time and location. We do know, however, that the shaving ritual is long-standing, appearing in the far reaches of human history. In prehistoric cave paintings, men are depicted with shorn facial hair, using seashells to tweeze away beards one cuticle at a time, and shearing with shark teeth or roughhewn flint knives. While it’s easy to imagine…

Are Straight Razor Shaves Legal in North America?

Are Straight Razor Shaves Legal in North America?

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Many modern men have a perennial attraction to the old-fashioned barbershop experience, and one of the touchstones of barbershop quality has always been the straight razor shave. Though extravagant in today’s shaving world, it is part and parcel with the old men’s tradition, and many still go in search of it. Barbers who provide straight shaves are less commonplace today, but the tradition is still very much alive. Only licensed barbers are permitted to give customers straight shaves, and every…