NEW PROVENCE SANTÉ SHAVING ACCESSORIES PUT THE INDULGENCE BACK INTO SHAVING

KEENE, NH - December 2000   A man's face usually has many thousands of whiskers on it, and for millennia before the advent of the double-edged razor, man used his ingenuity to find ways to cut them down to size. Clam shells, sharpened animal teeth, pieces of copper -- you name it, somebody has shaved with it.

Over the years, man discovered that shaving can be an indulgence rather than a chore. Now, with the introduction of new shaving accessories and shaving sets, soap and body care importer Baudelaire Inc. is paving the way for a revival of shaving as a rejuvenating and pleasurable part of personal grooming.

The Provence Santé shaving accessories include shaving soap, handcrafted shaving dishes, and finely made shaving brushes. The soap, brush and dish are also available packaged together in a handsome, wooden gift box.

The moisturizing shaving soap was created by Provence Santé's master savonnier (soapmaker) in the south of France, utilizing a rich vegetable base blended with glycerine, karité butter and luzenac talcum (to fight razor irritation). Essential oils of linden and vervain provide a pleasing fragrance.

For resiliency, softness and luxuriant shaving, nothing compares to badger hair. The Baudelaire shaving brushes feature high quality badger bristles, carefully secured in a handcrafted redware handle.

Baudelaire’s shaving dishes have been specially created by a New England potter to accommodate the Provence Santé shaving soap. The attractive dishes are made of sturdy redware, a material used as far back as pioneer days for vessels, jugs and dishes of all sorts. Because redware is fired at a high temperature, it doesn't absorb much water, an attribute that makes it ideal for use in soap dishes.

The Provence Santé shaving sets and accessories are available at gift shops, department stores, boutiques, and other retailers nationwide. They’re also available directly through Baudelaire’s mail order catalog at a cost of $10 for the shaving soap, $40 for the shaving brush, $25 for the shaving dish with soap, and $70 for the shaving set containing dish, soap, and brush in a sturdy wooden box. Shipping is included in the price.

To order the shaving accessories or for a free copy of Baudelaire’s complete catalog, call the company toll-free at (800) 327-2324, or write to Baudelaire, 166 Emerald St., Keene, NH 03431.