A CLOSE SHAVE

For most men, the daily shaving routine is a rushed five-minute affair with a safety razor before heading to work, but enter the classy, art deco entrance of The Mandarin Barber in Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong, and a vastly different experience awaits.

A woman takes your jacket, seats you in one of the plush, red leather armchairs and offers coffee or tea. Interesting books line the walls, but soon you’re shown past a coloured glass screen and seated in one of half a dozen traditional old barber chairs in black leather, attended by a uniformed master barber. Smooth vocal jazz plays in the background.

First, sideburns are cut to your preferred length, then you’re tipped back into prone position; a warm towel is placed over the eyes, then a hot towel over the area to be shaved, softening the bristles. Lemongrass scented Refinery pre-shave oil is massaged in, then classic shaving cream from Truefitt & Hill is worked into your stubble.

With cutthroat razor expertly held, the barber begins on the upper lip, using short, precise movements – there are no broad shaving strokes, he focuses carefully, sectioning the whole face off into areas to be worked on methodically. The jaw line is next, followed by each cheek then the neck. More oil goes on, fingers searching for errant bristles growing in different directions, then some final fine-tuning strokes and the blade disappears.

A pleasant aftershave balm (Refinery again) is applied, exuding an old-fashioned manly smell, then on goes a very hot towel and a finger massage erases any tension that might have occurred while the cutthroat razor was poised at your neck. A final dose of aftershave soothes away any prickly feeling, and the process comes to an end with a cold towel to wipe off excess oil. The whole process has taken exactly one hour – and turns a mundane chore into a highly pleasurable experience.

A wet shave with a master barber costs HK$420 (US$54).