When I lived in Las Vegas, every year on my birthday, I would treat myself to a haircut and something called a 'Royal Shave' at a place called The Art of Shaving . Yes it was a "Barber Spa" and yes it cost $125 with the skin treatment. At this distinctly masculine spot in Mandalay Bay, men can treat themselves toa 45-minute Royal Shave. You recline in a leather seat in a room filled with dark wood tones and cool jazz sounds—it's a scene that is inherently relaxing. The Royal Shave begins.
First comes a hot towel treatment to open your skin's closed pores. Then your 'master barber' massages your face with a pre-shave oil—this protects your skin and softens wire-stiff whiskers.
Next, warm shaving cream—whipped up with a badger-hair brush—is lathered onto your cheeks and neck. Then the master barber makes the first course, going with the grain of your beard. Your face is then lathered for a second time and the barber shaves against the grain of your beard.After these dual shaves, the barber applies a rejuvenating and cooling after-shave. He then removes this with a cold, lavender oil-infused towel wrap. It's still somewhat masculine. I was usually fast asleep at this point.Finally, your face is spritzed with bracing cold water and rubbed with a protective after-shave balm. This usually woke me up.At the end of this experience, your face is incredibly smooth . You feel wide-awake and energized. You smile with ease.
Feeling wide awake and energized I was ready for the evenings dinner. For the last few years my girlfriend treated me to KOBE beef. Kobe beef refers to beef from the black Wagyu cattle, raised according to strict tradition in Japan, and often considered a delicacy. Kobe beef is renowned for its flavor, tenderness, and fatty well-marbled texture. Kobe beef can be prepared as steak, sukiyaki, shabu shabu, sashimi, teppanyaki and more. I ordered the steak. Smooth, velvety, incomparably sweet with a subtle tang of flavor that lingers on the palate. One steak cost $180. Every year it was the best meal of the year.
This year I got a $9 dollar hair cut, and treated myself to the "Trifecta" of American cuisine. I ate a flame broiled burger from Burger King, a large fry from McDonald's and a Frosty from Wendy's. Luckily all 3 drive-thrus are right next to each other. It cost $6.32 . It was pretty good.
