Myrsol of Barcelona

Whenever I am in Spain, I take an empty suitcase within another empty suitcase to bring things back. Know where to look, as in Britain, and Spain becomes a haven for lovers of heritage brands and timeless classics. Half of my luggage space might be packed with jamon de Jabugo and good brandy (drink for heroes), I won't lie, but I will always find space for Myrsol grooming products.

Spanish classic from the 1940s

Mysrol was founded in Barcelona in the 1940s by Don Miguel Ricou Sole. Don Sole compounded his name to form the brand name Myrsol and set about blending and creating his colourful preparations. The range of Myrsol products is decently wide and includes after shave milks, lotions, shaving soaps and hair products.

Art Deco bottles

The products are still made in Barcelona using Miguel's original tactile Art Deco bottle designs that incorporate finger grips into the sides.

The genial-looking Don Sol left this realm in 2015, aged 95, God rest his soul in peace and gladness.

Know who you are

I have picked out three of my favourite Myrsol products — La Emulsión Myrsol, Plastic Shave and Capilar Espumoso — but please allow your physiognomy and partiality to steer you to others. Know who you are and who you may be, if you choose. You can buy Myrsol products from The Shaving Station in the UK.

La Emulsión Myrsol

La Emulsión Myrsol is a classic amongst classics and has to be part of any Myrsol trial. You can use the white wonder cream as a pre- or post-shave preparation or use it to shave with instead of shaving soap. Wet shavers swear by this stuff for its moisturizing and antiseptic properties.

Plastic shave

I was first attracted to the pinkish Plastic Shave for its peculiar name. I'm very shallow. But it's actually a rather wonderful aftershave lotion that works as an astringent to tighten (through lactic acid) and smooth the skin. I like the crazy colours of the Myrsol range. Being from a Barcelona outfit, there's a certain Catalan modernism to the aesthetic. A bottle wouldn't look out of place in Gaudi's Park Güell, for example.

Hair with the courage to continue

Finally, in yellow, we have the Myrsol Capilar Espumoso ('Sparkling Capillary') hair lotion. The lemon hair lotion is intended as a dry hair wash and tonic that revives, cleans and strengthens the hair to leave it shiny, full of bounce and with the courage and strength to continue. Think Samson.