The way u use it is up to personal preference actually. U could just apply some to your palm then rub your palms together and then pat onto your face/shaven areas. Don't use too much. If u have a spray type try not to spray directly and use the palm method.

Balms are more for dry/sensitive skin as they contain little or no alcohol. Regular aftershave contains alcohol and gives the stinging effect that some guys like. If u have sensitive skin stay away from aftershaves with alcohol.

I have used a few regular pharmacy brands like gillette, nivea and adidas. But I found them to leave a slight shine and oily layer on my face. So now i just use my toner as an aftershave and finish off with a little moisturizer to calm the skin down. However, the newer nivea aftershave blams have been getting good reviews so u might want to check them out.

A good pre shave routine of cleansing and scrubbing will help improve your shaves. This in effect will help maximize the function of your aftershave. A good shaver helps too.

When u shave u r basically giving yourself hundreds of tiny little cuts...that's why when u apply aftershave lotion it stings. So the job of after shave is really to take care of these little cuts and prevent infections. Aftershave also closes up the pores and moisturizers the skin as shaving can be quite harsh on the skin. There are so many kinds of aftershaves in the market nowadays so its up to u to decide what kind u want. Your skin type is important too when choosing an aftershave.

From my experience, one of the best moisturizers for oily/acne prone skin is Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel. Skin absorbs this moisturizer almost instantly and makes your skin feel silky smooth and not oily at all. But its on the pricier side. 50ml retails for RM87. There is men version from Clinique called M Gel Lotion, which is basically the same thing..retails for RM140 for 100ml...its cheaper per ml than the 50ml womens. A 50ml tube lasts me around 3-4 months.

No idea about Issey Miyake skincare products.

I've got little experience with pharmacy moisturizers
And the few I have used made my already oily skin even oilier.
Most important is getting a gel based moisturizer instead of a lotion based one.

If u mean aftershave lotion/balm, then only to shaven areas.
Face moisturizers like M Gel, the whole face including shaven areas.

Depends on how much facial hair u have. If u got the Chinese kind of facial hair like me then u won't need so many products or a very complicated pre and post shave routine. Just wash your face properly before u shave, use a good shaver and a decent aftershave lotion/balm should be sufficient.

I don't think u need to apply moisturizer and toner as well. Just apply the toner and moisturizer to other parts of the face that were not shaven.

I have not used both before but from my experience with many designer fragrance ancillary products, I can say that these products, in this case the after shave is similar in terms of quality to the regular after shave balms from nivea or gillette. These things ain't cheap either.

Good advice for the TS.

I'll rather get a non scented aftershave balm. I have only seen expensive unscented aftershaves.

Anyone know if regular pharmacies sell non scented aftershaves ?

Its available at any Clinique counter.
Post shave healer - 75ml, RM80
Post shave soother beard control formula - 75ml. RM95
Post shave soother anti blemish formula - 75ml, RM95

I got the price n product info from a Clinique catalog i took from a Clinique counter.

No idea man...I wanted to get either one a few months back but the price put me off. I bought a Biotherm aftershave lotion instead and it's not very good. If i do get one it will be the Post shave soother anti blemish formula. If no then i'll just continue using my toner+moisturizer combo as an aftershave.

Same here. That's why nowadays I just use a toner and moisturizer or just moisturizer alone as an aftershave. Recently I purchased a Thierry Mugler A*Men gift set and it came with a 50ml facial moisturizer/aftershave called Skin Comfort. This product surprisingly is quite good and better than most aftershave balms I have used. However it is slightly on the heavier side and makes my skin a bit oilier than usual but it does soothe the skin very well. The Clinique Moisturizing Gel is still my favourite.