July 21, 2023
- Brush: Terrafirma Soapery – 28mm G5C
- Razor: Chiseled Face - Legacy
- Blade: Wilkinson Sword
- Lather: Wholly Kaw – Fougere Bouquet Soap
- Post Shave: Spearhead Shaving – Heather Splash
- Fragrance: Dolce & Gabbana - Pour Homme EdT
- Music: The Chainsmokers - Paris
Ahhh… Fougères. French for “fern”. I can’t say I’ve ever smelled a fern and thought “This. This is what I want to smell like all day.” Yet fougères are an absolutely delightful olfactory category. I mean, it’s not quite Les Doritos et Dew, but really, what is?
It may surprise some people to learn that despite being named after ferns, fougères typically consist of lavender, geranium, vetiver, bergamot, oakmoss and coumarin. Didn’t see fern on this list, did you? Typical France… I don’t understand why my grandparents left there to come to America. My ancestors, and family I still have over there, were always going above and beyond expectations. You expect ferns and boom! They throw lavender and coumarin at you. Expect the unexpected when dealing with France.
A lot of people think that the American culture is one of excess, I however, would say au contraire, the culture of the French is most is defined by their people going above and beyond. If someone in France wants toast, what do they do? Do they simply take 2 slices of bread and stick them in a toaster? No, no, no… Or should I say non, non, non? They take those pieces of bread, dip em in an egg mixture, add cinnamon, then toss that in a hot pan, and drown it in maple syrup, and then sprinkle some powdered sugar on there to be fancy. The French are the same people who said sex with one person just isn’t enough, we need another person in the mix to make a “Ménage à trois”. And let’s not forget about their famous nude beaches (just don’t expect to go in the winter). Need a new, fun way to execute someone? They invent the guillotine! And one of the most famous emperors, Napolean Bonaparte, wasn’t exactly known for being satisfied with what he had. When it came time to host the World’s Fair in Paris in the 1800s, they built a 1000 ft tall wrought iron phallus just because they could!
My point is that OF COURSE it’s the French to come up with a fougère. As a people, they just aren’t satisfied with the status-quo. They have to create new and wild combinations. And that’s exactly what a fougère was. Let’s call it fern, but really, it’s a little of this, a little of that, and enough herbs and spices to make Colonel Sanders jealous. And it smells damn good!
In honor of Fougère Friday, I’m going fougère on fougère on fougère. And it’s interesting to smell then one after the other, because they are so different from each other. First up: Wholly Kaw’s Fougere Bouquet. It’s a little woody and damp off the tub and opens up a little when I lathered it. Next up, Spearhead’s Heather is a lot sweeter and more herbal and lighter than Fougere Bouquet. Then finally Dolce & Gabbana frag is also an aromatic fougère and I’m getting more citrusy vibe in this scent than the other two. Each of the three bring their own uniqueness to the #FOF fougere party and luckily, they all left me feeling good and smelling great.
For the #photocontest: I’m going music. These headphones make me so happy. Still wired, too!
Haiku-Time!
Doritos are good
Mountain Dew is delicious
Buy Remote Learning
And a 2nd haiku for good measure, dedicated to u/MrTangerinesky, who is, what the French call, les incompetents:
Spite shave started war
Tangerinesky wants the smoke
He’s gonna get it
And, of course, I was lucky enough to connect with Sri from Wholly Kaw for my interview today. Sri puts a lot of thought into what he puts into his products and strives to make skin-care more accessible to the masses. Before we started this interview, Sri warned me that he can be a little long winded and asked if I had a length limit restriction. I told him not at all! Sorry to whatever djudge is lucky enough to get my post today, but I’m so glad I didn’t. Sri gives a lot of very, well thought out, great answers and put a lot of effort into this little project of mine. So, thank you u/whollykaw! I so very much appreciate your willingness to take part in this series of mine.
10 Questions with… Wholly Kaw
1) You’ve been in the wetshaving game for a while now. What made you want to get started making shaving soaps?
Several reasons come to my mind - First, I have a tough beard due to my heritage where I can easily get a 5 pm shadow at 2 pm. Second, I am deeply focused on what’s inside various products - be it in what I put on my skin or what I eat. The lack of disclosure and transparency in what we buy from stores made me go deeper into the ingredients and address my concerns around product safety, effectiveness, avoiding harmful substances, ethical and environmental considerations and so on.
That journey in curiosity and the desire for a more effective product for my own needs led me into the chemistry of ingredients, the synergy among ingredients in a product, the benefits, avoiding certain products due to the ingredient mix. With this additional knowledge, I could have more meaningful discussions with dermatologists or skincare experts or cosmetic chemists.
The right questions get to the answers I was seeking. Sometimes I have to frame the questions multiple ways to get to the answers.
Those discussions and questions led me to make my own product that catered to my needs. And then I decided to give to the community - the collective knowledge that gave rise to the formulation and the end product.
2) How has the wetshaving industry changed since you got started in it in 2014?
Rise of Niche Brands: Including WhollyKaw, the wetshaving community witnessed a surge in the popularity of artisanal and niche brands offering high-quality shaving soaps, creams, razors, and brushes. These brands often focus on natural and unique ingredients, catering to customers looking for a more personalized and authentic shaving experience.
Online Retail and E-commerce: With the growing popularity of wetshaving, new online retailers specializing in wetshaving products emerged, providing a wide range of options to consumers. Our EU distributor also started their business around the same time as we did.
Increased Focus on Sustainability: Consumers became more conscious of environmental concerns, leading to a greater demand for sustainable and eco-friendly wetshaving products. By wetshaving, we help in reducing plastic usage, use a biodegradable product.
Buying Fatigue: Most of us have a ton of products that we bought and do not end up using or use sparingly. We become overwhelmed, exhausted, by the plethora of choices or disinterested due to excessive or continuous shopping experiences. It is characterized by feelings of weariness, apathy, or even frustration associated with the act of making purchasing decisions.
3) What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned since starting Wholly Kaw?
Having a side hustle is a good thing but if the side hustle becomes a business the very factors that enabled a side hustle translates to building block missteps in the business. These missteps become harder to undo.
There is a lot more to the business that goes beyond products and selling. Tons of other variables you have to deal with. For example fire inspection and getting a passing grade from a compliance perspective. These things become important due to the deterrents and other penalties for non-compliance. After you are in compliance it’s on cruise control mode from that point.
(INTERVIEW CONTINUES IN THE REPLY)