14-08 - A Mammoth Monday masterpiece
- Brush: Yaqi 'Purple Haze' w/ 24mm Mew Brown knot
- Razor: 1953-54 Gillette 'Aristocrat Junior'
- Blade: Gillette Nacet (14)
- Lather: House of Mammoth - Mood Indigo - Soap
- Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Mood Indigo - Balm
- Fragrance: Proraso - Wood and Spice - Cologne
When I started Austere August, I wanted to go with one of my favourite sets. Sure, part of it was in the spirit of u/cowzilla3's easy-mode challenge and the decision to use House of Mammoth was somewhat rooted in wanting to contribute to u/InfernalInternal's side challenge, but even if those two hadn't existed I'd have probably reached for Mood Indigo.
You've heard me waffle on about my love for the soap and scent for two weeks now, but I just want to reiterate once again that this is a special one for me. It was one of my first 'proper' beloved artisans, it was my first Bazaar purchase, and it opened the gates to a whole world of soaps, balms, splashes, scents and gaping holes in my bank account. If it hadn't been for Mood Indigo, I might not be here, at least not in the same capacity as I am now.
My decision to use 'Mindigo' was also welcomed by my other half, who has long since been a fan of this set's unique smell (though she probably couldn't care less about its excellent performance, as much as I've tried to evangelise). In my wife's own words, she "absolutely loves the smell" and tells me every chance she gets - which thanks to this month of daily shaving has been rather frequent of late. I suppose I've got Mood Indigo to thank for stopping her from questioning my "kinda weird hobby" for a minute.
Anyway, I wanted to show mine and my wife's appreciation for this set, so I commissioned her to make this embroidery of the House of Mammoth logo, in the Mood Indigo tub's striking purple. She printed out the HoM logo, traced it on special chalk paper and then impressed it on a length of canvas before mounting it on an embroidery hoop. The smaller circles dotted throughout the logo are done in 'French knots' while the line work is made up of 'back stitches'. She finished it all up over the weekend, and I wanted to save showing it off for a Mammoth Monday.
I'm over the moon with how it turned out, and it'll definitely make a return for future Mammoth-themed SOTDs. I've briefly floated the idea of making multiples in different colours to go along with each set to her, but she prefers to do a pattern once before taking a break to focus on other things. In that regard our hobbies overlap - I can't stick with just one set all the time, but for Mood Indigo I'm definitely willing to make an exception.
Anyway, u/mammothben, what do you reckon? I think my wife captured it all pretty well, and I love the way your logo has translated to the canvas.
'Mindigo' shaves continue to be the highlight of my day. What's not so great is that I can now see the bottom of the tub approach via a semi-translucent hole in the centre of the puck. I'll make it through the month for sure, but I'm definitely going to have to see about sourcing a replacement from one of you fine folks.
Tags: #MammothMafia23 #UNCHALLENGE