July 13, 2023 – LG Day 13 – Far Out, Man!
- Brush: Stirling Two-Band Synthetic 24mm
- Razor: Karve CB SB-B
- Blade: Lord Classic (3)
- Lather: Murphy and McNeil – Ouroboros
- Post Shave: Stirling Soap Co. – Glastonbury
- Fragrance: Comme des Garçons – Incense Series 3: Avignon
I really love hippy dippy scents. Incense is one of my favorite fragrance categories, and patchouli is an undercurrent in a ton of soaps and frags I own (and the two have a significant overlap). Ouroboros is an interesting one. Murphy & McNeil doesn’t make my favorite base, and I struggled to get a good lather this morning, but I got there with some patience (moar water moar soap). I’m not really sure how the self-devouring serpent is connected to a soap that’s really just amber, patchouli, and incense, but you gotta name a soap something. It’s a very warm and sweet incense, somewhat like nag champa, probably as such because of the amber and vanilla. It definitely fits the theme, but it’s not necessarily my favorite incense- or patchouli-centric product I own. Glastonbury felt like a good pairing, as it’s heavier on the patchouli than it is the incense, and as indicated in the product description, is definitely evocative of hippies and music festivals. It smells like the hippie shops i’ve been into in Maine and Vermont (e.g. Mexicali Blues), and honestly smells a lot like my former roommate who is very much more into the real deal “hippy dippy baloney.” Really craving the particular type of incense I like most, I immediately went for CDG Avignon. The frankincense, myrrh, and everything else in this fragrance is incredibly evocative of the Catholic church I grew up in, which brings forth a lot of nostalgia of when I was a kid and life was much easier. At this point in the day, it’s mostly faded off, leaving vanilla with only a touch of incense left (unless I shove my wrist into my nose), but it’s a pleasant drive down. This is one that I will probably get a full bottle of when I have the funds to splurge. #FOF
Keeping with the hippy dippy theme, my song today is Everything is Permanent by Dawes (Spotify | YouTube). My partner is much more into the classic jam bands, particularly Grateful Dead, so I was excited to share this album from one of my favorite bands with her when the album recently came out. Dawes is a folk-rock/dad-rock band that has had a lot of evolution over their career, and the nine minute long, jam band-esque songs in this album were a surprise to me, but are really thoroughly enjoyable. This song is my favorite.