7/13/23
- Brush: Muninn Woodworks w/ 24mm Manchuria Fan
- Razor: Ralf Aust 6/8, Full Hollow Square Point
- Lather: Declaration Grooming - Harmony
- Post Shave: Grooming Dept - Ketoret Aftershave Splash
- Fragrance: Spearhead Shaving - Seaforth! Black Watch EdT
I've been waiting for today. I absolutely love incense scents.
Harmony fits the bill perfectly. Dragon's Blood and Nag Champa. It is a very straightforward incense scent, and I love it. Dragon's Blood is an incense that brings back a lot of fun memories. The first one that comes to mind is from when Mrs. Pudding and I were still dating. We went up to a small mountain gambling town named Cripple Creek. We'd taken a bus up from Old Colorado City on a beautiful sunny day. Spent the day checking out different shops, walking the small town, and even got in a couple hands of poker. That evening, we went out and got some dinner at one of the casinos. It was then, before dinner showed, that we ate a shit ton of mushrooms. We ate our quick meal and went to another casino, one we were in earlier that just had tons of lights and mirrors, and sat down for some slots. As the mushies kicked in, and the world became weirder and weirder, our pulls on the slots became slower and slower. Til finally they just came to a stop, and we found ourselves just tripping balls and taking everything in. We eventually mustered the mental strength it took get up and head back to our hotel. We stepped out into a wonderland of some super cool ice sculptures they had done earlier in the day. We got lost in that, too, for a while. After breaking free from those wonders, we slowly made our way back to our room, regularly stopping to take in the amazing night sky. We eventually made it back to the room. We settled in and the (now) Mrs. lit some Dragon's Blood incense sticks, put on some music, and I proceeded then to melt into the world around me while my brain did a complete factory reset. A 10/10 night. The next morning I drank some coffee and ate breakfast at a hold em table before we took a bus back down to Old Colorado City.
Ketoret is another fantastic incense scent. A lot of Frankincense, Myrrh, and Saffron. The Mrs. is not a fan of this scent, primarily because of the saffron, though she can enjoy it in other things. I don't care for the post shave experience (I could potentially be using too much) from GD splashes. They honestly leave my face feeling gross and almost slimy, but I wanted to commit to the bit. Mixed with Harmony, though, it's a nice combination and gets me closer to feeling like I'm standing in a head shop.
To top it all off, enter Black Watch. This is a very classy incense kind of vibe. A little sweetness from the bergamot, plum, and jasmine rounded out with incense, oakmoss, and sandalwood, topped with a hint of leather. Again, this is a very classic and mature feel to this scent.
I was originally going to link a Pink Floyd song, possibly the one I want them to play when they bury me under a tree. They are my favorite. With the memories of tripping balls in the mountains fresh in my head, I opted for something else and more fitting: Joe Walsh - A Life of Illusion.
Life is just that, my friends, an illusion. We are the universe manifest in to consciousness in order to experience itself. Enjoy it.
#ROTY