July 27, 2023 – Lavendursday
- Brush: Maggard Razors Aluminum handle 2-band badger 22mm
- Razor: Karve CB
- Blade: Wizamet (16)
- Lather: Catie’s Bubbles – Menage a Lavande
- Post Shave: Thayers – Lavender
- Fragrance: Barrister and Mann – Lavender Interrupted
Challenge: I shaved on my back deck. My SOTD pic is in a planter I recently set up. I spread my shave cream in my sample bowl, loaded my brush, then filled the bowl with water for lathering and rinsing. The lather turned out well. I tried to use the reflection in the glass to shave, but it was hard to see what I was doing, so I mostly went by feel. Album.
Which flavor of lavender is my soap? I can’t say for sure, but the short answer with Menage a Lavande is several. It smells soapy off the tub. Once it’s lathered it’s a multifaceted lavender extravaganza. There’s fresh laundry lavender. There’s green lavender. It’s aromatic, sweet, and vibrant. This is the most lavender I’ve smelled packed into one fragrance. Truthfully, I’ve only kept this for lather games, but the fragrance is growing on me.
I’ve had this bottle of Thayers for a while. I bought it early on in my wetshaving career. I used to think this was a great product. Now, this is an underwhelming post shave. It feels very watery and like it’s not doing much for my skin. I’m tempted to try and use it up, but it’s the only lavender post shave I have. The lavender is in this is somewhat anemic. The lavender is green, a bit bitter, and floral. It’s drab in comparison to Menage a Lavande. It’s in line with what I think of when I read lavender in commercial products.
I don’t know if Lavender Interrupted will be considered for fragrance of the year since it’s not in soap, but it’s my favorite new thing so far. I’m smelling all sorts of things: lavender, sandalwood, amber, vanilla, smoke, hard wood, tobacco, incense, a bit of leather. I smell patchouli but it's hard to separate from the incense. Remember the other day when I said mousse de saxe was like wetshaver crack? Well, it’s here, too. It's smells really nice. After about an hour it's mostly lavender and mousse de saxe. This is a fragrance you can spend a lot of time diligently sniffing through it picking out notes. It’s dark, but balanced enough not to be too heavy. It’s intriguing, yet approachable. I know I said Vespers was Will’s best work a couple of days, but this is in contention. I anxiously await the opportunity to buy a full bottle.
#FOF