2023-07-05 - Death Before Canned Goop
- Brush: Qshave Pure Badger #WEDONTNEEDNOSTINKINGBADGERS
- Razor: Baili BR179 / Rockwell R1 / CVS Goodline Grooming Safety Razor
- Lather: Proraso - Menthol and Eucalyptus
- Post Shave: Stetson - Original, After Shave
- Fragrance: Stetson - Original, Cologne
First off, I know I'm not alone in thinking that Drugstore Day is the worst
(also, I apparently can't be arsed to remember the new names of the days).
That said, I will play by to your rules, I will hit all the themes (including this one), but I will not use canned goop!
I ditched the aerosol a year or more before I picked up DE razors and soap, and
I will not go back!
I'm still not over—*choke*—Only a handful of weeks ago, I was stuck in the
hospital for some silly "septic shock"
or whatever.
Psh. After some 5 or so days had passed (which is the longest I've gone without
shaving since... I don't know, ever?), I gave in and decided to ask for a
razor, hoping for one of those nifty hospital DEs. Instead, what they brought
me was... NSFL WARNING
Never again!
Relevant Post Shave and Fragrance:
These are both available at a local CVS!
I also just realized that I need to disclaim that I got the Stetson aftershave
and cologne for free. From my grandfather. Like 25 years ago.
Razor:
The Baili BR179 is currently being sold at CVS under their Goodline
brand.
Some of you may also recognize this razor as the Rockwell R1. A few years ago,
the R1 was being offered as a Christmas freebie with exorbitant shipping, which
is how I— Ah, dammit, free disclaimer again. How many of those do I have?
Anyway, it does not make for a very good shave, imho. Is it on the aggressive
side for a butterfly? Either way, it's chrome and therefore hideous, so the
only logical conclusion is that it's also a bad shave? Honestly, though,
my skin could be happier.
Much in the same way that the Baili is re-packaged under a store name, Personna
blades are known to be underneath a lot of store branding. While I could have
gone and paid 8 bucks for 10 blades, why? Especially when I already have what
is surely the exact same blade at home!
Side note: store-bought ramekin instead of my fancy-schmancy
suribachi bowl.
Lather:
There's not much that I can say about Proraso that hasn't been said countless
times, including that it appears in such bottom-tier department stores
as Marshalls, which is where I— or was it Ross? TJ Maxx? Whatever. Those are
all effectively the same, right? Whichever it was, it still counts for today's
theme!
Proraso isn't anything to call home about, but it gets the job done without
complaints. That's a lot more than I can say about canned goo. It's also a hell
of a lot more I can say about Badger soap, which is far worse than the canned
stuff. If anyone has Badger for today,
I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. But I applaud
you for sticking to the theme without resorting to goop.
#FOF
If you don't know what Proraso Green smells like, it smells like
eucalyptus. If you don't know what that smells like, I recommend what I did
when I first learned what eucalyptus smells like: I got this soap!
It may seem a little artificial around the edges, but it's cool and
inoffensive with a mild menthol sensation. And I don't think it
lingers, which should be a win-win in
anybody's book! If it doesn't linger, it means you're not tied to the scent
just because you used the soap! That's not to suggest that I think it's bad
when soaps' own scents do stick around; on the contrary, that's nice when you
want to hang on to that scent. But a soap is easier to use if it doesn't, I feel.
Am I inadvertently taking an opposing position to #FOF here, or is the spirit
of #FOF in experiencing the varieties of scents through the process of your
shaving ritual? I feel like I can better get on board with that, rather than
my potentially-erroneous understanding of it being a matter of playing
perfumer-in-the-washroom. More on that below with the challenge, of course.
Post Shave/Fragrance:
I'm in a position with Stetson where I'm not sure what it's supposed to smell
like, which is a position that I prefer because I'm able to take in the whole
of the scent without worrying about what I should be perceiving. But if I try,
I think maybe there's some citrus on top, maybe tamed by a floral of come kind?
I frankly kind of put off when I see "citrus," but I think I understand it plays
an important role in how notes interact. Anyway, there's also something—maybe
darker? yet smooth in my overall impression of the fragrance.
Let's check the answer key... Top notes of sage and citrus. Hey! I got one!
Also vetiver, cedar, patchouli, musk, amber, etc. Okay, that all makes sense.
It's a supremely masculine sent without being too rugged. My brain also expects
a kind of grandpa-ness to it, due simply to the fact that that's who I got it
from, but it is decidedly non-grandpa-y. I don't think I really appreciated
it when I was a young lad. It's quite good, if you can ignore the whole cowboy
theme to the brand. Gross.
Challenge Accepted:
Okay, what would I, with my lay-nose, come up with as my "perfect scent"?
First, I want to know, perfect for what? Before I get too carried way on some
tangent (I am holding back so hard you guys!), some scents that are favorites
(in terms of having the smell on me) feature leather and tobacco (I'm already
thinking of Mammoth's Tobacconist and
Stirling's Oro Valley, two of the best scents I've ever encountered,
recognizing that the latter is a dupe).
They are for sure things on top of the "throw that shit in here!" list.
Other scents that I enjoy smelling include anise, clove, and jasmine.
Those are scents that I've sought out, with mixed success.
How well would they go together?
Oro Valley has leather and jasmine, although I'm not sure how well my nose
picks up the jasmine or if I even understand how or whether jasmine sambac is
distinct.
Oaken Lab's Earth of Mankind combines tobacco and clove for a kretek scent,
which frankly is exactly what I was after when searching for clove.
I feel like anise could be folded in reasonably well; however, I have the
impression that, in scents containing an anise note that is not front-and-center,
the anise must play some supporting role,
because my nose tends not to pick up on it. That might be okay, because
our fictional scent here might otherwise be doing too much.
Side note: this challenge really feels like a u/mammothben cheat sheet! If he's
doing the same custom scent thing again, that is.
#photocontest
Photo: I have 4 of those little stand things, which are purportedly
intended as store display stands, so they're conveniently relevant to today.
They've really helped me organize my cabinet by allowing me to organize razors
vertically and thus clearing shelf space, plus the fact that they're
transparent reduces visual clutter.
Also pictured, but hard to tell because it's also transparent: that's air, bud.