June 24, 2024
- Brush: Zenith Boar 24 x 48 mm
- Razor: GEM Damaskeene (“Screwy”) #FLIPTOP
- Blade: Personna GEM (3)
- Lather: eleven – Organic Sweet Orange
- Post Shave: Proraso – Eucalyptus and Menthol aftershave
- Fragrance: Hermès – Terre d’Hermès EdP
For the second time during these Games I was graciously given a boost by u/OnionMiasma , who sent me a smush of Eleven Organic Sweet Orange (he also sent me the smush of AA Wapiti that I used on Day 1). The orange smell here is fairly subtle, especially after whipping up a lather. I followed that with Proraso Green aftershave which was much more intense—definitely bracing and cool. Finally I used the famous Terre d’Hermès EdP, which has a wonderful mix of contrasting notes, both earthy and citrusy, with orange being especially noticeable.
The mix of eucalyptus with citrus may need some explaining. I never thought the smells had much in common. On trips to California we drove once or twice through a grove of eucalyptus trees—a memorable experience just for the overpowering fragrance. Since then I’ve come to like grapefruit a lot, both the pulp and the peel, especially in drinks.
It turns out that grapefruit peel has distinct characteristics, different from grapefruit pulp or juice. In his book Nose Dive Harold McGee writes: “Citrus fruits have split personalities: the peel and interior have very different structures, flavors, and culinary uses.” But among lemons, oranges, limes, and other citrus fruits, only grapefruit peel has significant quantities of eucalyptol, the molecule found in eucalyptus leaves (as well in leaves of the camphor laurel and bay laurel).
Finally, grapefruit (Citrus x paradisi) originated as a hybrid, created by crossing pomelo with … wait for it… sweet orange.
Daily Challenge
Many people today picked Spearhead, which is a great choice, but I always want to pick something different from everyone else. So it seems sensible to choose Eleven, whose recent releases have bold, colorful graphic designs on their packaging (good for depicting citrus fruits). In addition to Sweet Orange, Eleven already has Lime & Basil and Sicilian Lemon. My suggestion would be a eucalyptus-grapefruit scented soap. Maybe with other scents mixed in.
Today in Brush Strokes we feature a botanical painting by the Florentine artist Bartolomeo Bimbi. If you click on the image you can see a much larger version, including the legend at the bottom which names the various citrus fruits depicted.
#ROTY