Jun. 25, 2024
Brush: Zenith MOAR BOAR
Razor: GEM Open Comb MicroMatic (Gen. 1)
Blade: GEM PTFE [3]
Lather: Stirling Soap Co. - Christmas Eve - Soap
Post Shave: House Of Mammoth - Santa Noir - Aftershave
Osma: Osma - Osma
Scuttle:* Georgetown Pottery - G20
I simply had to shave today—any excuse to use some of my favorite scents.
Christmas Eve hits all the right notes for me. Years ago I wrote a long post explaining my love of this scent and how it reminded me of Christmas Eve at my grandmother’s house. At one point Rod told me that there was a clear uptick in sales after that post that sustained for several years, which is nice.
If Christmas Eve reminds me of, well, Christmas Eve with my mom’s family, Santa Noir reminds me of Christmas Day with my dad’s. They are bombastic Italian Americans that wear too much musky cologne and wear gold chains and literally say “eyyyyyy, I’m eatin’ here.” Santa Noir reminds me of Christmas Day with them, which hits at the nostalgia I discussed in my review of Santa Noir a few years later.
Just so I could try to get a related aftershave and fragrance point—and keeping in mind my wife’s inability to deal with scents—I then proceeded to spray Vespers on my finger and wash it off. I leave it to you, O Judge, to decide if that counts.
Vespers was the Christmas soap that made me confront what I think makes a Christmas soap. As I wrote in my review of Vespers, I love the scent, but it doesn’t have the same nostalgia triggers that make me adore Christmas Eve and Santa Noir.
I smelled my finger next to my face, and it sort of smells good together. I dunno, does that make this a Feats of Fragrance review?