LG23-09: Death Before Decaf
- Brush: Rubberset 400 26mm Soft Tuxedo
#HOLLOW
- Razor: Schick Krona
#UNICORN
- Blade: Voskhod (5)
- Lather: Gentleman's Nod - Musashi - Shave Soap
- Post Shave: Barrister and Mann - Clusterfig - Aftershave
- Fragrance: Marissa Zappas Perfume - Smoked Jasmine Black Tea
- Passes: WTG, XTG, ATG
- Coffee: Lavender Latte
- Music: Yosi Horikawa - Wandering
- LG Tags:
#FOF
During last year’s Games, I made the mistake of shaving in my kitchen using household cooking gear. I learned two important lessons. Lesson the first: silicone utensils will hold onto the scent of Stirling Green for days. Lesson the second: Mrs. Mosquito is not a fan of Stirling Green scented foodstuffs. Putting this critical knowledge to good use, I shaved in the kitchen, but exclusively used stainless steel (measuring spoon) and wet shaving equipment—minus our trusty vanity mirror, which is no stranger to the Lather Games.
As for today’s theme, I’m surprised many contestants are pulling out their coffee-scented soaps, because tea scents are where it’s at. In my case, jasmine tea.
Musashi is the first Gentleman’s Nod soap I’ve used in the current C4 base and I can finally recommend their soaps based on performance. I don’t know if my samples were duds, or they had been mistreated before they got to my bathroom, but my previous experience with this brand was…not good. I remain a huge fan of the original Jackie scent (baseball diamond grass, sandalwood, zesty bergamot), but I couldn’t get those samples to lather no matter how much soap I used. I’m getting off topic here, but the moral of the story is this new base is wonderful and Musashi lives up to that performance.
Taking a different tact than other wonderful wet shaving tea scents (Cheshire, 42, TNEV), Musashi is “developed around a heart of Jasmine Tea,” and aims to replicate a walk from coast to mountain in historical Japan. It nails the brief. The lovely jasmine-infused tea is blended seamlessly with yuzu citrus, Asian pear, and fir. The floral tea is prominent, but doesn’t dominate, instead connecting the disparate elements into a cohesive image; the citrus and woods take Musashi out of gourmand territory by introducing depth and texture. I should pick up a sample of the fragrance and see how it progresses throughout a wear. I bet it indeed suggests a journey from coast to peak.
I reinforced the jasmine tea note with my aftershave and fragrance. I’ve mentioned before that Clusterfig is my favorite wet shaving scent; it’s a complex blend of emerald green fig, semi-sweet fruit (tart apple and lemon), and a sly addition of resinous amber, made intoxicating by its floral component. While the violet and orange blossom are important, a strong jasmine is the highlight, balancing out what could have been overly sweet and fruity. Clusterfig is deceiving that way; the fig is the focus, but the composition as a whole is a heady floral, making it a perfect bridge back to my fragrance. Marissa Zappas’s take on jasmine tea is malty black instead of green, lightly smoked, served outside on a cool morning. Part of “the Garden Collection,” this fragrance is all about the jasmine—sometimes indolic, persistent throughout, and perfuming the air far beyond the steam rising from cup and saucer. The tea is less obvious. There are lovely cereal notes buttered by orris, I pick up faint incense and sage if I smell my wrist, and a more straightforward black cuppa is there at the heart.