June 15, 2024 - Near Death Experience
- Brush: That Darn Rob White Handle With Blue Cap 2-Band Badger 26 mm #SHD
- Razor: RazoRock Lupo Silver #RAINBOW
- Blade: Wizamet (29)
- Lather: Noble Otter - Orbit
- Post Shave: Lucky Tiger - Aftershave and Toner
- Fragrance: Zoologist - Koala
Challenge: Me, shave with pasty lather? This is the Lather Games. NOT the Paste Games! Fine, is this pasty enough for you, bastards? The only upside to this is maybe some pasty shaver finally made a decent lather.
I have a lot of soap and I typically shave every other day. That means I have lots of stuff that's only been used 2-3 times. So, how did this tub of Orbit come to look like this? Simple, someone else did the hard work for which I now take credit. This was heavily used when I bought it. I used it for Austere August in an attempt to kill it, only for the soap to laugh in my face. Orbit and Rope Swing are the only cooling soaps I've bought on purpose. I prefer the synthetic cooling agent. Menthol has a strong scent. Unless the fragrance is tailored around it, like Northern Elixir, it takes too much attention away from the fragrance.
I'm not the biggest Noble Otter fan. Don't get me wrong, I am a fan. They make great products, and the packaging is cute. I'm just not as smitten by the Otter labels as others seem to be. Nor do many of their fragrances pique my interest. That said, Orbit is my favorite Noble Otter soap. It smells rejuvenating like a cold shower after working outside in the heat. I don’t understand what the frozen space scent note on the label means. But, this does smell cold, somehow. Or maybe, more accurately, like cooling. The eucalyptus reminds me of the aloe ointment I put on my sunburns after beach days on vacation as a kid. I don’t get the bergamot note in this. The note of rose is used artfully here and meshes seamlessly with the cedar to provide a base for the fragrance.
I used Lucky Tiger because it’s the post-shave closest to death. This has been my go-to when using soaps without matching splash. The label reads “fragrance (citrus essential oils).” It smells like orange. Imagine an orange peel without the bitterness. The splash makes my skin feel great. It’s a great option when I don’t want the drying effect of an alcohol based aftershave.
I chose Koala for today’s fragrance to play off of the eucalyptus note in Orbit. The opening is green and earthy. If Orbit is in space, Koala is firmly on the ground in nature. I get a lot of vetiver. There’s resinous sweet honey-like scents, and Middle Eastern spice. I detect black tea, incense, and a subtle green floral note. It’s complex. As it begins to dry down, vanilla emerges to complement the incense.
I forget who I got this razor from. It was a freebie with a bazaar purchase. The Lupo SS 0.72 is a razor I can use on autopilot. This aluminum Lupo has been sitting unused. I figured it would be mild enough to make the pasty shave bearable. So, I gave it a shot. It was very mild. I had to check there was a blade installed. The verdict is still out on efficiency.
In honor of today’s sponsor spotlight, I used my other /u/geekyoldrob brush. The is an older one with the TDR coin. This was one of the first nice brushes I bought. I got it at the bazaar for a good price. I don’t know what knot is in this. I assume some version of Fanchurian. I like that it's not a gelly as some of my other badgers.
#photocontest - Soccer. I have officially spent money on this side contest.
#FOF