Apologies for the poor framing that clipped off the top of the brush—but I imagine you know what a full photo would show.
Pink Grapefruit shaving paste is really wonderful and has an unexpected fragrance from the combination of grapefruit and eucalyptus—and it makes a mighty fine lather.
The RazoRock machined stainless razor ($50: remarkably low price for a razor this quality) is very comfortable and highly efficient and certainly would have been included in my Sharpologist post on my favorite razors if I had tried it at the time I wrote. Worth considering if you’re looking for graduation presents for young males.
A splash from my sample of Creed Royal Oud made a great finish. Creed notes:
Classification – Woody / Oriental / Rich
Top note: Lemon, pinkberries, bergamot
Middle note: Cedar, Galbanum, Angelica roots
Base note: Sandalwood, oud, Tonkin musk
“Oud” as a fragrance rather than (say) a musical instrument is made from agarwood. From the Wikipedia article:
Agarwood, aloeswood or gharuwood is a fragrant dark resinous wood used in incense, perfume, and small carvings. It is formed in the heartwood of aquilaria trees when they become infected with a type of mould (Phialophora parasitica). Prior to infection, the heartwood is odourless, relatively light and pale coloured; however, as the infection progresses, the tree produces a dark aromatic resin, called aloes or agar (as well as gaharu, jinko, oud, or oodh; not to be confused with bukhoor), in response to the attack, which results in a very dense, dark, resin embedded heartwood. The resin embedded wood is valued in many cultures for its distinctive fragrance, and thus is used for incense and perfumes. The aromatic qualities of agarwood are influenced by the species, geographic location, its branch, trunk and root origin, length of time since infection, and methods of harvesting and processing [1]
One of the main reasons for the relative rarity and high cost of agarwood is the depletion of the wild resource.[2] Since 1995, Aquilaria malaccensis, the primary source, has been listed in Appendix II (potentially threatened species) by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.[3] In 2004, all Aquilaria species were listed in Appendix II; however, a number of countries have outstanding reservations regarding that listing.[3]
First-grade agarwood is one of the most expensive natural raw materials in the world, with 2010 prices for superior pure material as high as US$1000/kg, although in practice adulteration of the wood and oil is common, allowing for prices as low as US$10/kg.[4].. . .