James Bond (and presumably his creator Ian Fleming) had a high regard for Floris No. 89 (that being the street address of the shop). The fragrance from the shaving soap was exceptionally good:
Orange and bergamot blended with lavender and neroli give this scent its classical cologne aspect. Warmed with a touch of spicy nutmeg, the floral heart is underscored by the dominant woody accord of sandalwood, cedarwood and vetiver in this quintessentially English gentleman’s fragrance.
The fragrance of the lather adds immeasurably to the shave, which otherwise would be nothing more than an automatic routine of maintenance, like eating a nutritious meal that had no taste at all. You can’t pause to smell the roses if no roses are present.
Beyond the pleasure of the fragrance, the lather itself was excellent. I have no idea of the current quality of Floris shaving soap, since this tub is at least two reformulations ago, but what I have makes a grand lather, ably assisted this morning with the Edwin Jagger synthetic brush, a brush I like more and more.
My Dorco PL602 razor is in the very top tier of my razors in terms of its feel on my face and its performance. If you ever get a chance to pick up one (or a few — they eventually will probably break: after several years, the plastic seems to become brittle), then I highly recommend you get it just for the pleasure it affords as it provides a highly efficient shave.
A splash of Floris No. 89 aftershave, and the day is launched, with President Joseph Biden taking office and what’s-his-name slinking of town with his tail between his legs, devoid of grace and courtesy to the very end.
In passing, let me note I have updated my post on a quick & easy way to cook a steak to include a slow & easy method that does an even better job. And in fact, if you include the time the quick method requires for heating oven and skillet, the slow method is not very much slower, but is safer (less chance of overdone steak) and easier.