I noticed that today’s brush — another Phoenix Artisan synthetic, the knot the same size as yesterday’s (24mm x 55mm) — did require some additional water to load well, and then it occurred to me that of course the soap today is not the same soap as yesterday: Eufros yesterday, Dr. Selby 3X Concentrated Shaving Cream today. Although called “shaving cream,” it seems more like a hard soap, and it makes a wonderfully generous and thick lavender-scented lather.
So I am reminded: a shave is an ensemble event, and changing one of the cast can affect the whole production. In this case, all I had to do was to used a little more water.
The razor is Phoenix Artisan’s Ascension in aluminum, and it is a stunningly good razor, IMO. Of course, its peerless performance today is built on the pre-shave, soap, and lather already applied. The result was a delightfully easy shave that nevertheless removed every trace of stubble and roughness.
Three passes, a splash of the EDT with a couple of squirts of Hydrating Gel mixed in, and the day begins — with tsunami warnings because of the Tonga volcano eruptions. (Monterey saw a 6-foot swell, and on Facebook I saw a video of some flooding in Santa Cruz.)
The tea this morning is Murchie’s No. 10.