Finding my bottle of Taylor of Old Bond Street Bay Rum aftershave pushed me toward a bay rum sequence, and this morning my eye somehow went immediately to my Phoenix Artisan Bay Rum among the stacks of shaving soaps, and so here we are.
This is the Kokum Butter formula, not the richer (both in feel and price) CK-6 formula, but the lather today was superb, probably a combination of the excellence of the soap (Kokum Butter is no slouch) and method (LABL method just adds to the goodness), plus a solid brush, a 22mm Maggard synthetic, the 22mm size being the ideal size for me.
The razor, an Above the Tie R that I bought years ago, is a solid performer, and today the shave as superb. I did notice a fair amount of blade feel, but no discomfort (a feeling that I might be nicked or — even worse — a feeling that I’ve just been nicked). It was an efficient shave — stubble easily removed — and also a highly effective shave: a perfectly smooth result.
A splash of TOBS Bay Rum aftershave mixed with a couple of squirts of Grooming Dept Hydrating Gel made a pleasant end to the shave, and my skin feels extremely soft and smooth right now. (Some credit is surely due to the Grooming Dept Moisturizing Pre-Shave I use, and I really like the new formula, which — now that I’ve used it for a while — seems even better than the original formula.
The tea this morning is Murchie’s Anniversary Blend: “The combination of Assam, Keemun, Ceylon, Yunnan, and Gunpowder single origin teas produces an expansive cup with light briskness, full mouth feel, and a rich amber hue.”