The Omega Pro 48 (10048) remains one of my favorite shaving brushes, and today the lather it made from Meißner Tremonia’s Pink Grapefruit shaving paste was remarkably good. I think it is in part because the size of the knot nudges one toward the LABL (load a bit longer) method, though course credit is also due to the shaving paste — harder than a shaving cream, softer than a shaving soap, with excellent performance. MT in general makes soaps (and pastes) whose fragrances stand out clearly, something I appreciate. The Pink Grapefruit fragrance, with its unusual combination of grapefruit and eucalyptus, is a wonderful wake-up call.
And the combination of the shaving paste (with a well-loaded brush) and the pre-shave application of Grooming Dept Moisturizing Pre-Shave (Rainforest, in this case) resulted in noticeable slickness on my face, helping the Eros slant glide through my Monday morning two-day stubble.
Some years ago, when my collection of razors was getting out of hand, I decided I should choose, and I chose to abandon vintage razors in favor of razors made today. I did keep my Gillette 1940’s TTO Aristocrat (in part because it appears on the cover of the Guide) and I kept a couple of vintage slants, because modern slants are not so common as they should be. I have a vintage Merkur white bakelite slant and also this plastic French Eros slant.
The Eros is remarkably good. It reminds me in action of my iKon Shavecraft #102, though blade angle is more important for the Eros. (The 102 doesn’t much care what blade angle you use — if you use a bad angle, it simply doesn’t cut the stubble but won’t bite you.) With today’s prep, the Eros did a wonderful job: an easy, comfortable shave with a perfect result.
A splash of Barrister & Mann Reserve Cool — mentholated, as the name implies — with a couple of squirts of Grooming Dept Hydrating Gel finished the shave. Wonderful way to start the week. — Update: The fragrance of this aftershave after the drydown is terrific. I’ll be using it more often.
The tea this morning is Murchie’s No. 22 Blend: “a superb blend of green Gunpowder and Jasmine, as well as Keemun and Ceylon black teas. All the flavour of our world famous No. 10 Blend, with a touch of bergamot to brighten the flavour, and Ceylon to strengthen the brew. With slightly more pronounced citrus and floral tones, this makes for a great cup of tea.”