Agharta is not only a fabled land (see the link) but also a wonderful shaving soap, in part because I like the fragrance so much: “Talc, Ambergris, Amyris, French Vanilla Bean, Japanese Sandalwood, Cedar, and Oak Moss.” But it is also part of a trilogy, part of a story, and part of reimagining and remaking one’s daily job into something that’s a bigger adventure. Read about that on Phoenix Artisan’s website.
The soap’s lather was predictably wonderful — CK-6 — and the fragrance was everything I hoped for. The work this morning was done by my new Astreus shaving brush, which has a 22mm knot, my preferred size. The brush, however, lacks the exploded tips that Phoenix Artisan’s Star Craft and Amber Aerolite boast, nor is the loft long relative to the diameter, as with the Green Ray and Solar Flare. As a result the brush is not quite so soft on the face as I like, but I am of sturdy stock and can make do.
The razor is one of my spare double slants. (I like the double slant enough that I wanted a double spare.) This one, El Fantasma, has a secret identity and use: it glows in the dark (see photo). The usefulness of this feature is on a par with the usefulness of one of the secret code rings one might in decades past obtained with a boxtop and sticky quarter, a ring whose tiny “secret” compartment (not much of a secret after being revealed in the ad) could hold a message up to three characters in length.
In other words, the feature is intended to please rather than to work. The razor itself does the work and does it extremely well. I really cannot praise this razor highly enough. Extremely comfortable, as I’ve noted before, but still a surprise when you look at the exposed edge of the blade once the razor is ready for action, and highly efficient.
The shave was a pleasure and with three passes my face was totally smoothed. A splash of Agharta aftershave/cologne with a couple of squirts of Grooming Dept’s Aion Hydrating Gel,and the morning is launched.
Today is a coffee day, so I’m enjoying a nicely brewed restorative elixir. And today I buy a bag of beans at Fantastico so that my next coffee will be made with freshly ground beans.
Don’t forget to time tomorrow’s shave! (See earlier post.)