April 2021 30 Day Rule/Focus Pix & Discussion. ALL ARE WELCOME!

Thank you Joe.

 

4/21/21 - No photo today. I would say that today's shave was routine, but that's not the right word. Routine implies boredom and doing something without even thinking about it. You always have to pay attention with a DE razor, but with practice, it becomes easy. Once again had near BBS with 1 pass, but a second pass made that a reality again. I'm starting to think about my May focus already. I don't have many soaps or creams - finally - so I may change the razor and see if I can narrow it down to the easy lather I get from Proraso...

 

Awesome shave Joe

 

Very nice shave Paul.

 

Yaqi Excalibur SE AC style razor on Delrin handle.
Feather Professional blade.
Delrin handle Brush with Dscosmetics synthetic knot.
Soap Commander Purpose shave soap.
Pinaud Clubman Virgin Island Bay Rum Aftershave Splash.

Awesome shave this morning.

The Soap Commander could not have been better this morning.....more than enough and thick and slick.

I'm really enjoying the Delrin handle when paired with a lighter head. The grip is the same along the entire length of the handle.....no change in diameter or texture. It just seems to feel natural.

This is the replacement head that Yaqi sent me and the first run with it. Alignment on this head is great.

The Yaqi razor head punches way above its price point. I can only compare it to the Hawks but it will hang with the Hawks and is more maneuverable. It is the best $20.00 razor in the den. Three nice smooth passes for a BBS. The alum was just noticeable in one spot.

Finished the shave with a little witch hazel and Virgin Island Bay Rum.

Hope everyone has a great hump day.

 

Thank you Joe. Have a safe trip. Praying for your dad's full and quick recovery.

 

Very nice Myles. How many brushes do you have now?

 

Thank you Joe.

 

Wonderful Bay Rum shave Danny.

 

Thank you Clint.

 

Nothing wrong with an automatic excellent shave.

Awesome shave Danny. I am glad the replacement razor head worked out for you.

 

Wonderful shave Jim. I am sure the floors are going to be beautiful one the job is done.

 

Is the Atl airport busy? I was just curious how many people are flying now with Covid restrictions starting to lessen.

 

April Focus

Antica Barbieria Colla~~Simpson H4~~Gustave Lalune~~YSL M7 Oud Absolu
My "focus" for the next few days will be to get this Lalune edge exactly where I want it.
I did spend time this morning working it on the soft and hard Arkansas stones,
which resulted in a noticeably sharper edge than yesterday.
I think I can do better...
Lather was provided by the Italian Franco Bompieri...
Now, I have some thoughts on this "high-end" product. They are not all that good.
The lather tends to get "fluffy". In other words, it's very easy to whip in too much air,
which I did this morning. Tomorrow, I will try face-lathering and see if I can get a denser lather.
The price tag is is extreme. For this money, you can get a tub of SMN, which, IMO, is a better product.
Not to mention you can find vintage AoS pucks and they are far better.
The scent...almond...yawn. OK, admittedly, I have transitioned to "lightly-scented", triple milled soaps,
so, one would think this almond would be perfect. I guess it is, but I still find the scent uninteresting.
I traded a jar of MdC original for this and I am not sure either of us "upgraded".
The shave itself was good. I have a neck that is not particularly smooth, but rarely is with a straight razor.
Cheeks and jawline are better than yesterday, so that's a win.
I don't have time tomorrow or Friday for honing, or shaving for that matter,
so it'll be this weekend before I can attempt to improve upon the Lalune edge.
For @Keithmax I am presenting a brief scent comparison.











In addition to the M7OA, I sprayed the back of my left hand with:







Let's compare and contrast, shall we?
First off, the DNA is the same. These two fragrances share many similarities.
You notice right away the original M7 lacks patchouli and the M7OA has some "mineral" top notes.
On my skin, that translates to a "brighter" scent from the M7OA.
The M7 punches you with Amber and is stronger.
Both perfumes claim Oud, and with the price of Oud ($80,000/liter),
I am dubious whether the M7OA actually contains Oud.
I do believe the M7 does, albeit really tamed for the 2002, western consumer.
You'll notice that the M7 notes say: Agarwood, while the M7OA say Oud.
Therefore, I assume the M7OA relies on aroma chemicals to replicate the Oud.
The results of that mean the M7 has a more "barnyard" vibe, not present in the M7OA.
If you do some research, you'll see that BOTH fragrances have gone through reformulations.
The consensus is that the Black Label M7OA most closely resembles the original M7.
I am glad I have both, because I can get a similar vibe from the M7OA and if I want to layer,
I add some sprays of:


This juice is Oud and nothing else...yes, it's diluted, but when layered, really amps up any "Oud"-based fragrance.​

 

Excellent shave Jason.

 

Proraso is a good choice to use for an entire month of shaves. You are correct about how easy it is to lather Proraso. Have a nice day Troy!

 

Thank you Joe.

 

Very nice Danny. What is the brand of the razor head?

 

Great shave and descriptive post Joseph! Glad the blade's sharpness increased, but I think you can do better to get it just the way you like it as well. Have a fine day!

Alabama awesome shave Danny! It seems that you did a fine job on your handles. Have a super day!

 

I have 3 brushes right now, once the one I ordered comes, it it’ll be 4. Won’t be ordering anymore brushes after that.


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