Rocking Botanicals

My little viral reset had me using various creams, even Barbasol, but the one that's sticking, as I get back into my close shaving game, is lavender Kiss My Face moisture shave. That would be my cold-season (i.e., winter, not disease-ridden) KMF, while pomegranate-grapefruit is the ideal summer refresher.

Or it would be, if it weren't so stuffy-feeling. Recently I realized that a light oil layer is the way to prevent the congestion in my skin. I basically just need to figure out the right skin prep, rather than laying all  the responsibility on the formula of the soap, and I'll have an abbreviated version of my perfect shave. A nearly-perfect shave, that doesn't involve mixing serum or melting ice in my palm, appeals to me greatly.

Today I tried rose water. Hard to apply sparingly, being aqueous, but I worked as fast as I could with a narrow-mouth bottle (oil squeeze bottle with no dropper insert) and two fingertips. Rubbed it in, then wiped it off. That wasn't necessary, probably, for the lather's sake, but I wanted the oil cleansing effect.

I bowl lathered a whole squirt of KMF, though I know half a squirt will do, because I wanted to share some of that lavender goodness with my stinky pits. I don't like to shower every day, and espeically avoid washing my hair. I made it as wet as I could without collapsing it entirely.

For a while I've been putting off switching my blade out of the Rimei, though I know the Astra SS is getting up into the middle angles of pitch. I just love the surgical control I have with that cutting head on the Schmidt R10 handle. Though lately, I've noticed the blade not coming up even, which makes me suspect that the thread aren't 100% compatible. The classic Merkur-clone handle I was previously using popped off some months ago, and is now serving with my travel Tech.

The 1904 Classic handle might have to do full-time duty, in the end. The entire razor will take over tomorrow, as the Rimei today left me a little too shiny. There was a strange spot of edema on my upper lip, like a mosquito bite, and a similar chuff mark on my chin. Just a good, close shave. Should've done the right thing in the first place, and used a less aggressive razor. Then I might have been able to do more.

Florida Water makes a good splash all over one's body. After moisturizing, I still felt tight, which just gave me an excuse to add a drop of Shave Secret's spiciness. Up until that point, it would have been a perfectly non-sexist or trans-gendered shave. Actually, I wouldn't be offended if a chick smelled like pumpkin pie, either. I guess it's still good.