The New Smooth

I'm not one to brag, but I really liked what I saw in the mirror this morning. I had a headache before bed, and woke up with the same. I expected a pruney, dehydrated face to be looking back at me, but was pleasantly surprised. Such qualitative distinctions are hard to describe... actually, I think it was the lack of a distinction, between my beard area and the rest of my face, that's notable.

Just a plain old oval, of smooth contour and even tone. Of course, there was stubble to be shaved off, and a bit more than yesterday, the shave clocking in at the usual 10 hours of smoothness. I released the Noxzema from its preshave boundaries and spread it all over my face, in accord with the new gestalt. I gave the shaving oil a reduction, down to two drops, feeling strong, hoping for a closer shave.

Williams responded well to this formula, showing itself at its creamiest on my face, after a somewhat foamy start in my old cereal bowl. That was especially gratifying, because I had given the Arko a sniff, too. The Williams was odorless, but the decider was the dry feeling of the Williams' surface, whereas the Arko felt suspiciously of glycerin.

I think I simply forgot to use alum, but came to my senses before deliberately applying oil ahead of Skin Bracer, remembering yesterday's burn. More pleasant, but I still had to back it off.

This shave felt, and the result looks, no different than a summer shave. No unusual blade feel, of plastic or undercooked spaghetti. I am once again, my fully moisturized self. Only, smoother.

It's not the hair. A cotton ball catches ATG. I'm pretty neutral on the conventional descriptions of "BBS," "DFS," and "CCS," but today I could flush 'em without compunction. There would only be "the ideal shave," then, and this would be it.