If you have to do something...

[GearNoir]

Dude, I think that's 2-3 steps away from coffee for meals other than breakfast.

Well thankfully I still pretty much keep coffee relegated to breakfast-ish times unless we’re on a road trip/drive somewhere.

My drink choices have slimed considerably in the last 10 years though. I normally drink water with everything these days and then there’s the occasional spirit post dinner. Once in a while a box of flavored sparkling water will be bought for the house but it goes like hot cakes and once in an even great while or if we go out for dinner, an actual soda might be had.

 

[Fightingillini22]

Well thankfully I still pretty much keep coffee relegated to breakfast-ish times unless we’re on a road trip/drive somewhere.

My drink choices have slimed considerably in the last 10 years though. I normally drink water with everything these days and then there’s the occasional spirit post dinner. Once in a while a box of flavored sparkling water will be bought for the house but it goes like hot cakes and once in an even great while or if we go out for dinner, an actual soda might be had.

This is exactly us as well. I drink nothing but water from the tap unless we're out socializing or at a restaurant. My wife buys sparking water from Costco and she'll have one a day to "mix things up" at dinner. Obviously the little guy drinks milk. It's this habit of nothing but water that had me even more frustrated when I had a kidney stone back in May!

 

[woodpusher]

Kidney stones seem to be a rite of passage .... we just wish the "passage' was in the express lane.

 

[Graybeard57]

It’s more a a dry nutty almond husk kind of scent I think.

That might be acceptable. Let's face it, a moot point for me.

 

[GearNoir]

That might be acceptable. Let's face it, a moot point for me.

One can always dream!

 

[beginish]

This is exactly us as well. I drink nothing but water from the tap unless we're out socializing or at a restaurant. My wife buys sparking water from Costco and she'll have one a day to "mix things up" at dinner. Obviously the little guy drinks milk. It's this habit of nothing but water that had me even more frustrated when I had a kidney stone back in May!

Kidney stones seem to be a rite of passage .... we just wish the "passage' was in the express lane.

I’ve got one right now that doesn’t cause any kidney pain but is wreaking havoc in other ways. Water, water water.

 

[GearNoir]

Shave #328 (484 Open Blade Shaves) of 2021:

Gear: Feather AC folding SS, Feather Pro blade, Gillette Prewar Tech, Astra SS blade, Yaqi Rainbow w/ pony synth brush, Proraso Red soap, homemade witch hazel/aloe mix, Proraso Red AS, and ADG Absolu Instinct to finish!

Great shave this morning! The highlight was being able to use my current favorite frag out of the ADG house - Absolu Instinct! It fits really well with the scent profile of Proraso Red. Surprisingly perhaps, it has no sandalwood however…instead it has a base of Amberwood and Ebony wood to give it a nice, rich woody base. Not as rich as TF Oud Wood mind you or perhaps a true sandalwood…but very nice nonetheless.

It’s Wednesday! Almost half way through the week already…crazy!

Have a good one!

 

[Fightingillini22]

Been a while since I had Proraso Red in the den but did spray a bit of Absolu Instinct last time I was in Sephora and it was lovely!

 

[GearNoir]

Been a while since I had Proraso Red in the den but did spray a bit of Absolu Instinct last time I was in Sephora and it was lovely!

Nice! The correlation isn’t exact but it’s ballpark!

 

[GearNoir]

Shave #329 (485 Open Blade Shaves) of 2021:

Gear: Feather AC folding SS, Feather Pro blade, Gillette Prewar Tech, Astra SS blade, Yaqi Moka synth brush, CBL Steel Grey Fougere soap, homemade witch hazel/aloe mix, LNHC Barber Shoppe post shave elixir, and L’Eau D’Issey Pour Homme to finish!

Decent shave today…only killed on angry hair follicle. Wanted to revisit d’Issey today. It’s not quite as weird as the first use last week. I think it’s just in juxtaposition to most modern frags that are sweet; d’Issey has some notes that are fairly sharp and pointed starting out…but it does dry down fairly decently. I’ll keep workin with it!

Hope y’all have a great Thursday!

 

[Fightingillini22]

I know that IM frag has quite the following, but when I tried a spritz it didn't sit well with me and I also felt it was a weird one. Might have to find a decant to pick up and try at home since I see the full bottles hit the discounters all the time around here! Interested to see how it evolves for you.

 

[GearNoir]

I know that IM frag has quite the following, but when I tried a spritz it didn't sit well with me and I also felt it was a weird one. Might have to find a decant to pick up and try at home since I see the full bottles hit the discounters all the time around here! Interested to see how it evolves for you.

Thanks Ryan! Yes, there’s a moderate following for IM that I’ve seen. His Noir Argent has quite a fan base too…hope I get to try that one at some point too.

 

[Graybeard57]

Don't know who else may have noticed, but I'm pretty sure there's a Bingo clue somewhere in there...

 

[GearNoir]

Don't know who else may have noticed, but I'm pretty sure there's a Bingo clue somewhere in there...

Nawwww!

 

[GearNoir]

Shave #330 (486 Open Blade Shaves) of 2021:

Gear: Feather AC folding SS, Feather Pro blade, Gillette Prewar Tech, Astra SS blade, Yaqi Rainbow w/ pony synth brush, Proraso Red soap, homemade witch hazel/aloe mix, Proraso Red AS, and Azzaro Pour Homme to finish!

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh…Friday!


This week seemed to fly by, but still so ready for a couple days off!

Great shave this morning! Still working down the Proraso Red. It’s almost able to be relocated to Clown Puke tub duty…but I’ve said that before, many months ago…so we’ll see. Inspired by Doug’s use of Azzaro yesterday, I figured I whip out my own bottle and douse myself to close the work week. I’ve been trying to be less stingy with my frag sprays, so I even gave a couple more than normal. Glorious!

Hope y’all have a great Friday! Almost to that weekend!

 

[GearNoir]

Shave #331 (487 Open Blade Shaves) of 2021:

Gear: Feather AC folding SS, Feather Pro blade, Colonial “Armored” General, Feather Pro blade, SV/TSC Il Rey Tasso d’Oro brush, SV 70th soap, homemade witch hazel/aloe mix, SV 70th AS, and Guerlain Vetiver to finish!

Almost forgot to post my shave!

Pretty typical Saturday with a workout, coffee, chores and all that jazz.

Most of the Christmas stuffs are out and partially put up.

Hope your Saturday is going well, what’s left of it!

 

[Scuttlesoap]

Shave #331 (487 Open Blade Shaves) of 2021:

Gear: Feather AC folding SS, Feather Pro blade, Colonial “Armored” General, Feather Pro blade, SV/TSC Il Rey Tasso d’Oro brush, SV 70th soap, homemade witch hazel/aloe mix, SV 70th AS, and Guerlain Vetiver to finish!

Almost forgot to post my shave!

Pretty typical Saturday with a workout, coffee, chores and all that jazz.

Most of the Christmas stuffs are out and partially put up.

Hope your Saturday is going well, what’s left of it!

I’m so used to you posting early - i missed this yesterday!

How is the Guerlain Vetiver? Guerlain is one of my favorite houses

 

[GearNoir]

I’m so used to you posting early - i missed this yesterday!

How is the Guerlain Vetiver? Guerlain is one of my favorite houses

Out of the Guerlains I’ve tried, which is only a small handful, it’s one of my favorites. The scent is a classic, fairly intense but light and green vetiver. It can be worn year ‘round IMO…maybe only getting a little cloying in the hottest of summer days, where Vetiver Intense might shine a little more. If you’ve ever smelled Fine Green/Clean Vetiver or CBL Fresh Vetiver, you have an decent idea of what it smells like.

Homme L’Eau Boise, L’Homme Ideal, and Vetiver Intense are some of he others I enjoy.

 

[GearNoir]

Shave #332 (488 Open Blade Shaves) of 2021:

Gear: Feather AC folding SS, Feather Pro blade, Colonial “Armored” General, Feather Pro blade, TH Taurus A synth brush, Stirling Christmas Eve soap, homemade witch hazel/aloe mix, Skin Bracer AS, and TF Ombré Leather to finish!

Couldn’t resist the call anymore…had to make Ombré Leather the star of the shave! Bit of a mish mosh of scents but Ombré Leather overcomes them all with its straight up rugged cowboy Marlboro Man vibe. This is Josey Wales in a damn bottle! Darn tootin! Fittingly, I got myself good on the chin with the Feather SS too

Hope y’all have a blessed Sunday!

 

[Scuttlesoap]

Ombré Leather

Have a cool day!