An Orangey Kinda Monday (SOTD)
- Razor: Razorock Game Changer 0.76-P
- Blade: Ladas Super Stainless (4)
- Bowl: Linkidea
- Brush: Yaqi Shayish (24mm synthetic)
- Soap: Stone Field North of Fifty (Henri et Victoria)
- After Shave: Fine L'Orange Noir and Lucky Tiger Face Tonic (not pictured)
- Frag: Terre d'Hermès
Why, Rabbit Hole, it has been a minute since we last met, hasn't it?
TdH is my jam, but I didn't know it was my jam until recently. As I was chasing other scents, I came across quite a few TdH-inspired products that got me curious and everyone said Fine's L'Orange Noir was a close approximation so that got the ball rolling. I'll admit it's probably the most round-about way of figuring it out as opposed to just going to the store and asking for a spritz, but I'm just not that kinda guy. I feel needlessly embarrassed at a fragrance store/counter so I've never really felt comfortable with it and my nose is a classless peasant. But using L'ON a handful of times had me really liking it and so I did what I shouldn't have and got the real deal. No regrets!
Thing is, I don't have a TdH soap and I'm really not in the market to get any more soaps (I mean it!), but what I do have is Stone Field's North of Fifty which isn't a TdH dupe but has a similar orange/citrus opening. Couple that with Lucky Tiger's orange note and of course the actual orange notes from TdH and its dupe and I've got a very orange-inspired shave. And now I get to enjoy the dry-down of the real thing which I am not sophisticated enough to describe other than repeating that it's woody mixed with something else and it is exceptionally pleasant. To me, it's very subtle and not overpowering and I just get hints of it repeatedly as the day goes on. Totally love it. The only saving grace is that fragrances are way too expensive for me to dive into, so this bottle of TdH is where it stops (I mean it!).
As for the shave, the H&V base came through as expected and tamed the scratchy Ladas blade as it crossed my face for the fourth time. It is probably the most polarizing blade I've ever used because while it's not the worst shave on the planet, it doesn't tend to feel very good (it's only okay) yet it continues to deliver BBS results without cutting me. I don't get it. Blades that feel like this usually hack me up, but this one is just kind of standing on the corner threatening me from time to time just to let me know that it could get me if it wanted to. But it never does. It keeps giving me a cupcake as I walk by in trepidation. Why do I keep using it? Because it works, that's why.