RTM's way

[RTM]

For the past three days I was whipping up Acqua di Parma croap. Its performance is somewhat below the bar set high by Nuavia. AdP's scent is fairly generic, there is a certain cooling effect, not mentholated. The shave is very close. The lather is not bad at all, takes three minutes to work it up properly. Post is definitely less than Nuavia. Slickness could be better but still within standard. I won't repurchase when I'll kill the jar. Coupled with Personna blade it works well. I felt bad leaving about quarter of original volume to waste in my drawer. I decided to go through whatever is open and finish it off. I don't appreciate this nagging feeling that there is unfinished business somewhere.
Post was Jack Black Double Duty.

 

[RTM]

My choice of soap for this trip didn't help at all.
I had to pick one soap to go, and I've made a huge mistake. This almost new puck of Klar was sitting in my drawer - can't remember whence it had come, and I thought I would enjoy it. People wrote glowing reviews about it. All sorts of adjectives were used to describe how good this soap is. Well, my mileage varied to the point that 20 quid worth of soap was demoted to the shower duty immediately upon return. Ye gods, it wasn't what I was expecting. Klar whips up great looking lather, little water required. Good looking, smells good and ... It has no other redeeming qualities. None. Coupled with Feather Klar gave me close shave in three standard passes. The feel wasn't right at all. I should stop @#$! about it now.
Today my trusty Nuavia was soothing and healing and kind to me. The damage will be repaired in couple of days, and the lesson learnt.
JB for post shave and I am starting come back to life as I knew it. This will be my routine for the next fortnight, no less. Going to re-read Jerome's Three Men on the Bummel. Especially that part when J talks to Harris about bicycle saddle.

 

[RTM]

Last week or so I was shaving with the same setup, day in day out. What can I say? I have found my thing.
Blade - Personna, soap - Nuávia Rosso. Three passes, sometimes four simply because I like the process. Plus cleaning up my nape.
I thought of changing up for MdC Rose at some point and decided against it. I like my MdC as any other guy would but consistent use of a really good product is not just about whipping up some lather. It's a Zen thing.
Choice is abundant in our part of the world. Whether we're lucky in this regard or suffering greatly - there are interesting points for both cases. I've stumbled on something good, should I stop looking and enjoy it, or keep exploring variety? I've no answer to this. There isn't a definite one, I'm sure. At this moment in space and time I go with enjoy what I have. It was my executive decision.
Today was the exact replica of any other day of this week: fragrant hot lather, effortless shave. Kind of sorry it's over, very relaxing and enjoyable. Post was Pro Victis, the Peacemaker. I picked it up on a whim, normally I would go with Double Duty. Also, I used alum and it was pointless. Didn't feel a thing, except where stitches have yet to heal fully.
I'll stick with the same setup for a foreseeable future.

 

[RTM]

The week of consistency. Nothing I like better than consistent, well... everything.
Personna and Nuávia are the killer combination. Zero irritation, stitched parts just below cheekbone appear to be healing.
I was truly enjoying the scent and overall quality of the soap, doing three, sometimes four passes. Now I'm back to two point five, with point five being atg on the sides. Some people call it pickups.
Also back to evening shave routine because morning feels a bit rushed. There's only one bathroom, and kids are going back to schools soon. It looks so adorable in the movies. In reality, I brush my teeth in the morning and get out letting them fight for survival. Best part is they've learnt not to appeal to grownups when settling scores. Total indifference to kids' whining and collective punishment in random intervals are the keys to one happy family. Even my organic and anthropo- something yoga-doing better half sees the point of keeping away. Just chuck hot meals, old laptops and programming courses into the mix, insist on elbows off the table, and hope for the best.

 

[RTM]

Shaving this week proved to be my meditation thing. The world would stop revolving in the great empty cosmos once I would step into the bathroom, soak my brush in hot jug, inhale Nuávia amber-like scent and shave. If Zen is indeed achievable I am on the right path at such a moment. Not sure about my other waking moments.
Today it was a particularly good one. I was even tempted to take picture of lather on the brush because it was the proverbial textbook. Until that moment we invent teleport taking picture is, while pleasant past-time in itself, useless. All in all - fifteen minutes that I enjoyed thoroughly.
This week was something I will try to forget and will not for some time. I am fairly used to pressure at work, and nowadays I rarely succumb to general consensus that running about with deadlines and goals and whatnot will help anybody in any way. Not this week. If I'd be pressed to choose the word describing myself this week it would be in old Yiddish - schwitz; means being justifiably smug. Must keep in mind that this week is over and the new one is about to start. Not a soul remembers how good one was last week, never ever. So I should probably forget about this schwitzing thing, the faster the better.

 

[RTM]

I tried MdC Rose, and decided that Nuávia is going to be my only soap for the nearest future. Until I use it all up. Then I will refill the bowl with Panama. If it will work, fine. If not, I'll get me this fancy soap from Boston, whatsitname in a glass container. And another bowl of Nuávia, in different scent. Maybe they will do refill by then. No more tries, no more testing. Done.