Razor: Karve CB on F OC
Blade: Gillette Nacet
Brush: Copper Hat Boar
Soap: Ariana & Evans L’Orange Verte
Aftershave: Ariana & Evans L’Orange Verte
It is hard to believe it is August already, where does the time go? Before too long we will be back into the dark and dirty fall scents, transitioning from the bright and fun summer scents. I figured this L’Orange Verte would be a great scent to bridge the gap.
L’Orange Verte is what I would call a dirty citrus scent. Notes are: Bergamot, tangerine, lemon peel, orange, black pepper, lavender, neroli, oakmoss & patchouli. Upon opening the tub you are met with the orange right up front, but not a bright sweet orange. The lavender is quite subtle, softening the bright citrus notes. The black pepper adds a bit of spice while the oakmoss and patchouli darken this up and give it some earthiness. It is a very nice take on a citrus. Scent strength is definitely on the lighter side for an A&E product, unsurprising as citrus forward scents typically are. No need to comment on the base, if you have been following along you know how much praise I throw at A&E for the quality of their soap/aftershave products. If you don’t have any in the den you are really missing out.
Today I pushed my comfort zone a bit by using a very aggressive razor combo with the open comb F plate from Karve. I typically run the C OC or the D CC so this was a stretch for me. I saw this on the trade market so I figured it was worth the experiment. This definitely takes all the Karve smoothness away from the shave for me. I can really feel the blade on the face. I’m not a big fan, but you can’t argue with the performance. Two pass shave, no cuts or weepers, damn near BBS. AND I used a very light touch. If you are removing a lot of growth or aggressive razors are your jam, this would be welcome in your den. For me, I’ll probably reserve it for knocking down the growth on the rare occasion I miss a few days of shave.
The Copper Hat boar is starting to soften a bit at the tips but the backbone is overly stiff for me. I don’t know if that will change much as the loft is set on the low side. A bit of a shame as the brush is a real looker but if I continue to find that a bit much, I will give this a re-knot.
All for now – J
