June 8th, 2025: Shave and a Haircut - Two Bits

• Brush: Omega - 10077 Boar $OLDWORLD
• Razor: Gillette - Tech $RUSTYBUTTRUSTY $MACHINEAGE
• Blade: Gillette Silver Blue
• Lather: Moon Soaps - Union - Soap
• Post Shave: Catie's Bubbles - Tonsorial Parlour - Aftershave
• Fragrance: Noble Otter - Barrbarr - EdP

Hardware Scavenger Hunt: Omega boar brushes are made in Italy. For $RUSTYBUTTRUSTY and $MACHINEAGE, I bring forth this old Gillette Tech. I will be going by the date printed on the box that I purchased it in. While it not the most visually stunning patina, it is certainly there. This cloudiness is present on the baseplate as well as the neck of the handle.

Daily Theme Justification: "Union Shaving Soap is a sharp, cooling, and pungent take on a classic American-style barbershop fragrance. It's a step back into the 1950s when the hard work of a craftsman was not only common but appreciated." -Moon soaps Union ad copy

Daily Theme: Barbershop day... I love this day because I love barbershop scents, but a recurring theme asked by many people is "What is a barbershop fragrance supposed to smell like?" because none of them smell alike. To quote the great resident barbershop fiend and honemeister u/whosgotthepudding, barbershop scents are "an ill defined and faux genre." If none of this clarifies barbershop scents and fragrances for you still, it is not supposed to. Nobody knows what the fuck a barbershop scent is. However, there is a vague pattern of barbershop scent profiles including citrus top notes, some herbal middles notes, and oakmoss and/or patchouli as base notes, maybe some powdery talc and sweet notes if the artisan is feeling saucy. Yet, some barbershop scents omit or add to this generic profile and can still be marketed as a barbershop. For example, Chiseled Face Ghost Town Barber is a barbershop scent which follows the generic profile, but adds leather, smoke, and gunpowder. Sounds like a barbershop that Blondie would smoke Tuco in after getting a nice straight razor shave. All of this to say, barbershops are probably my favorite scents because they are clean, fresh, and usable everyday. I have tried many of them and in using Union for the first time today, it may be my new favorite. Union, Tonsorial Parlour, and Barrbarr are all very different conceptions of a barbershop. Tonsorial Parlour is made using strictly essential oils and has a very fruity and bright profile, while Barrbarr is a darker, sweeter, and herbal iteration. Union bridges that gap (minus the sweetness) and made for a whole and transitioning experience of the "barbershop" profile.

Daily Challenge: Limerick day, tsk tsk. I would not consider myself a creative person, but here goes.

Barbershop, what is the scent you are?

To find this out, I mustn't go far

Into the shop I will walk

The barber here I am to talk

"Fresh and Clean!" Now that's on par!

Barbershop word count of this post: 17