Aug 1, 2022 - AA: MA-RH-MM - Almond Leather - Day 1
Introduction
This is my first time participating in Austere August. I skipped last year because, being new to wetshaving, there were so many scents that I still wanted to try and AA seemed counter to that—at the time. Looking back, I really should have committed to some form of AA to improve my overall shaving techniques. This year I'm going all in, and trying out a few of the side challenges:
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Second Annual International MMOC Appreciation Austere August Challenge
#GEMsOfWisdom (Tagging u/EldrormR and u/Semaj3000)
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Raw Hoggin' Austere August Challange
#RawHoggin (Tagging EldrormR)
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Austere August Mammoth Month
#MammothMafia (Tagging u/JoboozeRum)
I knew that today's shave was going to be challenging: using a razor for which my technique is still problematic, a fresh GEM blade, and a brand new boar brush was just the start. Of course, challenges are just opportunities for growth.
Scent Selection
Actually, the hardest part of this whole shave was selecting the software I wanted to use all month. I had initially wanted to try the Stag challenge, but getting a hold of the required Stag EdP is difficult in Europe. Next on the list was to use my B+M 42 set. Since my wife is not a fan of 42, it would have been like my own personal Stag challenge with a scent that is the polar opposite of Stag. However, the lure of Mammoth Month was just too great.
Which Mammoth soap to use out of so many great scents available? I had initially considered killing my tub of Mood Indigo, but my concern was that there may not be enough to last all month, especially while using such a large, hungry boar brush. My family put their vote in for Almond Leather, and I had just purchased a new tub on sale at the Shave Supply. In the end though, I'd like to say that I used reason and wise discernment to select the perfect scent for this month's shaves, but as I was still indecisive even this morning, I put four HoM scents and 42 into a random number generator and Almond Leather was the winner.
RawHoggin' Brush
To prepare for all the ~~challenges~~ opportunities I was going to have with this shave, I put off shaving for two days. The new Zenith boar brush was relatively soft, but still had scritch and lots of backbone. Honestly, it felt great lathering over two days growth. Tomorrow may be a different story, but the first lather is done. Today's lather was adequate, but far from what I know Tusk can provide. Since I'm still gauging the soap to water ratio needed for this brush, I did end up going back for more soap on the second pass.
MMOC Appreciation
The MMOC was practically buzzing this morning with feedback from the extra growth. The first pass was effortless and offered zero resistance. I probably could have stopped there, but I knew I needed to get at least two passes in. My biggest problem with the MMOC is that I can either have a decent shave or a close shave with irritation and possibly some nicks. I ended up with the latter. I really only have the issues around certain parts of my neck. I think that I will need to really stretch the skin in those areas to get the best outcome, so that's what I'll focus on this week.
Summary
Despite all my troubles with selecting a scent, after using Almond Leather this morning it was clear this was the correct choice for this AA. The orange, almond, and leather notes are blended together so well that this classy scent fits easily with any season or any occasion. I can already see this brush is going to be a wonderful addition once it's fully broken in. My goal for the MMOC is to get consistently near-BBS shaves without any irritation.
Getting Sidetracked
Finally, for the "Let's get sidetracked AA Side-side Challenge," I'd like to call out the song Lucky by Radiohead. I heard this song one night in 1999 while heading back to my dorm room at college, and even though it might seem inconsequential, something about hearing that song at that moment has stuck with me ever since then.
#sidetracked (Tagging u/Teufelskraft)
Rating: 3/5
sotd.djudgement_invitations: [<DjudgementInvitation 24>, <DjudgementInvitation 1958>, <DjudgementInvitation 2490>]