the art of shaving

Acceptance.  It comes with age.  Over the years I've claimed that I tend to like many of the same things guys tend to like......golf, the great smell of a leather chair, remote controls, football, cursing, and suits. I'm all about the menswear trend in female fashions. Give me a great looking pinstripe suit and some saddle oxfords and I'm set. I'm eccentric enough to even think the look is sexy on me. I dressed up as 'Napoleon Dynamite' for a fundraiser in my town and did his famous dance. A dynamite Napoleon Dynamite.

My latest foray into 'man-dom' is shaving. Nope, not talking bikini waxes or shaving legs. I'm talking full on face shaving. I know....gasp!......are women supposed to do such things? OK, here is the evolution of my face shaving. As a woman of a certain age (I won't mention the 'M' word) I started noticing peach fuzz on my face and neck.  The stubble was offensive and I submitted to painful waxing about once a month. My redheaded, freckled-faced skin was not partial to the procedure and protested with lots of redness and swelling. Not wanting to endure the waxing, I began slinking around the shower and bathroom furtively grabbing my razor to conquer the fuzzies. I felt guilty and ashamed. What if my peach fuzz turned into Blackbeard? What if an unsure hand cut my face and left a disfiguring scar?

The major milestone in my female shaving acceptance came with my husband's Christmas gift- The Art of Shaving shaving cream. Made with sandalwood essential oils.....mmmmmmm, yu-mmy. It is the most intoxicating concotion of smoothness, scent, and softness I have ev-ah applied to my fuzzy visage. Honestly, I can't wait to lather the stuff all over my face and neck (legs and armpits included) and have a good shave. Smiling at myself squarely in the mirror, hair pulled back, warm water running, razor in hand, I proudly and confidently have at myself. Afterwards, my skin looks radiant!  Embracing my new beauty regimen, I love it every bit as much as the smell of leather and the classic look of pin stripe suits. Now, as for Blackbeard.......well matey, I'll let you know.