Author Topic: SAFETY Razor Shave of the Day (SOTD)  (Read 741863 times)

Offline 120inna55

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Re: SAFETY Razor Shave of the Day (SOTD)
« Reply #1920 on: July 20, 2017, 05:23:41 AM »
Barrister's Reserve Classic
Ever-Ready 100T | Elite Razor Manchurian
Ever-Ready SE | Gem PTFE (1)
Gillette Sun Up


Offline 120inna55

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Re: SAFETY Razor Shave of the Day (SOTD)
« Reply #1921 on: July 21, 2017, 07:51:25 PM »


Lather Bros. "Flora Colossus"
Island Bladeworks "Bullwinkle" | TGN Finest
Ever-Ready SE | Gem PTFE (1)


Until now, my only soap from Lather Bros. Soap Company has been "El Barbero" which I reviewed this past Winter.  I've continued to use the soap periodically, but not as often as others due to the uninspired fragrance.  El Barbero's performance is good, but the "barbershop" fragrance doesn't bring anything new to the table.  It's my own fault for ordering their most traditional fragrance.  When I saw "Flora Colossus" pop up on my Instagram feed, I was naturally intrigued.  As per my usual modus operandi, the beautiful label and limited run nature hooked me.  The fact that it was inspired by the comic character, Groot of Guardians of the Galaxy, this was a no brainer.  The proprietor offered me early access to the set, but I paid full price so as not to blemish the integrity of my review.

As mentioned in my prior review, the label execution was near perfect with El Barbero with only a few minor missteps, but Flora Colossus is indeed perfect.  There are no bubbles or scratches, and the side label is perfectly aligned.  It's really an attractive presentation and an interesting take on Groot and Planet X with vivid neon colors consistent with the Guardians of the Galaxy nebulous motif.

When I compare this to El Barbero, the performance seems to have stepped up a bit, although I have no knowledge of a base formula change.  Flora Colossus seemed a bit slicker than El Barbero, but density may not have been as robust.  However, it didn't seem to be less protective.  Additionally, the residual slickness was incrementally improved from El Barbero.  The post-shave feel was average.  The artisan that immediately comes to mind for comparison with regard to overall performance is Stirling.

I actually broke this shave up into two shaves:  a quick two-pass face shave at the sink this morning, and a two-pass head shave with face touch-up in the shower this evening.  I'm typically a shower-shaver, so I'm basing my comments on the latter. Flora Colossus' fragrance is light and airy by design.  It opens with lavender of the woody variety and is backed up by a floral note that takes on characteristics reminiscent of warm honeysuckle. It's not exactly honeysuckle, but it feels like the same family.  It was the one note that wasn't familiar.  I'm assuming this was the documented "Asian Pear", but since I have no idea how Asian pear smells, I can't say for certain.  I didn't smell anything that reminded me of the pears I picked off our trees from my homestead.  Perhaps this is supposed to be from the blossom itself as opposed to the fruit.  Cedar slips in almost unexpectedly amidst the floral accord, adding a little weight and depth but not enough to forfeit the airy nature.  I found this to be a pleasant fragrance despite my usual aversion to overtly floral fragrances.

While I usually prefer splashes, this limited run came as a bundled set with balm.  This was my first use of Lather Bros' balm, and it performs very much like Soap Commander's spectacular balms. Those familiar with Soap Commander's balms know that's quite an endorsement.  Also, like Soap Commander, a very small amount to damp skin goes a long way.  This balm is also pleasantly mentholated---maybe a little less than Soap Commander's.  The fragrance strength was very light and short lived.  Again, I suspect the light nature is by design, and it lends well to this type of fragrance.  One should have no expectation that this will serve as a fragrance replacement, and it won't last long enough to conflict with any fragrance you choose to wear.  I'm inclined to pair with Catie's Bubbles' Confiant parfum extrait next time.

Overall, I'm very pleased with where Lather Bros. has arrived.  The classy and professional presentation is enough to make you take notice, but the performance is easily enough to sustain it.  Flora Colossus is an interesting interpretation of the fictional Groot character.  I would have imagined Groot having a resinous and dark woody aroma, but Flora Colossus' light, airy, floralized woodiness is a play on the whimsical "life" of Groot which reveals a more unique artistic interpretation.


Offline 120inna55

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Re: SAFETY Razor Shave of the Day (SOTD)
« Reply #1922 on: July 23, 2017, 06:51:57 PM »
Lather Bros. Soaps "Miami Mojito"
Island Bladeworks "Stoya" | Elite Razor Manchurian
Ever-Ready SE | Gem PTFE (1)


This one took me by surprise.  After having just used Lather Bros' latest, Flora Colossus, which was slightly improved beyond an already nice performer, El Barbero, I expected Miami Mojito to perform similarly.  The surprise is that it feels like it's a generation ahead of the other two.  I wasn't aware of a base formula being changed.  In fact, Flora Colossus is the latest release, so I would expect it to be the latest base.  However, when I compared the ingredients list for the two, I noticed pineapple puree in Miami Mojito, and it's not listed in Flora Colossus.  I therefore checked their website, and I saw that "Life's a Beach" contains mango puree.  Thus apparently the artisan varies the base, which is nothing new, but I noticed a clear performance boost with this one.  I wonder if the pineapple added enough citric acid to overcome the limitations of my hard water.  (Yes, I know adding a little citric acid to my reserve water could accomplish the same thing, but with the top artisans, I don't need to do this.) Whatever the case, Miami Mojito is not only above average like its relatives, but it actually is competitive with my favorite top artisans.  The lather characteristic was quite creamy and dense.  Glide was perfect, and residual slickness was also on a superior level allowing me to make touch-up passes without visible lather.  Finally, post-shave was comparable to Jeeves and Catie's---in other words, stellar.

I've never had a Mojito cocktail---Miami or otherwise---so I have no idea if this smells even remotely similar, but the notes are mint, lime, and basil.  Gourmands aren't always my favorite, the exception being that I tend to be drawn to anything with lime.  That said, Miami Mojito doesn't broadcast the lime right away.  Instead, I picked up on the basil initially, and the mint wasn't far behind.  By the time I had a usable lather, the lime made a clear presence, but it never took the lead.  As the shave progressed, it got sharper and bolder.  Of the three soaps by Lather Bros. I've used, Miami Mojito by far has the strongest scent.  I would rate it a 4+ out of 5 with regard to scent strength. Again, I was really surprised by this fragrance.  I absolutely love it.

As previously stated, the post-shave was outstanding and precluded the actual need for any post product, but I was certainly inclined to use Lather Bros' new alcohol-based, mentholated splash.  Back in the Winter, with my first review of Lather Bros., I used El Barbero with its paired splash.  I had to correct my initial review because I erroneously called it "alcohol-free".  An astute reader noted the ingredients indeed mentioned alcohol, but I had assumed it was alcohol-free in light of the inhomogeneous nature and my inability to detect it otherwise. As it was, the amount of alcohol was minimal in this early splash.  Hopefully, Lather Bros' move with Miami Mojito and the obvious higher alcohol ratio is a change that they'll continue to implement.  Additionally, the splash comes in the flask-style glass bottle.  This splash felt great with immediate cooling and an overall impression similar to the late Folsom & Co. splashes.  The lime carried much better in the splash such that it was the dominant note, and the mint was accentuated by the menthol.  The drydown revealed the basil as the mint left the scene. Lime was still present, but it was mellowed greatly by the basil.  4 hours later, I continue to enjoy this pleasant fragrance.

Lather Bros. is now a permanent part of my rotation.  El Barbero was an above average freshman performer, but the "barbershop" fragrance was nothing special.  Flora Colossus boosted performance and is a lovely fragrance.  (Admittedly, I'm partial to Flora Colossus due to the Groot comic character homage.)  Miami Mojito is a clear performance spike, and that alone is reason enough to use it routinely.

Offline 120inna55

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Re: SAFETY Razor Shave of the Day (SOTD)
« Reply #1923 on: July 25, 2017, 07:09:00 PM »
Catie's Bubbles - Confiant
Zenith XXL Manchurian
Ever-Ready SE | Gem PTFE (1)


Offline 120inna55

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Re: SAFETY Razor Shave of the Day (SOTD)
« Reply #1924 on: July 27, 2017, 08:18:20 PM »
L&L Grooming - Cuir et Épices
Island Bladeworks "Bullwinkle" | TGN Finest
Star 1912 | Gem PTFE


Offline 120inna55

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Re: SAFETY Razor Shave of the Day (SOTD)
« Reply #1925 on: July 29, 2017, 03:12:53 PM »
Catie's Bubbles - 322
DrivenLegend Red & Black | APShaveCo Tuxedo 30mm
Ever-Ready 1912 | Delta Echo | Gem PTFE


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Re: SAFETY Razor Shave of the Day (SOTD)
« Reply #1926 on: July 31, 2017, 09:11:18 PM »
Van Yulay - Smoky Mountain Whiskey
Ever-Ready 100T | Elite Razor Manchurian
Star 1912 | Gem PTFE


Offline 120inna55

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Re: SAFETY Razor Shave of the Day (SOTD)
« Reply #1927 on: August 02, 2017, 08:18:17 PM »
Chiseled Face Groomatorium - Civet
Island Bladeworks "Stoya" | Elite Razor Manchurian
Ever-Ready SE | Gem PTFE
Homemade Aftershave w/Zoologist Civet EdP
Zoologist Civet EdP


Offline 120inna55

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Re: SAFETY Razor Shave of the Day (SOTD)
« Reply #1928 on: August 05, 2017, 06:24:45 AM »
Movie Night SOTD
Tallow + Steel "Dark"
BSB-Ti | HMW Extra Dense
Ever-Ready SE | Gem PTFE (1)


Offline Laser Man

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Re: SAFETY Razor Shave of the Day (SOTD)
« Reply #1929 on: August 05, 2017, 09:50:26 AM »
You have a great collection. Where do you keep everything?

Offline 120inna55

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Re: SAFETY Razor Shave of the Day (SOTD)
« Reply #1930 on: August 06, 2017, 04:56:38 PM »
You have a great collection. Where do you keep everything?
I'm trying to offload a lot of the soaps I no longer use.  I still have an extensive collection, and I find it difficult to pare it down much more.  I simply have the stackable modular clear plastic drawers full of soaps and splashes.

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Re: SAFETY Razor Shave of the Day (SOTD)
« Reply #1931 on: August 06, 2017, 04:56:47 PM »
Van Yulay - Smoking Hot Pineapple
RazoRock 400 | Noir Plissoft
Ever-Ready SE | Gem PTFE (1)


I wouldn't have thought pineapple would work as a wearable fragrance for me, and I typically don't gravitate to gourmands, but Smoking Hot Pineapple does it for me.  It is largely an accurate grilled pineapple fragrance but there's just enough vetiver to lend a smokiness and wearability.  Van Yulay's soap (and splash) ingredients tend to render assessing a fragrance from the jar impossible, but this one blends in quite well.  The scent starts a bit sweet when initially lathered, but the smoky vetiver comes in nicely.  As previously stated, grilled and caramelized pineapple remains the forerunner throughout.

None of Van Yulay's soap bases are bad, but I find I really like the ones with emu, tallow, and clay.  It yields a density that stands toe-to-toe with L&L's bison tallow base.  The glide, residual slickness, and post-shave are all at a level competitive with the elite artisans.

Van Yulay's water-based splashes are always boldly fragranced and have good ingredients.  They offer menthol as an add-on on their site, but I don't see that option in The Club's software.  I would imagine the artisan would accommodate you it you sent her a message, though. There are no alcohol splash offerings from Van Yulay.

Smoking Hot Pineapple is a "The Club" exclusive.  If pineapple isn't your thing, and you haven't otherwise tried Van Yulay's soap, I highly recommend them.  Your first visit to their site can be a bit daunting given the variety of available fragrances and bases, so I just recommend browsing and land on a fragrance that sounds good to you.  Fret about the bases later.  They're all good.

Offline 120inna55

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Re: SAFETY Razor Shave of the Day (SOTD)
« Reply #1932 on: August 12, 2017, 05:17:52 PM »
Bufflehead - Tishomingo
Wolf Whiskers | Raptor | Black Wolf
Star 1912 | Gem PTFE
Chatillon Lux - Colbeck


Offline 120inna55

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Re: SAFETY Razor Shave of the Day (SOTD)
« Reply #1933 on: August 14, 2017, 07:36:30 PM »
MFR!


Offline 120inna55

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Re: SAFETY Razor Shave of the Day (SOTD)
« Reply #1934 on: August 20, 2017, 06:20:56 PM »
The Club - Cuir de Milano
Island Bladeworks "Stoya" | Elite Razor Manchurian
Ever-Ready 1912 | Delta Echo | Gem PTFE (1)


 



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