Author Topic: SAFETY Razor Shave of the Day (SOTD)  (Read 741541 times)

Offline 120inna55

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Re: SAFETY Razor Shave of the Day (SOTD)
« Reply #1965 on: October 13, 2017, 12:33:36 PM »
Prayers to you and your family. Sorry for the loss of your dad.
Thank you.

Offline 120inna55

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Re: SAFETY Razor Shave of the Day (SOTD)
« Reply #1966 on: October 15, 2017, 01:17:42 PM »
Dapper Dragon Soaps - Autumn Morning
Kent V8
Ever-Ready SE | Gem PTFE


Offline 120inna55

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Re: SAFETY Razor Shave of the Day (SOTD)
« Reply #1967 on: October 17, 2017, 12:35:34 PM »
Van Yulay - Chupacabra
Wolf Whiskers | Raptor | Black Wolf
Ever-Ready SE | Gem PTFE (1)

I'm not sure I want to smell like a chupacabra because the fragrances I associate with it are wet cat, musk, dried blood, and castoreum.  Fortunately, Van Yulay's Chupacabra is intended to transport you to said creature's stomping grounds.

Chupacabra opens with a soft apple note, and I have no idea where I'm getting that because it's not in the documented notes.  The apple actually sustains throughout the shave but relents to nondescript woody notes leaning towards oakmoss.  Bitter citrus makes a brief presence before ultimately succumbing to a spicier and darker amber accord with hints of clove and finally a vanilla-esque muskiness.  Overall, this is a nice weighty fragrance for the cooler season.

Offline 120inna55

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Re: SAFETY Razor Shave of the Day (SOTD)
« Reply #1968 on: October 19, 2017, 05:17:24 AM »
Phoenix Artisan Accoutrements - Spring-Heeled Jack
Ever-Ready 100T | Elite Razor Manchurian
Ever-Ready SE | Gem PTFE


Offline 120inna55

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Re: SAFETY Razor Shave of the Day (SOTD)
« Reply #1969 on: October 22, 2017, 03:40:20 PM »
Lather Bros. - Galaxy Gladiators
BSB-Ti | HMW Extra Dense
Ever-Ready SE | Gem PTFE


Irrespective of the wet shaving hobby, I'm very much your typical shallow consumer.  I admit, I purchased "Galaxy Gladiators" and "Hela Bad" from Lather Bros. Soaps simply for the theme.  The artisan played dirty pool by waving the label art before me in social media knowing full well I'd strike at it like a largemouth bass on a topwater.

Lather Bros. uses a tallow base, and I've commented on its performance previously, noting a significant improvement in slickness from my first experience with them.  This change correlated with a base change including the introduction of pineapple puree.  The documented ingredients on Galaxy Gladiators (and Hela Bad) do not include the puree notation.  However, this base performs like the prior Lather Bros. soaps that do.  I just heard back from the artisan and can now confirm the omission was a labeling oversight, and it in fact does contain pineapple puree.  Regardless, Galaxy Gladiators loads very easily and lathers quickly with an impressive tolerance for water.  I recommend the water be gradually introduced on the back end.  If you start with a generously saturated knot, you risk large amounts of useless foam.  With that caveat, you can achieve a rather predictable, paintable, dense, and slick lather.  Lather Bros. is right on the edge of moving into my top tier level soaps, but it's held back by the post-shave and a less-than-stellar residual slickness.  It's not a bad post-shave by any means, but my top level performers all preclude the need for supplemental products.  This is a minimal factor for me, since I'm going to use a post product regardless.  As far as slickness, it excels on the first swipe, but caution is advised when attempting to make a pass on skin without visible lather.

Galaxy Gladiators is an interesting and pleasant fragrance.  Upon lathering, it opens rather unassumingly as a fresh, airy, woody lavender followed by an unmistakable neroli.  As it unfolds, the fragrance that separates this from your typical barbershop fragrance is a simultaneous mint and tea tree.  This lends a coolness to the scent if not the feel.  As I was shaving, I had to take a look at the ingredients again, but I'd assumed I'd overlooked menthol as an ingredient, but it's not there.  My experience with tea tree oil is that it's not particularly pleasant and is somewhat medicinal.  However, as used in this soap, the mint remarkably steers it away from that end of the spectrum, thereby lending it a cool, crisp, effervescent tone.  All of this was completely unexpected based on what I'd detected from the dry tub.  Galaxy Gladiators must be lathered to be appreciated.

The splash takes this profile to the next level.  Instead of opening with woody lavender, a slightly medicinal tea tree does pierce through, albeit ever so briefly.  It then showcases the neroli much more than the soap and finally woody lavender settles in.  About 3 hours out, the lavender notes fade and yield to an herbal and minty tea tree along with a more muted neroli and an overall non-specific oriental vibe.  This unique and pleasant fragrance lasts at least 6 hours.  Note that while this mentholated splash contains alcohol, it also contains water, aloe vera juice, and witch hazel.  Shaking the bottle just prior to use is necessary.

The bottom line is I would have purchased Galaxy Gladiators for the comic book movie poster-quality labeling, but the fragrance is what will keep it in use.  Sure, I took the bait, but I enjoyed the meal.  Well done, Lather Bros.

Disclaimer:  Galaxy Gladiators and Hela Bad (review forthcoming) are limited edition products from Lather Bros. Soaps.  I pre-ordered them and paid $31.99 for each set.  I received no gifts or other incentives from the vendor in exchange for my comments.

Offline 120inna55

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Re: SAFETY Razor Shave of the Day (SOTD)
« Reply #1970 on: October 24, 2017, 06:02:59 PM »
Mickey Lee Soapworks - Unforgiven
Rubberset 200-4 | Omega Boar
Star 1912 | Gem PTFE


I'd heard such good things about Mickey Lee Soapworks' "Unforgiven" for a couple years, but I was just a bit too late to the game.  Fortunately, they resurrected it, complete with outstanding artwork courtesy of Ellis Miller (aka /u/la_yerba_mate).

I won't go into depth about MLS's base since I've covered it before, other than to stipulate that its performance is among the best.  It vies for top spot in the post-shave category, for certain.

Unforgiven is as advertised, although I will say that off the dry tub, I could swear I detected burned tobacco.  Lathered, that note is not present, and it's far more sophisticated than that.  The smoky birch tar is prominent but not to the level of L&L Grooming's Darkfall.  Just a moment later, warm woody notes enter, but never overcome the birch tar.  An insidious sweetness infiltrates the otherwise smoky fragrance.  Caramel and patchouli are listed as notes, but together with the birch tar and rosewood, they're a bit non-specific, and that works quite well in this accord.

The matching splash follows suit if not a bit fuller and warmer.  After about an hour, the smoke takes a steep drop-off leaving a warm woody fragrance with the aforementioned very slight sweetness.  I can no longer detect it beyond 3 hours.

Unforgiven is without question in my bailiwick.  Off the dry tub, I wondered if it wasn't a competitor to Barrister and Mann's "Roam", but lathering it takes it in a very different direction.  It's closer yet to L&L's "Darkfall", but where Darkfall descends and even takes on a cooler fragrance, Unforgiven warms up.  Unforgiven fits nicely between these two on my shelf.  In fact, due to the relatively short-lived nature of Unforgiven's splash, I think the Darkfall EdP will pair nicely.

Now for a bonus pic.  I couldn't decide which one to use.  I don't typically resort to filters, but this one called for a more vintage feel.  I therefore desaturated most colors, pushed up the blacks, and added a yellow tint.  There's probably a package filter for that, but I don't know how to do it with my existing software.


Offline 120inna55

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Re: SAFETY Razor Shave of the Day (SOTD)
« Reply #1971 on: October 26, 2017, 12:18:53 PM »
Barrister and Mann - Fougère Gothique
DrivenLegend Red & Black | APShaveCo Tuxedo 30mm
Ever-Ready 1912 | Delta Echo | Gem PTFE



Fall, and more specifically, Halloween offerings are in abundance this year and the gloves are off.  Barrister and Mann's "Fougère Gothique" came with its share of hype.  The question is, does it live up to it?

I preface every review regarding limited editions with my obligatory statement about how I'm a sucker for packaging.  Well, one more peculiarity about me is that I abhor samples.  I have such an abundance of sometimes unopened soaps, that I haven't the time nor the desire to entertain samples.  Some of you were already using the Fougère Gothique by way of samples weeks in advance of its release.  Will Carius, being fully aware of my aversion to sample soaps, kindly surprised me with a decant of the unmacerated EdP.  Being a total amateur in this whole fragrance thing, I had no idea what unmacerated meant.  He explained that it simply hadn't had time to age in the alcohol so it would not have fully melded, and strength would likely be affected.  Regardless of whether or not I was supposed to, I did note a transformation of the fragrance over that time period.  For the first week of use, I wouldn't have categorized the decant as dark.  Fougère? Yes. Dark? No. More recently, presumably secondary to the time elapsed or the education of my nose, it is clearly as-advertised and that is a "dark fougère". Given that I'd been using this EdP on a frequent basis for about 6 weeks, now, I fully knew what to expect from the Fougère Gothique line.

Because I don't know what I'm doing, I'll just start by describing in my own amateur way how the retail EdP unfolds to my nose.  Then, I'll comment on what doesn't come through so well on the soap. 

Fougère Gothique (EdP) actually opens with a thick, earthy, non-animalic musky note.  Given my nose and body chemistry, this pleasant note remains non-specific for almost an hour.  At which point it becomes identifiable as mushroom.  Mushroom that's just pushed through damp earth and moss. The musky earthiness maintains its presence, but it is soon brightened by a full floral that's very close to rose.  I have a sensitivity to rose, in that despite my affinity for it, rose proper gives me a headache.  In this fragrance however, it deviates just enough to avoid that issue.  I can't say for certain, but I've been told it's likely the tuberose that I'm detecting.  This floral window plateaus for a good portion of the arc, but the accord doesn't abandon the dark undertones.  The floral peaks with a sweetness interwoven with a green character akin to nectar as opposed to candy. In relationship to the longevity of the fragrance, the sweetness is relatively brief and relents to the original earthiness which, upon its resurfacing acquires a woody lavender, leather, and finally an understated smokiness.  As this complex journey fades---and I'm talking at least 10 hours---it lays down a warm woodiness with periodic sharp or bitter notes which are probably cedar and bergamot pushing though.

The documented notes are, "ash, lavender, smoldering flame, balsam, bergamot, geranium, vetiver, mushroom, sandalwood, leather, oakmoss, cedar, tonka bean, tuberose, (and allure)."  Marketing embellishments aside, there's no way I could say I picked up all those notes, but it does give you an idea of the range to expect from this masterpiece of a fragrance.

The soap off the dry tub (or coffret) is a confusing cluster of floral, musk, and earth.  So, please, lather it before making a judgment.  Certainly, having experienced the EdP first, my understanding of the soap comes more quickly.  Like the EdP, it opens with an earthiness, but to my surprise, the mushroom is much more identifiable.  I suspect this is because the balance is thrown off in light of the limitations of the soap base medium, thereby muting the full spectrum of the ensuing floral.  Frankly, if all this soap did was stop at the dark earth aspect, I'd be happy.  It's quite enjoyable, but there's more to be had with longer exposure.  The floral does come, but it's less rose and more geranium. There is some sweetness and even perhaps bitter citrus, but it's brief.  The leather is more specific in the soap as well.  In musical terms, the soap's display of the Fougère Gothique fragrance is played straight. The notes are there, but the piece is devoid of the flourishes and transitional turns that come natural to the master. 

The Fougère Gothique soap uses the Reserve base.  I've commented extensively about the exceptional performance of this base.  While there are several other artisanal soaps that match the Reserve performance, none surpass it.  Where Reserve does stand out is in its tolerance for hard water.  I can achieve a luxurious lather with any of my preferred soaps despite my hard water.  However, with Reserve, I can get there more quickly.

I commented on the impressive longevity of the EdP, and to be honest, 10 hours is probably necessary to fully appreciate the complexity and unfolding of this fragrance.  However, the matching tonique does a remarkable job of approximating this in a shorter timeframe, which for me is roughly 5 hours depending on activity.  In fact, some will no doubt use the splash (tonique) as a replacement for the EdP.  As far as performance, the tonique is on par with most other alcohol-based splashes.  I don't typically register the effectiveness of a splash unless I have a sub-par shave, and given the Reserve base, that's unlikely.

The presentation of this set speaks for itself.  The fact that I address this aspect last is a testament to the product, as my allure to unique or extravagant packaging is well established.  Barrister and Mann partnered with a very talented artist, Rebecca Graves Pottery, to carry through the gothic vision, handcrafting brush handles with Declaration knots, razor holders, and coffrets filled with soap.  While I desperately desire to have my very own 30 mm Declaration Brushworks brush, I couldn't justify going full-tilt because despite their beauty, they just didn't seem practical. The coffret, however, is a unique blend of theme, whimsy, and function.  These are quality pottery down to the last detail, and designed to fit perfectly in either hand with a horn serving as a thumb rest to facilitate your grip while loading your brush.  Each piece is numbered and signed by the artist.  This same artist created the motif across the line including the tonique, jars, and t-shirts.  The jars/tubs are the same as the rest of Barrister and Mann's updated packaging except the art is silk screened directly onto the jars.  The tonique carries on the devil motif, but inverts the red/black scheme.  Such attention to detail was paid that even the glass tonique bottles are smoked grey as opposed to the usual amber apothecary style.  One minor faux pas was the unexpected inclusion of child-proof caps for the toniques.  Also of note is the erroneous ingredients listing on the soap tub.  The listing is for the Glissant base as opposed to the Reserve.  This is remedied by the inclusion of a card denoting the correct ingredients. (The Hallows curse apparently lives on.) The EdP is presented in a quaint but elegant box, that blends with the theme but is absent any devilish image, thereby lending an air of sophistication. Nestled within the box is a classic cylindrical, heavy glass bottle with a concave starburst base that effectively scatters the light through the amber product, essentially allowing it to speak for itself.  The text on the bottle is apparently screened, but in such a fashion as to appear to be etched and subtly blends in as to avoid belying its simple elegance.  It's topped with a clear plastic cube reminiscent of vintage fragrances.

Even if the extras aren't your thing, you must appreciate the thoughtful design and artistry surrounding this set, let alone the complexity of coordination and cooperation involving at least three busy artisans.  That said, all would be for naught if the core product failed to be worthy of such efforts.  Realistically, when your soap and splash are spent, and your coffret is relegated to a whimsical yet beautiful candy dish, you realize the EdP is what's left standing.  Fougère Gothique does stand alone in this regard.  Fougère Gothique is truly a masterpiece, and I suspect a sign of more to come from Barrister and Mann.

Offline 120inna55

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Re: SAFETY Razor Shave of the Day (SOTD)
« Reply #1972 on: October 28, 2017, 05:19:44 PM »
Dr. Jon's - Blood Oath
DrivenLegend Red & Black | APShaveCo Tuxedo 30mm
Ever-Ready 1912 | Delta Echo | Gem PTFE


« Last Edit: October 29, 2017, 06:28:44 AM by 120inna55 »

Offline 120inna55

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Re: SAFETY Razor Shave of the Day (SOTD)
« Reply #1973 on: October 31, 2017, 11:42:21 AM »
Barrister and Mann - Hallows
Ever-Ready 100T | Elite Razor Manchurian
Ever-Ready 1912 | Delta Echo | Gem PTFE



Offline 120inna55

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Re: SAFETY Razor Shave of the Day (SOTD)
« Reply #1974 on: November 03, 2017, 06:44:15 AM »
Movie Night SOTD
Lather Bros. - Galaxy Gladiators
DrivenLegend Red & Black | APShaveCo Tuxedo 30mm
Ever-Ready 1912 | Delta Echo | Gem PTFE



Offline 120inna55

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Re: SAFETY Razor Shave of the Day (SOTD)
« Reply #1975 on: November 04, 2017, 03:56:21 PM »
The Los Angeles Shaving Soap Co. - Myrkviðr
Island Bladeworks "Bullwinkle" | TGN Finest
Ever-Ready SE | Gem PTFE
Barrister and Mann - Roam (Kyovu)



Offline Tyler

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Re: SAFETY Razor Shave of the Day (SOTD)
« Reply #1976 on: November 05, 2017, 01:20:18 PM »
@120inna55 Great pics!
People are not limited by the circumstance that they are born in. They are limited by the size of their dreams. Show them that their dreams can have no limits and in turn their accomplishments can be limitless.

Offline 120inna55

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Re: SAFETY Razor Shave of the Day (SOTD)
« Reply #1977 on: November 05, 2017, 01:21:10 PM »

Offline 120inna55

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Re: SAFETY Razor Shave of the Day (SOTD)
« Reply #1978 on: November 09, 2017, 05:59:19 AM »
Storybook Soapworks - Coffee Spoons
Ever-Ready 100T | Elite Razor Manchurian
Star 1912 | Gem PTFE



I'm always willing to try out a soap that claims to have a singular coffee fragrance.  There are plenty out there, but a few of them have coffee as a note accompanied by cream, sugar, spirits, or something else.  Until now, Phoenix Artisan Accoutrements' "Spring-Heeled Jack" and Van Yulay's "Espresso" were my picks for most accurate singular coffee fragrance.  Van Yulay having the slight edge from the soap and PAA from the splash.  While both of these do a nice job conveying coffee essence, there's always a slight creaminess that belies its authenticity. I'm a self-professed coffee snob. I make coffee at least three times per day using the French press method, freshly grinding, meticulously weighing both the coffee and water to achieve the perfect cup.  I go through at least 2.5 lbs of beans per week.  I've also spent years sorting through various roasters, and I have three that I use routinely. One of which is 3 miles away from my work, and they hand deliver.  As a result, it's rare that I ever prepare a cup whose beans were roasted beyond 1 week prior.  It should go without saying that I know what coffee smells like.  I also understand that region and roast cause the fragrance to vary widely, but there is a common element.  Storybook Soapworks has quite accurately reproduced the intoxicating fragrance of real, medium roasted, Brazilian coffee. I am in love with this soap!

On a scale of 1-10, the scent strength is 6-7 for both the soap and splash.  The soap starts and finishes the same with an immediate coffee fragrance.  The splash has a mini-development such that initially and for the first 5 minutes or so, it has an over-roasted (think Starbucks char-roast) bitter fragrance, but it quickly settles down to the lovely scent that the soap had.  The longevity is fairly short such that I can no longer detect it 3 hours later.  Granted, I'm drinking coffee as I type this, but this is my natural state.

I've addressed the performance of Storybook's soaps before, and after having used "Hook", "Shaken", and now "Coffee Spoons", I'm convinced the latter 2 have markedly increased slickness.  It could simply be my familiarity with the base contributing to my dialing it into its optimal state, so I can't confirm the base has changed.  This is a good argument for differentiating between "reviews" and "first impressions".  Regardless, I'm quite impressed with the performance, and I find it to be competitive with my favorite artisanal soaps.

Offline 120inna55

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Re: SAFETY Razor Shave of the Day (SOTD)
« Reply #1979 on: November 10, 2017, 04:20:25 PM »
Stirling Soap Co. - Gatlinburg
Island Bladeworks "Bullwinkle" | TGN Finest
Ever-Ready SE | Gem PTFE