SAFETY Razor Shave of the Day (SOTD)

[120inna55]

Catie's Bubbles | Vintage for S.E.R.F.
Kent V8
The New Improved Schick Injector Razor | Personna 74

[120inna55]

The Club | Amber Rose
BSB-Ti | HMW Extra Dense
Phoenix Shaving | Ascension Double Open Comb (316L Stainless Steel)
Treet Platinum Super Stainless Steel

[120inna55]

Phoenix Shaving | Dixie
Leo Frilot Tru-Stone Copper Matrix | AP Shave Co. SynBad 30mm
The New Improved Schick Injector Razor | Personna 74

Well, I was born in Texas City and raised in Bois d'Arc, Texas, and have been told more than once that I'm as "country as a turnip green", so a shave set called "Dixie" should probably be in my arsenal.  Phoenix Shaving's revival of Dixie in the superb CK-6 soap base came at a great time as we're experiencing the huge temperature swings typical of February in Texas.  My inaugural use of Dixie happened on a warm-ish sunny day, and it was a true delight.

Dixie is one of the lightest fragrances I've experienced from Phoenix Shaving.  I'm certain this is by-design to convey some of the scents of the region in a gentlemanly fashion.  For starters, I love magnolia, but it's not typically something I would wear.  In the case of Dixie, the magnolia note was surprisingly muted if not supplanted by a prominent herbal note, thereby making the opening far less floral than I'd anticipated.  While I'm a night shaver by default, I often sling a little splash in the mornings before work, especially when evaluating a fragrance for the first time.  In the truck on the way to work this morning I caught a peculiar but fleeting grape Nehi fragrance.  I didn't note this in the soap this evening, but the splash again this evening provided the same fleeting fake grape note.  After a little investigation, I discovered this must be the Kudzu among the documented notes.  I admit I'm not familiar with Kudzu (or at least I don't know it by name).  When I brought it up to my wife, she immediately knew what I was referring to.  She's a biologist and worked for Texas Parks and Wildlife for a number of years including the role as curator of a popular local fish hatchery.  She explained that Kudzu is an infiltrative non-native nuisance plant that was brought here to the South as a ground cover.  Often called "The Vine That Ate The South", it resulted in an old timers' colloquialism, "it took off like cut-zoo" when describing something that spreads rapidly.

But I digress, and you didn't come here for the long-winded musings of one Matt Hilton---or did you?  Once the herbal floral abates, Dixie acquires a more earthy green accord with very faint uncured tobacco.  Overall, this is a fresh and airy fragrance that will likely work best in the warmer months.

The art, as expected from Phoenix Shaving, is on point.  However, I seem to have gotten one of the labels that I thought were a trial.  While they have a matte finish, the dark colors scuff very easily.  While not evident in my outdoors photo, mine arrived in less-than-presentable condition (at least by my standards).  It's an easy remedy, though.  While Douglas is seemingly omnipresent, when it comes to the rare order issue, using the site's contact form opens a direct portal to Fran, and she fixes everything. Within minutes, she assures me a new label is en route. Now, that's customer service!

[120inna55]

Mammoth Soaps | Funny Valentine
DrivenLegend Red & Black | APShaveCo Tuxedo 30mm
Phoenix Shaving | Ascension Double Open Comb SS
Triad | Rolling Hex SS
Treet | Platinum Super Stainless Steel

I've spoken previously about Mammoth Soaps' performance, and from what I can tell, the base for Funny Valentine is unchanged from the last 2 releases.  This is an above average tallow and duck fat base with post-shave being the most notable aspect.

The documented notes are strawberry, currant, neroli, amber, cognac, and howood.  The strawberry is present initially, but not as dominant as I'd feared.  Instead there is more of a melon impression.  Certainly, it's fruity, but soft and dry, thereby avoiding the whole novelty candy vibe, but rather taking a more mature if not somber path.  As the shave progresses, Funny Valentine warms up, and the fruitiness takes more of a supporting role.  Much like Mammoth Soaps' prior release, "Mood Indigo", Funny Valentine is well blended such that the accord is greater than the sum of its parts.  The splash is almost identical in its development with the exception of a more prominent orange floral (neroli) in the opening.  The scent strength for both the soap and splash is middle-of-the-road which is just right for this type of fragrance.  I've used this set twice, now, and note the splash scent fades within a mere 3 hours with amber and rose being the last ones to exit.

Funny Valentine demonstrates a mature and modest execution of fruity opening notes and has just enough standards in the heart and base to attract those who might typically pass on this profile.  While obviously marketed for this specific "holiday", this is anything but a novelty fragrance and certainly appropriate for casual year-round use.

[120inna55]

Moon Soaps | Amaretto Speciale
DrivenLegend Red & Black | APShaveCo Tuxedo 30mm
The New Improved Schick Injector Razor | Personna 74
The Holy Black for The Club | Decadence

Recently, I was approached by a third party asking if I would be interested in trying a relatively new artisan's soap in exchange for an honest review.  The artisan didn't directly contact me, but rather the third party was passing on the opportunity. I declined the generous offer for a couple reasons: Given this is a release-level soap from a vendor completely unknown to me, I prefer to evaluate the entire process from website navigation, retail purchase price, shipping, customer service, packaging, label execution, to finally product performance. Secondly, I just don't like samples regardless of the size.  That's just my own weirdness. 

Intrigued, I immediately checked out Moon Soaps' website and discovered they have quite the selection of bath soaps as well as body creams, scrubs, and lip balms.  The shaving section has a selection of shaving brushes made by the artisan and 3 shave soaps.  This is obviously where I focused my attention. These 3 soaps represent 3 different tallow bases.  "Old School" is described as a "soft formula" incorporating shea butter, mango butter, and glycerin.  "Havana" is also described as "soft", but touts the inclusion of coconut and palm oils.  "Amaretto Speciale" is the focus of this review and it's described as "extra soft".  The complete ingredients list is as follows: water, beef tallow, stearic acid, shea butter, almond oil, castor oil, potassium hydroxide, coconut oil, sodium hydroxide, glycerin, and fragrance oil. It should also be noted that the tallow is "locally sourced" and "rendered in house".  My reason for choosing this particular soap was for the scent profile.  I really enjoyed Cella, but it's no longer in my den.  I just found the performance wasn't up to the level to which I've become accustomed.  Additionally, the scent strength of Cella was a bit light for my taste.  I anticipated Amaretto Speciale to be a cream replacement of Cella.

The retail price of the soap was $17 for 6 oz.  "Shipping and handling" charges were $9.03 to ship from California to Texas.  I did note the package arrived with an actual shipping cost documented to be $5.53.  I guess the "handling" accounts for the $3.50 disparity.  I placed the order at 9:47 p.m. and received a shipping notification just under 48 hours later.  I received the package 4 days after placing the order.  It arrived in a cardboard box perfectly sized for the single tub of soap and it was well packaged with adequate padding.  An elegant business card and invoice with a personal message were included.  The tub was artfully wrapped with tissue paper and craft tape that matches the website's motif.

The tub is a standard black 8 oz. plastic jar with 89mm neck.  The professional labels are perfectly executed, straight, and completely devoid of bubbles or defects.  They have a satin sheen, and I confirmed they are water-proof.  The art suggests someone with a professional design background had a hand in it.  Again, the packaging aesthetic is flawless.

The scent strength off the tub is quite bold with the expected almond/cherry liqueur fragrance.  The consistency is quite simply what you would expect from Italian-style cream:  very soft, but not pourable.  You will not be loading from the tub.

For evaluation purposes, I bowl and palm lathered several times.  Despite its cream consistency, it requires a fair amount of water.  I included a photo of the lather when it's clearly under-watered.  That same lather session yielded a very good lather when I titrated in a bit more water.  I also discovered that for my purposes in order to accomplish at least 2 passes for a head and face shave, I needed about 1/3 more product than what I would need for Catie's Bubbles' Luxury Cream to cover the same ground.  Perhaps that's the reason for the generous 6 oz. offering.

With the actual shave, I applied the product directly to the tips of the well-saturated 30mm synthetic knot and proceeded to face lather.  Given the amount of water, it was a messy but fun foamy beginning.  However, with very little effort, I achieved a luxurious, lustrous, dense, paint-able lather.  The primary and residual slickness were both above average with the residual slickness approaching that of some of the upper tier soaps.  The scent strength when lathered remained strong throughout.  Amaretto Speciale, while having the same marzipan/cherry/almond profile of Cella, offers a bit more depth with an interesting twist.  When the up-front cherry is rinsed away between passes, my skin smelled like warm baked shortbread cookies with hints of vanilla, only to be overtaken once again when the lather was re-applied.  I experienced some warmth but no redness or irritation.  There must be something in the fragrance oils that my skin alerts on, and this is consistent with what I experience with Cella and Decadence.  Post-shave was adequate, but nowhere near that of my favored soaps. 

I finished with The Holy Black's "Decadence" splash and immediately recognized the difference between the two scents.  Both are certainly almond liqueur at their respective cores, but while Decadence takes a spicy, chocolate, boozy direction, Amaretto Speciale is warmer, softer, and closer to that of a fresh-baked pastry.

A little background on the creative team behind Moon Soaps:  Via their FaceBook page, I inquired (PM'd) about the possibility of a post-shave product in the future. I received an almost immediate response from "Melody" confirming they're still in the planning stages with respect to aftershaves.  While an alcohol splash is usually my preference, I anticipate this artisan at least starting out with a balm given they already offer body creams and lip balms. 

While I had her ear, I pointed out their "About" page claimed they never use animal products which obviously contradicts the inclusion of tallow in the shave soaps.  The response was that the statement was an oversight on an outdated page. I note the page was corrected less than 24 hours following my query.  This is a good indicator that responsiveness and customer service are a priority.

I then received a message via one of the fora from Zack Kent who clarified it was his wife Melody who had been making vegan bath soaps for 10 years under the Moon Soaps brand.  As of a year ago, Zack began making tallow-based shave soaps.  Zack has a screen-printing shop and does graphic design in addition to his full-time job as a meat cutter.  Interestingly, he states all the tallow used in his soaps is rendered by him from rib fat that he cuts himself.  They operate out of Corralitos, California.

By all indicators, this is one busy couple, yet they've managed to churn out a very respectable product.  With a year of producing shave soaps, albeit on a small-batch basis, I don't know how this company is just now coming up on my radar.  I think I will try their "Old School" soap next as it appears to be their flagship.  Keep your eye out for this artisan.

[120inna55]

Ariana & Evans | Summer Fig
APShaveCo. Elegant Emerald | SynBad 24mm
The New Improved Schick Injector Razor | Personna 74

[120inna55]

Ariana & Evans | NYC
Leo Frilot Captain Marvel | AP Shave Co. Cashmere 30mm
The New Improved Schick Injector Razor | Personna 74

[120inna55]

The Club | El Gaucho
Cadman-Beau | Synthetic
Phoenix Shaving | Ascension DOC SS | Triad Rolling Hex SS
Treet Platinum Super Stainless Steel

[120inna55]

The Club | Signature
Cadman-Beau | Synthetic
Phoenix Shaving | Ascension DOC SS | Triad Rolling Hex SS
Treet Platinum Super Stainless Steel

[120inna55]

Grooming Dept | Earl Grey Gelato (Mallard Base)
Kent V8 | Original Badger
The New Improved Schick Injector Razor | Personna 74

[120inna55]

Ruds Suds - The Dark Side (by Catie's Bubbles)
DrivenLegend Red & Black | APShaveCo Tuxedo 30mm
Ever-Ready SE | Delta Echo | Gem PTFE

[120inna55]

Moon Soaps | Old School
Ever-Ready 100T | Elite Razor Manchurian
The New Improved Schick Injector Razor | Personna 74
Chatillon Lux | Unconditional Surrender

In light of my recent positive experience with Moon Soaps' Amaretto shaving cream, I decided to give their flagship a go.  "Old School" is marketed as having a "huge amount of tallow, like soap used to be."  Perhaps there's a modicum of hyperbole in that statement, but I can neither affirm or disprove this has any more tallow than your average artisan tallow shaving soap.  Old School's consistency is on the firmer end of the croap spectrum and it loads very easily with a well saturated---but not dripping---knot.  Compared to the Amaretto cream, this is the better performer.  A dense, slick lather is quickly and intuitively forthcoming yielding an oil-rich iridescent sheen.  First-pass slickness is approaching high-end status, while residual slickness is competitive with the upper echelon.  I was able to effortlessly employ long sweeping passes on my dome that I usually reserve for my top 5 or 6.  Post-shave is easily in the crowded top ten, but it can't quite push anyone out of top 3.  It's very close, however.

The scent off the tub is light and somewhat singular in nature with a faintly sweetened leather.  However, once lathered, the scent strength is boosted to a 3 out of 5, and opens with a new leather and cured tobacco duet that's later accompanied and expanded by warm woody notes and gentle spicy vanilla.  This well-blended fragrance remains clean throughout, and the sweetness is offered up naturally by way of the vanilla and tobacco.  I found Old School to remind me of several non-descript "masculine" fragrances without approximating any of them.  There's nothing audacious with respect to the array of notes in Old School, but the fragrance, while safe and even formulaic is quite pleasant and a good choice for a flagship offering.

Once again, the label art exhibits keen knowledge of graphic design and the execution is flawless.  If I have anything negative to say about Old School's packaging it would be the glaring absence of a side label.  I'm not certain if this is intentional or an oversight as Amaretto did have side labeling which rounds out the packaging nicely.

Old School cements my confidence in Moon Soaps as an artisan in this crowded market. They back up their attractive packaging with a very respectable product that steps out of work horse territory and into the luxury realm.

[120inna55]

Phoenix and Beau | Iceni
Leo Frilot Tru-Stone Copper Matrix | AP Shave Co. SynBad 30mm
The New Improved Schick Injector Razor | Personna 74

I'm a big fan of Phoenix and Beau.  My introduction to them was an impulse buy of the controversial Whitechapel that was driven solely on the merits of the beautifully macabre art.  I quickly discovered the product within lived up to the packaging.  Not only was it a very respectable base that I've often compared to Barrister and Mann's white label, but the fragrance demonstrated some creative yet mature artistry.  I've picked up an assortment of their offerings since then, and I've yet to be disappointed.  Iceni is no exception.  Admittedly, the rather pedestrian citrus/musk/resin profile didn't prepare me for the seductive accord that would be forthcoming.  This is a very pleasant, bright chypre opening with sharp, faintly sweet citrus that almost immediately falls into herbaceous but throttled lavender followed by an perculiar incense-like note. Approaching the end of the shave, Iceni becomes more traditional warm resin softened by a woody powder with a lingering sweetness. The post-shave lotion is well matched if not a bit more enjoyable in that it presumably realizes the intended fragrance more accurately.  Sadly, it's just not the medium to provide much longevity.  Perhaps some day I'll be able to get my hands on the alcohol-based splash so I can enjoy this intoxicating scent a bit longer.

[120inna55]

Movie Night
Phoenix and Beau | Star Noir
Leo Frilot Captain Marvel | AP Shave Co. Cashmere 30mm
The New Improved Schick Injector Razor | Personna 74

[120inna55]

Murphy & McNeil | Claddagh (Eisteacht)
Cadman-Beau | Synthetic
Ever-Ready SE | Gem PTFE
Creed | Silver Mountain Water

This was my first go with a Murphy & McNeil product, and it's quite positive.  This is their "eisteacht" base which incorporates, among other ingredients, duck fat in addition to the beef tallow.  This may be their premium base, as the listing for their other base does not mention duck fat.

This is a very soft soap, but it's not quite cream.  It loads easily, and while it functions with modest amounts of water, it actually needs quite a bit of water to become optimal.  This has never been a mark against a soap for me.  My only issue with thirsty soaps is when they don't get along with my hard water. I quickly discovered this is no obstacle for eisteacht.  The volume of lather encountered when I was test lathering reached laughable levels.  This was reminiscent to my first time using Barrister's Reserve.  I actually started over once because the 24 mm knot wasn't able to handle the water ratio it demanded.  Less product was the way to go.  In fact, it is very much like Barrister's Reserve in this aspect as well, but then it surpasses it by yielding a slicker lather.  I don't often like taking lather porn pics because it's so cumbersome, but I had to attempt to demonstrate the blinding sheen this lather boasts.  I honestly don't think my photograph did it justice, however.

In practice, via face lather, eisteacht goes from slurry to dense lather in very short order.  First swipe and residual slickness are both upper tier.  Post shave is also in line with all but the very top artisanal soaps.  I've come to associate this particular feel to the inclusion of duck fat.  My skin still seems to prefer jojoba for the most natural post-shave, but eisteacht is high level regardless.

It was my understanding that Claddagh's fragrance was a nod to Creed's Silver Mountain Water.  I had the opportunity to pick up an unused 2016 bottle, so I made a blind buy on the same day I ordered Claddagh.  I wore SMW the day before trying the soap, and the approximation is close.  Of course the EdP has much more depth and dynamic, but the profile is the same.  It would seem Claddagh has a much earlier and substantial green tea presence than SMW, and I feel like it's closer to oolong. Otherwise, it opens with a controlled sweet and sharp citrus, leaning heavily to the orange end of the spectrum.  Again, the tea butts in rather quickly and lingers throughout the shave along with a nonspecific dark fruity note that's almost fermented with minty vapors.  Ultimately, it all gels in the end with a 90s vibe musk.  This is a very good complement if not an outright dupe to my Silver Mountain Water which I thoroughly enjoyed.

The splash is completely unnecessary given the post-shave qualities of the soap, but it does offer a nice feel in and of itself.  I chose the "0.5" menthol option which offers a very gentle cooling effect.  The scent strength of the splash is pretty bold and it was still quite present 4 hours later when I applied the EdP which then overrode it.  The splash is actually dominated by the oolong note taking this a step further away from the intended target.  Again, I'm basing this on my 2016 retail bottle of Creed Silver Mountain Water.  Not to take this off the rails into a discussion about Creed's batch inconsistencies that I know is attributed to Aventus, but I have no idea if these same variations have invaded SMW as well.  Regardless, the Claddagh splash is almost all oolong and strong.

Muphy & McNeil's packaging is elegant and the execution is near-flawless.  I don't have any bottles in my collection that are like this splash.  I will note the glass has a slightly imperfect planar surface on the bottom that allows the bottle to wobble ever so slightly.  It's not unstable enough that I would be concerned about it falling off a shelf, however.  There was a single bubble on the side label.  Also, the art on the splash label seems to be misaligned vertically. This is undoubtedly an easily remedied printer issue. 

I suppose it's evident that when my only nitpicks involve minor packaging imperfections, the product must be beyond reproach.  In the case of Murphy & McNeil's Eisteacht base, this is precisely the case.

Disclaimer:  I purchased the aforementioned soap and splash set directly from the artisan for $50.86, of which $2.94 was sales tax, and the shipping was free.  It's my understanding the 50% of the earnings after the cost was donated to "ACT: Autism Care Today".

Bonus Lather Porn: