SAFETY Razor Shave of the Day (SOTD)

[120inna55]

Catie's Bubbles | A Midnight Dreary
Leo Frilot Tru-Stone 322 | AP Shave Co. SilkSmoke 28mm
Ever-Ready SE | Delta Echo | Gem PTFE
Tom Ford | Black Orchid

[120inna55]

Mammoth Soaps | Almond Leather
Ever-Ready 100T | Elite Razor Manchurian
The New Improved Schick Injector Razor | Personna 74

[120inna55]

Phoenix Shaving | Et Tu
Phoenix Shaving | The Starcraft | Roswell Hybrid Synth
The New Improved Schick Injector Razor | Personna 74
Brut by Fabergé

[chrisphilly123]

Phoenix Shaving | Et Tu
Phoenix Shaving | The Starcraft | Roswell Hybrid Synth
The New Improved  Injector Razor | Personna 74
Brut by Fabergé

looks like fine stuff. suddenly, my supplies seem so vanilla.

[120inna55]

Murphy & McNeil | Sláinte: St James
APShaveCo. Elegant Emerald | SynBad 24mm
The New Improved Schick Injector Razor | Personna 74

This special edition base, Sláinte, is heavenly!  Slickness is significantly improved and post-shave is elite level without question.  The St James fragrance is like that of a warm oatmeal cookie with hints of gingerbread.  Despite its inclusion of stout beer, it does not smell like a stout beer at all, nor was that its intent.[/center]

I couldn't decide on which photo to post, so you're subjected to all four.

[120inna55]

Ariana & Evans | Tertius
Kent V8
The New Improved Schick Injector Razor | Personna 74

[120inna55]

Catie's Bubbles | Confiant
Rubberset 200-4 | Omega Boar
Ever-Ready Streamline | Gem PTFE

[120inna55]

Catie's Bubbles | 322 (Luxury Cream)
Ever-Ready 100T | Elite Razor Manchurian   
Radio 1912 | Gem PTFE

[120inna55]

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

[120inna55]

Phoenix Shaving | John Frum
Kent V8
Gem Damaskeene (1914-1915) | Gem Jr. Elite "Ivory" Handle (ca. 1906)
Gem PTFE

Off the puck, John Frum's bold musk is quite reminiscent of PAA's Black Bot which is an homage to vintage Black Belt.  This first blush is not to be trusted as the lather takes a very different path.  When hit with a wet knot, John Frum opens surprisingly clean with rather forward suggestions of arid, salty, verbena with wafting notes of linen.  Before this bright summery citrus peaks, the aforementioned musk steps in, but at very respectful levels and more refined than the punchy 70s musks.  Meanwhile, the dry cotton and bitter lemon transition to an intriguing crushed green vegetation contrasted against sandy vetiver stopping just short of earthy.  At this point, the shave is nearing its end, but the fragrance seems to have more to offer.  This is precisely why I all but insist on matching splashes, but in the case of John Frum, it is absolutely essential to fully realize the intended fragrance. The splash restarts the bright sandy citrus, but it reveals a previously undetected slightly sweet aspect.  The musk is omnipresent, yet still controlled, and even elegant.  The green is greener, and the vetiver is less vetiver, but I don't know what else to call it.  That interesting salty sand element persists as well.  After about 15 minutes, a soft, naturally sweet and slightly powdery note slips in.  This fragrance is a complex adventure with surprises, but very well blended.  There's simply no contemplation necessary for me.  John Frum is immediately a personal favorite, so I've already ordered the EdP.

[120inna55]

Grooming Dept | Molten (Lusso)
Leo Frilot Captain Marvel | AP Shave Co. Cashmere 30mm
Gem Damaskeene (1914-1915) | Gem Jr. Elite "Ivory" Handle (ca. 1906)
Avon | Clint

Grooming Dept's "Molten" is for smoke fans only, but it's not a one-trick pony.  Upon lathering, it's an abundance of thick, smoky, birch tar, but intertwined with a subtle warm honey.  As the birch tar plateaus, bitter citrus pierces through briefly before succumbing to dry and sharp rose.  Upon final rinse, the smoky elements rapidly dissipate but there's a lingering naturally sweet, sun-baked alfalfa and toasted oats.

This was my first use of Grooming Dept's "Lusso" beef tallow base that features Jersey cow milk among a litany of other skin-friendly ingredients.  I test lathered the evening before and found it actually requires a generous amount of water, but it has a breaking point in which the lather slings off the brush.  As usual, this test lather makes for a more enjoyable shave when put into practice.  A rich creamy lather is easy to attain even with my notoriously hard water.  While initial and residual slickness are both high level, Lusso doesn't quite attain the status owned by their "Mallard" base.  Post-shave, however, is right in line with Mallard and thus places it in the among the upper tier artisanal soaps.

While Molten shares very little elements with Clint, it doesn't matter because the soap's fragrance is gone within minutes.  The smokiness ultimately put me in the mood for a rugged leathery musk fragrance.  If you are a fan of Aramis-types, I highly recommend you pick up a vintage set of Clint.  The cologne is certainly richer than the splash and seems to have a bit more old school musk.  I picked this up on the recommendation of Phoenix Shaving proprietor Douglas Smythe, and for that I'm grateful.

[120inna55]

Barrister and Mann | Beaudelaire (Excelsior)
APShaveCo. Elegant Emerald | SynBad 24mm
Durham-Enders | Enders Speed Shaver

[120inna55]

Phoenix Shaving | John Frum
DrivenLegend Red & Black | APShaveCo Tuxedo 30mm
Durham-Enders | Enders Speed Shaver

[120inna55]

Australian Private Reserve | Torchwood
Island Bladeworks | Bullwinkle | TGN Finest
Gem Damaskeene (1914-1915) | Gem Jr. Elite "Ivory" Handle (ca. 1906) | Gem PTFE

[120inna55]

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