Tallow + Steel | Kyoto
DrivenLegend Red & Black | APShaveCo Tuxedo 30mm
Ever-Ready SE | Delta Echo | Gem PTFE Kyoto opens with citrus that approaches lemon-lime and a sweet element that keeps it from tipping over into bergamot. It transitions by way of a brief crisp camphorous note reminiscent of crushed eucalyptus that greens up fairly quickly before giving way to a complex woody, yet airy, accord that later acquires a botanical musk falling somewhere between rose and tulip. Kyoto is simply a beautifully crafted exotic, yet natural fragrance that smells like a real place.
As to this new base's performance, I noticed an incremental increase in residual slickness that was already outstanding. Otherwise, loading, protection, and initial slickness remained unchanged from their v2 base, and this is a good thing. It's my understanding that the base tweak was primarily intended to stabilize the intended fragrance. I can attest that the soap offers the same accord of the matching splash with no detectable alteration by the soap.
Tallow + Steel | Sicily
APShaveCo. Elegant Emerald | SynBad 24mm
Ever-Ready SE | Delta Echo | Gem PTFE
Acqua di Parma | Colonia If you're at all familiar with Tallow + Steel, you know it's not their style to clone or even homage a fragrance. Instead, their scents convey the essence of a specific locale. To be clear, while Sicily shares notes with Colonia, it does not resemble it. Colonia is a classic Italian fragrance. Sicily is a comparatively light scent that paints a picture of the region from which it gets its name. That said, Colonia is an excellent complement topping off this shave.
Sicily is rather herbal off the tub, but as soon as the water hits it, a pleasantly bright citrus is broadcasted. The citrus unfolds in a rather predictable stepwise fashion, quickly moving from a tart lemon to a sweet orange and ultimately a slightly bitter bergamot. The bergamot is probably the shortest lived identifiable citrus as it rushes to blend into a woodiness that softens and sweetens yet again before sharply turning to that aforementioned herbal accord prominently displaying a surprisingly bold and pleasant lavender. In my experience with lavender, I typically enjoy a peppery element, but this one trades that for a green and slightly botanical musk aspect which I assume is the advertised rosemary, but I can't specifically identify it as such. It's just so well blended and balanced that it suggests an herbal lavender.
There's no question I enjoy my Colonia fragrances and homages, but Sicily is a pleasant departure from the standard Italian fragrance or even from the customary citrusy Summer fragrances.
Ariana & Evans | Spartacus
DrivenLegend Red & Black | APShaveCo Tuxedo 30mm
Ever-Ready SE | Gem PTFE
Fine Accoutrements | Platinum
Creed | Aventus 17N01 Peter Charkalis gave me this one-of-a-kind soap about a month ago because I'd expressed a desire to have an Aventus-type in his outstanding goat milk and lanolin base. He doubted there would be much demand for another Aventus-type soap. I suspect he's gotten a few more requests because he recently announced Spartacus will be made available to the masses as soon as he finishes whipping it up. You may have a few similarly scented soaps in your den, but odds are you don't have one that performs like this.
Ariana & Evans | Summer Fig
APShaveCo. Elegant Emerald | SynBad 24mm
Ever-Ready SE | Gem PTFE
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