Bowl : Van Yulay Resin
Brush : Phoenix Artisan Accouterments’s Atomic Rocket
Soap : Phoenix Artisan Accouterments’s Solstice
Post Shave : Phoenix Artisan Accouterments’s Aftershave and Cologne, Mysterium Serum Mentholated
Razor : Razorock MJ-90A w/Croma Blade
Other : Menthol in a salt grinder

28°c at 2:30am …
30°c at 8:00am onwards with the sun up.
Welcome to the tropics. I am going to be grinding in some menthol.

Bowl : Van Yulay Resin
Brush : Frank Shaving Silvertip Badger
Soap : Razorock Blue Fougere
Post Shave : Razorock Blue Fougere, Prep
Razor : Rockwell 6S-R4 w/Croma Blade

Sometimes your nose needs a rest and or the soap and AS needs a second chance.
For some reason, when I did the first lather test and hand massaged the AS to allow the scent to be sniffed, I could not smell anything off the soap and I think I described that it smelt of light citrus with powdery fresh seaweed barbershop.
That’s not quite right.
Must have been some residue of the previous aftershave or something else on my skin that when mixed in, skewed the scent profile.

This time after the bath, and the nose had the night to clear its pallete I thought I give Blue Fougere a fresh look and try to see what the difference is.
The soap’s scent is very weak, 1-2/10, but it is there. Still barbershopish, still a little powdery but this time, the greens is a litle brighter and I thought it was a little familiar.
A little lavender, maybe patchouli or bergamot, very light on the vetiver and a little spice.

I don’t have a perfumer’s nose so I have no idea what the original notes for this is.
It was only when I put on the aftershave that it hit me. It was has that “Dior DNA”

So I started sniffing my Dior perfume bottles and sure enough I thought there were similarities. Almost Sauvage but not so peppery, almost Doir Homme but not so citrusy.
Its actually quite good.
And for $16.50 for that huge soap brick and Aftershave, definitely well worth the money.

Bowl : Van Yulay Resin
Brush : Frank Shaving Silvertip Badger
Soap : Razorock Caribbean Holiday
Post Shave : Razorock Caribbean Holiday Aftershave splash, Prep
Razor : Razorock SLOC w/ Treet Black Beauty Blade

I remember talking about combining PAA’s Pineapple Bayrum with Coconut Bay Rum to create a Pina Colada theme soap / splash.
Then a few months later I see this, and I am like FRACK YEAH!
Bought it …then visited Van Yulay’s site and went … DUH!!!
They got one out too! (and to be honest I’d rather have bought Monica’s version) but what is done is done. I’ll get hers another time.

Soap and AS smells awesome BTW! So I am not too disappointed.
Coconut, Pineapple and Rum! Its a little light on the rum but that can be fixed! Just mix the AS in with more rum or better yet, Bayrum!
I think 70:30 AS:Bayrum ratio might be good. Need to get more of those Miniso spray bottles.

Bowl : Van Yulay Resin
Brush : Frank Shaving Silvertip Badger
Soap : Ginger’s Garden’s British Empire Argan shaving cream
Post Shave : Ginger’s Garden’s British Empire Aftershave Lotion, Aftershave Balm, Cologne spray
Razor : Razorock SLOC w/Treet Black Beauty

I need more shelves.🤣

Usually I don’t post my evening shaves, which I generally use Proraso, Bodyshop or more recently soaps from the Village Soapsmith (wonderful soaps btw) but, this evening I just had to try the stuff that just came in.

In particular, Irena’s Ginger’s Garden British Empire line.
I bought the vegan Argan shaving cream, Aftershave lotion, Aftershave Balm and Cologne spray.

Scent profile as described by the artisan :
” Crisp citrus, exotic oud, golden amber, rich sandalwood and white musk.”

This opens with citrus, has a supporting base of sandalwood, but the stars of the show are amber, oud and white musk. I’d say this is primarily a musk scent with oud and golden amber balancing and rounding out the musk, taking some of the edge off that you usually find in musk scents.

The Soap itself, has the weakest of scent strength about 3/10, with both balm and lotion rounding out at around 4/10 and of course the cologne higher at around 5/10
This is not a loud scent nor does it project very far.
If I stand next to the wife she smells me, but sitting in the same room, she doesn’t.
Sillage is likewise within your personal space more or less.
Overall, this is a nice mild musky scent, office safe, and so far lasting quite a while after the shave.

Her Argan shaving cream is thirsty. Give it water.
But do it slow and easy.
It is also slick as heck.
Really good residual slickness, really good post shave feel.

I am now wondering if her tallow base is better or this is. You’d swear it’s tallow if you didn’t know better.

Also, from my use, the cream is very forgiving, you don’t have to get the water content exactly right to dial into a lather that is very slick and usable.
I even added more water at one point to see if going past what you can tell is “good” would still work and it does. Wouldn’t recommend anyone purposely going ultra thin on the lather though.
You only need a small amount of cream to generate enough for 4+ cleanup passes. (I used only about 1/2 – 2/3 of my pinkie’s digit in volume) so that large 4.5 ounce tub is going to last you a while unless you are really wasteful.

Ps : Its about 3 hours (shaved at around 2030hrs and at the time of writing it is now… 2327hrs) since the shave and I still can still make out the scent on me. As mentioned, its more of a skin scent with very mild sillage.
Longevity though I am betting it’ll go past 4 hours maybe into 5-6.

Going to need to visit Ikea tomorrow and look for some shelving. My wash-sink counter top is a mess.

Bowl : Van Yulay Resin
Brush : Frank Shaving Silvertip Badger
Soap : Phoenix Artisan Accouterments’s Agharta
Post Shave : Phoenix Artisan Accouterments’s Agharta Aftershave Splash and Cologne, Mysterium Serum
Razor : Rockwell 6S-R5 w/Treet Black Beauties

Brush : Frank Shaving Silvertip Badger
Soap : Wet The Face’s Grey’s Vetiver Tallow Puck in Frank Shaving Apothecary Mug
Post Shave : Wet The Face’s Grey’s Vetiver Aftershave Splash, Prep
Razor : Rockwell 6S-R4 w/Feather Blade (2nd)
Other : Tom Ford’s Grey Vetiver EDP

So, for today, I have decided to go “classic office suave”, Grey Veitver by Tom Ford, and the best way towards that is going with WTF’s Grey’s Vetiver, scent stacking, Yeah baby!

• 

Bowl : Van Yulay Resin
Brush : Frank Shaving Silvertip Badger
Soap : Phoenix Artisan Accouterments’s Cold Spice
Post Shave : Phoenix Artisan Accouterments’s Cold Spice Aftershave & Cologne, Mysterium Serum
Razor : Rockwell 6S-R4 w/Feather Blade
Others : Vintage Old Spice EDT

Nothing like good the Old Shulton to start a day.
Been awhile since I used this and knowing that there is a CK-6 version now, well no reason to not just use this tub more often.
Still one of the best scents that will trigger good vibes of a time gone by.
Let this scent never be truly lost.

Also, its been a while since I used a feather, good to remind myself just how perfect these blades are with the Rockwell.

Bowl : Van Yulay Resin
Brush : Frank Shaving Silvertip Badger
Soap, and Post Shave : Van Yulay’s Royal Oudh, Aftershave and Balm
Razor : Razorock MJ-90A w/Treet Black Beauties
Others : Paranakan Oud EDT

Hail to the Oud!
I was missing the AS previously, I could have sworn I clicked to include it when I bought the soap but no matter, its together now as a set.

And again, even before I started the shave, I knew this is going to be one really good one. Off the container, you can smell the scent of dark oud along with cedar and a hint of sandalwood and musk.

Artisan’s description:
“Top notes include lemon, pink berry and bergamot. The middle notes consist of cedar, galbanum and angelic root. Base notes are Regal Indian oud, sandalwood and Tonkin musk.”
Based on Creed’s Royal Oud launched in 2011, the scent is old school, and takes you back to a time of Maharajas and Kings, its still one of those scents that you can wear and it’ll hold its head up high with dignity and masculine charm.

Kinda like the Man of the family, the King, the Alpha.
While the younger kids run around screaming their heads off, wearing bright clothing, being loud and brash, Oud is the guy that projects power and when he says something, the room falls silent, straining to hear what he has to say.

If scents, were personages from a show or movie, I’d tag Royal Oudh as Tywin Lannister.
Strong, proud, commanding, wielder of power.

Only to be laid low by that short stubby pineapple of a son, Aventus Tyrion . 😁

Oh, yeah, Glass BBS, no nicks, no weepers.
Gods, I love great soap with great scents.

Bowl : Van Yulay Resin
Brush : Frank Shaving Silvertip Badger
Preshave : Prep
Soap : Razorock’s Alchemy
Post Shave : Prep, Razorock’s Alchemy Aftershave Splash
Razor : Razorock MJ-90A w/Zaza blade

Off day shave before heading to the doctors for my medical.
Routine stuff, get checked up, get medication, blood thinners, set new appointments down the road.
The MJ-90A gives a really smooth shave for a mid mild aggression razor.

“It passed the Lonely Mountain bare,
And swept above the dragon’s lair:
There black and dark lay boulders stark,
And flying smoke was in the air.

It left the world and took its flight
Over the wide seas of the night.
The moon set sail upon the gale,
And stars were fanned to leaping light “

-excerpt from the Dwarven song of old wealth (Far Over the Misty Mountains Cold)

Bowl : Van Yulay Resin
Brush : Frank Shaving Silvertip Badger
Soap : Van Yulay’s Black Dragon
Post Shave : Van Yulay’s Black Dragon Aftershave Splash and Balm (Both Mentholated)
Razor : Rockwell 6S-R5 w/Zaza Blade

Yeah.
There are “good” shaves, great shaves, then, once in a while you get the really epic ones. Scents evokes emotions and the imagination.This was one of those.

Some shaves just leaves an impression on you, that your mind just explodes with imagery and tableau as you shave, sometimes because of the name, the label, the scents all work to evoke memories, your imagination and take you off onto an unexpected journey.
Thank you Ms Gillam, for today’s not just good, not great but a fracking awesome shave.

Scent on this thing is Amazing!
Strength is maybe 4/10 for the soap off the container, but once you start lathering and then layer on the AS and Balm, that goes up to 6/10.
Son actually told me that he could smell the scent even before he entered our room, with the scent filtering through from the bathroom.
Don’t know how long it will last but I hope it will be for a while.

Scent as described by the Artisan;
” Our Dragon’ s Blood is layers of cedar-wood, orange, and patchouli infused with romantic notes such as rose, jasmine and lilac with natural essential oils, including  blood orange and grapefruit. “
I am also guessing that there was a wee bit of sangre de drago in there too.

It came off woody herbal, resinous, vibrant and manly as frack.
Coming off Oaken Lab’s low key cedar based scent yesterday, this one is anything but low key!
From the time you sniff the soap off the container to lathering (use warm / mild hot water for best effect, even better if you have a scuttle) to going onto your face and finally layering on the Aftershave (which you have to shake well to mix the essential oils) you can tell that the scent is going to be great, and the balm, which many might skip buying, but holy crap, don’t skip on the balm!
Trust me.

I got my glass “I keep touching myself” BBS shave, zero nicks, zero weepers, smell great, had that Dwarven song popped into my head and actually almost sang it in the bathroom…I did hum it though. 😁
Yeah.
It was one of those shaves.