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The moment I saw the AS package bag with spillage in it I knew there was something very wrong. While I was lucky that I had a spare cap from another time that this happened, I can’t but help thinking that this could have been prevented.
Loosing an 8th of your Aftershave and a badly damaged label isn’t exactly something you want to see.

The shave itself was great, CK-6 performance is outstanding, razor and blade even on the 4th use is still performing at peak.
Scent is a great melding of Australian, Indian and Hawaiian Sandalwoods is freaking awesome.
The scent favors the Hawaiian a little more than Indian and while I don’t think I have smelt Australian sandalwood before, I think that little sharpness I detect to the sandalwood scent is attributed to the Australian, counterbalancing the sweetness of the Hawaiian and deep resinous Indian.
Very intoxicating.

The joy of the shave is marred only by the damaged goods I recieved.
And I don’t think I want to do anymore Supreme Sandalwood Science SOTD pictures with AS bottle in the future. Or at all.

Doug, you should think about packaging a little more and definitely think about the material of the caps.
I don’t know how many other have had the same experience but this is twice now that I have received an Aftershave bottle with the cap damaged in transit and loosing some of its contents.
I am seriously not a happy camper at the moment.

Bowl : Van Yulay Resin
Pre-Shave : PAA’s The Cube
Brush : Friendship Shaving’s Macy G4 Synthetic by Frank Shaving
Soap : PAA’s Supreme Sandalwood Science
Post Shave : PAA’s Supreme Sandalwood Science Aftershave Cologne and Star Jelly Aftershave Balm
Razor : PAA’s Copper DOC w/Rockwell Blade (4)

Bowl : Van Yulay Resin
Brush : Friendship Shaving’s Macy G4 Synthetic by Frank Shaving
Pre-Shave : Proraso Green Pre-Shave Cream
Soap : Proraso Green
Post Shave : Proraso Green Aftershave Splash, Prep
Razor : PAA’s Copper DOC w/Rockwell Blade (3)

Been a while since I did a full menthol shave. Can’t go wrong with Proraso green.

Bowl : Van Yulay Resin
Brush : Friendship Shaving’s Macy G4 Synthetic by Frank Shaving
Pre-shave : PAA’s The Cube
Soap : Van Yulay’s Royal Oudh
Post Shave : Van Yulay’s Royal Oudh Aftershave and Balm
Razor : Rockwell 6S-R3 w/Rockwell Blade
Others : Royal Oud Perfume Oil attar

Hail to the Oud baby!
Love that Van Yulay lather, goes on like cream, feels slick as melted butter on glass, and most importantly smells like a million bucks.

Thought I’d use the Rockwell Blades that I got when I bought the razor. Don’t know why it has a bad rep, its sharp and smooth.
Glass BBS shave, zero irritation. Can’t ask for more than that.

Bowl : Van Yulay Resin
Brush : Oumo SHD Silvertip Badger
Pre-Shave : PAA’s The Cube
Soap : Wet The Face’s Himitsu
Post Shave : Wet The Face’s Himitsu Aftershave, Prep
Razor : Rockwell 6S-R3 W/Lord Platinum Blade (2)
Others : Dior Homme EDT

When you think of Japanese scents do you think like a gaijin and think of plums and cherries? Or do you look further, beyond the surface, stay at a onsen inn and enjoy the scents and sense of things Japanse?
Himitsu means secret or private and if you look up Himitsu Bako which means secret box or puzzle box, which is used in the past by Japanese ladies (and men) to hold and keep keepsakes or valuables. Usually a dried lemon peel or dried rose buds are left in to keep things smelling great.
Made me wonder if Don had seen one of these and more importantly what’s inside.

Which comes back to Wet The Face’s Himitsu. When I first used the sample some time ago, it brought back memories of a vacation in Japan in an Onsen Ryoken in Hakone, and I remember entering the room and smelling that wonderful rosewood and lemon scent. No, it wasn’t something out of a can but of the woods, and peelings left by the staff to freshen the room. Old school, rich, beautifully natural.

WTF’s Himitsu’s notes, of Patchouli, Saffron, Sweet Lemon and Rose hits the scent imagery right out of the park.
Opening with Patchouli and Sweet Lemon with a hint of Saffron that is held together by a strong Rose base.
I will say this again, this scent is AMAZING.
Fresh, floral and soul centering.

Oh, yeah, the soap was great, shave was great, 2nd use of the Lord blade.
Glass BBS Shave yada yada.
Feeling great, SMELLING GREAT!

Bowl : Van Yulay Resin
Brush : Oumo SHD Silvertip Badger
Soap : Ginger’s Garden British Empire
Post Shave : Ginger’s Garden British Empire Aftershave and Balm
Razor : Rockwell 6S-R4 w/Lord Platinum Blades

Been a while since I used Ginger’s Garden and this one’s a Citrusy White Musk (really heavy on the musk) with a light woods base soap. Would have preferred if it was more sandalwood, oud and amber and a way more less on the musk but it is what it is.
Still good though.

Bowl : Van Yulay Resin
Pre-shave : PAA’s The Cube Mentholated
Brush : Oumo SHD Silvertip Badger
Soap : PAA’s Future Fiction
Post Shave : PAA’s Future Fiction Aftershave Cologne, Star Jelly Aftershave Balm
Razor : PAA’s Copper DOC w/Personna Blade
Others : PAA’s Future Fiction Solid Cologne

Love the spiced citrusy woods musk scent. If it had just a tad more strength, better sillage, this would have been my favorite driver for the a while.

Bowl : Van Yulay Resin
Pre-Shave : PAA’s The Cube (mentholated)
Brush : Friendship Shaving’s Macy G4 Synthetic by Frank Shaving
Soap : PAA’s Doppelganger Grey (Aventus)
Post Shave : PAA’s Doppelganger Grey (Aventus) Aftershave Cologne, Star Jelly Aftershave Balm
Razor : PAA’s Copper DOC w/Feather Blade (5)
Others : Al Haramain L’Aventure (Aventus Clone)

Love or hate it, Aventus and its clones smell great.
Feather blade on its 5th use, but feels like its edge is starting to go. Had to do a little more cleanup then usual to get that glass BBS shave.
Always chasing that glass BBS shave, its an addiction I can’t let go. 😂

Smelling great, feeling great!

Shower w/P&G Old Spice Classic Shower Gel
Bowl : Van Yulay Resin
Brush : Friendship Shaving’s Macy G4 Synthetic by Frank Shaving
Pre-shave : PAA’s The Cube (Mentholated)
Soap : PAA’s Cold Spice
Razor : PAA’s Copper DOC w/Feather Blade
Post Shave : PAA’s Cold Spice Aftershave Cologne and Cold Spice Star Jelly Aftershave Balm
Others : PAA’s Cold Spice Deodorant and Cold Spice EDP (Thanks Doug!)

Behold!
The Cold Spice Full Monty!
The funny part about all this is how I have been asked before ” What is that you are wearing? Smells great!”
And if you say “Old Spice” they go ” … oh.”
But if you say ” Pimenter ancienne par Phénix artisan accoutrements” in your best French accent they go “Oh! Where did you get it?!”
Perception eh?

Smelling great, DOC+Feathers = Glass “I keep touching myself” BBS shave, feeling great!

Bowl : Van Yulay Resin
Brush : Oumo SHD Silvertip Badgers
Soap : WSP Blackbeard
Post Shave : WSP Blackbeard Aftershave and Balm
Razor : PAA Copper DOC w/Feather Blade
Others : WSP Blackbeard Solid Cologne

Tobacco, cherry, vanilla, patchouli, cloves and spice!
WSP’s stuff smell great and are easily some of my shaving products to use.
Gotta love Feathers, XTG, ATG, and cleanup, and you get “I keep touching myself” glass BBS shaves easy.

Smelling great, feeling great, ready to rock the world!

Bowl : Van Yulay Resin
Brush : Oumo SHD Silvertip Badger
Pre-shave : Bloom Water
Soap : Proraso Red (puck)
Post Shave : Proraso Red
Razor : PAA Copper DOC w/Personna Blade

Talking with fellow wetshavers had me thinking of Sandalwood and one I haven’t used recently was Proraso Red.

While the soap’s performance isn’t the best, given I have used some really good soaps, but its beautiful Indian sandalwood scent is still as deep and rich as I remember it to be. Especially the aftershave.

As an entry level wet shaving soap, you can do a lot worse than going with Proraso Red.