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Wonderful Armonía shave tonight. Great scent and slick base, what's not to love‽
Varen Frag++
I get a hit of "spice" when I spray it on which seems to go away after a minute. Have you noticed anything like that? I don't get it with the soap or aftershave.
I will investigate tonight!
Nope, I'm getting a face full of bright resin/sap. Like a freshly cut Christmas tree. But my nose isn't very refined
Could be the same thing we're smelling. I'm even less refined!
September 16, 2024
Yesterday I posted a comparison between old and new Bolzano blades (Germany and Egypt, respectively).
Today I decided I'd compare the new Egyptian Bolzano to a Lord Platinum. Why? Because they're both made in Egypt, I like the Bolzano's from Egypt, and I remember liking Lord Platinum. So obviously they're maybe the same blade.
Well, I think I was way off. They felt a lot different. There's a problem, though -- I wasn't scientific with it, and the Lord is on the 1st use, and the Bolzano on its 3rd. It's possible the Lord hasn't had a chance for any excess coatings to flake off, making the comparison a real waste of time.
Both blades were great, but the Bolzano cut through the whiskers easier, and the end result is a tad closer (but maybe too close to call). Both were very smooth and irritation free.
Will I redo this comparison using blades with an equal number of shaves? Probably not.
P.S. - ~~I noticed that Lord blades (asside from Asco branded) aren't sold by razorbladesclub.com anymore~~Just kidding, they are. I also noticed that Bolzanos are only $18/100 there, less than half the price of other vendors.
Sep 16, 2024 - Embrace Trifecta
Embrace is what I needed this morning.
Rating: 4.5/5
September 16, 2024
Brush: Zenith B40 28mm Boar
Razor: Dovo Bismarck 6/8" Full Hollow Round Point
Lather: Spearhead Shaving Company - Seaforth! Roman Spice - Soap
Toner: Thayers - Lavender - Toner
Aftershave: Spearhead Shaving Company - Seaforth! Roman Spice - Aftershave
Fragrance: Spearhead Shaving Company - Seaforth! Roman Spice - Eau de Toilette
2 passes. Face lather. Excellent shave.
Roman Spice is such a refreshing scent! It doesn't linger long in the soap or aftershave, so I think the EdT is worth having.
This razor has a combination Black Arkansas/Mikawa Asano Nagura edge. It is beautifully sharp with its own subtle feel. Very fun shave today!
16.09.2024 - Barberwood head shave
-> 2 pass head shave. Rushed, but good.
Only had time for a quick head shave today, but wanted to try the final one of my new soaps - Barberwood, a spicy barbershop scent. Did 2 quick passes to get a good first impression.
Honestly, the Thorn and most SE razors are way nicer for me personally when it comes to shaving my head because due to the stiffer blades/tighter hold of a blade I can replicate the long strokes I used to do with cartridge razors. 2 passes went almost as quick as one with a DE.
Barberwood is my first experience with HAGS Osiris base (again, the amount of bases that they produce is too damn high!). Unfortunately, due to being in a bit of a rush I had no time to dial it in properly and the lather was slightly too dry today as a result. Hmm, live and learn - now I know that it's thirsty and will respect that next time.
As for the scent, it's a typical powdery barbershop with no freshness and a little twist in the form of an almost dark, spicy vanilla-like note to it. I guess those are supposed to be the woody elements. Performance wise, I don't want to judge too much as the lather was subpar as mentioned before. But it was still comfortable to shave with. In terms of skin health, thumbs up - no skin reactions, no burn, feels pretty good. Further uses will show how good it really is, but the HAGS AS toner already gets an A+ from me - a little goes a long way and it just feels great when applied. Plus the scent is amplified even more with it.
Like I said, I'll need further shaves to evaluate it but I'm looking forward to them. So far, it reminds me of CFG Ghost Town Barber, my favourite barbershop soap so far (very much a good thing!)