After all the stress surrounding my grandma's passing, I needed some "retail therapy". Yes, I know that's not an optimal coping mechanism; but here we are.
So since we had our first BVWSC shave with Abbate Y La Mantia soap, I was curious about the great soap quality and @djundjila@wetshaving.social mentioned that they transitioned fully to hard soaps. Even more curious, I was able to find the first soap in a german webshop that started their shift towards hard soaps: Blue Tobacco, a scent that spoke to me as a former menthol cigarette smoker. Originally, I only wanted some extra items to get free shipping - and then this happened. Clearly I've got no self control...
THE GOODS:
- Abbate Y La Mantia Tobacco Blue (Blue Tobacco) shaving soap ๐ฎ๐น
- E&S Rasage Shaman shaving soap, plus 3 body soaps (Solstice , Barber and Azur) ๐จ๐ต
- HAGS Barberwood soap, witch hazel toner and beard oil ๐ฌ๐ท
- Los Jabones de Joserra Masala Connection shaving soap ๐ช๐ฆ
- Saponificio Varesino sample pack (ALL of their aftershave balms, one beard wash and balm respectively plus a "Pro Victis" skin repair cream) ๐ฎ๐น
- Meiรner Tremonia Dark Limes beard soap ๐ฉ๐ช
- Freebies: Proraso beard wash sample, some self-made thank you stuff and candy
Not going to talk about the body soaps and beard stuff, since this is a wetshaving instance. But I am really curious about the performance of all the shaving soaps! Blu Tobacco is really as I envisioned: a pack of (unlit!) menthol cigarettes on the beach. The aluminium tin is really nice. Shaman by E&S could be quite something for colder months, off the puck it's already dark. Barberwood is a take on a barbershop scent with lots of wood notes added, so a full set was a no-brainer. After my initial scepticism, barbershop scents have really grown on me in the last years. Finally, only from reading the notes on the label, I knew I had to get Masala Connection. It's kinda like someone had taken all of my favourite individual scent notes, threw them together in a fragrance oil and made a shaving soap out of it. Voilร ! Off the puck, it already smells divine. Never had anything by Los Jabones de Joserra before, but as I wanted to try as many european artisans as possible from different countries it made sense to me.
Even though I reside in Germany, I have to admit that I used more American wetshaving soaps than european ones. Unfortunately, artisans from "the old continent" tend to be overlooked. I'll try to put more of a spotlight on wetshaving software from the EU in my upcoming SOTDs... But needless to say, this concludes my wetshaving purchases for this year and the next year probably too. I can really recommend the seller AboutBodyCare though, very friendly thank you card, fast shipping and my package was even perfumed with E&S Solstice EdT.
Yesterday I returned from a short trip. It was actually nice, even though I just accompanied my mom since dad declined to come with her for health reasons.
The hotel was directly near some interesting photo spots and was wellness focused: whirlpools, sauna, spa. Due to the shortness of our stay, there was no time for massages - but surprisingly, the water worked very well for my body. It's naturally high in salt in that region, so it also helped with easier breathing. I even tried a steam sauna, even though that felt terrifying at first - but it was good. I really miss those things and I think I should look into local options for pools & saunas.
Today was a pretty chill day to relax, except some online shopping (Black Friday, but unfortunately no shaving related sales). Next week it's back to early shifts, but at least only at my usual workplace. All my external internships are done, which is good since I don't need any additional stress before the exams next year.
Stay safe & have a fun weekend โ๐ป