Chatillon Lux + L&L Grooming - Blackberry Blossom Bay
Island Bladeworks "Bullwinkle" | TGN Finest
Ever-Ready SE | Gem PTFE (1)
![[IMG]](proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FYl72tST.jpg&hash=b984ef969f538714cbdd5c00db20c1d3)
I would have liked to have included some blackberry blossoms in the pic, but well, in light of our non-existent Winter and early Spring, they have already yielded to actual berries which the wildlife have pretty much pillaged. But, as always, we're covered up in bay out here. Specifically, our underbrush is probably 80% wax myrtle/bayberry (
Myrica cerifera) which emanates the pleasant fragrance year-round, peaking this time of year.
Blackberry Blossom Bay is as close to bay rum territory as it can be without having an actual rum note. As such, it is very much a Spring iteration, which is not to be translated as light or short-lived. This is a robustly fragranced soap. The inclusion of blackberry blossom is a nice touch, and it's held up by soft vanilla and sandalwood. The overall accord almost tricks me into thinking I smell clove, but I really don't detect it, nor do I feel it. Additionally, my brain tries to fill in the rum, but it's not there. Instead there's a floral and blossom component that's not immediate but rather unfolds and sweetens a bit during the shave, succumbing to light cinnamon in the latter stages.
L&L's bison base is ridiculously dense and slick. I have enough of these under my belt that I can confidently say this is one of the elite soaps in the artisan realm. I'm a huge fan of clay in soaps provided it's done right. L&L's is one of the best applications of clay in a soap base I've ever encountered. It rivals Stirling's old formula, but it lathers easier. L&L is one of the easiest and consistent lathers I've used, provided I load with a barely damp brush until I get that sticky, stringy substance embedded in the knot's tips. Then, I dunk the knot in my hard water and go to town with a perfect scalp lather, completely skipping the big bubble stage.
So, to dance with who brung me, I finished with Chatillon Lux's splash. Again, the bay rum "suggestion" makes me anticipate the impending flush (my skin doesn't care much for cinnamon), but it doesn't happen. It's the perfect ratio of bracing and cooling along with a heavenly and unique take on bay. The floral and bay are initially more forward, but the dry-down introduces the sandalwood, vanilla and sweet citrus, but just as you think it's stabilized, a slightly pungent, but glorious berry blossom overtakes the fragrance and actually seems to intensify about an hour later. The staying power is one of the best in the business as I continued to enjoy it a good 6 hours later. This fragrance is very much a work of art.
When these two guys get together, they knock it out of the park!
Click to expand...
