SoS; April 2018

Van Yulay - Red Dawn
Kent V8
Ever-Ready SE | Gem PTFE

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Van Yulay's tallow and clay base is laden with skin nourishing ingredients, and I've been a fan for a couple years, now. Theirs is the best use of clay since Stirling's retired base, but it has a much wider water tolerance. That said, where I might typically advise pushing the water, I've found many people make the mistake of neglecting to load enough product when it comes to Van Yulay. Furthermore, you don't have to work this lather for long, revisiting the water periodically to achieve its optimal state. It's almost instant lather, and you know it when you get it, but it happens sooner than other clay-based soaps I've used. The pay-off is a dense but compact, creamy, super shiny paintable lather. When you get that, quit playing with it, and start shaving. First swipe and residual slickness are both above average, and the post-shave is always phenomenal.

When you say "Red Dawn" to me, I think of the depressing 1980s disaster flick staring the expected headliners (Patrick Swayze, Charlie Sheen, Lea Thompson, C. Thomas Howel, and Harry Dean Stanton). However, apparently Van Yulay was working up a different angle, attempting to convey the feeling of daybreak in the woods with a full day of mental cleansing tree felling ahead. I am intimately familiar with that feeling, and this accord captures it quite well.

Skip the off-the-tub whiff, unless you like gasoline...on second thought, you know you like the smell of gasoline, so take a big whiff. I kid. The chemical flash is there, but it's faint, and when you lather it, that burns off within seconds and is anything but a novelty fragrance. That initial vaporous scent steps right into a crisp cedar. With further distribution of the lather, darker damp and more resinous woods invade, but ultimately oakmoss prevails. Red Dawn tries to come off as an oriental but settles closer to a woody fougère. It never becomes murky, but rather maintains a slightly green undertone with any earthiness being an extension of the moss. In the middle there's a surprising peppery note that's reminiscent of shredded Virginia Creeper vines. It's this peculiar note that spices up the accord, effectively disrupting my ability to declare this fragrance's placement. However, the note definitely belongs here. These notes could easily become convoluted and thick, yet the overall accord has something just shy of iciness, thereby keeping true to the image of a crisp early morning in the woods. A coffee note would probably be too much, but you may feel inclined to have a cup during your shave.

Most of the time, Van Yulay's alcohol-free splashes initially have a distinct musky creamy impression that abates quickly, relenting to the intended accord. However, in this flavor, whatever is being used as the "gasoline" note mitigates this creamy base scent and ushers in the cedar, then oakmoss and so on.

Even if you relate more to the 80s verge-of-apocalypse flick as opposed to an early morning tree cutting, if you like woody mossy fragrances, you'll probably like Red Dawn. In terms of an associated finishing fragrance, it would work equally well with a spicy oriental as well as a woody fougère depending on which way you lean.

 

Thursday's Shave


Proraso Pre Shave
Colgate Shaving Mug Soap
Jayaruh #144 Badger
Schick F
Schick Proline B20
CWR
Thayer's Lemon WH
English Leather

I started off with Proraso Pre Shave. The Colgate Shaving Mug Soap face-lathered well with the Jayaruh #144 badger brush. I did two passes with the Schick F with a Schick Proline B20 blade and ended up with a close, comfortable shave. After a cold water rinse, I finished off with Thayer's Lemon WH and then English Leather AS. I am clean, smooth, and refreshed...

 

April 19, 2018
OneBlade Genesis V2
Feather FHS
RV Rover with TGN Finest
AOS Ocean Kelp Shave Cream
Fine Platinum

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Not a chance. Your pics add some variety that brightens up this thread.

 

Corrected photo.

 

Thursday

Prep: Warm Shower-Stirling Scots Pine Sheep
Soap: Catie’s Bubbles La Terre Verte
Razor: Gillette NEW Short Comb
Blade: Vintage Personna 74 Tungsten (Shave #28)
Brush: Honey Farm Designs/TGN Premium Silvertip-24mmx50mm
Aftershave: Country Club Highlands

WTG-XTG-ATG (adjusted angles for my beard)

Catie’s Bubbles LTV today. 20 seconds to load the Honey Farm/TGN Silvertip brush. Easy, thick, slick, lather. Personna 74 Tungsten still in the Gillette NEW Short Comb. Excellent smooth, close, shave. I finished with Country Club Highlands aftershave.

Bob

 

Well written, as usual Matt. I'll take a pass on this gasoline soap.

 

I understand, but I do enjoy it! That note is transient and even appropriate for the intended theme.

 

What's that TSD phrase...? Oh yeah, "It's your shave, enjoy it your way" Still enjoy reading your reviews.

 

What type of lid is that?

 

OMG, am I ever frozen as well as BBS thanks to the Glacial Spearmint soap and balm. The first pass was frigid and the second one was borderline-painful. (in such a good way!) The Snake Bite kicked the freeze up about two levels - was it ever awesome!

See y'all soon!

 

Not often I have consecutive days shaves, but...



My Aristocrat arrived. So



It got thoroughly cleaned and used immediately! (I lost a morning, but gained a shiny new pal)

Soho Joe Original Face Wash
Maseto 30mm silvertip
Phoenix and Beau Oberon Soap
Gillette Aristocrat (#16/21?)
Gillette Nacet blade
A little alum and
Proraso After shave balm

Gorgeous BBS on the warmest day of the year so far . Hope you all have as good a day as I am.

 

Razor - Edwin Jagger "Kelvin"
Blade - Astra Superior Platinum *5th Shave
Shave Brush - Scaramouche+Fandango 22mm "Ultra-Soft" Synthetic
Shave Soap - The Shave Den "Sensitive" (Unscented)
Aftershave - The Shave Den "Sensitive" (Unscented) Witch Hazel in an Infinity Jars Ultraviolet Bottle
Preshave Oil - Lather & Wood's "Unscented"
Post-Shave Balm - Nicci Marie Hyaluronic Acid Anti-Aging Face Serum
Deodorant - Herban Cowboy "Unscented"
Fragrance - Frederic Malle Bois d'Orage (French Lover)

 

19 April 2018

I call this morning's shave "THE BIG GUILT"

Reason being, I could use this same kit (hardware & software) every day and get BBS results, leave the house toned & smooth and have saved money in the bargain.

The guilt kicks in when I look at all the creams, soaps, different blades, and aftershaves that I've accumulated. (I never did get RAD or BAD as I only have 2 main razors and a couple brushes) Fact is, I do like the variety and just about everything I've tried, I like, so it will get used up eventually. But it's going to take a loooong time. Heck, I ordered more creams yesterday!

Soap: ARKO (mashed into a 1960's era OS mug)
Brush: Omega 10086 boar
Razor: Fatip Grande
Blade: Personna Red (5)
Aftershave: Pinaud Clubman

 

SOTD April 19, 2018

Prep: Cold water and Stirling mentholated pre-shave soap
Blade: Schick
Razor: Schick J1 injector
Brush: Omega Hi synthetic
Soap: Mitchell's Wool Fat
Post: Witch hazel, Fine American Blend aftershave

Hotel shave, so I brought along The Fat for three shaves. Always a pleasure to use. Enjoy your day!

 

April 19, 2018

Wolfman WR1-OC with Darwin Ti
Gillette Silver Blue
Dorian Craft Works Two Band
Panna Crema Nuavia Rossa
Chatillon Lux Delor de Treget Toner & AS

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. Course here in Boston area it's pronounced "After"

 

Wow...what an All-Star lineup!!

 

April 19th SOTD
Gillette SA-84 w Rapira Swedish Supersteel
Stirling Coniferous SS
TGN Synthetic / Mahogany
Thayers
Pinaud Clubman AS

 

It is quite a list...

@Smooth Steve I noticed you use witch hazel, an aftershave lotion, then a balm. Do you get any adverse effects if you use certain products? I always worry that I may cause irritation putting too many things on after a shave, so i use alum followed by either a balm or a lotion, but never both.

I would be quite interested in your thoughts as I would like the moisturizing properties of the balm as well as the antiseptic properties of the lotion, but I worry my skin is too sensitive to handle it. Many soaps bring me out bright red.