What a difference a day, and setup change makes. My, my, my...shaving nirvana today, fellas.
First...the soap sample. Shannon's "Lakeshore Drive". I've used this sample before, and liked it, however I put the remainder in a used soap tub so I could load it like "normal". The texture is slightly odd, being somewhat grainy. Once loaded, that goes away. Get some hydration in there, and the lather comes to life and becomes creamy and dreamy. Plenty of slickness and cushion. All with a delightful side of wonderful scent (again, aquatics normally aren't my bag). There's a high probability of a full-tub purchase.
Now..onto the razor and blade - with emphasis on the blade itself. The Blackland Sabre was called out to play. Since I've never tried a GEM PTFE before, that's what got dropped in the razor. I know many of you here have said that you love and highly recommend them. I've seen more of the same praise on DFS, with some guys going 20, 30, or more shaves on one. Truthfully, my expectations weren't quite that high - figuring, yeah..it's probably a good blade, but unlikely to unseat the CVS carbon. Hmmmf. How wrong I was. The very first swipe with the Sabre/GEM PTFE combo told me all I needed to know. Butter smooth. Efficient. As the shave progressed, the blade continued to impress - so much that I even did my first pass on my neck ATG, just to see. ZERO issue whatsoever. Very seldom can that "party trick" be pulled off without discomfort and/or crimson. Normally, to go ATG on the cheeks, two XTG passes need to be completed first, otherwise it doesn't usually end up pretty. Different story with this blade. My first pass on the cheeks went XTG, from ear to nose. The next pass was ATG. Again, zero issues.
What an enjoyable shave. No drama at all...no cuts, nicks, or weepers. I didn't even bother with any post shave products. The mug is smooth, and well moisturized. Hours later, the scent of the soap still lingers.
My takeaway from this morning's shave. I'm starting to appreciate aquatic scents. And, the GEM PTFE is a clear winner, certain to end up being a bulk purchase.
Anybody care to venture a guess what tomorrow's lineup will be?

Have a wonderful Thursday, gents!
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