Razor: Boker 4/8
Brush: Paragon Synthetic
Soap: Van Der Lovett Grey Edition
Aftershave: Fine Accoutrements Fresh Vetiver
I just can’t pass up a good deal. When I was in Winners last week they actually had a little bit of shaving software to pick through. It is pretty unusual to find anything in our local Winners, but this day I find 4 (I believe all 4 they make) of the Van Der Lovett soaps for $4CAD a piece. For 2.4oz of soap, that is a good deal for even an average shave soap. I couldn’t help myself and grabbed the Royal Orange, Grey Edition, Sweetwood, and Sailor’s Blend (yes, I already had a puck, but it was a deal remember?)
The soap itself, well I’d bet money that it is made with the exact formula as the Fine Accoutrements soap base. The puck is a bit smaller but it is the exact same firmness and texture. It looks spot on. The scent strength is on the mild side of medium (although it smells stronger in the box). I wish it was dialed up a bit. No scent notes are to be found on package or online, so I’d be guessing on scent notes. I’ve heard this particular one is a take on Grey Flannel cologne. Quite possible, I would say it is a retro cologne type vibe. Of the 4 Van Der Lovett soaps, this is my favorite and had the most scent strength. Packaging isn’t great, it is a hard puck in a box which to me is a big downer. I ended up grating each one and pressing into tubs I had on hand. The soap does load and lather quite easily, and gives average performance. Good but not great. Bang on with a Fine Accoutrements soap for me. It won’t blow you away but it will also give you a nice shave at a great price-point.
I had a bit of extra time today so I pulled out the Boker straight for the first time in a while. My straight shaving is still a work in progress. A couple nicks later and I had a perfectly acceptable shave. A little bit of irritation from the technique. I followed up with a splash of Fresh Vetiver from Fine Accoutrements (a good compliment, but not the same scent by any stretch) for a burn and an awesome stink.
