Razor: Yaqi Mellon
Blade: Wilkinson Sword
Brush: Spiffo Two Band Badger
Soap: The Club Vacanza Romana
Aftershave: The Club Vacanza Romana
Other: Thirsty Badger lather bowl
I have to admit, I’ve been on a real A&E/The Club kick of late. Ever since I picked up a sample of the NYC soap (thanks Jonathan) I’ve had trouble not picking up every offering that crosses my path. I picked up a membership with the Club just so I could get the NYC soap and then I found a whole other bounty of interesting products to try. This offering from Peter’s pinup series really caught my eye.
Vacanza Romana is described as a woody chypre. Scent notes are citrus (Calabrian bergamont & grapefruit), basil, mint & sage. Blended with cardamom, jasmine, vetiver, patchouli, oakmoss, pine and cypress. It is a fantastic scent. The woody notes are blended very well with the citrus and herbs. It is not your average walk in the forest lumberjack wood scent. It has an inherent brightness and herbaceousness. There is a touch of sweetness in there too. Scent strength is on the stronger side of the spectrum and the dry down will carry for quite a while from the aftershave. I’d suggest this scent might be a little more approachable than some of the bold A&E/Club offerings which could be a big win for some. However this is a limited edition from only available for Club members (I believe) so if you are interested you will need to jump on board sooner than later.
Performance on both the soap and aftershave is the same great performer I’ve become accustomed to. Both are considered elite and top tier in my den. One thing I did note though, after I returned from my vacation I was really able to get a better understanding of how water plays a big factor in the lather of your soap. Over the course of a couple weeks I was able to try a few bases in a few different water types. This particular base is one of those. After returning, I’m finding the lather is a bit trickier to dial in vs the softer water I had during travels. It isn’t a problem, it just requires a bit more patience. That was the case with almost all the bases I tried over the vacation, but it wasn’t universal. There we some products that lathered the same regardless the water. So, just a friendly reminder when reading reviews, your water can play a big factor in your lather experience.
Have a great day all!
