Razor: Rockwell 6s on 4
Blade: Gillette Wilkinson Sword
Brush: Copper Hat Synthetic
Soap: The Club Dirty Ginger
Aftershave: The Club Dirty Ginger
This is a new addition to the den. This set popped up on my Instagram feed as a trade option and I pounced. I had my eye on this particular set from the moment it was launched so I was happy to swap a trade. Added bonus is the gent I traded with (@sarasotawetshaver) was looking to try out some Canadian products so on top of sending him a Purely Skinful Handmade Essentials set, I also was able to hook him up with additional samples from Purely Skinful, Stonefield Shaving, Karve (Like Grandpa), Elvado, Soapy Bathman, Henri et Victoria, Highland Springs and Prohibition Style. I’m so proud of our Canadian artisans I love being able to send them off for others to try.
Anyways, on to this set, Dirty Ginger. Scent notes on this are Ginger, Rum and Tobacco. It also has Pink Pepper & Calabrian Bergomat in the mix. Right up front you are hit with that slightly spicy orange scent before you really start to pick up the Ginger. That plus the sweetness of the Rum gives it an ever so slight boozy ginger ale vibe. The Tobacco gives the sent a bit of grounding from the bright and sweet but isn’t something you notice on its own. It is a fantastic scent. Scent strength is a bit lower than the A&E/Club offerings I’m used to, but that could be my nose. I find some fruit scents don’t pop for me. Asian Plumb for example, I can barely smell but I keep hearing from others how strong it is. Just another reason why scents can be so subjective.
Unfortunately my heart sank when I used this set. I had a very uncomfortable shave. My face felt tight, dry and hot during the shave. Lather was dialed in like I expect and it performed like the rest of my A&E/Club products in terms of lather, slickness and cushion. This is really down to a skin vs fragrance issue. Something in the fragrance was causing me grief. As such I rushed through the shave and didn’t get the cleanest of shaves. I washed off the remaining lather and prepped for a big time burn on the matching aftershave but surprisingly, I had no issues at all with that. Hydrating, comfortable and a perfect match. I’m confused how I can have an issue with one and not the other. Maybe I had an issue with skin prep today. I’m unsure. I can say I will be heartbroken if this has to leave the den as it was a HUGE win with the family. Both my wife and son commented how good I smelled on the way out the door. That never happens. I’m going to give this a go another day and see if shave 2 gives me the same issue before I pull the trigger and move on. Everyone please say a few prayers to the shave gods that it was a one off. I could really use that in this time of need 😛
