Razor: Yaqi Mellon
Blade: Astra Green
Brush: Rubberset Silvertip
Soap: Primitive Outpost Down to Earth
Aftershave: Primitive Outpost Down to Earth Splash
Word hit one of the Facebook groups yesterday that Primitive Outpost wasn’t going to be closing up shop. I haven’t been able to confirm anything via their social feeds but that isn’t surprising since most of them haven’t been updated in over a year. It saddens me that we are losing another Canadian artisan, especially after I just added them to my den.
While there are some negatives for me with the product line (some packaging challenges, scents haven’t been big wins) they got one of the hardest things right, the base. Both the soap base and aftershave are really nice products. With a bit of effort into packaging/branding, some upgraded scents and a decent marketing push, they could have made a big dent in the shaving space.
For this particular set, Down to Earth, the scent notes are Cedarwood, Spruce Hemlock, Rosewood, Bergamot, Cinnamon, and Orange. It is a true woodsy scent with some brightness from the citrus and just the slightest cinnamon spice. To me, this is like a cross between Tallow + Steel Rainforest and Soapy Bathman Lumberjack. Scent strength is about a medium. If you like that forest type scent, this one could be a win for you. The base itself is a firm tallow formulation. It loads and lathers quite easily and the performance is fantastic. Cushion was excellent, slickness was very good as was post shave. I got a fantastic shave today.
The balm is a huge win for me. Scent strength is also at medium strength and while it doesn’t carry for a long amount of time, it hydrates like a champ. This thick, almost serum like balm goes on super smooth and leaves the skin feeling nice and hydrated. If this scent was more up my alley it would be in regular rotation no doubt.
So, in closing, if you see a set available don’t hesitate to pick one up before they are unobtainiuam. Performance wise, you won’t be disappointed.
