Razor: Yaqi Mellon
Blade: Gillette Wilkinson Sword
Brush: Simms Best Badger
Soap: Sudsy Soapery White Sage & Lime
Aftershave: Sudsy Soapery White Sage & Lime Splash and Balm
Today I was in the mood for something a bit more simple on the scent side. This Sudsy Soapery set made it’s way into the den recently so I figured it was a good one to try out. I’ve had limited experience with the soap base and none with the post shave products so I figured today was a good day to explore.
This “supercreamed triple-butter” formula is vegan as far as I can tell. It is on the firm side and was a touch trickier to lather than than my typical soaps. I found I was getting that big burst of airy lather (proto lather) and I really had to work it and slowly add water to get it where I wanted it. The hydration band was pretty narrow to get it right, but once I had it dialled in in performed very well. There was a subtle sheen to this dense and mid volume lather. It had a nice creamy/buttery face feel. Cushion was excellent. Slickness was very good, residual a touch less with no issues buffing. Post shave was nice as well, no post shave needed. The scent on this is straight up lime and sage. Nothing too exciting, just the bright citrus with the herbaceous sage. Scent strength was about a medium on the scale but doesn’t stick around once rinsed at all.
I followed up with the post shave splash first and it was quite nice. A bit more sage and a bit less lime. No alcohol here, but there is a kick on menthol so I did get that aftershave quick burn. I wasn’t quite prepared for the menthol but after the initial burn it was quite refreshing. There is some really nice skin food in here, skin felt great with the splash. Of course I had the trifecta available so I finished with the balm. Have to say I’m not a big fan of this. The scent on this doesn’t work right for me, I barely smell the lime and sage and instead I’m smelling pretty much straight balm base. This also separates a bit after sitting so you need to whip it up before applying. It did go on quite thin, absorbed well and now my skin feels fantastic so I guess you can’t argue with the results.
I’m getting a bit more performance out of the Simms re-knotted best badger now that it has broken in a bit. The funk smell is 100% gone and it is starting to bloom a bit more. There is still a bit more shedding than I would like but it performed quite well for me and felt very comfortable on the face. Great news as I love reaching for these vintage brushes.
All for now, stay warm out there folks – J
