Razor: Tatara Masamune Nodachi
Blade: Gillette 7 O’Clock SharpEdge Yellows
Brush: Tournure de bois 26mm Cashmere Synthetic
Soap: Zingari Man The Merchant
Aftershave: Zingari Man The Merchant Splash
Other: Thirsty Badger soaker
Another shave, another beauty label. I’m telling you, artisans….. it totally matters. This recent pickup from Zingari Man was grabbed 100% on the label artwork. Sure, the scent sounded interesting and I know Heather makes a great product, but it was the artwork that made me pull the trigger. It is clean, eye-catching and stands out amongst other tubs in the den.
So it looks good, but how does it smell? Well, the tub says it is Amber, Vanilla and Spices. The full scent note breakdown includes clove, cardamom, pink pepper, amber, frankincense, honey, ambroxan, hay, jasmine, vanilla, soft patchouli, and woods. Heather from Zingari says my nose is broken but honestly, off the tub, I get the scent of freshly sawn wood and sawdust. I’m not alone, I quizzed my wife and without me sharing my initial impressions, she said the same thing. Not that that is a bad thing, quite the contrary, it is a really clean spicey scent. As it is lathered the sweeter notes come out but I still get that sawdust scent throughout. Scent strength on this one is on the stronger side, easily the strongest Zingari scent I’ve smelled to date. This soap also is one of the darker soaps I’ve used but am happy to report I’ve had zero staining on brushes through my few uses.
Performance on the Zingari product line is very good. I do find the soap takes a bit to load and takes a lot of water to properly hydrate but once you have it dialled in you are rewarded with a glossy, rich and creamy lather with excellent slickness. Post-shave feel is for sure the highlight of the soap. You could skip an aftershave product with no issues, however, I grabbed the matching splash, I might as well use it. The splash scent is a perfect match but toned down a touch on the strength. It does wonders for the skin but the scent doesn’t stick around too long. Luckily Zingari offers this in an extrait de parfum if you want to wear it all day.
A really nice scent and a very enjoyable shave today. Happy to have this one in the den. All for now – J
