Razor: Blackland Vector
Blade: Kai Pink
Brush: AKA Brushworx 26mm Cashmere Synthetic
Soap: Elvado Pacific Coast Kahuna Cream
Aftershave: Elvado Pacific Coast Kahuna Balm
Other: Thirsty Badger lather bowl
A couple of years ago my family took a trip to the west coast to visit some family. One of those days we spent an afternoon by the Ocean and I thought to myself, this is a scene I’d like to capture in case I don’t make it here again. As only a hobbyist wet shaver would do, I brought a shave set up to photograph with the perfect backdrop. The Elvado Pacific Coast Kahuna was an easy choice and I also had a nice lather bowl that fit just right. What I wish I had and had been longing for ever since was a shaving brush that had that similar ocean vibe. I wanted to get a brush that has that driftwood kind of style with shimmering ocean water and sand look to it. Fast forward to a few weeks ago and I saw such an item, this handle from AKA Brushworks. I pounced. When it arrived, I was excited it was just what I was looking for. I dropped in a 26mm cashmere synthetic knot (a personal favourite of mine) and I was ready to go.
Since this brush has me thinking of that trip to the coast, it was only fitting to use the Pacific Coast Kahuna software from Elvado. Sadly Elvado is no more and this software is unobtanium. That is too bad because this is an awesome scent and Elvado had one of the best shaving creams I’ve tried. It is easy to lather and performs quite well. The scent strength on the cream is well above medium scent strength. It is also scented with only essential oils, which can be tricky to get a blend and they still did a great job. The notes on this are Green Citrus, French Lavender, Sea Moss, Coastal Driftwood and Wild Mint. It is a very fresh aquatic, somewhat sweet and bright with just a hint of moss. You really get that fresh at the beach vibe.
The matching balm performs very well and goes on pretty light, but sadly the scent has started to fade on this. That, plus the dwindling amount of shaving cream I have left has me feeling a bit sad knowing one day I won’t have this scent to go back to. I’m hoping someday Elvado makes a return, or someone is able to pick up this scent. But if that doesn’t happen, at least I’ll have the memories of a great product, and a great day at the beach and an awesome shaving brush to remind me of both.
All for now – J
