Razor: Karve CB on C
Blade: Wilkinson Sword
Brush: Copper Hat 2 Band Badger
Soap: Highland Springs Soap Co Reflections
Aftershave: Highland Springs Soap Co Reflections
Other: Guess Man EDT
This is a set I have been looking forward to for a while, ever since I saw the first glimpse of the set on social media. The scent on this is a homage to the Guess Man cologne, an aromatic citrus fragrance. This is in the new tallow base from Highland Springs and while I got a little bit of exposure to it with their Eclipse release, I never got a chance to really put it through its paces because I had troubles with that particular scent.
First off, the scent is very nice. It is a very approachable cologne fragrance. Scent notes include wormwood, nutmeg, white pepper, ginger, lavender, sandalwood, peru balsam, fir, amber, musk and suede. I’d describe is as a light and fresh cologne, perfect for office wear or the warm days of spring and summer. The shave soap itself is a wonderful match, having very strong similarities to the EDT. I’d say the soap is close but the aftershave it pretty spot on. I’d say the scent strength is on the stronger side of medium, any stronger and I think it just wouldn’t work. They have balanced the fragrance strength perfectly here in the soap.
The new tallow base is a big win for me. This is a fairly soft soap, similar in texture to their vegan offering, so be careful not to overload. The soap is very easy to work with, it lathers very easily and you can get a decent lather quickly. You can elevate that lather even more by slowly adding more water…. it can take it. I’ve been using this soap now for several days and I’ve already gotten to that perfect hydration point where the soap gets that nice glossy sheen while maintaining a really nice structure. Cushion is excellent, slickness (both lathered and residual) are very good, and the post shave is elite. While this isn’t the slickest soap on the market, the ease of use really makes up for that and it will give you a damn comfortable shave every time.
The aftershave splash, as mentioned above, is a spot on match for the EDT. The performance on this witch-hazel based aftershave is great, skin was left feeling nourished and hydrated. Scent strength is strong enough but given the scent profile you aren’t going to get a lot of longevity or projection from it. As such, I needed to order myself the OG Guess Man EDT (and why I was able to do the scent comparisons above). Luckily it can be found for a budget price and will give you that fresh, dapper-gent vibe heading into the office (or home office if the case may be).
Fantastic shave today. Great way to start the day. Have a good one folks!
