Razor: Karve CB on C CC
Blade: Gillette Nacet
Brush: Tournure de bois 26mm APShaveCo
Soap: Tallow + Steel Indian Bay
Aftershave: Tallow + Steel Indian Bay Splash
Other: Thirsty Badger lather bowl
Yay, Friday off! Time for a nice relaxing shave. Today felt like a Bay Rum kind of day so I reached for this newer offering from Tallow + Steel. Well, I guess this isn’t really a Bay *Rum* per say, but you get the idea. Scent notes on this are: Mandarin (52%) | Grapefruit (20%) | Bay (19%) | Pink Lotus(3%) | Jasmine (2%) | Coriander(2%) | Allspice (1%) | Nutmeg (1%). Yes, percentages, because that is one unique thing to Tallow + Steel, they tell you how much of each scent note makes up the scent.
I have to say I’m on the fence on this one. It is a very bold scent and not for everyone. You can sure tell it is a Tallow + Steel offering, the scent fits their DNA. Off the puck you are greeted with a sharp and spicy citrus which quickly rounds out to a slightly floral and very aromatic and spicy bay scent. Scent strength is fairly strong and it does carry with you a while after the shave. I’m not sure this scent is for me. I can appreciate it, but it isn’t something I would reach for often. What I can be sure of is the performance, I never have an issue with Tallow + Steel for that. Load and lather was dead simple and I was rewarded with a very slick and luxurious lather. Paired up with the Karve I got an effortless 3 pass shave in no time. Very high marks in cushion, slickness and post shave.
I wrapped up the shave with the matching splash. Tallow + Steel has one of the better splash formulations on the market. Scent matches the soap in both scent profile and strength. Skin is left feeling perfectly hydrated from the healthy dose of skin food in the formula. An awesome shave, and a few hours later, I’m still picking up the scent still deciding if it is a win or not.
All for now – J
