Razor: Fatip Piccolo Special Edition CC
Blade: Rapira Swedish Supersteel
Brush: Oz Shaving Synthetic
Soap: Arsenal Grooming Prohibition
Aftershave: Arsenal Grooming Prohibition
Other: Jean Paul Gaultier Le Male Fragrance
Friday off, today I wanted to head out smelling like a boss. This offering from Arsenal Grooming is in their updated base and is a dupe of Jean Paul Gaultier Le Male. At the time I picked up this soap/aftershave, this particular scent I remembered trying a while ago, liking, but pulling the trigger on something else that I liked just a bit more. When I saw this set released i knew I would like the scent. Using pre-blended frag dupes seems to be a bit of a divisive topic of late in the shave community but I firmly fall on the side of yes please. In this particular offering, I liked the scent so much that after I actually went out and picked up the matching frag. I’m finding that a lot, wet shaving is a great gateway to that fragrance community and I’m finding more and more that I am picking up fragrances that match my soap and splash.
The scent on this offering is an excellent match to the original. It smells very close and is nice and strong. Top notes: mint, lavender and bergamot. Heart notes: cinnamon, cumin, and orange blossom. The base notes: vanilla, tonka bean, sandalwood and cedarwood. It is a fantastic fragrance that reads as sweet with a subtle spice.
Arsenal grooming does have many dupes in their line up and they handle this scent wise very well. They also have fantastic branding and packaging. As for this being an updated base, I have trouble telling any change from the previous. Ingredients are the same and side by side compare with my other arsenal soap, I could not tell a difference in performance at all This is a very simple base but does perform well enough. Higher structure lather and very thirsty. Cushion was excellent, slickness lathered/residual were very good, post shave about average. It can be a touch drying on the skin. A post shave product should not be skipped.
The aftershave is an excellent match as well, nice and strong. Strength is strong but skin performance is about what you would expect on a slightly better than average alcohol splash. Performance wise, the Arsenal Grooming product line won’t blow you away but it more than does the job. If you like well done frag dupes and really nice packaging/branding then this artisan would be a really good fit for you.
Top shelf shave today. All for now – J
