Razor: DS Cosmetic DS-D8 w/ RazoRock Barberpole
Blade: Gillette 7 O’Clock Super Platinum Blacks
Brush: Moon Soaps / Kent Designs 26mm Synthetic Mixed Badger
Soap: Moon Soaps Tobacco Flower
Other: Burberry Touch EDT
This shave all started with the brush….. let me explain. A while ago on my Instagram feed I stumbled across someone’s mail call showing this stunning pine cone / resin brush. I was immediately taken with how interesting it was and how it just jumped off the screen. Then, in another photo, I saw the maker coin showing it to be a Moon Soaps / Kent Designs (husband and wife duo) and knew I had to reach out and try and get one. Side note, the maker coin on this brush, easily one of the best in the business. That kind of stuff makes a difference to me. They didn’t have any available at the time but I was able to get the skinny on how/when the drops happen and luckily I was able to grab this beauty upon the next release. At the time of ordering, they had recently released Tobacco Flower so I added one to the order. They were also nice enough to toss in a couple samples of scents I’ve yet to try.
You would think I would immediately share this brush and write about it upon receiving it. Well not so fast…… Moon/Kent offers the brush either with a Plisson style synthetic knot or without a knot at all. Knowing I had some Oumo knots already en route I opted for just purchasing the handle. This is where thy big delay in the reveal came from. The Oumo knots got bounced around in customs purgatory. I then decided to order a couple tuxedo style knots from Maggards, not wanting to wait for the Oumo shipment. The Maggards knots also took a bit of a delay in customs, but when they arrived I wasn’t super enthused with the knots. They were the thicker hair style tuxedo than the tuxedos I prefer, so I opted to continue to wait for the Oumo order. Finally, after 3 months, my knots arrived, and while the tuxedo is the thin hair, super soft tuxedo I like, I opted for this synthetic mixed badger style knot instead. I love how it looks, very realistic replication and the colouring works perfectly with the handle. I got to test drive it today and I’m very happy with the knot. It isn’t as soft as my typical favourite cashmere or brown (faux horse) but pretty darn close. It has a bit more backbone than those two (set at 54mm) with just a hint of scrub, but still splays out very well. Super excited about how this all played out, regardless how long it took.
Anyways…. how about that soap? ….. or should I say, cream. Tobacco Flower is released in a newer base that is very similar to the Amaretto base. I’d say this base is even closer to a traditional cream than that base. It still isn’t 100% where I would like to see artisans take creams, but it is pretty darn close. My favourite thing about shaving creams is how easy they are to lather and how they generally don’t need a lot of water to dial in. This base is no exception. I scooped a bit in the bowl and had an awesome lather in no time. The lather has a nice structure providing plenty of cushion. Slickness was excellent. This lather doesn’t have that rich buttery feel of some of the new high end bases but it still has an awesome post shave. No post shave product today and my skin still feels great. There is a touch of menthol in this one that doesn’t hit the scent but does give you a subtle cooling throughout the shave. I appreciate the restraint here. I’d have no issues recommending this base. It is a good one.
Scent notes on this are Green Tobacco, Oakmoss, Amber, Rosemary and Lavender. To my nose, this is a very fresh, green, powdery and sightly floral fougere scent. Don’t think dried/cured/old school tobacco, that isn’t this. When I smell this, I get the image of being at the counter of a flower store where they are trimming the stems. That fresh green vibe with a bit of sweet florals to it. Scent strength is on the stronger side of medium, probably the strongest Moon Soaps offering besides the Amaretto that I’ve tried. It’s a really nice scent, but I’m not sure it is a keeper for me. My wife loves the scent so she may inherit this one, unless it grows on me.
The DS Cosmetic razor here, I almost hate to say it but it has pretty much surpassed the rest of my razors as a favourite. I am just getting perfect shaves with this thing. It has just the right amount of blade feel/efficiency and the scalloped top cap seems to do more than just look pretty. I don’t think I’ve had anything less than a fantastic shave since I picked this up.
I finished up the shave with a fragrance today, Burberry Touch. This scent is a clean and fresh scent with another touch of floral to it. It balanced with the Tobacco Flower just right. At first couple used I wasn’t sure if I was a fan of Burberry Touch but it has really grown on me. Perhaps Tobacco Flower will do the same.
All for now – J
