Razor: Wade & Butcher 13/16″ Near Wedge
Brush: Yaqi 24mm Cashmere Synthetic
Soap: First Line Shave Razor Ruby Undead
Aftershave: First Line Shave Razor Ruby Undead
Other: Thirsty Badger lather bowl
Happy Halloween! Tis the season where we get to decorate the house with skeletons and zombies, dress up as ghouls and ghosts, get jacked up on candy and then get to shave with creepy-themed shave gear. What more fitting soap than Razy Ruby Undead? OK, so the labelling is Halloween-themed, but the scent, not so much. This set is a dupe of Roja Dave Enigma (or Creation E as it is sometimes known). The artwork is kinda fun but I don’t see how it fits with this banger of a scent. I know, labelling, what does that have to do with the soap? It is just a pet peeve of mine when the concept doesn’t fit the scent and I just don’t get what this scent has to do with Zombie Barbers. For instance, I’ve had this set for about a year but since the whole zombie theme didn’t make much sense to me the rest of the year, I hadn’t featured it yet. And there has been plenty of opportunities, I’ve used this set a bunch. But I digress….
The scent of RR Undead features notes of bergamot, neroli, black pepper, jasmine, ginger, tobacco, cognac, vanilla, patchouli and benzoin. This is a really well-blended cologne scent that is warm, spicey, boozy, sweet and a touch floral. I’ve never smelled the OG Enigma, the closest I’ve come is Zoha Aroma’s dupe Arcane (which I happen to be wearing but sadly forgot to photograph). As such, I can’t say how accurate the reproduction is to the original. What I can say is in the soap/splash the sweet floral aspect of the jasmine is a bit more prominent. The Zoha frag (which I’m told is a closer approximation) is more toned down on the floral aspect and it plays more on the boozy, spicey with a syrupy sweetness. I get why people get Coca-Cola vibes from it. It is a really enjoyable scent that will get you compliments. I’d totally recommend picking up the Zoha dupe, and even though the scent is slightly different, a set of RR Undead to go with. Actually, I now recall that the release FLS did this year was supposed to tone down that floral aspect compared to the 2020 version I have here. So if you really want an accurate experience, this might be your year. What I can say is I still very much like the scent on Undead, 100% accurate or not.
This set is still new enough to be in the FLS 3.0 base, which I really enjoy. I get fantastic lathers with it. It loads/lathers easily and you get a lather that is low structure and extremely hydrated. Performance is elite level good. I threw a bunch of water at this today and the resulting slick lather was perfect for a straight razor shave. The post-shave feels nice on the skin and packs a fragrance punch. Even without a matching frag you will carry this scent for a while. That has been my experience with all the FLS sets so even if zombie barber chicks aren’t your thing, there will be a set they have that you would enjoy.
Anyways, gotta run and get set up for all the ghoulish visitors we are expecting today. Wishing everyone a safe and fun Halloween. All for now – J
