Razor: Phoenix Artisan Accoutrements DOC Alluminum
Blade: Astra Green
Brush: Ever-ready 100T Two Band Badger
Soap: Moon Soaps Amaretto Speciale
Aftershave: Ariana & Evans Grecian Horse
Some days I hate getting samples in the mail…. because I only want to pick up a full tub once I try on. This particular offering was one of those equations. This was my first go with a Moon Soaps product and off a small sample sent to me from a good friend, I had to pick it up.
The scent notes on this are almond liqueur, dark cherry with a hint of toasted biscotti. This is like Cella on steroids. It is rich, sweet and slightly boozing. Scent strength on this is strong, but not cloyingly so. This shaving cream base (It is a very thick cream almond coloured cream) is a tallow and shea formulation. A small dollop in the bowl rewarded a nice rich lather. It was very easy to work with and get the lather dialled in. Lathered slickness was quite good, while residual was a slight step down. No issues buffing but I wouldn’t push it. Post shave was very good for a cream. I really enjoyed this soap.
For the razor today I used a new acquisition to the den, the PAA Aluminium DOC. I previously had the nickel version, which while I liked how it looked and it shaved very well, it was just too mild for me. This is on the opposites end of the spectrum offering a much more aggressive shave. I wouldn’t say it was over the top but it did offer some blade feel and was very efficient. Audible feedback on this is unreal. I’ve been using the razor for several shaves now and I really enjoy it. My only knock on it, being aluminium it is very light. A bit too light for my tastes. Luckily PAA offers this in a stainless, so I may have to upgrade.
For the post today, I didn’t have a straight up sweet almond match. I decided to use the complementary Grecian Horse from Ariana & Evans. This wonderful scent, their play on Parfums de Marly Pegasus, is a wonderful offering. It has a sweet almond and vanilla note so it paired very well and elevated the shave into a really masculine cologne finish. An absolutely fantastic shave today.
