2023-07-17 - Collaboration Day:

• Prep: Hot Shower.
• Brush: Semogue 2020 Best Badger.
• Razor: Parker 96R.
• Blade: Personna Lab Blue.
• Lather: Declaration Grooming x Chatillon Lux - 1904.
• Post Shave: Osma - Alum.

Since I both actually remembered this morning and also had a soap that fit the daily theme I took a break from sampling all the things from my Henri et Victoria sample order (it was hard to do because as most people here can attest, when you get a mail call of all kinds of new things you want to try them all out as soon as you possibly can! And I'm unfortunate/fortunate not to need to shave more than once per day; so that means a whole day before I can try out more stuff from it...and tomorrow's theme too if I don't forget). Tangent aside, 1904 isn't my favourite scent; probably because I was hoping my nose would pick out coffee notes. Instead, all I smell is cardamom and jasmine (thankfully it's not what I initially smelled off the puck before lathering...ask me about it if you wish). Despite being far from my favourite scent, the performance of this soap makes me keep wanting to use it! Nothing I have lathers better!

Daily Challenge: Osma day!

In honour of Osma Day I used Osma alum and only Osma alum for my post shave. Normally I only use it for when I nick myself or irritate my skin from a rough shave, or for gripping my razor handle better; well today my face probably could have gripped the razor handle!

2023-07-18 Spooky Season:

• Brush: Semogue 2020 Best Badger.
• Razor: Parker 96R.
• Blade: Personna Lab blue.
• Lather: Southern Witchcrafts - Necromantic.
• Post Shave: Thayer's - Witch Hazel Toner.

I was looking forward to this one because I really like this soap! Also the name, it reminds me "A Little Piece of Heaven" by Avenged Sevenfold (do yourself a favour and watch the music video). My wife also got a good chuckle out of the name.

The scent of the soap smells like flowers on freshly turned earth, such as would be found on a grave of the recently deceased.

And in keeping with the theme of All Hallows Eve, what better post shave than Witch Hazel?

2023-07-20 Dupe Day:

• Brush: Semogue 2020 Best Badger.
• Razor: Parker 96R.
• Blade: Personna Lab Blue.
• Lather: Stirling Soap Co - Mountain Man.
• Post Shave: Saponificio Varesino - Stella Alpina aftershave lotion.

For dupe day I went with Stirling Soap Mountain Man (dupe of Creed Silver Mountain Water) and Saponificio Varesino Stella Alpina (dupe of Acqua Di Parma Blu Mediterraneo Mirto Di Panarea). I had a few to choose from for the aftershaves since most of the Saponificio Varesino ones are dupes of colognes; but I chose this one because it shared the "alpine" theme of the Stirling soap, and I haven't tried it yet.

The scent of Mountain Man smells like a soft cologne; airy I suppose. Performance is a notch above Proraso, but below the artisan ones that I have (price is also more in line with Proraso so I won't fault it for being worse than soaps double the price)

Stella Alpina smells like a men's cologne that would have been very popular in the 90s-early00s; funny enough the perfume that this was modelled after came out in 2008. I've never smelled the original though.

As for the shave, it was alright; didn't cut myself, but it wasn't an "I'm loving this" kind of experience, possibly because I wasn't familiar with the foaminess of this soap. Neither scent has me rushing out to buy full tubs/bottles of them; but I don't hate either. I did notice that after 30 minutes or so the aftershave scent "opens up" more to smell more complex and better. It's one of the better scents to me from Saponificio Varesino along with Felice and 70th Anniversary.