July 23, 2023
- Brush: TerraFirma Soapery Deep Blue - Oumo Best 3 Color Synthetic 28mm
- Razor: Gillette Tech
- Blade: Feather
- Lather: Hoffman’s Shaving Company – Cooookie Monster Soap
- Post Shave: Elysian – Maple Coffee Splash
- Fragrance: Hoffman’s Shaving Company – Affogato EdP
- Music: Sesame Street – C is for Cookie
First things first. I want to address the figurative mammoth in the room and call for a truce with u/MrTangerinesky. Wacky shaving hijinks are funny, but our Spite Shave feud clearly went too far yesterday and shaving while driving is not a good idea. So, I wave the white flag of surrender and hereby withdraw from this feud. I don’t want to be the reason anyone does anything potentially dangerous. From here on out, I’m gonna stay in my lane - and be thankful that you stayed in your lane yesterday.
Now, onto the regular post:
What is this enchanting aroma? It’s chocolate chip cookies! As the self-proclaimed Gourmand King, this shouldn’t surprise anyone following my posts. I love products that smell like delicious food *Cough, cough*. I fully recognize that a chocolate chip cookie soap isn’t for everyone, but it’s probably my favorite. Smells just like chocolate chip cookies and reminds me of my childhood, just crushing Chips-Ahoy and drowning each one in a glass of milk. As soon as I open the tub, I’m hit with a sensory blast of nostalgia. This is such a fun soap to shave with. And my wife and kids love it too. Some time ago, my wife asked how our favorite artisans can make soaps that smell like cookies or coffee or rocket pops, and I honestly don’t have a good answer. Science, I guess. But everyone in my household loves when I shave with fun, delicious scents like Coookie Monster.
I decided to stick to gourmand and use Elysian’s Maple Coffee Splash for the common theme of delicious things I want to put in my mouth today. This splash is way sweeter than I usually drink my coffee, but it smells wonderful and is a great addition to a chocolate chip cookie soap. And finally, for today’s fragrance I’m riding with Hoffman’s again, and matching the coffee splash with a different coffee frag and using Affogato EdP. It smells AWESOME! Coffee, cream and sugar – yum, yum, yum. None of these scents are the most sophisticated or most complicated in my den, but I love all three them and I get complements when I wear them. If you walked by me today, I’d smell like an upscale bakery or fancy coffee shop. #FOF win for The Gourmand King!
Quick sidenote: Did you guys know that cookies are a “sometimes food” for the Cookie Monster now?? And he only eats ONE AT A TIME??? I was reading a Sesame Street book to my toddlers and was flabbergasted when Cookie Monster started talking about eating apples, bananas, peas, corn, and healthy food! It’s not right. He’s not the “Well-Balanced-Diet Monster”. He’s the COOKIE MONSTER. He has one job and it’s to eat cookies nonstop! Ughhhh… Poor Cookie Monster…
For the challenge, audit this lather!
My #photocontest is dedicated to r/wicked_edge. Blurry Photo: Check. Feather Blades: Check. Picture of my neck: Check. Razor baseplate installed upside down: Check (but hard to see because it’s blurry because it’s wickededge).
P.S. – The fact I had to actually type out that first paragraph seems like fake life to me.
I was fortunate enough to talk to Robert Cipolla, who started Hoffman’s Shaving Company a year ago this month. The fun scents drew me into his offering and I’ve been hooked since I first tried his stuff last November. His soap base is really good and he is pumping out a ton of unique scent options. When I reached out to Robert, he asked for a phone call, instead of doing this over email because it’s more personal. That’s the type of guy he is. He and I spent like 30 minutes on the phone shooting the shit about shaving, our shared traits, and his company. It was honestly an absolute delight and I really appreciate the time he gave me for this silly series. Super nice dude who is doing his best to make his mark in a crowded space. He’s not on reddit, so I can’t tag him, but he reminded me a lot of the guys I know in real life. Really down to earth and appreciative for the people that support him.
10 Questions with… Hoffman’s Shaving Company
1) The artwork on your labels is very cool. Do you design the labels yourself, or does someone else do that for you?
I design them all. Sometimes I have an illustrator do the color work because there’s not enough hours in the day. But 90% of it is all in house. I’m a graphic designer by trade, and web designer and marketer, so it kinda makes sense to me. I like scents. I like artwork. That’s kinda how I built it. We try to make it fun and tell a story.
2) Your scents are fun. My favorite one, Coooki Monster, smells like chocolate chip cookies. You also have one that smells like Red Candy Fish and another scented like a Root Beer Float. Which is your favorite scent?
Ooof… I have my heart in all of them. Gourmand would have to be Red Hallow. It’s a red maple and French vanilla – it’s a phenomenal, phenomenal scent. Regular scentwise… I gotta go with Burn the Ships. Or The Great Reset. It’s like a Barbershop on steroids.
3) The Root Beer Float scent is called “Space Boy”. What do you think the most difficult part of being an astronaut would be?
Not making it home. I want this to be a two-way trip, you know? And also I gotta know if I’m allowed to bring my shave stuff!
4) Did scientists do Pluto wrong by stripping it of its status as a Planet?
I don’t think anybody gives a shit. If I can’t see it, I’m not concerned about it.
5) When I previously ordered from you, you included a Swedish Fish in the order, which was delicious and appreciated. Why Swedish Fish?
I have fond memories of walking the boardwalk as a child with my dad and everytime we would go to the boardwalk at Seaside, NJ, I would try to win this 5lb box of Swedish Fish. And we’re all chasing that nostalgia and I want people to knonw we’re a fun company and make getting a package from us fun and exciting.
6) You also have a Swedish Fish scented soap/splash/EDP, so you seem to be up for anything. Are there any scent notes you won’t produce because you’re not a fan of them?
Anything menthol. I want nothing to do with it. Hate it, hate it, hate it.
And I’ve had people ask me to do a motor oil scent and I’m just like “Noooooope”
INTERVIEW CONTINUED IN THE REPLY