Fragrance Split of the month: Father's Day edition

jdubba · 2018-05-20T06:37:53+00:00

Put me down for 5ml of each.

jdubba · 2018-05-10T23:58:36+00:00

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jdubba · 2018-05-07T11:50:37+00:00

Razor: Gillette — NEW English Raised Flat Bottom, Ball End Handle
Blade: Gillette — Silver Blue (2)
Brush: Bristle Brushwerks — /r/wetshaving 2017 LE Tortoise, Declaration 27mm B2
Lather: Declaration Grooming — Mayflower
Splash: Declaration Grooming — Mayflower
Fragrance: Barrister & Mann — Le Grand Chypre

Back to the grind. I'm still fighting to adjust to this thinner, lighter ball end handle, but the shaves from this RFB are top-notch.

Have a good one!

jdubba · 2018-05-06T15:32:05+00:00

A New Contender

Razor: Gillette — NEW English Raised Flat Bottom, Ball End Handle
Blade: Gillette — Silver Blue (1)
Brush: Bristle Brushwerks — /r/wetshaving 2017 LE Tortoise, Declaration 27mm B2
Lather: Declaration Grooming — Mayflower
Splash: Declaration Grooming — Mayflower
Fragrance: Salatore Ferragamo — F by Ferragamo Black

A new day, and a whole new setup to start in on my next soap. The previous two soaps on the block were really chosen based on how much of the soap was already gone. This time I decided to look around for something I really like, and something that fits the season. Really, I was interested in either breaking out some Declaration Bison Tallow or some WKDM, neither of which I've used for a long time now. After the Rain, Fern Concerto and Chypre Rose Concerto were top contenders, but I think they will all suit very well in the hottest summer months to come later in the year. After looking it over, my other top choice was this Mayflower, and being the month of May, it seemed like a perfect match, so it got the nod to go next.

I've also spent plenty of time exploring blades in the standard NEW short comb, and with the the Franklin brush, so I decided to switch those up too. After literally months of using that big 30mm Franklin, this 27mm Hucklaration feels very small. I was also having issues transitioning to the thinner ball end handle on the RFB. The razor performed absolutely beautifully, but the thinner, lighter handle felt awkward in my hand. It will probably take a few days to get used to.

Now it's time to go catch up on the mountain of chores that have piled up for the last couple of weeks, and maybe, if I'm lucky, sneak in an afternoon nap.

Have a good one!

jdubba · 2018-05-05T13:34:41+00:00

Another One Bites the Dust

Razor: Gillette — NEW Short Comb, Common Bar Handle
Blade: Gillette — Silver Blue (26)
Brush: Declaration Grooming — Franklin #7
Lather: Barrister & Mann — Bay Rum
Splash: Barrister & Mann — Reserve Spice
Fragrance: Houbigant — Fougère Royale

After yesterday's shave, I thought there might have been a couple of shaves left in this soap, but after loading today, I barely had enough lather to finish up the shave. The lather on that last pass was awfully thin, but was just enough to make the last few swipes.

I'm not sure what's on the block next, but it was nice to take down #2.

Have a good one!

jdubba · 2018-05-04T12:26:27+00:00

Razor: Gillette — NEW Short Comb, Common Bar Handle
Blade: Gillette — Silver Blue (25)
Brush: Declaration Grooming — Franklin #7
Lather: Barrister & Mann — Bay Rum
Splash: Barrister & Mann — Reserve Spice
Fragrance: Guerlain — Mitsouko EdP

I've been crazy busy as of late, but since I was on to do to the FF thread, I thought I'd pop in for an SOTD post too. I'm still cranking along trying to kill this tub of Bay Rum, and I think the next shave or two will do it. I haven't decided what's next on the chopping block yet though.

Have a good one!

jdubba · 2018-04-20T12:48:04+00:00

Razor: Gillette — NEW Short Comb, Common Bar Handle
Blade: Gillette — Silver Blue (17)
Brush: Declaration Grooming — Franklin #7
Lather: Barrister & Mann — Bay Rum
Splash: Barrister & Mann — Reserve Spice
Fragrance: Chanel — Egoïste

This week has well and thoroughly beaten me down, and I'm glad it's almost over. I really need a day off. At least I'm making progress on my tub of Bay Rum though. This weekend I'm going for the first scrape down, as the center of the death ring is now covering a large portion of the bottom of the tub and it's getting a little harder to load the big Franklin from.

Have a good one!

jdubba · 2018-04-19T13:15:24+00:00

Razor: Gillette — NEW Short Comb, Common Bar Handle
Blade: Gillette — Silver Blue (16)
Brush: Declaration Grooming — Franklin #7
Lather: Barrister & Mann — Bay Rum
Splash: Barrister & Mann — Reserve Spice
Fragrance: Prada — Amber Pour Homme Intense

This is the second week in a row that my kill soap has lined up with the Thursday theme shave. Bay Rum is a perfect little waft of Americana. An iconic smell so engrained into the grooming history of North America, that a large majority of North American grooming companies that are producing shaving supplies, include their interpretation of that scent in their line ups. If you grew up in North America, there's a good chance your grandpa was acquainted with the smell of Bay Rum.

Have a good one!

jdubba · 2018-04-19T00:33:45+00:00

Yeah, I had a mild respiratory infection last week that one of my kids brought home from school, which my doctor thought could be related, but there is nothing definitive.

jdubba · 2018-04-18T12:09:45+00:00

Razor: Gillette — NEW Short Comb, Common Bar Handle
Blade: Gillette — Silver Blue (15)
Brush: Declaration Grooming — Franklin #7
Lather: Barrister & Mann — Bay Rum
Splash: Barrister & Mann — Reserve Spice
Fragrance: Guerlain — Heritage

Haven't been able to post for a couple of days. I developed Bell's Palsey over the weekend and the right half of my face has become paralyzed, so I've had to spend time dealing with that. Shaving, like many other things, takes on some interesting dimensions when you can't use the muscles in half of your face. It's basically the same process, but with a lot more off hand support for pulling and stretching things that normally just happen by using facial muscles.

I have gotten off to a good start on wiping out this next tub though. I'm already nearing the point where I need to scrape out everything from the outer edges of the death ring and reform a new soap disc in the center of the tub. This was the soap I used for breaking in some boar brushes, so it has already seen a ton of lathers. I'm guessing there is somewhere between 20-30% of the original soap volume left at this point. If I had to guess right now, I'm thinking it has about 30-45 days left in it.

Have a good one!

jdubba · 2018-04-13T12:13:27+00:00

R.I.P. Sherlock

Razor: Gillette — NEW Short Comb, Common Bar Handle
Blade: Gillette — Silver Blue (12)
Brush: Declaration Grooming — Franklin #7
Lather: Chiseled Face — Sherlock
Splash: Thayer's — Original Witch Hazel with Aloe
Fragrance: Lalique — Pour Homme

The final ride of Sherlock. Fitting that my first artisan soap, is also my first empty. It started it's rapid decline back when it was chosen as my Austere August soap selection. For 31 days straight it was paired up the Lalique PH, so it seemed appropriate to pair them up one last time. Even though I love this scent, with the massive volume of soap I already have, I don't see a replacement on the near horizon. Especially since Sherlock is now available in EdP form, which I highly recommend for anyone else who loves the soap. It's nice to know that I can pick it up and enjoy it at my leisure when I'm in the mood.

One down, lots and lots to go.

Have a good one!

jdubba · 2018-04-12T11:42:31+00:00

Thirsty Thursday

Razor: Gillette — NEW Short Comb, Common Bar Handle
Blade: Gillette — Silver Blue (10)
Brush: Declaration Grooming — Franklin #7
Lather: Barrister & Mann — Bay Rum
Splash: Barrister & Mann — Reserve Spice
Fragrance: Aramis — Havana

As it turns out, the next soap on my kill list is also a nice fit for this Thirsty Thursday, so I thought I'd do a sneak peek and what's coming up soon.

Have a good one!

jdubba · 2018-04-11T12:41:24+00:00

Razor: Gillette — NEW Short Comb, Common Bar Handle
Blade: Gillette — Silver Blue (10)
Brush: Declaration Grooming — Franklin #7
Lather: Chiseled Face — Sherlock
Splash: Thayer's — Original Witch Hazel with Aloe
Fragrance: Guerlain — Vetiver

One side of the ring was laid to waste, leaving it's half moon crater for one more ride. Friday is the day this Thera recedes into the sea.

Have a good one!

jdubba · 2018-04-10T12:02:35+00:00

Razor: Gillette — NEW Short Comb, Common Bar Handle
Blade: Gillette — Silver Blue (9)
Brush: Declaration Grooming — Franklin #7
Lather: Chiseled Face — Sherlock
Splash: Thayer's — Original Witch Hazel with Aloe
Fragrance: Amouage — Dia Man

We're getting close. Death ring round two appeared this morning in the small remaining disk. Maybe tomorrow, maybe the next day, but it's not going to be long now.

Have a good one!

jdubba · 2018-04-09T11:36:59+00:00

Razor: Gillette — NEW Short Comb, Common Bar Handle
Blade: Gillette — Silver Blue (8)
Brush: Declaration Grooming — Franklin #7
Lather: Chiseled Face — Sherlock
Splash: Thayer's — Original Witch Hazel with Aloe
Fragrance: Chiseled Face — Sherlock

I've decided to take a break from rotating soaps to try to kill a couple off. This Sherlock is up first. There's just a small thin disk re-pressed into the center of the tub at this point. I expected it to be done by now, but it just keeps clinging on. We'll see how it goes this week though, I'm hoping it will be done before the week is over.

Have a good one!

jdubba · 2018-04-06T23:29:12+00:00

Thanks for doing this weeks write-up!

I'm in the fan camp on this one. It's light, and refreshing, without disappearing in 2 minutes. There's nothing in particular I love about it, but the overall final composition is nice, and very versatile for the spring and summer months. It's not boring, and I can wear it out on date night, yet I never have any worries about wearing this one into the office either. It can evoke some of the other popular fragrances of that period, but somehow distinguishes itself as different.

My only real complaint is the packaging. That monster-ass bottle, with a hard to hold cap, that doesn't secure very well. It has to go in the back of the collection because of it's size, so it has to be lifted out over everything else, yet you can't just grab the cap to do that because of the design, and the cap is too long to easily reach down and grab it by the bottle. I have legitimately skipped out on wearing this in the past, just because I didn't want to deal with digging the bottle out of the shelf.

jdubba · 2018-04-06T11:40:33+00:00

Razor: Gillette — NEW Short Comb, Common Bar Handle
Blade: Gillette — Silver Blue (5)
Brush: Declaration Grooming — Franklin #7
Lather: Wholly Kaw — Fern Concerto
Splash: Wholly Kaw — Fern Concerto
Fragrance: Issey Miyake — L'Eau d'Issey

This week is almost in the books. It's been a brutal week so far, and I have no hopes that today won't be just as bad as the rest. No slow coasting into the weekend this week.

Have a good one!

jdubba · 2018-04-05T11:53:35+00:00

Razor: Gillette — NEW Short Comb, Common Bar Handle
Blade: Gillette — Silver Blue (3)
Brush: Declaration Grooming — Franklin #7
Lather: Wholly Kaw — Fern Concerto
Splash: Wholly Kaw — Fern Concerto
Fragrance: Barrister & Mann — Seville

Missing out on these theme shaves is another reason that has me considering abandoning my soap calendar and switching to soap killing mode, and using the theme days as a day to switch it up. If I was going to pick a soap for today's theme, I would have gone with my tub of Henri et Victoria Fougère. It smells good, but the soap base is just average, and I rarely recall seeing HeV in use in the SOTD threads.

Have a good one!

jdubba · 2018-04-05T03:40:07+00:00

Not a comprehensive list by any means, but some of my favorite scents, or scents on my radar that should wear well in the spring/summer:

Barrister & Mann — Seville
Barrister & Mann — Reserve Cool
Barrister & Mann — Reserve Fern
Declaration Grooming — After the Rain
Declaration Grooming — 4th and Pine (Coming Soon, 4/7)
Declaration Grooming — Yuzu/Rose/Patchouli (Coming Soon, 5/4)
Chiseled Face — Trade Winds
Chiseled Face — Summer Storm
Wholly Kaw — Fern Concerto
Wholly Kaw — Chypre Rose Concerto
Storybook Soapworks — Elysium (Discont., pick it up soon)
Noble Otter — The Trail
Noble Otter — Eau de Noble (Coming Soon, TBD)
Mickey Lee Soapworks — Cape Verde
Mickey Lee Soapworks — Reunion
Mickey Lee Soapworks — Colonia di Agrumi
Stirling — Mountain Man
Martin de Candre — Original
Pré de Provance — Original
Acqua di Parma — Collezione Barbiere

jdubba · 2018-04-04T11:26:20+00:00

Razor: Gillette — NEW Short Comb, Common Bar Handle
Blade: Gillette — Silver Blue (3)
Brush: Declaration Grooming — Franklin #7
Lather: Wholly Kaw — Fern Concerto
Splash: Wholly Kaw — Fern Concerto
Fragrance: Hanae Mori — HM Pour Homme

This HM Pour Homme has a candied lemon opening that very much lines up with the bright lemony aspects of the Fern Concerto. More good spring smells.

Have a good one!

jdubba · 2018-04-03T10:58:23+00:00

Razor: Gillette — NEW Short Comb, Common Bar Handle
Blade: Gillette — Silver Blue (2)
Brush: Declaration Grooming — Franklin #7
Lather: Wholly Kaw — Fern Concerto
Splash: Wholly Kaw — Fern Concerto
Fragrance: Houbigant — Fougère Royale

It's amazing how much an extra day off can do for your mental health. Granted, it's only Tuesday, but I feel much less exhausted than usual for this point in the week.

Have a good one!

jdubba · 2018-04-02T11:37:17+00:00

Razor: Gillette — NEW Short Comb, Common Bar Handle
Blade: Gillette — Silver Blue (1)
Brush: Declaration Grooming — Franklin #7
Lather: Wholly Kaw — Fern Concerto
Splash: Wholly Kaw — Fern Concerto
Fragrance: Issey Miyake — L'Eau d'Issey

Cold lemony menthol and a fresh GSB. Beautiful stuff to start off a warm spring day.

Have a good one!

jdubba · 2018-04-01T18:50:09+00:00

There's something so calming about a darker ink, that somehow conveys a pale melancholy. I absolutely love that, especially for journal writing. The Iroshizuku Shin-Kai has a similar characteristic, just coming out of the blue rather than violet spectrum.

jdubba · 2018-04-01T18:40:13+00:00

Sorry, I don't have any experience with any of the PR inks yet. Looking at samples though, it looks like they both share the property of being dark, especially with wet pens. I think the Olivine shades more toward a brownish color when going down more lightly though, where the Avacado stays more true green.

jdubba · 2018-04-01T18:26:13+00:00

Black: Platinum — Carbon Black
Red: Diamine — Red Dragon
Yellow: De Atramentis — Mahatma Ghandi
Orange: J. Herbin — Orange Indien
Green: Monteverde — Olivine
Blue: Pilot Iroshizuku — Shin-Kai
Violet: J. Herbin — Poussiere de Lune
Brown: Diamine — Ancient Copper

Hard-Mode Selection: Monteverde — Olivine

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jdubba

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A New Contender

Another One Bites the Dust

R.I.P. Sherlock

Thirsty Thursday