Welcome all to another installment of my blog and video log! The soap of the day is Proraso Green, a long standing soap in the wet shaving world. Is it worthy of a place in your rotation? Watch the video and see what happens!
SOTD 7/8/16
Hot Towel, Triple M Oil, Proraso Green, RazoRock Monster, RazoRock Bazooka, Astra SP (26), Cold Rinse.
A great shave was had today, you'd not know the blade was 26 days old!
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WHAT IS IT, AND WHAT DOES IT DO? Phoenix & Beau Albion Shaving Soap - It's soap that enables you to shave!
APPLICATION METHOD AND DESCRIPTION: I've been testing Albion over the last 5 days to ensure I get to know it's foibles and idiosyncrasies. For the first two days I bowl lathered, and the second two days, I face lathered. Day 5 I chose my favourite method out of the two to lather...what is it I hear you ask? Well, the video review below will show!
SCENT: Albion was listed as having a predominantly bergamot, lavender and grapefruit profile, with patchouli in there to bind everything together. My initial response to the long slow inhale was wow. This is a very fresh and light scent, ideal for those who prefer a milder scented soap. Upon shaving with Albion for the first time, I was greeted with a very familiar aroma. A split second later I identified it as Earl Grey tea, which makes perfect sense given the presence of bergamot. It is a classy, light, elegant scent, very nice indeed.
LATHERABILITY: As is typical with Phoenix & Beau soaps, Albion lathers with criminal ease. A short 30 second load provides more than enough lather for 5 passes EASILY. I've learned that soaking my Cadman 26mm silvertip, then two gentle shakes provides the PERFECT amount of water to lather a P&B soap without the need for additional water. Rich, creamy lather is produced with this level of water in a bowl. For face lathering however, I suggest starting with less water as the sheer volume of lather created can overwhelm you if you're not prepared for it :D
PERFORMANCE: There is a stylised image of Her Majesty on the lid of Albion, and the performance matches the expectation of a soap more than worthy of a Royal Warrant. Those in Buckingham Palace need to try this soap, it would EASILY earn this accolade. Slick as you like, more protective than a 20 man protective detail, there is no flaw in the performance at all.
POST SHAVE: I'll say it again, a soap that provides a fantastic post shave is paramount for me. Albion does not disappoint. I'm sitting here stroking my face, trying to find a chink in the armour, but am coming up empty handed. I cannot fault the post shave feel at all. Smooth, no dryness, no tightness, nada.
CONCLUSIVE COMMENTS:
So, what do I think of Albion? Well, it is plain as the nose on my face
that it is a brilliant addition to not only my shave den, but the
product line from Phoenix & Beau. It has a delectable scent,
performance that other soaps can only hope for, and a post shave feel
that leaves you feeling GREAT! After the initial shave, I thought I'd
want a stronger scent, however, like a fine Earl Grey tea, the subtlety
of the aromas is key, for it is meant to be gentle. Give Albion a try,
it is truly fantastic.
I've lovingly prepared a video shave of the day
today. All the info is in the video, check it out guys and I'd very
much appreciate your likes and subscribes!
Today I present my first video to you all. I was given a sample of Nanny's Silly Soap "The Beef" in Lemon, Basil and Mandarin to test in pre-production. This sample is a 'tweaked' version, the tweak for which I was not privy to prior to testing.
So, without further ado, here's my first video! Apologies for the lighting issues in the video, the camera did not play nicely in the bathroom.
I hope you enjoy! Please comment on the video, subscribe if you like what you see, and definitely check out Nanny's Silly Soap, they are fantastic!
