WetShaving

June 24th, 2025: All About That Base

• Brush: Omega - 10077 Boar
• Razor: Chiseled Face - Legacy Ti
• Blade: Gillette Silver Blue
• Lather: Catie's Bubbles - Le Nude - Soap
• Post Shave: Zingari Man - Sego Unscented - Balm

Daily Theme Justification: "Our luxury shaving soap with no added fragrance or essential oils for those with sensitivities or so there is a blank canvas to build your own scent for the day." - Le Nude ad copy

Daily Theme: This was my first time (at least to my memory) using an unscented soap. At first I really thought unscented soaps were a waste of time. After hearing people that still want to shave if they're sick, can't use fragrances due to medical issues, or just wanting to wear a fragrance with no other scent interaction, I finally understood the point behind it. Not much to speak of on this shave other than the Lux base is a great affordable base and finishing it with Sego Unscented makes this my first truly unscented shave. I could see myself using this soap more just to take breaks from others, or to really focus on splash or fragrance scent.

Daily Challenge: I really don't think I have been around long enough to have seen bases come and gone and get really familiar with them. However, I would think I have to say the tallow Tabac base is surely missed. I know it is possible to get great lathers from the new vegan formula, but from my limited experience, the tallow puck did lather much easier and the quality was excellent. Thankfully, I have a barely touched puck that I can reminisce with. As for current favorite bases, it is hands down Catie's Bubbles Premium Base. It is incredibly easy to work with and it a privilege to use it when I do. It is the base that I own the most tubs of.

All About That Base: Day 24 of Lather Games

• Brush: Zenith 506B MB (27 mm × 51 mm Manchurian badger)
• Razor: Delolme – Le Thiernois №14 Acier Spécial pour Coiffeur (8/8", hollow ground, round tip, carbon steel)
• Lather: Klar – Kohle
• Post Shave: Stirling Soap Co – Glacial Unscented

Theme justification: Kohle is unscented. And so is Stirling Unscented

I'm not sure what possessed me to buy glacial unscented balm years ago, but her we are.

Base Wars:

Discontinued bases in decreasing order of how much it's missed:

1. Tabac's pre-2022 tallow base: this base has a ridiculously large usable hydration range. It was replaced by coconut oil froth. I still have a few pucks of the good base, but in a couple years it's the end.
2. Excelsior: This was my most used base for a while, and every time I use it I'm reminded of how good it is. This isn't a knock on Omnibus, which is a great base.
3. 20.1: My first two AAs were in 20.1. This base was fantastic, and the Highland base wasn't a step up IMO, more like a lateral step towards more greasy bases like Omnibus.

Favourite current bases in decreasing order:

1. Cbubs Premium Base: Definitely worth the premium price IMO. Creamy, dense, and slick without feeling greasy.
2. Stirling sheep: My face just loves this base for some reason. After shaving with it I often feel like a post shave product isn't necessary.
3. Mike's: This was a bit of a discovery for me this February. This simple and time-tested base is just easy to lather and really slick.

June 24, 2025

• Brush: Wald Stratos Haunter 29mm A1

• Razor: Koraat 14-2.0 8/8" Full Hollow

• Lather: Pasteur|Master Soap Creations - Bloom - Soap

• Post Shave: Pasteur|Master Soap Creations - Bloom - Aftershave

• Post Shave: Thayers - Coconut - Toner

• Fragrance: Tom Ford - Black Orchid - Eau de Parfum

• Talc: Yardley Classic

2 passes. Face lather. Excellent shave.

This soap has no scent at all -- unless you smell it. If you do that, it is a pretty faithful dupe of Tom Ford Black Orchid. There is a woodiness and dark earthiness to this scent that makes it pretty compelling. I should use it more.

I started into wetshaving at the very end of the base wars so this is not a question I can answer from long experience. I did try some of precursors to the current set of soap bases from BaM, Wholly Kaw, Spearhead, and others, but I don't pine for any of them. My attitude is that I'll find a way to make any soap base work for me.

That said, I'm certain that when my "old" Tabac runs out, I will miss that base the most. It is wonderful and I find it hard to believe that the new one measures up.

As for my favorite soap base. I can't list a favorite, but I do have a list of top-tier bases, each of which brings something special to the shave. Most of these are regularly used here on the sub but two really stand out; the base used in Eufros and the base used in Faena The Taurus. The latter is very unique. They don't have a name for it, but I'm happy to bore you with a description of changes made to their, already good, base:

"The addition of water buffalo milk from Northern Greece gently melds with the renowned Greek goat yoghurt to become the central piece of this new formula. They combine to improve the cleansing and nourishment factors. The addition of organic shea butter and peach kernel oil enhance the conditioning properties and the gliding of the new formula. Aloe vera and home crafted St. John’s wort oil tame the end-result to eliminate skin irritation."

24.06.2025

• Brush: AP Shave Co. black & clear handle w/ 30 mm Tuxedo Fan knot
• Razor: Leaf Thorn
• Blade: Perma-Sharp half DE
• Lather: Wholly Kaw - Vor V
• Post-Shave: Lavera Men sensitive ASB

-> 2-pass head shave. Unfortunately with a bit of irritation at the back of my neck despite using a fresh blade. Huh, it is what it is.

I used a soap that was buried a bit deeper in my cabinet: Vor V is a TF Tuscan Leather homage/dupe, just a bit more fruity than the original. That's a fragrance I really adore, so I was very glad when I won this barely used tub in a PIF a few years ago. WK wasn't available in the EU at that time, so it felt very exclusive too. I'd say it definitely has a special place in my collection and I might need to get the matching ASB someday...

Not much interesting to tell from me. I had my last day of nursing school yesterday, but just for one block of 90 minutes. Felt strange. I was able to give the administration all the needed documents for my RN degree though. Today was a slow and lazy day, apart from 90 minutes of studying for the oral exams - I got excited about finding a good deal for a new vacuum cleaner, a clear sign that I am definitely getting old.

June 24th, 2025: Scent?

• Brush: Maggard Razors - Tuxedo 24mm Synthetic
• Razor: Captured Ring Woodwork 34C Clone - Mahogany Handle
• Blade: Personna P74 (89)
• Lather: Southern Witchcrafts - Incorporeal - Soap
• Post Shave: Southern Witchcrafts - Incorporeal - Toner

Theme justification: Incorporeal is unscented.

Southern Witchcrafts has a base funk, but it still counts as unscented. It's sort of a nutty smell. Not the greatest.

I used this soap for a whole month a few years ago, which is how I earned the "Knights of Nothing" flair, which has since been replaced with "Shepherd of Stirling".

Unfortunately, despite the "matching" aftershave, it doesn't really count as unscented because I added fragrance to it. It's really Incorporeal turned Roman Spice. I had a sample of Roman Spice which was a bit too much for me, and this unscented aftershave which was boring to use -- so I put two and two together and now it's quite nice!

June 24th, 2025: All About That Base

• Brush: AP Shave Co. - Gelousy (A3) 28mm Badger
• Razor: Chiseled Face - Titanium Legacy Razor
• Blade: Gillette Silver Blue (3)
• Lather: Cooper & French - Unscented - Soap
• Post Shave: Stirling - Unscented - Aftershave
• Post Shave: Stirling - Glacial Unscented - Balm
• Fragrance: Escentric Molecules - Molecule 01 - EdT

$discord

Theme: All my software is unscented. Thanks for the smush u/hugbckt. The soap was pretty mid (imo) but gave me a great shave in the end.

Challenge: I haven't been around long enough to see many bases come and go. I have used BaM Soft Heart, and it's certainly a great base. I'm not sure whether it's much better than their current offerings though.

I do wish Talent Soap Factory was still doing their previous base that included sweet almond oil. It's a better base than the mango butter one.

It's difficult to pick favorite bases -- we're truly spoiled for choice. My current favorite is a toss-up between Mike's, Stirling, and Catie's Bubbles premium. All excellent performers at an excellent price.

$SELFCARE - I'm pretty sure I made the decision to quit my job today. Feels like self-care to me.

$FOF - All unscented is boring, so I added Molecule 01 at the end. This is a fun fragrance, as it really does fade in and out and change quite a bit while on skin.

I genuinely have a hard time smelling the fragrance when I wear this, but my wife picks up on a strong cedar/pine/woodiness when I wear it. This was the end of my little decant, unsure whether I like this enough to buy more.

$ROTY