A little reward order I got myself for passing the final exams for my RN degree at the end of August. Disclaimer: All items were bought by myself with my own money - except the free sample.
Vendor: ABC/AboutBodyCare (Germany) - not sponsored by or affiliated with them in any way!
Contents:
- Razor: Razorine Flatboy 73, a full brass razor with a very unique flat head geometry. Efficient, a bit less mild and definitely heavy (113 gr.)
- Noble Otter - Ace, shaving soap: given that I aced my exams and that I liked the scent notes, this was a no brainer. If Motörhead could be a shaving soap, this could be it. Woody notes with smoke and leather is my initial impression from the first sniff of the dry soap.
- Los Jabones de Joserra - The Witcher, shaving soap: in the middle ages, nursing and healthcare were often seen as "witchcraft". This is José's unique "Vetonia" base, combining traditional beef tallow with goat milk, duck fat and honey - being somewhat of a modern day witcher too. The scent notes sounded pretty interesting with oud, leather and tobacco as main notes. Initial impression: a very intoxicating, even hypnotic blend of masculine fragrances. As the artwork (no AI btw, as a "Northern Pride" is credited as the artist) suggests, it has a dark & mysterious note to it - but maybe that's just confirmation bias due to the expectations set by the art.
- Zingari Man - The Master, recovery splash: what can I say? I like barbershop scents, I like dark & spicy and I always wanted to try ZM's alcohol free aftershaves. Also fitting since the scent is dedicated to men honing their craft, which is what I really intend to do now.
- OAM - Dolce Vita ASB: has a gel-like texture, smells like a combination of caramel milk and musk. 👍🏻
- Two body soaps by french artisan E&S Rasage: Aqua Viva and Barber. I like these scents very much.
- Tatra Razor blades: given that I like exploring new blade options and these are made in the Czech Republic, I want to see how they perform for me
- Free sample: Extro - Terra Degli Dei 1927, shaving soap: smells like an old cologne, contains goat and donkey milk. Nice freebie, curious how it'll perform.
15.10.2025
Today's BVWSC sample is Susurro by CGC courtesy of @snooting@sub.wetshaving.social . Thanks for the generous sample!
Initial scent impression, dry: something sweet with something woody and a dark/spicy undertone. Like some delicious pralines on a wooden table. Lathered up: I agree with walden that Chicago Grooming is more on the lighter side in terms of scent. Unfortunately for me as a head shaver, that means I don't really get much of the scent while shaving. I had to sniff the lather a few times - the sweet notes fade more into the background and the woody, resinous scent takes center stage. While not unpleasant in the slightest, I had hoped for something with a bit more 'punch'.
Usually it's quite hard to translate fragrances into soap format, but I don't get the feeling of a library from this. It definitely misses some leather bound books, ink and dusty notes. I get that those notes aren't people pleasers, but I personally felt more reminded of an old desk with some sweets on it. It's definitely a cozy scent, but I only got a few notes mentioned in the reference sheet that snooting thankfully provided. Basically patchouli, resin, cedarwood and vetiver. It has tonka bean, which I usually like, but it's not very noticeable to me in the blend.
The shave itself went well, the Darkwing base is a good performer. Safe for one nick due to carelessness I got a pretty good shave. While I am thankful to be able to try this soap, it's not something I'd like to have a full tub of.
Which brings me to a final request: as much as I like doing this group effort, I honestly think it shouldn't be obligatory to include me in the BVWSC. Since my transition to PieFed, I basically lost the access to vote in the BVWSC sub and I usually forget to nominate a soap in time, plus I barely find the time to shave on the day it's supposed to happen. I feel it'd simply be unfair if I continuously leech off other members' soap, postage and effort. Especially with the current international climate and the tariff situation enforced by the US. If you insist on sending me something, then sure, I'll partake and give it my best effort. But don't feel obliged to include me, ok? Thank you. And a huge thanks to snooting for the generous sample, providing the scent notes and being a very positive and helpful member of this community in general!