Paste & Cut Travelling Box #4B - Reviews and Comments

I really enjoyed the soaps in your last two reviews as well - going to add them to my collection too
 
PCTB4B is now heading west.....

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https://m.auspost.com.au/view/tracking/R507549423662864
A big thank you to @Mark1966 and all the other contributors. Really enjoyed my first travelling box, can't wait for the next one
 
Glad you enjoyed it @EJ_DE98 !

BTW - tip for new players - the box fits into a 5kg pre-paid satchel - only $17.60 each :)
 
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Pre: Washpool Farm Facial Cleansing soap, Myrsol Emulsion
Brush: Tony Forsyth P&C LE 2017 Platypus
Soap: OSP Bay Rum
Razor: Merkur Futur
Blade: Vintage Wilkinson Sword Super Sword (1)
Post: Myrsol Emulsion
A/S: Geo. F Trumper Bay Rum

First shave with the Traveling Box contents. A bit chilly here in Perth, and I've been using a bit of bay rum of late, which drove my first choice.

I had a 3 day growth, so dialed the Merkur up to 4 with a brand spanking NOS Wilkie Super Sword blade for the first (WTG) pass. The OSP lather was wonderful, both in performance and scent. Even with the larger blade exposure of the Futur, the feel was tactile and easy to judge. Dialed the Futur back to 2 for the subsequent XTG and ATG passes, and the skin was feeling so good that I did a lather clean-up, resulting in a BBS finish. What a great shave!
I found that the GFT Bay Rum was pleasant, but came across as a bit synthetic in comparison to the OPS soap, which I think may be essential oil driven?
One hell of a shave.

OSP Bay Run Review
I scooped a decent amount of soup from the container and flattened across the base of a small flat porcelain dish for lathering. I applied some hot bloom water for a minute prior to shaving. I am a face latherer, so I loaded the brush in the dish and transferred to my face. The soap lathers very easily and appears voluminous; the trick is to work the lather with some water to ensure it does not become over-aerated. I found the lather to be forgiving and easy to adjust. The following lather shot shows the brush and lather after the first application had been made to my face:
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The OSP scent was bold and natural; not sweet like other examples I have tried. I really liked it.
The cushioning, gliding, and residual slickness were all high quality, as was the post shave feel. This strikes me as a top shelf soap.

GEO. F Trumper Bay Rum A/S
A not unpleasant aftershave, with a nice alcohol bite easing to a refreshing finish. However, the scent comes off as a little synthetic in comparison to the pureness of the OPS soap.
 
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Pre: Washpool Farm Facial Cleansing soap, Myrsol Emulsion
Brush: Tony Forsyth P&C LE 2017 Platypus
Scrub: Penhaligon's 33
Soap: Reef Point Dragon's Blood
Razor: Merkur Futur
Blade: Vintage Wilkinson Sword Super Sword (2)
Post: Myrsol Emulsion
A/S: Pinaud Clubman Special Reserve

Second outing with contents of the box. I am deliberating choosing products I've not tried before but have interested me.

Penhaligon's No 33 Face Scrub
The product has a jelly-like consistency, and a little goes a long way. The only other scrub I've used in the past is Nivea.
The Pen's certainly seemed superior, with a micro-grit content which you could really feel exfoliated the skin, but still quite gentle.
The scent of No 33 is lovely - reminded me a bit of Benheim Bouquet, but with some fougere elements.

Reef Point Dragon's Blood
My first time not only with a Reef Point soap, but also with Dragon's Blood. The lather did not explode like the previous shave with OSP, but was more typical of my tallow soaps in a steady progression to the correct consistency. The soap is a dark amber colour, but the lather is pretty much pure white. Performance was very good - glide, cushioning and consistency were top notch. I would have liked a touch more residual slickness, but still pretty good. A strong point of this soap is staying power - on the third pass, there was still heaps of lather, and the performance remains consistent throughout the shave. Post shave feel was also very good. The scent of this soap is likely going to polarize opinion - to me it is a very exotic mix of oriental and spice components - almost incense-like. It is undeniably pleasant - for me it is one of those scents that you have to be "in the mood for". It is apparently Reef Point's top seller, which does not surprise me, as if you are in to this type of scent, it has plenty of Wow factor.

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Penaud Clubman Special Reserve
I chose this aftershave not only because I was interested in it, but also to match the Dragon's Blood soap (which it did quite well).
Being a fan of the original Penaud Clubman, which to me is one of the most classic Barbershop scents going around, I was always interested in the Special Reserve.
They are very different. The Original Clubman is a bright,fresh fougere with citrus notes. The Special Reserve turns things upside down, with musk/leather/amber dominant, with some fougere elements lightening things somewhat. It has good staying power for an aftershave, and it becomes mellow in the dry down. One that I'd like to try again for sure.




 
Great review again @TomG.

The Pinaud Special Reserve is a favourite of mine ...
 
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Pre: Washpool Farm Facial Cleansing soap, Myrsol Emulsion
Brush: Tony Forsyth P&C LE 2017 Platypus
Soap: Panna Crema
Razor: Merkur Futur (2)
Blade: Vintage Wilkinson Sword Super Sword (5)
Post: Myrsol Emulsion
A/S: Stirling Executive Man

Panna Crema Soap

This soap I believe is Italian, and it is a soft soap, or "croap". It is a little softer than Cella, for example.
Despite its soft nature, the soap does take a little working to lather, but produces very nice suds. I kind of feel like labeling it "the invisible soap", but that would be unfair and damning with faint praise. It is one of those products that does everything very well, and you don't really notice it (which is usually a good thing). The scent is labeled as Vetiver, but I did not pick this up - just a nice, clean "soapy" scent along the same lines as MWF or Halslinger Schalfmilch. The cushion, glide and slickness were all good, and post shave feel was nice. I had a little irritation on my neck, but I know that this was due to me rushing the shave and a little too much pressure, as I was running late.
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Stirling Executive Man

Not too much left in the bottle, but from what I could extract, this comes across as a modern, and contemporary cologne scent, and as such well named. I can imagine it suiting a young professional on the up. Stirling has the ability to produce very nice scents for reasonable coin. I layered with Penhaligon's Blenheim Bouquet, and this worked very nicely indeed.
 
Nice work there @TomG !
 
Fantastic write-up @TomG (y)
 
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Pre: Washpool Farm Facial Cleansing soap, Myrsol Emulsion
Brush: Tony Forsyth P&C LE 2017 Platypus
Soap: Squadron Sweetheart
Razor: Merkur Futur (2)
Blade: Vintage Wilkinson Sword Super Sword (6)
Post: Myrsol Emulsion
A/S: Stirling Ozark Mountain

Squadron Sweetheart

I am a fan of Squadron soaps, and have several in the den. However, not Sweetheart, so gave it a whirl. I find that Squadron soaps lather very easily, and Sweetheart is no exception. I have found that whilst the lather looks ready almost immediately, it needs to be worked a little (with small additions of water) to get maximum slickness.
The scent of Sweetheart is indeed sweet - it reminds me of high quality confectionery. I don't normally like sweet scents, but there is something about Sweetheart that I find endearing. To me, the scent comes across as a sweeter, more contemporary version of Tabac, and I mean that as a compliment, as I also like Tabac.
The performance was excellent - cushioning was first class, as was glide and residual slickness. Post-shave feel was also very good.
We are indeed lucky little Vegemiters to have such fine artisanal products made here in Oz. Well done, @SchoolForAnts !

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Stirling Ozark Mountain

Ozark Mountain shaving soap is one of my favourites, so was keen to give the aftershave splash a go. I was not disappointed - it mirrors the scent of the soap. A fresh forest scent that has a lovely bright appeal. I really like the way that Stirling formulate their fragrances.
I layered with APR Winterfell, which worked really well. Winterfell is an absolute cracker, (well done @todras again), but that's for another day.
 
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Pre: Washpool Farm Facial Cleansing soap, Myrsol Emulsion
Brush: Tony Forsyth P&C LE 2017 Platypus
Soap: Mondial Zagara
Razor: Merkur Futur (4) first pass, then (2)
Blade: Vintage Gillette Aussie Spoiler (1)
Post: Myrsol Emulsion
A/S: Stirling Gentleman

Mondial Zagara

This is my first experience with a Mondial soap. It is a soft white soap - similar consistency to Cella. It lathers in a typical time frame to other tallow soaps that I own, and forms a very nice, consistent creamy lather. The performance was very good - glide was excellent, and so was residual slickness. If I am being picky, I would have liked a touch more cushion, but then again, this was first use, so this may be technique-related. The entire time I was lathering and shaving, I was thinking "This scent is really familiar and reminds me of something", and near the end of the shave, it hit me - Tabac! To ensure that I was not imaging it, I dug out my Tabac puck and compared the two, and there is clearly a similarity. The Zagara is more subtle, and has lighter, brighter notes of citrus, but an undeniable similarity (to me at least!) All up most impressed with this soap.

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Stirling Gentleman

You can't like 'em all, and this was a strike-out for me. I am a big fan of most Stirling scents, but this one came across as exorbitantly old school and a touch feminine. Horses for courses - and many love this scent, but not for me.
 
And I forgot to thank @Mark1966 for his considerable efforts to put together and administer the boxes - Cheers, Mate!
Also a big thank you to all the generous suppliers of the samples - I really enjoyed the experience. I have another review or two to post - just waiting to sort out an alternate photo host set-up.
 
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