HAGS - The Return Of The Mean One (Cortex)
Alexander Simpson Trafalgar T3 (Sovereign knot)
Yaqi Telstar
PermaSharp #3
A very good clone of Master Kilian Angels' Share. Medium power, sweet and well balanced, almost gourmand and definitely winter scent.
10 seconds of loading are more than enough to provide a good, but not elite lather. Definitely hydrating soap and medium density, to get this pasty feeling that I like, surely needs more product. Isn't overly thirsty but takes water.
I did 2 passes (WTG, XTG/ATG). The protection was there, I have seen slicker soaps than this, residual slickness was there although the soap was drying more quickly than my hand was moving.
The Yaqi Telstar is supposed to be a Razorock Lupo clone, based on the appearance, but it is not. It's a hell of a razor, making R41's aggression seem like a plastic toy. I think the blade gap on this one is 1.50mm. Very blade forward, with some experience and light touch and very shallow angle you can get an excellent shave, BUT needs a very good soap too to perform. PermaSharp is a very good blade and keeps its sharpness after several shaves.
In my books, this soap falls behind Grooming Cult - Orion or Prometheus 2.1. It has good properties, but nothing special to make me pay 27€ again for this base. BBS - Cronos 2.1 is better too if you ask me and more fairly priced. To compete the top bases (Omnibus, Ultima, Grooming Dept), needs even more product from the beginning.
HAGS has great marketing, stickers, packaging, but what really counts for me, based on my experienced with some other artisan soaps, is what's inside the bowl. Maybe I could blame the texture (now he has make his soaps more firm and harder - this one is more like a heavy cream).
Last time I used it, I loaded for 30 seconds - it's a crime with this base and texture, but definitely got a beautiful lather, and added tons of water, with much better properties. Do that 2-3 times more, and you run out of soap. This is not how it should work.
Finally, take everything you read in this shave with a grain of salt, but definitely the texture can be tricky.
The T3 is a good brush, not the softest on the face and it still has problems with the release.
Zara Vanilla is a winner for me, unisex (to male) powerful sweet scent, stays with you more than 10 hours and sillage is excellent for the price. Highly recommended.
It's a clone of Gucci Elixir, so good scent, that I really want to know how the original one smells.
*If wet shaving can keep my mind frozen, I will keep doing that, although I decided not to buy anything anymore, especially software, hardware is another story*
Thanks for your attention.
