Grooming Cult - Spice Serenade (Orion)
Yaqi Caramel 26mm Synthetic
Goodfellas Smile Impero Closed Comb
Astra SS (Blue) #2
Lancome Hypnose Balm
So, a new scent from GC in Orion base. It's a bit harder in texture than the rest, definitely not a cream. Very easy to load, 15 seconds is considered overloading, I loaded for 40.
The scent is powerful, I get cinnamon and spices, but it's more complex than that. Although I'm very sensitive to these scents, because burn my skin, this one didn't even bother me. No stings, no heat, no burning sensation.
The lathering process because of the overloading I did, wasn't easy. Even though I added a bucket of water, everytime that I was trying to incorporate (water) in the lather, this thing was going even creamier and even denser, to the point I stopped hydrating it eventually for the first pass, or the shave wouldn't start.
In the second and third pass, I gave it even more water and tried to put even more air in the mix (I'm not Hulk Hogan, my hand got tired from swirling) to get the perfect lather. I got a perfectly hydrated and strong/heavy lather, as dense as the first, but with more shine.
Slickness, protection, cushion and ghost slickness were off the charts, but only if water level is sky high. My advice is to load for 10-15 seconds with a wetter brush to avoid the pasty stage of Orion. If you mess up with this, then it's easier to escape from the Labyrinth, than bring this base to be shave ready. Half a tea spoon of soap is more than enough for 5 full passes without any loss in performance.
Post shave is neutral, no oily, shiny face and grease at all, if we consider that this soap feels very rich on the face, like an ultra hydrating mask.
I believe this base is even thirstier than Omnibus and Ultima, the only soap that comes close to it is Grooming Dept's Kairos Special Edition. McDuff's is also a good alternative to it.
They have two more bases, the Prometheus (tallow) and VX (vegan). If you don't have patience to hydrate this beautiful lather, choose one of them. They are great too, much harder in texture. Orion is something else, from another level and planet.
If this base wasn't from Greece, I would have written the same things. Performance can't change.
The only "problem" is the price (29€), but it's because of the essentials oils I believe they used.
Normal price of Orion is 25-27€. Well worth the money if you ask me.
It's definitely #1 in my small den.
The razor seems like Parker CC but it's not. It's even better, more smooth, but very effective, with a bit of a blade feel, but not much. Mows down 7 days of growth without clogging. Price: 25-30€. I got it 23€ with a discount.
Head is satin Zamak, very good quality and finish. No blemishes and perfect blade alignment as well.
Fantastic Bulldog handle, 303 stainless if I'm not wrong. Even with soapy hands doesn't move an inch from your fingers. What a (cheap) razor.
