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Down in the Heart of Texas!

Welcome to the Journals and Congrats on the Family event! Great first couple posts and looking forward to more!
 
Journal Entry 2:

Background: Today I did not get up in time to shave before work, but that really worked out in my favor. Last week I ordered the Dragonsbeard Soap and Skin Food from Frank. This was some of the leftover stock from the collaboration with Oleo. I was so excited when it was in the mail today that I had to shave tonight!

Pre-shave: Just like normal I showered before my shave, and I used Jack Black's Face Buff exfoliator.

Razor: Dovo Best Quality 5/8

Brush: Unknown Badger off of Amazon

Bowl: PAA Scuttle (awesome scuttle)

Soap: Ethos Essential Grooming Dragonsbeard

Aftershave: Osma Alum followed by two treatments of Ethos Essential Grooming Dragonsbeard Skin Food

Music: Texas Country on Pandora

Dip: Copenhagen Southern Blend

Shave: Whenever I try out a new soap the biology major in me always trys to limit the number of independent variables. I went with the brush, razor, bowl, and routine I am most comfortable with.

First off I love the scent of this soap. It is a very warm scent. It came off as very masculine and fresh, which to me is the best of both worlds. I had never used a product with Oud or Argwood, but I really enjoyed it. Once I began to lather the soap in my scuttle I started to pick up the other ingredients used especially the Vanilla, which is pretty awesome that it is homemade!

I made sure to read up on y'alls pass around to gain a little background information on the soap. I made sure to load the brush for about 25 seconds before adding water. Once I added the water the lather just exploded. I had enough for a pre-wash, WTG pass, XTG pass, and rinse.

The lather I got from this soap is the best lather I have gotten from any soap. It was very thick and dense, but not super puffy or heavy if that makes sense. To me the consistency was perfect. The lather was also really slick. When I started the shave I could hardly feel the razor against my skin, and the razor mowed right through my whiskers with ease. There weren't any jumps which was great. Now I know what members mean when they talk about the "cushion".

Once I finished my shave I applied some alum, rinsed with cold water, and then let my face sit a little bit before I applied the splash. I saw how others with eczema/skin sensitivities had a reaction to it so I wanted to isolate any potential cause for a breakout. One thing I noticed is how clean and soft my face felt with just the soap.

Once I applied the skin food splash all of the ingredients used in Frank's products started to come to the surface. I noticed how the soap was a little warmer scented and the skin food was sweeter. Initially I thought that the two would pair perfectly and they did! Also, my face feels fantastic. I did not even feel the need to apply a moisturizing cream or balm after the splash.

All in all I have to say this was the best shave I have ever had. Dragonsbeard is now my favorite soap and splash in my little shave den. I will definitely be a repeat customer of Ethos! Thank you Frank, aka @Dragonsbeard, for allowing me to purchase some of your leftover inventory, and thank you TSC for giving me access to some background information on this soap before I tried it out!

Thank you guys for reading and if y'all have any tips or pointer I would love to hear them.
 
Patelliott said:
Journal Entry 2:

Background: Today I did not get up in time to shave before work, but that really worked out in my favor. Last week I ordered the Dragonsbeard Soap and Skin Food from Frank. This was some of the leftover stock from the collaboration with Oleo. I was so excited when it was in the mail today that I had to shave tonight!

Pre-shave: Just like normal I showered before my shave, and I used Jack Black's Face Buff exfoliator.

Razor: Dovo Best Quality 5/8

Brush: Unknown Badger off of Amazon

Bowl: PAA Scuttle (awesome scuttle)

Soap: Ethos Essential Grooming Dragonsbeard

Aftershave: Osma Alum followed by two treatments of Ethos Essential Grooming Dragonsbeard Skin Food

Music: Texas Country on Pandora

Dip: Copenhagen Southern Blend

Shave: Whenever I try out a new soap the biology major in me always trys to limit the number of independent variables. I went with the brush, razor, bowl, and routine I am most comfortable with.

First off I love the scent of this soap. It is a very warm scent. It came off as very masculine and fresh, which to me is the best of both worlds. I had never used a product with Oud or Argwood, but I really enjoyed it. Once I began to lather the soap in my scuttle I started to pick up the other ingredients used especially the Vanilla, which is pretty awesome that it is homemade!

I made sure to read up on y'alls pass around to gain a little background information on the soap. I made sure to load the brush for about 25 seconds before adding water. Once I added the water the lather just exploded. I had enough for a pre-wash, WTG pass, XTG pass, and rinse.

The lather I got from this soap is the best lather I have gotten from any soap. It was very thick and dense, but not super puffy or heavy if that makes sense. To me the consistency was perfect. The lather was also really slick. When I started the shave I could hardly feel the razor against my skin, and the razor mowed right through my whiskers with ease. There weren't any jumps which was great. Now I know what members mean when they talk about the "cushion".

Once I finished my shave I applied some alum, rinsed with cold water, and then let my face sit a little bit before I applied the splash. I saw how others with eczema/skin sensitivities had a reaction to it so I wanted to isolate any potential cause for a breakout. One thing I noticed is how clean and soft my face felt with just the soap.

Once I applied the skin food splash all of the ingredients used in Frank's products started to come to the surface. I noticed how the soap was a little warmer scented and the skin food was sweeter. Initially I thought that the two would pair perfectly and they did! Also, my face feels fantastic. I did not even feel the need to apply a moisturizing cream or balm after the splash.

All in all I have to say this was the best shave I have ever had. Dragonsbeard is now my favorite soap and splash in my little shave den. I will definitely be a repeat customer of Ethos! Thank you Frank, aka @Dragonsbeard, for allowing me to purchase some of your leftover inventory, and thank you TSC for giving me access to some background information on this soap before I tried it out!

Thank you guys for reading and if y'all have any tips or pointer I would love to hear them.
Click to expand...

Wow I just saw this!
An excellent detailed review and I’m glad I was able to find those hidden soaps and skin food aftershave splashes .also glad it worked so well for you. I also got your email and I’ll respond when I have time to properly do so as I’ve been working some serious hours so I haven’t been able to attend to some things that need my attention.
Talk to you soon

Frank
 
No worries I just wanted to let you know that I had recieved the soap and splash and give you my thoughts. Glad to see you as a vendor and I look forward to your new releases. Thank you for reading and responding!
 
Like with all soaps everyone has different preferences. For me, this soap hit on all cylinders. If you like a dense, creamy, slick lather then I feel comfortable that you will like the performance. If you like strong scents like sandalwood with a touch of freshness then I think you will really like this soap. Unfortunately I do not have a soap to compare it to. Also, I like how it is softer than a triple milled soap, but firmer than a croap.
 
Journal Entry 3:

Background: I had recieved a package from Tim on Wednesday that generously contained the CBL Premium SIR Fougere and a sample of blades. Wednesday I had already shaved so I decided to use it for my shave today. Now I have not used a DE razor in a year and a half, but the only blade I had used were the VH blades that came with the razor. Also, I noticed that a lot of y'all use DE's so I was curious to try it again with a different blade.

Pre-shave: Jack Black's Face Buff

Razor: Vander Haagen short handle

Blade: Personna

Brush: Je&Co Synthetic

Bowl: PAA Scuttle

Soap: CBL Premium SIR Fougere

Aftershave: Stirling Tea Tree, Aloe, and Witch Hazel splash and CeraVe moisturizing cream

Shave: Out of the tub, the scent is fantastic. It is different than what I have used before, but it is a strong scent and a bit of freshness. This reminds me of something my grandfather would use as an aftershave or cologne. Also this soap is a lot softer than I expected, but that is not a problem for me. Generally I do like firm soaps, but as long as it performs well it is not a deal breaker.

I usually stick with the same set up when I try a new soap, but I have been getting the hang of my synthetic brush, so I decided to use it. Also I thought it might work out well with a softer soap. The soap lathered really well. It was not as dense and some other soaps I have tried, but it still had a good texture to it.

Another thing I found out was this soap produces a lot of lather. I usually lather up pre-shave, WTG pass, XTG pass, and then post-shave, but I had enough for one more pass so I thought I might try a ATG pass. It has really good slickness to it as I hardly felt my blade. On my first two passes I did not have any irritation and my skin felt great. I was reminded today why I do not do a ATG pass. My skin is a little sensitive to touch, but I am BBS! I will probably keep applying some moisturizer today and tomorrow to limit razor burn.

All in all this was a fantastic experience. I really enjoyed this soap and the Personna blade. Thank you very much @MilkCrate! This has made me re-think adding some DE shaves to my rotation. Something new to add to my AD. I am definitely going to buy some other CBL soaps to try out. I have been looking at V for Vetiver (never tried a vetiver soap), Norse Spice, and Iron Throne. If y'all have any other recommendations I am all ears (or in this case eyes).

Hope y'all are having a great day today and thank y'all for reading!
 
Out of his current stock, Roasted Oatmeal Stout, Dragon’s Blood, and Iron Throne would probably be the heavy favorites in general. Depends on what you’re looking for as far as scent really.
 
Nice thank you. I always thought that I only enjoyed strong scents like sandalwood, bay rum, dragonsbeard, and SIR Fougere. However I have tried some lighter scents like M&M Trinity, Stirling Baker Street, Executive Man, and Razorock XXX and I have really enjoyed them. I really like how Dragonsbeard is a strong scent with the Oud, Argwood, Amber, Sandalwood, and fresh with the rose and vanilla.
 
Journal Entry 4:

Pre-shave: Jack Black's Face Buff

Razor: VH DE

Blade: Personna

Brush: Je&Co. Badger

Bowl: PAA scuttle

Soap: Ethos Essential Grooming- Dragonsbeard

Aftershave: Osma Alum, Thayers Witch Hazel, Ethos Essential Grooming- Dragonsbeard Skin Food

Results: I got up early this morning to brew some coffee and shave before heading out to church. I wanted to use Dragonsbeard today because I really like the smell of it. I went with the DE today because I did not have as much time as I thought I did. My wife had to get there early to prepare the Sunday school lesson for the little kids.

I did my normal routine, except this time I thought I might let the soap in my scuttle soak in a little bit of hot water while I showered and see if that affected the lather. I noticed it didn't have as many chunks in it, but the lather pretty much stayed the same. Still had a great texture and consistency. The lather was still very slick. I stuck to two passes today since I still have razor burn from Friday.

All in all it was a great shave. I am writing this a few hours after my shave and I have noticed my razor burn has gone down a little bit. I don't know if it is the skin food, witch hazel, alum, or a combination of all 3. However, I think I might let my skin heal before I shave again. It did sting to go over those areas that were irritated. I was reading how a gentle exfoliant can help get rid of razor burn, so I am going to be pretty consistent with that these next few days. I did get a few compliments on my aftershave today, so it was really cool to tell them about it. Also, if any of y'all know of a great cologne to pair with Dragonsbeard I would love to hear (or read) some suggestions!

Homefront: Today was a really good day. A great church service and then to cap it off we are getting ready to watch the game tonight. Wife is doing great, and so is the baby. We have a routine doctors appointment on Friday, and hopefully the trim in the laundry room will be done by Saturday.

Thank y'all for reading and I hope y'all have a great Sunday!

Chiefs: 35

49ers: 31
 
I’m a little late to the party but welcome to the journals and congrats on the incoming baby boy!
Your review of @Dragonsbeard’s soap was awesome and I’m thinking I now need to get my hands on some!
 
SteveChuckFrank said:
I’m a little late to the party but welcome to the journals and congrats on the incoming baby boy!
Your review of @Dragonsbeard’s soap was awesome and I’m thinking I now need to get my hands on some!
Click to expand...

Thank you very much! Also if you have not already, I would highly recommend reading up on the soap and skin food pass around in the General Shaving Discussion section. It is really interesting to see how the soap and skin food reacts differently with everyone's unique body chemistry. For me it is the perfect soap. It doesn't dry my skin out like others and the EOS complex really nourishes my skin, and helps my skin get back to that balanced and healthy state. I am curious to see how the added base ingredients affect the performance of the soap. If they do a pass around of the beta version I might have to jump in on it.
 
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