Razor: Karve CB on C
Blade: Wilkinson Sword
Brush: That Darn Rob 26mm Brown Synthetic
Soap: St. James of London Sandalwood & Bergamot Shaving Cream
Aftershave: Like Grandpa Sandalwood
Other: Thirsty Badger lather bowl
I love me a good bargain. It is the thrill of the hunt, I just have to keep my eye out for the bargain. Well a few weeks ago I was doing my regular bargain browse when I came across this St. James of London Sandalwood & Bergamot Cream for $7 CAD on Amazon (free shipping, yay) I’ve sampled St. James before but the price point ($35CAD+) has always turned me off, but at $7, how could I not?
The cardboard arrived destroyed (probably the reason for the bargain) but the container itself was new and in perfect shape. Scent on this is strong and exactly as advertised. You get a nice sharp/bright citrus from the Bergamot and that creamy and somewhat spicy Sandalwood. It is perfectly blended and a fantastic scent. Each note plays equally into the end result. A small scoop of cream in the bowl and it was full of lather in no time. I really enjoy the simplicity of using a shave cream. They are super easy to lather and generally get you a great shave. This particular cream would be one of the better ones I’ve tried. Cushion is very good, slickness is also very good. Post shave can be a bit drying with creams but I found this to be OK on that front to. I really wish we’d see more artisans working on elevating shave creams, I truly think they are the best gateway to get new shavers into the hobby.
I didn’t get the matching post shave from St. James because, price. Instead I opted to carry the Sandalwood forward with this offering from Like Grandpa. I love their new splashes and I’m not just saying that because I helped test them. Scent strength is decent and it will carry for a couple hours. I find this very similar to Fine Santal Absolut scent wise. Scent strength is a bit weaker than Fine but skin performance is WAY better. My skin was left feeling nice and hydrated.
An all around great shave today. No complaints. All for now – J
