Razor: Rockwell 6c on 2
Blade: Gillette Wilkinson Sword
Brush: Yaqi Angry Zebra Synthetic
Soap: Crown King First Due
Aftershave: Crown King First Due Splash
Other: Thirsty Badger Lather Bowl
I picked up this First Due set a while ago when a friend offered me a deal I couldn’t refuse. Crown King/PAA soaps seems to get a lot of high praise and I already had a couple PAA soaps I loved so I jumped at this without giving it a sniff test first. I wouldn’t say that is a bad thing, it is always a bit of a crap shoot. My favourite soap was a product of such a move. I’ve also had a few duds that I used once and moved on quickly (ahem Barrister & Mann)
The scent profile on this guy is unique. PAA describes it as:
Top Notes: apricot, jasmine, smoke, spanish moss, rose
Mid Notes: dark chocolate, coal
Base Notes: oud (agarwood), west indian bay
The scent is complex. For me, the apricot, rose, chocolate and oud are the pronounced scents. It is a strange blend that works quite well. This base is different than the PAA base I’ve used before, containing kokum, shea, cocoa, avicado oil, and activated charcoal. No lanolin, no tallow. I found the cushion was just OK, but it was nice and slick and had a really nice post shave feel. It lathered up quite easily. Not my favourite base but still quite nice.
For me, the big let down is the aftershave. This is my third PAA/Crown aftershave and I’ve found the problem to be consistent. The aftershaves don’t smell like the soap. While the soap scent is complex and you can pick out all the individual notes, the aftershave is not. For me the aftershave is pretty much apricot and chocolate. It doesn’t have all the wonderful complexity of the soap. It isn’t a bad scent, it pairs well, but it isnt what I expect when I pick up a matching aftershave. I’m found wanting. Also to claim this is an aftershave & cologne because, as they say, “As with all PAA & CK aftershaves, my splashes also serve as a long lasting cologne!” is quite laughable. The scent doesn’t carry any longer than my typical aftershave splash, in fact I would say it is less than average of the other aftershaves in my den. So far this has been a universal complaint of all the PAA/Crown King products I own, so I think it is just something the artisan is doing, and as such I will be a little more cognizant of picking up the matching splash, especially given the price point.
Week is half over folks and the weekend is almost here. Have a great day!
