Razor: Yaqi Mellon
Blade: Astra Green
Brush: Elvado Synthetic
Soap: K Shave Worx Shaping Up
Aftershave: Brut by Faberge lotion
Other: Thirsty Badger Lather Bowl
I’ve been saving this soap for a while now before I reviewed. I’ve always been a fan of Brut, so when I came across this Brut inspired soap, I knew I had to have it. I haven’t’ seen many Brut soap dupes which is a bit of a shame. At the time I acquired it, I didn’t have Brut after shave in the den so I decided to wait on the review until I got that rectified. Rather than hitting up the local super market and grabbing the newest formulation of Brut, I opted to hunt and find the original Faberge Brut aftershave. I was able to find a couple bottles of vintage Brut online. This one is the glass bottle with medallion of the OG Brut lotion. The second bottle I got is Faberge Brut 33.
For those unfamiliar with Brut (how is that possible) this is an aromatic fougere that has been around in some form since the 60s. Since the days of the original Faberge, it has changed hands and had reformulations which can be found pretty much anywhere. Scent notes are:
Top notes: anise, basil, bergamot, lavender and lemon
Middle notes: geranium, jasmine and ylang-ylang
Base notes: oakmoss, patchouli, sandalwood, tonka bean, vanilla and vetiver.
It is a true classic and in my mind and holds up just as well today as the day it was introduced. On another day, I plan to pick up a bottle of the reformulated version to do a compare but for now I will enjoy it in all its original beauty.
The K Shave Worx soap is an excellent match. Scent strength is strong and to my nose, matches as well as a soap could to an aftershave. It is full of depth and character. I can say, now that I’ve used this base several times, I’m not a fan of the performance. Loading is easy enough but I found it tough to dial in the lather. I felt like the lather was heavy no matter how much water I threw at it. I added as much as I could without it breaking down but it still felt heavy. As such, the cushion was good but it never got to the slickness I needed. I wouldn’t recommend using it with a straight and even with this Yaqi/Astra combo I’m super familiar with, I didn’t find it the most comfortable of shaves. I did enjoy the scent immensely and paired with the vintage splash, I’m still carrying it hours later, but I may have to investigate other Brut inspired soaps to see if there is a base that matches this scent performance.
I followed up with the vintage Brut and it held up. The restricter wasn’t very restrictive so I put a little too much down the drain 🙁 But the scent has held the test of time, rich and full bodied. A bit of burn from the alcohol but nowhere near what I was expecting from a classic. A great finish to the shave.
