Mail calls that turn into Shave of the DAYS!!!

For the past couple of weeks I have been picking out my 5 or 6 soaps that I plan to use for the week on Sunday night. I leave all the rest of my soaps stored away until its their turn. However this all gets messed up with awesome MAIL CALLS!!!!!

So I went to the post office yesterday afternoon and had a parcel waiting for me. As a wet shaver I find it hard to keep track of trades and purchases sometimes. So I rarely know what I am picking up. I also rarely check tracking numbers, because they just tend to drive me crazy waiting. Needless to say I didn’t know what I was picking up. Turns out it was a soap I had traded for a couple of weeks ago. A soap that really intrigued me scent wise. An artisan whom I have used a few times through samples and simply put LOVE the performance of……….

That’s right!!! Barrister and Mann’s Nocturne! Most wet shavers have heard of Barrister and Mann (B&M) and know their reputation. Great performing soaps with complex scents. I have used Seville and Cheshire, as well as Roam and enjoyed them all. However this particular scent intrigued me. Apples, fallen leaves, wood smoke, and cinnamon are all in the description and are right up my alley as far as scents go. With a name like Nocturne I assumed the scent would be dark and mysterious…I was thinking Nocturnal and darkness. I thought it would be very smokes and spicy from the cinnamon and very in your face……..not the case at all. That’s not a bad thing though. The apple and fallen leaves REALLY stand out. It’s not overly apple scented at all but it does remind me of apple picking and the fresh scent of fall in an orchard. It is lovely to my nose.

My first impression when I opened the jar was “It smells like The Body Shop” at the mall. Just a nice bright and inviting scent. However upon more sniffing it is a nice somewhat subtle scent which I think will become one of my favorites. It just smells comforting and inviting. Its one of B&M’s seasonal scents and was Discontinued in December…….. I almost forgot…..I shaved with it this morning!!!!

Razor : Gillette New

Blade : Gillette 7 O’clock Black

Soap : Barrister and Mann Nocturne

Brush : Zenshave/HTGAM Canadian LE

Toner : Thayer’s Rose

Aftershave : Nivea Soft

BBS for DAYS!!!! Seriously awesome shave. This soap not only smells great but performs like a monster. This lather is thick, cushiony, and very slick as well. It felt like I had silk on my face……just awesome, and the post shave did not disappoint. After one use this soap is one of my faves. Just typical B&M quality.

The Gillette New was very efficient. I noticed my shave yesterday didn’t last as long as usual. Obviously due to the fact I dialed the adjustable down to 3 for a milder shave. A new 7 O’clock blade was used and these are just great blades. I’d say a must try if you like Gillette Silver Blues, Platinums and Feathers.

The brush was a lather beast. Love the feel of this brush on my face. Ones wet the tips become luxurious yet have enough backbone to whip up awesome lather.

I finished it all off with Thayer’s Rose witch hazel and Nivea soft and I am very happy with the results. Its been 3 hours and my face feels amazing. Soft, supple and nourished. Just a fantastic shave from start to finish. I’m definitely going to be trading away some soaps in the next few days in an attempt to narrow my den down to below 25+ soaps……I have two more on the way as well.

I have a question for all of you whom have read this. What do you do with your mail calls? Are you like me and use stuff as soon as possible? Do you just put it into rotation and use it when its time comes up? Or do you put it away and forget about it? I myself am a user! If I get a couple of mail calls I may forget about something, but I tend to try to use stuff as soon as I can!! Please comment in the comment section and let me know your thoughts.

Enjoy the rest of this shortened work week and keep it BBS!!!