DFS collaboration with The Shave Supply & HAGS, releasing July 5th, 2024 at 12pm EDT

Great artwork on both soap & splash but, it’s inside that should count. No disappointment here as the scent is fresh & vibrant while still having some depth that gives a modern classic vibe to it. Performance is excellent which is easy to lather and offers plenty of glide & slickness. HAGS & DFS got it right here. But, then again DFS has gotten it right with all their previous collabs that I’ve experienced. 

Winner, winner Chicken Dinner, baby!

glad you like it! I'll be using my soap tonight.

Made for great early evening shave!

Made for great early evening shave!

she looks good!

This soap doesn't look bad at all, it makes me want to try it, but I can't imagine the olfactory signature when reading the descriptions.

Sunday, July 14, 2024 - Shave of the Day

 

Sunday, July 14, 2024 - Shave of the Day

 

what do you think of the scent and the performance of the products?

Sunday, July 14, 2024 - Shave of the Day

 

what do you think of the scent and the performance of the products?

This was my first time using a HAGS product.  I had read HoosierShave's and your comments regarding the amount of water needed.  I guess that the definition of 'a lot of water' is different depending on where you live but I definitely didn't use enough and on top of that, I overloaded.  I would call it an ID10T error as this is a very soft soap.

Performance was really good on my first three passes but when I finally got the soap to water ratio dialed in on the forth pass, performance was excellent.  As far as the scent goes, I normally can't distinguish one scent from the next, but I could definitely sense the grapefruit, as I knew it was there after reading the scent notes on the back of the tub.  I really like the aftershave.  I'm looking forward to my next shave with this and counting on my 'lessons learned' to get four great passes...

I was not planning to provide any type of thorough review of these exceptional products.  After all, I have only been wet shaving for a few months and have limited experience to compare soaps, aftershaves, brushes etc.  I, however, changed my mind in an attempt to address any lingering questions about the scent and performance based upon my observations.  

My original goal was to only purchase the brush.  I decided a little later to also buy the soap, witch hazel aftershave lotion, and balm.  I did so because I was intrigued about the ideal of using a witch hazel based aftershave and a balm with argan oil and shea butter.  I also wanted to try HAGS, and supporting this DFS collaboration provided the perfect opportunity.

The following are the rambling, overly lengthy thoughts of a newbie:  
         
Brush:  The brush is gorgeous and exceeded my expectations.  The colors are more pronounced in person, with the yellow being more gold.  Paul Trotter did a fantastic job.  The shine and depth of colors really stand out in natural light.  It is by far the best brush I own.  The Muhle STF knot has been addressed in detail by others on this site with much more knowledge of synthetic knots than me, and I will defer to their reviews.  I will simply state that I agree it is a superb knot.

Soap: HoosierShaves correct on the performance.  I had no issues creating a nice lather that offered excellent glide, slickness, and protection.  I used a Schick Krona with Gillette Silver Blue for the first time and experienced no irritation, weepers or other issues.  The only thing that initially startled me about the soap was the appearance of a light pour. The jar with soap, however, weighed about 6 ounces. Considering the jar appears to be relatively light in comparison to some other brands using a more robust jar, it clearly contained at least the 4 ounces it was supposed to have in it.  If you are somebody who is a bit spoiled by companies providing more soap than advertised, you might have the same initial reaction as me.  But, I definitely received the correct amount.          

Aftershaves:  This is where HAGS really shines in my opinion.  The witch hazel aftershave lotion performed wonderfully as a toner.  Adding a little of the argan oil moisturizing balm afterwards left my face extremely smooth, calm and hydrated. If you like to use witch hazel after shaving and more moisturizing products, I highly recommend trying HAGS.

Scent:  This is actually the hardest part of the review.  Don't get me wrong, the scent is amazing but extremely difficult to describe.  My wife first called it "professional," which she explained meant that is had a natural, sophisticated, and clean scent that can be worn any time at work or even out and about.  My nephews and their girlfriends especially loved the fragrance.  One of the young ladies even wanted to use the aftershave like an EDP.  It is definitely the first true unisex fragrance I own, but that should not stop anybody from trying it.  It really smells outstanding.  So, what does it actually smell like?  The best conclusion of the group is that is smells like clean salty sea air mixed in with a little woodiness and a whole lot of freshness.  It matches the description of the cologne: a combination of the freshness of a windswept shore with earthy and mineral scents.  I wish I could be more specific, but that is really the best I can do.

Bottom Line:  If you like soaps that are homages or want to use aftershaves that might be a bit better for your skin, give HAGS a try.  Regarding the Trench, I highly recommend it.  It is an intoxicating scent that I will use most of the year.  Congratulations to all those involved with this collaboration.

I was not planning to provide any type of thorough review of these exceptional products.  After all, I have only been wet shaving for a few months and have limited experience to compare soaps, aftershaves, brushes etc.  I, however, changed my mind in an attempt to address any lingering questions about the scent and performance based upon my observations.  

My original goal was to only purchase the brush.  I decided a little later to also buy the soap, witch hazel aftershave lotion, and balm.  I did so because I was intrigued about the ideal of using a witch hazel based aftershave and a balm with argan oil and shea butter.  I also wanted to try HAGS, and supporting this DFS collaboration provided the perfect opportunity.

The following are the rambling, overly lengthy thoughts of a newbie:  
         
Brush:  The brush is gorgeous and exceeded my expectations.  The colors are more pronounced in person, with the yellow being more gold.  Paul Trotter did a fantastic job.  The shine and depth of colors really stand out in natural light.  It is by far the best brush I own.  The Muhle STF knot has been addressed in detail by others on this site with much more knowledge of synthetic knots than me, and I will defer to their reviews.  I will simply state that I agree it is a superb knot.

Soap: HoosierShaves correct on the performance.  I had no issues creating a nice lather that offered excellent glide, slickness, and protection.  I used a Schick Krona with Gillette Silver Blue for the first time and experienced no irritation, weepers or other issues.  The only thing that initially startled me about the soap was the appearance of a light pour. The jar with soap, however, weighed about 6 ounces. Considering the jar appears to be relatively light in comparison to some other brands using a more robust jar, it clearly contained at least the 4 ounces it was supposed to have in it.  If you are somebody who is a bit spoiled by companies providing more soap than advertised, you might have the same initial reaction as me.  But, I definitely received the correct amount.          

Aftershaves:  This is where HAGS really shines in my opinion.  The witch hazel aftershave lotion performed wonderfully as a toner.  Adding a little of the argan oil moisturizing balm afterwards left my face extremely smooth, calm and hydrated. If you like to use witch hazel after shaving and more moisturizing products, I highly recommend trying HAGS.

Scent:  This is actually the hardest part of the review.  Don't get me wrong, the scent is amazing but extremely difficult to describe.  My wife first called it "professional," which she explained meant that is had a natural, sophisticated, and clean scent that can be worn any time at work or even out and about.  My nephews and their girlfriends especially loved the fragrance.  One of the young ladies even wanted to use the aftershave like an EDP.  It is definitely the first true unisex fragrance I own, but that should not stop anybody from trying it.  It really smells outstanding.  So, what does it actually smell like?  The best conclusion of the group is that is smells like clean salty sea air mixed in with a little woodiness and a whole lot of freshness.  It matches the description of the cologne: a combination of the freshness of a windswept shore with earthy and mineral scents.  I wish I could be more specific, but that is really the best I can do.

Bottom Line:  If you like soaps that are homages or want to use aftershaves that might be a bit better for your skin, give HAGS a try.  Regarding the Trench, I highly recommend it.  It is an intoxicating scent that I will use most of the year.  Congratulations to all those involved with this collaboration.

thanks for trying out the products and I'm glad you liked them.

we're going to be coming out with another fall/winter style scent hopefully in October or November that I think everyone will like.

The Trench was fantastic and I look forward to DFS next collaboration later this year!