Catie's Bubbles "322"
Island Bladeworks - "Bullwinkle" | TGN Finest
RazoRock Black Mamba | Feather New Hi-Stainless (1)
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322 is my second soap from Catie's Bubbles. I qualify as a CB newb, so I'm still taken back by the incredible post-shave feel from this soap. Until now, Nuàvia had been my benchmark for post-shave quality. After a few shaves under my belt (previously QCV and now 322), I can safely say Catie's Bubbles assumes that mantle by a fair margin. After this perfect head and face shave, I smeared the pulled lather from the knot onto my scalp while I rinsed off the gear. This provided a natural soft feel I've not experienced with any other soap. I will henceforth make that part of my routine when using Catie's. Still, the slickness is not as good as some of my other favorite soaps, but I'm just resigning that to the fact that I simply like tallow and/or clay. This is not to say that CB soaps suffer in this regard. They are still quite protective and, as previously stated, ultimately facilitate a perfect shave.
Now on to 322's scent. I guess I got the wrong impression from the hype about this limited offering. I kept hearing words like "dark" and "decay" along with the inevitable comparison to Barrister and Mann's masterpiece, "Hallows". While 322 shares some qualities of Hallows, "sickly sweetness" is not one of them. I have a hard time even calling 322 dark. It is certainly dirty and slightly smoky, but this is expected from the prevailing note, Haitian vetiver. It was initially sharp but pleasant with the right complement of patchouli that never quite overtakes the vetiver. As the shave progressed, more depth became apparent with damp earth, late Fall succulents, and oakmoss. At this point, the fragrance teeters on the border between damp and murky. 322 will, without question, be a soap that I use frequently, because this scent profile is absolutely up my alley.
A post-shave product is completely unnecessary with this soap, but I do like a paired alcohol splash when I can get it. The 322 splash continues the profile of the soap with the exception of a rather forward currant note initially, but it settles down quickly to the sharp, smoky, vetiver and oakmoss with patchouli maintaining a presence.
There will be some that will find 322 off-putting, but I would venture to say these same folks are probably not fans of any Haitian vetiver-dominant product. Based on other offerings I've seen from Catie's Bubbles, 322 is a bit of departure from their usual lineup, but it confirms the creativity that's been well established. It's a very nice soap that I hope will achieve at least a seasonal status so more users can have the pleasure.
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