Grooming Dept | Molten (Lusso)
Leo Frilot Captain Marvel | AP Shave Co. Cashmere 30mm
Gem Damaskeene (1914-1915) | Gem Jr. Elite "Ivory" Handle (ca. 1906)
Avon | Clint
Grooming Dept's "Molten" is for smoke fans only, but it's not a one-trick pony. Upon lathering, it's an abundance of thick, smoky, birch tar, but intertwined with a subtle warm honey. As the birch tar plateaus, bitter citrus pierces through briefly before succumbing to dry and sharp rose. Upon final rinse, the smoky elements rapidly dissipate but there's a lingering naturally sweet, sun-baked alfalfa and toasted oats.
This was my first use of Grooming Dept's "Lusso" beef tallow base that features Jersey cow milk among a litany of other skin-friendly ingredients. I test lathered the evening before and found it actually requires a generous amount of water, but it has a breaking point in which the lather slings off the brush. As usual, this test lather makes for a more enjoyable shave when put into practice. A rich creamy lather is easy to attain even with my notoriously hard water. While initial and residual slickness are both high level, Lusso doesn't quite attain the status owned by their "Mallard" base. Post-shave, however, is right in line with Mallard and thus places it in the among the upper tier artisanal soaps.
While Molten shares very little elements with Clint, it doesn't matter because the soap's fragrance is gone within minutes. The smokiness ultimately put me in the mood for a rugged leathery musk fragrance. If you are a fan of Aramis-types, I highly recommend you pick up a vintage set of Clint. The cologne is certainly richer than the splash and seems to have a bit more old school musk. I picked this up on the recommendation of Phoenix Shaving proprietor Douglas Smythe, and for that I'm grateful.