L&L Grooming "Darkfall - Autumn 2016 Seasonal"
Kent V8
Gillette Pre-war Tech | Feather Hi-Stainless (1)
[Image: lmyo8m9.jpg]
Darkfall was my introduction to @"landlgrooming" 's products, and as far as I know, the first time I've ever used a bison tallow-based soap. As per my M.O., I was attracted by the cool label, creative moniker, and of course, limited seasonal production.
The presentation is nice with truly water proof labels for both the soap and splash. The text is crisp and legible, and the layout is professional. My only critique is the inclusion of a blue-gray contrast instead of black. I'm not sure if this is intentional or if the printer was unable to reproduce true black. The result is a somewhat washed-out appearance, where a stark contrast would have been more appealing. The stylized logo is sharp.
The soap is on the firmer end of the croap spectrum, similar in consistency to that of B&M's soaps. Off the dry puck, I detected a fairly stout sharp, woody and benzoin fragrance. The scent became more "realistic" as soon as the moisture hit it, evoking a legitimate sense of being in the middle of the woods teeming with dry fallen leaves. As the shave progressed, this captivating fragrance only became more complex with bitter oud balanced by subtle amber and an charming, yet understated, smokiness. While the scent notes suggests the presence of cinnamon and clove, I do not detect them in the traditional sense, but there is something in the middle that at least has that essence.
Either I got lucky, or this soap is one of the easiest to load and lather. After soaking the vintage Kent V8 badger knot, I shook most of the warm water out, and began to load with slow swirls. The tan surface of the puck developed a white sticky proto-lather that the knot accommodated quite well. This behavior reminded me that clay was an ingredient, thus I considered adding a little water right off, but I thought better of it. After about a 45 second load for a 3-pass head and face shave, I dipped the tip of the maxed-out knot in the warm water in my bowl. I proceeded to face lather by first painting on a dense layer of soap followed by adding a fair amount of water directly to the knot. The usable lather came quickly, and with a little more water and agitation, a premium lather ensued. I just love a tallow and clay combination as the clay seems to protect against drowning yet allowing you get the maximum slickness from the tallow. Darkfall performed---on my first use, mind you---perfectly with optimal density, glide, and residual slickness, resulting in a flawless shave.
The quality of the shave was such that a post product could have been omitted, but I wanted the complete experience and to extend the enjoyment of this pleasant fragrance. The non-alcohol splash shares the same scent notes, but the oud is much more prominent at least initially. I've read about L&L's issue with their splash bottles' flow limiters, and I can confirm it's ridiculously useless. Even knowing this going in, I still managed to waste some, because I'd assumed it would restrict flow at least a little. I was wrong. If you do get too much in your hand, you may as well let the excess go down the drain and refrain from applying. Otherwise, since it's aloe-based, you'll have a tacky result. It's also best to apply this to slightly damp skin to facilitate even distribution. My skin feels soft and well hydrated as a result.
It's nice to discover an artisan once they've hit their stride. While I understand L&L had at least one formula prior to this bison tallow base, this was my first exposure to them, and I find it difficult to find a mark against them with regard to the performance. On paper, the scent profile of Darkfall is similar to several products in my den, but I don't have anything that smells quite like it. It is a very pleasant, comforting, and seasonally appropriate fragrance that I intend to use frequently. I look forward to trying out some of the this artisan's other varieties of this superb soap base.
Here's a bonus lather shot:
![[Image: 1WhgOb0.jpg]](https://i.imgur.com/1WhgOb0.jpg)
![[Image: 3rS57ev.jpg]](https://i.imgur.com/3rS57ev.jpg)
![[Image: EWMtQC4.jpg]](https://i.imgur.com/EWMtQC4.jpg)
![[Image: jGiYkcl.jpg]](https://i.imgur.com/jGiYkcl.jpg)
