CzechCzar's cozy chalet AKA why my wife left me

[CzechCzar]

Well, I got two packages in the mail yesterday: the ingredients to make Bootlegger's aftershaves.

Package 1 (Pinaud):

• Citrus Musk
• Lime Sec
• Special Reserve
• Osage Rub
• Vanilla
• Bay Run
• Whisky Woods (sample)
• Beard Balm (sample)

Package 2 (Superior 70)

I am still waiting on glass bottles to arrive, and am waiting to see if I'll be able to obtain Vitos. But, coupled with the Skin Bracer that I bought awhile back, I should soon be ready to start my bootlegger's journey.

Until I get all the supplies, I am exploring the offerings on their own. Last night and this morning I applied just the regular Bay Rum. I will refrain from forming an official opinion but it is at first impressions amazing. I am kicking myself for waiting this long to try any Pinaud offerings other than the clubman original.

 

[CzechCzar]

Wow! There’s no better review then that picture!

$25 for a 5 ounce bottle isn’t cheap, but also doesn’t seem too overly expensive. Do they sell samples?

I honestly don't know. I blind bought the splash, and liked it so much that I went full-in on the balm and soap. I actually bought them out of soap with my last order, and don't know if they've re-stocked.

As far as scent goes, I've developed a bay rum scale™ (BRS™) for strength:

Taconic's bay rum is a 1 on the BRS: if you went into McDonald's and bought an apple pie, that's pretty much their bay rum strength: apple, cinnamon, spices - light scent. Pleasant, but light. At the other end of the BRS, a 10 on the 10 scale, you have Stirling: like getting punched in the nose by someone holding clove and spices in their fist - not that I mind that; I've got several tubs of their soap, and have since bought the aftershave and EDT. When you want a stronger presence, Stirling is the one I use. The thor's hammer bay rum is about a 7'ish for me. Imo, it's got the perfect blend of spices and is exactly what I'd imagine the original bay rum worn by sailors should smell like. Everyone's sense of smell is so different, I understand it's highly subjective, but I think it hits the sweet spot. PAA's Classico, for reference, is about a 4 on my BRS. The Atomic Age would peg my 3. Ogallala's double strength is a 9 to me. I wish there was a more scientific way, or we could build a smell-o-meter, but until that time, I'll rely on the BRS.

eta: I just remembered that they sent me a promo code for 25%(?) off. Iirc, the code is "WELCOME".

Full disclosure: I don't work with them, for them, know them, or get free product from them, unfortunately. All that software ^^^^ was paid for at full whack. I got the promo code after I had already bought.

Question about Bootlegger's

Yeah, you're set for a while. I'm sure they appreciate your business. Them, Ogallala, PAA, Stirling, Taconic, and about three others, lol. I kinda went hard on a bay rum kick a few months back. Hooray for Black Friday! 😜

www.badgerandblade.com

 

[CzechCzar]

I guess I should update this thread...

Last night I finally mixed together my first bottle of Bootlegger's Bay Rum. I like the scent so much that I brought it to the office to reapply.

The scent is flat-out amazing. I am terrible at describing scent, but what I perceive is a base of bay, with tobacco flower, clove, hints of some sweet scent like nutmeg... It is the best Bay Rum I have ever smelled. It is the first aftershave in over 15 years of wetshaving where I am impulsively rubbing my face and shirt just to get another whiff of the scent.

What @OkieStubble has said about synergy is 100% correct. As I was waiting for all of the ingredients to get here, I tried them each individually. His analysis is spot-on. Master's is too tacky, PVIBR too clovey/burney, and S70 is wonderful if plain. The three mixed are much more than the sum of the parts.

I am happy to report that I recently purchased the last known gallon bottle of Master's. I am still trying to source Vito's colonia tobacco. That enterprise is almost sure to fail, but, it's worth trying for a long shot. If anybody knows of a source please let me know!!!

Question about Bootlegger's

On the strength of your post, I ordered a bottle of Thor's Hammer aftershave. It came on Saturday and I used it this morning. First class product! Thank you for the post. Will be checking out their website to see if anything else looks interesting. I used their soap and balm for a head and...

www.badgerandblade.com

 

[CzechCzar]

I wish the scent lasted all day!!

 

[CzechCzar]

hooooo boy

I may have done a thing.

SCHWING

 

[OkieStubble]

hooooo boy

I may have done a thing.

SCHWING

View attachment 1707873View attachment 1707874

Please do tell?

 

[CzechCzar]

Please do tell?

basically black market lol. it's sadly not available in the conus, and the line has not been recontinued.

 

[CzechCzar]

Choogilng happily along...

Ever since 2023, my favorite aftershave has been Floid The Genuine. @Marco made me aware of it, and I love it. The menthol, the skin conditioning, the scent, all are perfect. Although I will always have a soft spot for clubman, nothing beats FtG. Except bootleggers.

 

[Marco]

Choogilng happily along...

Ever since 2023, my favorite aftershave has been Floid The Genuine. @Marco made me aware of it, and I love it. The menthol, the skin conditioning, the scent, all are perfect. Although I will always have a soft spot for clubman, nothing beats FtG. Except bootleggers.

Jeremy, take a flight for Rome and I'll make sure you go back home in the US with a lifetime supply of FtG.

 

[CzechCzar]

Jeremy, take a flight for Rome and I'll make sure you go back home in the US with a lifetime supply of FtG.

I have always wanted to go to the eternal city. Seeing the focal point where Western civilization was born would be an immense experience for me!

I would run the risk of coming across an Italian product that I cannot get over here, that I absolutely positively must have. Such is life!!

 

[Marco]

I have always wanted to go to the eternal city. Seeing the focal point where Western civilization was born would be an immense experience for me!

I would run the risk of coming across an Italian product that I cannot get over here, that I absolutely positively must have. Such is life!!

Jeremy, Rome is beautiful and certainly deserves to be visited! Should you have any future plans just let me know, my friend.

 

[CzechCzar]

I recently purchased a Panasonic ES9040 Replacement Spare Blade Inner Outer set for my Panasonic Arc 5 electric razor.

The anticipated replacement schedule is 12 to 18 months. Mine barely lasted 6 months!! I guess this validates what I have always said on B&B, that I have a pirate beard. The razor started just not shaving closely, and, it left my face feeling hot.

I heavily researched the replacement blade. Panasonic has a dizzying number of replacements available. Rather than retire old blades, they seem to keep all or most of them in production.

I read up on Arc 5 blades on shavercheck - that guy is very thorough! - and pulled the trigger. The new head came and I have gotta say, it is a night and day difference.

Shaving is now quicker, easier, and closer, all by a factor of at least 50%. I would strongly recommend that any Arc users upgrade their blades!

 

[CzechCzar]

I have recently discovered something that I want to document.

Rather than using my Arc 5 in the shower, I opted to just shave before I took a shower for about a week.

I discovered something that I think will apply to many/most of us, who have good technique from using safety razors: the floating head results in a less close shave. This ran directly contrary to my expectations.

You can validate this quite easily. Shave over your face using the floating head, until you don’t hear anything else being cut. Lock the head and try shaving again. Dollars to donuts you will start to hear more hair being cut!

And, it's not a little difference. I got a shave almost as close as my shower shaves.

 

[CzechCzar]

Following up on this post, for documentation's sake...

Locking the pivoting foil in a fixed position increases efficiency to an insane degree. Shaving with my Arc 5 and a fixed head this morning following my usual route - first outside the shower, then wetshaving in the shower) gave the closest shave I have had in literally years. Zero irritation, still almost BBS 6+ hours later.

I think the addition of a Panasonic ES9040 head helped greatly. Switching to that upgraded head made a huge difference as well.

 

[CzechCzar]

Well, this has me almost as angry as that time that MWF got annihilated.

Wait, hold that thought. More angry.

Neutrogena is eviscerating my favorite shaving product of all time: Neutrogena Hydro-Boost Gel Cream for Extra Dry Skin. Why are they doing this? I can see of no other possible reason aside from that they're spiteful, malicious people, who enjoy kicking puppies.

 

[CzechCzar]

I have been searching for a replacement to my beloved favorite, Neutrogena Hydro Boost Gel Cream for Extra Dry Skin (NHBGCFEDS). The good-for-nothing ogres, the wretches, the by-blows at Neutrogena decided to reformulate it to a shadow of its former self.

I researched a whole bunch of products. Disclaimer at the outset is that I am no chemist, nor dermatologist, so I have zero informed opinion on ingredients. I just know that the hyaluronic acid in NHBGCFEDS makes my skin happy. So I looked for others that might make my skin happy as well.

I am going to post my thoughts in this thread. @Ckmaui you will want to watch this thread.

 

[CzechCzar]

First product:

Trader Joe's Ultra Hydrating Gel Moisturizer

I was very optimistic about this product. It is well-reviewed online, and has explicitly been labeled as a "dupe" for NHBGCFEDS. Sadly, it does not live up to the hype.

In the container, it looks and feels virtually identical. However, upon application, I noted that one needs much, much more of it than NHBGCFEDS.

It absorbs relatively well, but the deal-breaker for me is that it leaves my skin feeling tight. This problem is mitigated somewhat if I allow it to dry and then re-apply, but I don't have time to do that in the morning, and for me that defeats the purpose of trying to find a single product in the first place.

The final nail in the coffin is that the container is very small for what you get. I would not recommend this product as a suitable replacement to NHBGCFEDS.

 

[CzechCzar]

Next up:

E.L.F. Holy Hydration! Face Cream

This one was recommended by multiple folks, and I had high hopes. It is compared favorably to NHBGCFEDS and well-reviewed on the river.

I liked this one better than the Trader Joe's. It definitely provided sufficient moisturization, and it did not leave my skin feeling tight. It looks identical in the package and the packaging itself is nearly identical, like they're trying to duplicate NHBGCFEDS. This led me to hope against hope that it would be a duplicate.

Sadly this is not the case. This falls squarely into the "cream" camp. It takes quite awhile to sink in, and, the reviews notwithstanding, I definitely felt some residue, even hours after application. In turns of moisturizing and calming skin, it does a good enough job for me. But in total, if NHBGCFEDS is an A, this would be a B. It's just not designed to be the same kind of product.

 

[CzechCzar]

Now for the winner!

Naturie Skin Conditioning Gel​

Apparently, in Japan, this stuff has a cult following. I can see why. TL, DR: it's better than NHBGCFEDS.

This product was recommended and had a 4.6/5 on the river, plus it was cheap. So I took a risk.

First of all, the container is massive. It could easily last me over a year. On the hands Naturie feels lighter than NHBGCFEDS, but once applied it becomes clear that it is just as good, if not better, at what it does. It absorbs almost instantly, and my skin feels amazing afterwards.

For me this is almost certainly as good as, if not better, than NHBGCFEDS. I am going to do some A-B testing over the coming days, but this is probably the best skin product I have ever used.