Shaving with 3 Ring Circus by John Bonham

Hey everybody, how are you doing? John Bonham here from Cape Cod Wet Shaving. I’m doing a super quick shave today. It wasn’t really planned; it was kind of a spur-of-the-moment decision. As you can see, I didn’t even bother with my usual decorations for the bathroom. I’m just going to do one quick pass. I wanted to capture this on camera because I really like this soap: Three Ring Circus from a collaboration between Shave Dad and Strike Gold Shave. It is absolutely fantastic!

I was just talking to Frank on the phone yesterday, and we were both amazed at how quickly this sold out. It’s a gourmand, and gourmands tend to be divisive, but some of their best sellers have been gourmands, so I thought that was cool. I received this super quickly in the mail, and I wanted to record a video of me using it. I already lathered it up.

It smells amazing! The scent profile includes orange, raspberry, red berries, fig, caramel, and vanilla. To me, it smells like cotton candy. However, I do catch hints of caramel and raspberry as well. It is truly delightful. It reminds me of when I did the Banana Split shave, which I enjoyed; this would pair nicely with any other gourmand. You could easily follow this with a cherry aftershave.

My little one is heading to bed right now, so give me a moment. My wife is putting him down, and I want to make sure I don’t wake him up. Frank mentioned that it was a record for how quickly it sold out. I thought I saw it listed as available elsewhere, but as of now, Strike Gold Shave is out of stock. I’m not sure about the pricing either; I should have written that down, but like I said, this is all being done quickly.

You could definitely blend this with various other scents, like a masala nut splash or something similar from Bar Man. By the way, there is a splash that goes with it, so I’ll be using that as well. I’m going to use my Parker Solo Edge with a well-used Leaf blade today, and I’m pairing it with one of my Brush Guy brushes, which used to be a Strike Gold brush.

This scent is genuinely good. Anyone I’ve spoken to who was interested in it ended up buying it. So, this isn’t necessarily a new base from Strike Gold; it’s more of an updated base. Frank enhanced some ingredients; I won’t specify which ones, but he made it a bit softer. He sent me a tester before, and I really liked it. The tester was just softer than his usual products due to the oils and so on. I should have shown you a picture of the soap. It is dark brown, and as you can see from the lather, it’s a little on the tan side.

The scent is really pleasant—not overpowering, but it has a nice medium intensity. I personally detect the raspberry and definitely the caramel, which is very nice. Let me go ahead—this won’t be a full pass, more like a touch-up, but I want to show you the lather I have. I don’t believe Frank is calling it a new base either, but if I’m mistaken, I apologize, Frank.

I would definitely say it’s more of an upgrade on his usual base. It still contains tallow and goat milk; he just made some improvements in my opinion. Look at that lather! Wow, it’s lovely! Let me go ahead and take a picture for the thumbnail. I still have enough for a third pass, so I’m going to proceed with the second pass.

One moment, please.

Alright, that post-shave feels fantastic! If I seem a bit off, it’s because I’m tired. I had a long day, woke up with a migraine, and went to a dental appointment. It was one of those days where I’ve been running around non-stop, and it’s hot here—although hot for New England, not necessarily like Texas. My mom told me the heat index reached around 113 or 114! Just stepping into the car can be exhausting.

One thing I learned early on from more experienced wet shavers is that if you don’t like something, come back to it later. I didn’t know what to make of gourmand scents back then, but I’ve since realized I do enjoy them. I tend to be a little more particular about them compared to other scents. I can’t recall if there has been one that I outright passed on, but I’ve found that I wouldn’t avoid them. The only scents I’m not keen on are lavender and licorice, and anything heavy like black tea or mildewy scents—they’re not really my thing.

But this soap is lovely! The splash is a bit more green; am I wrong? To anyone watching who has tried it, is there some green in it? Maybe it’s the fig or perhaps some of the orange?

It’s good stuff. My daughter loved it as soon as I received it. She saw the label and asked what it was. When I let her smell it, she paused for a moment and said, “You aren’t allowed to eat that, right?” I responded, “No, sweetie, but I wish I could!” There are a few scents I’d love to taste, like Sterling Almond Cream and the pecan scent they released last Christmas. That was fantastic!

I’m pretty sure Pasture Pharmacy has it. I do have an affiliate link with them if you’d like to check it out on my Instagram. Just use the code “Cape Cod Wet Shaving” in all caps to save 10%. I usually don’t emphasize these, so I don’t remember the details off the top of my head. Regardless, it’s there! If not, go get this soap—I truly think you’ll enjoy it. If you like gourmands and cotton candy scents, you won’t be disappointed.

That’ll do it for today’s quick video. I appreciate you all tuning in. After this, I’m going to take care of a few things and then likely fall asleep trying to watch TV after such a long day. Isn’t that just the way? You finally get to relax, only to zonk out.

Take care, everyone! Happy shaving! I’m planning to squeeze in one more video for the Fourth of July, but we’ll see. If I don’t see you beforehand, have a wonderful Fourth! Please stay safe.

We just had a tragedy in our town involving some kids, resulting in a car accident where one of them sadly lost their life. Sadly, drinking was involved. I remember having a similar incident three days before my graduation, where a kid also lost his life. I apologize for this somber note, but it’s a reminder that it’s just never worth it.

That’s why we typically stay home during major holidays. Everyone, please take care of yourselves and each other. Have a fantastic Fourth of July, and happy shaving until next time! See you!

This content has been published with permission from the original author.