El Magico by Tobin’s Throwbacks

The oak moss brings an earthy, slightly leathery note to the fragrance, anchoring and grounding it beautifully. My wife gives this a nine, Emily gives it an eight, and I would give it a ten all day long. This is a Tobin kind of fragrance right here; I love it!

Now, onto El Azulado. This one is really cool. Shannon created it based on a fragrance she made a year or two ago, which was a shout-out to old-school Aqua Velva. This new version feels like Aqua Velva meets 2024. It’s as if you took the same people who made the original Aqua Velva and had them create a fragrance for today—a blend as if Aqua Velva and Davidoff’s Cool Water had a baby.

Before I go into the scent notes, Naked Armor contacted me and wanted to send me a razor. They told me to pick one out, and this is the one I chose. This is not my review of the razor; I will include it in a razor review series. I’ve had it for a couple of weeks and have used it five or so times. It came with a pack of Feather blades, and today I’m using a first-use Bano, one of my absolute favorite blades. I would say this razor shaves a lot like an Edwin Jagger DE89 but perhaps with a little more efficiency. The head isn’t exactly the same, but it is similar.

Now, the scent notes for El Azulado are peppermint, clary sage, bergamot, camphor, lavender, oak moss, labdanum, and musk. The musk is super mild, which contributes to it feeling like a more modern version of the original scent. The splash is the only one in the essential line that has menthol in it.

Shaving outdoors is a whole different experience, especially when you’re not using a mirror. I’ve gotten to the point where using a mirror has just become a hassle. I’ve got my rinse bowl right here to my left, and I should probably apply some water to my face. The menthol from the tube feels great; I can feel it with the crispness of this late summer air. Let’s add some more water—oh yeah, that feels refreshing.

If you like Aqua Velva or Davidoff’s Cool Water, you’re going to love El Azulado. I guarantee you, you’ll absolutely enjoy it. The menthol strength is around a four for me, which is about average, so if you’re sensitive to menthol, this shouldn’t bother you. It’s not a menthol bomb or anything like that.

This Thursday—if you’re watching this after I upload it—Barry, aka Texan Shaves, is joining me for a live shave and chat. We’ve got some giveaways lined up, and then on October 5th, Shannon Constantine, the artisan behind Elysian Soaps, will join me. The first weekend in November, Pete Hendricks also joins me. I haven’t settled on an exact date for Black Friday weekend yet, but it will probably end up being Saturday. Douglas Smythe of Phoenix Artisan Accoutrements will join us then.

For October, I think it will be Patrick Croman or Glenn Sherman—I’m getting it confused; it’s either Patrick first and then Glenn, but we’re all set up for live events through November. We shave every third Thursday, and the Artisan Community Canvas happens the first Saturday of every month, with the exception of the Black Friday–Thanksgiving special.

I hope you all had a great summer—I did. It flew by way too quickly! I can’t believe Emily is back in school and summer is over. As for Astro Travelers, they’re coming back, which should make many of you very happy. That’s a great fragrance from Phoenix Artisan Accoutrements.

Remember, when shopping at The Wet Shaving Store, if you use my code “TOBIN” you’ll save 10% on most items. There are some exclusions like new releases, and I’m not sure if my discount code will apply to these soaps at first. However, if it doesn’t apply immediately, it likely will after a while.

I just finished reviewing the Rockwell razor, and in virtually every razor that I’ve tested, they all provide a great shave. I could use a third pass for a BBS finish, but in a few minutes, this will be a damn fine shave. I do feel that the cheeks are perfect; my trouble spots are always right here around my jawline, and I imagine yours are similar.

I want to thank Naked Armor for sending me the razor, and for these brushes, if you buy them, you get 15% off the soap.

That discount should apply to new products as well. They also have the black handle with the Frank’s G5, and they have that black and white one that I used the other day with the G5. This one has the G7, and the G5 and G7 are easily two top-notch synthetic brushes. I really love them.

I still need to include them in my brush review series. It’s been tough trying to catch up on that. The Everlasting Alum from Phoenix Artisan Accoutrements is something I use basically as an astringent, skin tightener, and toner. If you’re a new wet shaver, this can help you easily identify any spots you may have missed in your shave. You can also use it to give your fingers extra grip if you’re handling something a bit slippery.

With my gingerly fair skin, I like to use it to tighten my pores, as I find it helps a lot. I would typically change my post-shave routine at this point and apply witch hazel, but there is witch hazel in the splash I’m using. With this splash from Shannon, I’ve been happy to get just as good results as I would with any other splash on the market, and I find that to be true with all of her splashes.

I’m thoroughly looking forward to having her on. I hope that by November or December, Andy Amaya will be feeling better, as I’d love to have him join us for a Community Canvas. I need to get November and December scheduled.

I want to thank you all for joining me here on the banks of the Mackenzie River. If you’re watching this on Thursday the 19th, I’ll be live at 4:00 p.m. Pacific, 7:00 p.m. Eastern, with Barry Bedford of Texan Shaves joining me. I’m looking forward to it; Barry is great people.

Take care, and I’ll see you next time.