Ariana & Evans Obsidian Ember: My Shave With the New Jars

Hi there, welcome back. I’m shaving with Obsidian Ember from Ariana & Evans, and I’ve been sitting on this one for weeks. I got it at the meetup at Maggard’s, before it was even released to the public. Peter was waiting on the new jars to come in, and now they finally have. It’s out, and I’m excited to use it.

Look at the bottom of these jars. You’ll see their emblem pressed right into the glass. Really neat touch. On the lid, cherries up top, coffee beans down below, and that’s your hint at what’s inside. We’ve also got the matching aftershave splash to use once the shave’s done.

What I’m Using

For the shave, I’m using the Oliworks aluminum razor with the number two plate, the medium one, and a Timeless adjustable brush, the kind where you can pull the knot and swap in a different one if you want. Since we’re dealing with dark cherries here, that’s what I picked for the brush color and the shirt, to match. Whipping up the lather, I like a bowl, and for this one I’m using the Sharpe 3D Vortex X.

Whipping Up the Lather

Inside the jar, this is a soft soap, so you don’t need to dig down deep. I scooped out about a thumb’s worth, pressed it down into the bottom of the bowl, rinsed off my thumb, and put the lid back on. These new jars are nice. You’ll like them. Wet the brush, wring it out a little, and start whipping.

From Ariana & Evans’ own description, Obsidian Ember is built around dark cherries paired with freshly roasted coffee, wrapped in incense and precious woods. Lavender absolute smooths the composition before it settles into a deep base of agarwood, cedar, and Armenian wood. Not overly sweet. Dark fruit, black coffee, glowing embers, polished wood.

And already, look at that. I’ve already got a great lather going. This is a soap that lathers really, really well. Wet the face, load it on. That is quite a lather.

Pass One

I’m anticipating two passes, like I usually do. This soap has a great scent, and not just in the bowl either, it holds up on the skin. I’m almost sorry I waited so long to use it, but I wanted to wait until it was actually released so you all could order it too if you wanted.

Hope your day’s going well, whatever you’ve got on the list. Is every day a challenge, isn’t it? Things to do, people to see, places to go. But this is why I like shaving in the morning. For a few minutes, all I can think about is the shave. Everything else, whatever I’ve got coming, whatever I’m worried about, gets put out of my mind. I just concentrate on a good shave.

I’ve talked to guys who don’t do traditional wet shaving, the cartridge and electric crowd, and they just want it done. Fast, no fuss. But they miss out. They miss the solitude, the quiet, the little bit of relaxation before the day gets loud. A shave like this sets you up to tackle whatever’s coming with a different attitude. I’ll get it done, best I can, without carrying the worry into it. People worry too much, don’t they?

That’s the end of pass one.

Pass Two

Re-lathering for pass two, and I got a lot more lather than I expected out of not much soap. This is a great lathering soap, and it feels good on the skin. Got some on the shirt too, which is fine.

Pass two is across the grain for the most part. On this pass I actually go up against the grain, because there’s still residual slickness left over and I don’t need to re-lather to do it. That saves time. I like soaps that give you that residual slickness. Not all of them do.

Under the neck, I add a little more lather, going south to north in one spot and north to south in another, because the grain runs in different directions down there. That way you get it all. What did you shave with? Drop it in the comments, I want to know what soap, what brush, what razor, and how it went for you.

This one’s so enjoyable I’ll be sad when it’s over. Tuck the lips, go upward slightly, then north to south. I’m pretty susceptible to irritation in that area, so I go light. Honestly, you should go light on every pass, everywhere on your face, no matter what soap you’re using.

That’s pass two, done.

The Splash, and a Little Ariana & Evans History

Before the splash, a bit of background I didn’t know until I looked it up. Ariana & Evans is a family business led by Thalia, Evelyn, and Peter. The name comes straight from the family: Thalia’s middle name is Ariana, and Peter’s given name is Evans Peter. The company carries both names, honoring father and daughter.

This shave was Ariana & Evans’ Obsidian Ember artisan shaving soap, in their brand-new custom glass jars with the embossed logo, packaged in black boxes with a hand-stamped wax seal. Ultima 2 is the soap formula inside, and it’s outstanding.

Now for the splash. Shake it up a little, pour some into the hand; there’s a nice restrictor on the bottle so you don’t dump it everywhere. That is outstanding. Wow. I really love that.

Thanks so much for joining me in the Shave Den for this one. Obsidian Ember is a great soap, check it out. We’ll have another shave up soon, and I hope you’ll join me for that one too. If you haven’t subscribed to the channel yet, it helps a lot, and I’d appreciate it. Until next time, happy shaving.