El Gavilan by Tobin’s Throwbacks

How are we doing? Tobin here, back at Doris Ranch. It’s been about five months since I’ve done a video from here. Truth be told, Luna and I tried to film one a few months ago, but it started raining on us like nobody’s business. So we ended up just making it a hike instead of a shave. However, it has indeed been roughly five months since my last shave out here.

Today, my wife, Luna, Athena, and I are out here to review the new Essentials line from the Wet Shaving Store. I’ll talk about that more in just a moment. I just finished applying the Cube 2.0, which is a pre-shave from Phoenix Artisan Accoutrements. Now, I’m going to try my best with the pronunciation: El Gavilan and El Peluquero. I apologize if I slaughtered that; I did put in a little effort to get it right. Both of these scents are inspired by a very popular song in El Salvador, especially for Andy Amaya, the owner of the Wet Shaving Store. I have had all four of these fragrances for several months now. Andy got sick, which delayed the release, and he sent them out just before he had to go to the hospital for a checkup.

Above us are hazelnuts, which we call filberts. My wife has already been hit in the head by a cluster of them. When the wind picks up here, it rains hazelnuts! If you’ve never seen them, they grow in clusters of four to six or seven. The one right there is a hazelnut that just fell off. When they’re ripe, they fall off the tree and roll away easily. Thank you, Alexis; my wife just brought me a hazelnut. We call them filberts, a name derived from a French origin. Doris Ranch is the oldest operating filbert hazelnut orchard in America.

I can’t remember if I showed you the soap’s pour. That’s the pour, and you can see I’ve been scooping from here. I used my Wet Shaving Store scoop today. El Gavilan is the red one. The blue one is El Peluquero. I love this base; it has a nice, slightly tacky texture when you scoop it. I put a little bit of water in my bowl, and it just feels nice. A lot of the softer soaps tend to stick to your fingers, but this one doesn’t—it has a great scooper-scraper texture. The soap base has everything you would expect from a modern 2024 tier-one soap.

El Gavilan

The artisan behind the soap is Shannon Constantine, the creator of Elysian Soaps out of Pennsylvania. She’s also a perfumer, so she crafts all of her fragrances. For years now, she and Andy have collaborated on many projects, and that’s essentially what this Essentials line is. However, she is making these specifically for Andy’s Essentials line. I really enjoy all four; El Gavilan is one of my favorites. The blue one, El Peluquero, is a barbershop scent, which we’ll explore shortly.

As you’ve already seen, I’ve had things pop up on the screen, so let me show you this lather real quick before I put it on my face. It is perfect. This is truly an amazing lather—the kind you come to expect from Shannon and what she does. You can achieve a nice creamy texture just by adding more water to it. I personally enjoy a Cool Whip-type texture, so I’m going to add a couple more squirts of water—one more for good measure. Alright, that’s a lot of water!

Now, let’s talk about the scent notes in El Pelico, the barbershop scent, and then we’ll dive into the one I’m actually reviewing today. Alexis and I would describe it as a classic, fresh, woody, clean barbershop scent. What I appreciate about it is that it has a unique flair. I’ve always said that barbershops in different locations have different scents; a barbershop in Oregon doesn’t smell like one in Texas, and a Texas barbershop is nothing like one in New York City. You can apply this analogy to anywhere in the world.

As I’ve mentioned in other videos, fragrances are like magic; they invoke memories. A single whiff can remind you of experiences from years ago. For me, that’s one of the truly fascinating aspects of fragrances, especially barbershop scents. It can be fun exploring the various interpretations people have of what a barbershop smells like. With this scent, you definitely get what you expect.

To give you some background, Andy was born in America, but his parents are immigrants from El Salvador. He’s a first-generation American, born and raised in California. He met his high school sweetheart, who is now his wife and the mother of their soon-to-be two children. Andy has a profound love and understanding of music, which is why both of these fragrances are inspired by musical influences.

I’m not using a mirror today; I’m using the screen instead. The scent notes in the barbershop are lavender, patchouli, oakmoss, geranium, and eucalyptus. It has a woody aroma and is a little darker than most barbershop scents. It definitely maintains that barbershop vibe but does not smell like the others in my den. I have about twenty or thirty barbershop fragrances, yet only ten of them actually say “barbershop” on the label. Many fragrances in my collection, which I classify as barbershop scents, don’t immediately fit typical expectations.

One example that comes to mind is Dab the Daab, based on a hair product. It’s a fragrance you find in salons all over the world, and for many, it evokes the experience of walking into a barbershop or salon. Look at this; I’ve got a little dirt in it from doing a shave in the middle of a hazelnut orchard! Look at that lather—gorgeous!

Tobin Lathering Up with the Essentials

The razor I’m using today is the Rockwell 6C. If you use my code “Tobin” at checkout at the Wet Shaving Store, you will get 10% off almost everything on the website. It retails at $60, but with my code, you can get it cheaper than Amazon. Amazon has it listed for $60, while Andy has it for the same price, but you only pay $54 with my code.

The brush I’m using is the Wet Shaving Store brush fitted with the Franks G5 knot. The top note in this scent is black cherry, followed by cherry blossom, magnolia, vanilla, and bourbon. The aroma is woody and masculine. I would rate the scent projection off the tub as a three and from the soap as a four. Despite the cherry in the top notes, this is not a cherry fragrance by any means. I’d say it’s more of a sweet, woody fragrance. The cherry aroma you detect is a ripe, dark cherry, with a touch of tartness.

Cherry blossom adds a light floral touch, but this isn’t primarily a floral fragrance. While I can detect some hints of floral notes, the magnolia I perceive is a creamy floral with perhaps hints of citrus. This could be due to the vanilla beneath it, contributing to the elegant, sophisticated profile of this fragrance. In summary, I would describe it as a soft, woody cherry vanilla masculine scent.

The vanilla is present but not overpowering. It’s well-blended, neither a strong nor gourmand vanilla. It doesn’t smell like the bold vanilla found in some other fragrances I’ve reviewed, such as Opulence or Harbinger. Just look at that lather—gorgeous! I hope this lighting does it justice.

The blade I’m using today is the VI John. We’re giving away 50 of these in the comments below, thanks to Andy! This offer is available only for residents within the contiguous United States. VI John’s is a great blade; I don’t have a favorite blade, but this will always have a home in my arsenal. I’ve used them in five or eight different razors so far. The blades Andy sent me for this review were purchased from another website; however, he later offered to send me a 50-pack, and I thought it’d be great to give one away. He was happy with that idea!

What I really like about these is that they are double-wrapped with no wax or glue on the blades. I often get two to three excellent shaves before feeling the need to replace one. I’d classify it as a medium-aggression blade. If five is the sharpest blade, I’d rate this as a 3.5, making it a great all-around choice. I won’t profit from anything in this video; if you use my code, you’ll save 10%. When you buy the brush, you also get 15% off any soap, which is a nice perk!

Now, a quick third pass. The bourbon in this fragrance really makes it something special for me. It adds a bold and robust scent, reminiscent of the oak you’d expect from an aged bourbon, infusing a masculine quality into the overall fragrance. Without the bourbon note, I’m not sure I’d love it as much, but it really enhances the fragrance’s overall appeal.

I mentioned I’d only do my cheeks, but I’m going to do a quick third pass because we’re about to meet some family for pizza. We attended church services this morning, and it was great to see a bunch of extended family. Emily is currently with my niece, who is now a mother herself. I’m feeling old, watching my nieces grow up!

The pizza place we’re heading to isn’t one of my favorites, but my mom, brother, and sister really love it. It’s more of a hole-in-the-wall spot with so-so pizza. Half the arcade machines don’t work, and the building has had some leaks. I haven’t been there in a long time because I’m not crazy about the place. I’ll never forget one of the last times I went; they had run out of something—it’s a mom-and-pop operation that could be better managed.

But my family loves it, so that’s where we’re going. And yeah, that’s all I have to say about that. My mom watches my videos. Hi, Mom! I love you! If you’re watching this, which I hope you are! Joy’s is where we’re headed, and I love Joy’s. Ignore everything I just said!

Thanks, Andy! In a few days, I’ll do another video showcasing all four sets. Did I mention in the beginning that I didn’t pay for any of these essential soaps and splashes? Andy sent them to me for review, so thank you, Andy! I appreciate our friendship and your support of my channel.

I highly recommend this fragrance to anyone looking for something different. I’d confirm that these are vegan, with no animal-derived ingredients—not even silk! The splash contains witch hazel, aloe vera, ethyl alcohol, glycerin, fragrance, essential oil, and polysorbate 80, which is an emulsifier or stabilizer, ensuring all the ingredients don’t separate.

This product is excellent and exactly what you would expect from Shannon and Andy. Since Andy opened his store a few years back, he has consistently delivered quality products. What’s also cool is that these 4 oz tubs are listed at $17.99, while the bottles are 3.3 fluid ounces—about 100 ml.

Oh, I almost forgot! Alexis rates it an eight, while Emily gives it a seven. This fragrance is likely to appeal to most women—it’s not offensive at all, lacking the typical musk notes. The masculinity comes from the bourbon, which I absolutely love!

It’s the little things, like choosing to go to a pizza place you’re not particularly fond of because it makes your mom happy. I live in a college town—Springfield has many great pizza options due to its proximity to Eugene. But we’re going to Joy’s because it brings joy to my mother. And my friends, that’s a little big thing.

Take care, and I’ll see you next time! Welcome to the B-roll, which I record before the shave; I want to give you all a 360-degree view of my surroundings. My beautiful bride is here to my left, fashionably wearing a throwback shirt. You know she loves you when she supports your wet shaving channel! Our little sweetheart, Athena, is wrestling behind me—she’s about to turn seven months old.

I want to thank Andy again for participating in the giveaways with us. Thank you all for joining us out here; these are truly little big things, my friends. That’s right, Luna—it is indeed the little big things, like being quiet while your dad talks! Remember, these will drop on September 20th. Take care, everyone, and I’ll see you next time. Can you say goodbye?

The Essentials will be available Friday, September 20th

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