Rustbelt Reserve Botanica: A Shannon's Soaps Shave
Hi, welcome to Larry’s Shaves. Today we’re shaving with Rust Belt Reserve Botanica from Shannon’s Soaps, along with the matching aftershave splash. A big thank you to Nate, who was kind enough to send this to the channel for review. Really appreciated that.
I’ve used this soap a couple of times already and I’ll say up front: I really enjoy this one. Great scent. Lathers great.
Getting Set Up
First thing, I scoop some soap into the shave bowl. Then I rinse my thumbs off so the razor doesn’t slip. Slippery razors and shaving don’t mix.
For today’s razor, I’m going with the Rockwell 6C in chrome. I normally reach for the 6S in stainless, but today it’s the 6C. Both razors come with three plates that flip, giving you six different settings. I’m on plate two today, which is a mild setting. I shaved a couple of days ago with something very aggressive and my face paid for it all day. Giving it a break.
The brush is the DC Cosmetics Ken Surfs 2024 brush. Nice little brush. It had been sitting on the shelf for a while, if I’m honest. When new stuff comes in, the older gear gets pushed to the back. I decided it was time to work through the other end of the collection, and this brush deserves some use.
Botanica: Shannon’s Story
While I’m loading up the lather, here’s what Shannon says about this soap on her website:
That’s the scent direction right there. A chypre with pineapple up top going into earthy, spicy, warm territory underneath. On paper that combination sounds like it could be really interesting, and from what I’ve experienced so far, it lives up to it.
The lather is coming up fast. Shannon says on her site that it lathers thick and quick for good cushion, and that’s exactly what I’m seeing. The scent while you’re building the lather is really something.
The base starts with tallow, kokum butter, avocado oil, cocoa butter, and shea butter in the lead positions, followed by stearic acid, glycerin, lanolin, coconut oil, goat milk, and a run of plant extracts. Shannon hot-processes with sodium and potassium hydroxide and adds glycerin for slickness. Basically everything you’d want to see in a serious artisan shaving soap.
If you want to check this out, or any of her other products, Shannon makes a lot more than shave soaps and splashes. Head to shannonssoaps.com.
The Shave
We met Shannon at the last two MGard meetups. What a wonderful lady she is. My wife came along both times, had a nice conversation with her, picked up some products and samples. We were really glad to meet her and see what she had available. She’s exactly the kind of person you hope to find behind a good product.
First pass, north to south. This is gliding along real well.
One thing I like about the Rockwell 6C is the short handle. Some of the long-handled razors are hard to bring far enough down your chest without your chest blocking them. The short handle keeps things manageable down there.
For slickness, to me, this is great. Good residual slickness through the whole first pass. Now, I’ll say this every time: everybody’s skin is different. What works on my face might not be the same experience on yours. I can only tell you what I’m getting here. Don’t buy this expecting what I’m getting and be frustrated if it’s different for you. We’re all built differently. But on my skin, this soap is delivering.
Second pass, east to west across the grain. Still slick. Still smelling great. I’m very happy with how this shave is going.
Here’s something I’ve been curious about with viewers: when do you decide what you’re going to shave with? Do you grab something in the morning and just go, or do you plan ahead? I set out my gear right after I finish cleaning up from the current shave. That sounds a little extreme, I know, but in the morning I’m not fully awake and I don’t want to stand there deciding. It’s already sitting out ready to go. I do the same with my clothes and my work list. I make that list a week ahead of time. I’m a creature of habit. If something throws off the routine, the whole day feels off. Nothing wrong with that, and nothing wrong with going the other way either. Let me know in the comments how you handle it.
Post-Shave
Very, very pleased with this shave. Two passes, face feels great.
Before the aftershave splash, I apply a witch hazel facial toner. I have a spray-top bottle, which I love. The kind you normally buy at the drugstore comes with a twist cap and you pour it into your hand. I found this version with a spray top online, and when the bottle runs out I just move the cap to a new one. Less mess and easier to use.
Now for the main event: the Rust Belt Reserve Botanica Aftershave Splash. A little in the hands, spread it around. Oh, that really is great. That scent, again. Shannon says it gives an amazing post-shave feel, and I’d agree. Skin feels good. Everything’s working together.
So today’s shave: Shannon’s Soaps Rust Belt Reserve Botanica soap and aftershave splash, the Rockwell 6C on plate two with a Rockwell blade, and the DC Cosmetics Ken Surfs 2024 brush. All of it performed well. I’ve really enjoyed this one, and I think you will too.
Thanks so much for being a part of today’s shave on the channel. Please subscribe if you haven’t, it helps out more than you know. We’ll be back soon with another shave, and I invite you to join me. Happy shaving.