I postponed trying this entry in the Scent-Off competition despite its being already on sale and tried by others (including The Son). So while others have purchased this soap and tried it, today is the first for me.

I am doing the first of the three test shaves, and I begin again with a boar brush. This particular Omega brush is quite appealing to me, and it’s breaking in nicely.

So: the soap. My first impression is from the packaging and presentation, which I like a lot. He elected to do a variant of his standard packaging with a new label (shown) and a new color of tin (doubtless to match the “pumpkin pie” theme, but it might become the mark of limited-edition soaps from this vendor. We’ll wait and see. But in the current context, and for the current soap, it works quite well. AND—important note—the tin is giftworthy as it stands: one doesn’t need to supplement it with a container to give the recipient the complete package.

Fragrance: This time I had no difficulty at all: pumpkin pie (or “pi”), through and through. And it’s an inspired choice: quite holiday-specific, quite familiar, and warm and comforting. It’s a good fragrance early in the morning.

Lather: I’ve had consistently good luck with HTGAM soaps in the lathering department: they immediately produce a thick, creamy, abundant, and protective lather, and this soap is no different. Truthfully, I would put this up against any commercial shaving soap so far as lather quality is concerned. And the brush stayed fully loaded with lather for the whole three passes, with loads left at the end.

My Merkur Progress holds a previously used Gillette Rubie blade (another brand that seems to have vanished from the US market—and it was a very good brand for me). Three passes to BBS with not a trace of trouble. The Progress is a very good razor and probably the best modern adjustable.

I carried the spice theme along with a good splash of Booster Oriental Spice aftershave.

And then I immediately went to the vet to get Megs a manicure (i.e., front paws only). She’s been sticking to stuff. I just got back and opened the carrier to let her out, but she refused and is staying in the carrier for now. Weird kitty, but that’s redundant.