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Banantastic first meeting of the Buena Vista Wetshaving Social Club: 🍌 + 🥥 + 🧊
- Brush: Zenith 506B MB (27 mm × 55 mm Manchurian badger)
- Razor: Fatip - Lo Storto - Testa Dentata
- Blade: Derby Extra
- Lather: Abbate y la Mantia – Don Josè
- Post Shave: Ralon – Sport
- Fragrance: Stirling Soap Co. – Island Man
Today is the first meeting of the club, and we chose Don Josè, the delicious Banana & Coconut soap of Abbate Y La Mantia.
A few years ago, I bought a complete sample set of Abbate Y La Mantia's offering of the time (this was before the hard soaps, the Babylon series and even before Fufluns. Vulcano and Don Josè were my favourites and I splurged on a trickhole of Don Josè. One fun aspect of AYLM sets is that they come with a comically large 200ml cologne bottle, but a regular sized 100 ml splash.
Don Josè's banana plays the main role here, with coconut adding only support. It's a really easy scent to enjoy. Delicious, fresh, simple. The soft base isn't very popular around here, but I believe it's just because it's different from the typical American artisan base in that you need to load a lot more soap. When you do, you get sopping wet, glistening, slick, and – in this case – refreshing mentholated lather. I'm curious to see how the fellow BVWSC members will like it.
Now I'm off back to the beach 🏖
refreshing mentholated lather
I didn't pay attention to this at all. But now that you mention it, maybe the tingling that I identified as a slight reaction to banana was in fact menthol 🤣
Lol, probably!
The backstory is of Don Josè, who made his fortune importing bananas and coconuts, which it transported across the Atlantic on ice to keep them fresh. The menthol is the nod to the ice chips
... Now I feel kinda shitty for not mentioning the menthol again in my comment to you. 😂
If it was a slightly chill tingling, almost a soft burn - then yes, that's definitely the menthol in the soap as it is quite noticeable 😉
I'm looking forward to my shave this evening after a hot day outside!
Looking forward to reading what you think!