It's very rare that I choose the same software on back-to-back days so when I reached for the tin of Kell's Original Ultra Aloe Blend Black Tea for a second day and then a third, I paid close attention.
I received the tin in a software trade with member jabberwok and had never heard of it. But the vendor describes it as "smoky, sexy and sophisticated fragrance is reminiscent of roasted tea leaves with strong overtones of tobacco" did it.
Latherability is awesome. Day one, B&B Essentials Blond Boar; day two saw an SOC boar and day three, an intentional boost in test difficulty was a Rooney Heritage 2XL which for me, needs gobs of loading and just the right hydration to yield a good lather. All three brushes were face lathered and produced excessive amounts of lather; enough for three plus passes with some left in the brush. Impressive, especially for the Rooney.
Scent. I just love it. Deep, complex notes of tobacco and leather reminiscent of an antique store. Very gentlemanly. The scent not only survives the initial lather production, but lingers on face, hands and brush for a few hours post shave.
Lube. Can't ask more.. Slick and thick with plenty of cushion. two shaves were with Weber DLC, one with a fresh Kai mild in a Feather Dx. The new Kai did leave me two small weepers, but it would have done so regardless of software selection.
Longevity. I have a pet peeve for lathers that dry down quickly as the Feather shave isn't the fastest session. The Kell's falls right in the middle of the pack here. I didn't feel compelled to relather as I got towards the end of the pass, but as applications thinned towards the end of the Feather shave, I did notice a little less protection. But with the faster Weber shave I had no concerns.
Packaging. I like the metal tin. The cap is a press on with no seal, so it's a little loose and the mouth of the container is small for a brush the size of the SoC or Rooney, but it isn't a show-stopper.
All in all, I give the Kell's Original line high marks on all counts but packaging and I am sure I will be adding more from their line as I use-down my software inventory.
I received the tin in a software trade with member jabberwok and had never heard of it. But the vendor describes it as "smoky, sexy and sophisticated fragrance is reminiscent of roasted tea leaves with strong overtones of tobacco" did it.
Latherability is awesome. Day one, B&B Essentials Blond Boar; day two saw an SOC boar and day three, an intentional boost in test difficulty was a Rooney Heritage 2XL which for me, needs gobs of loading and just the right hydration to yield a good lather. All three brushes were face lathered and produced excessive amounts of lather; enough for three plus passes with some left in the brush. Impressive, especially for the Rooney.
Scent. I just love it. Deep, complex notes of tobacco and leather reminiscent of an antique store. Very gentlemanly. The scent not only survives the initial lather production, but lingers on face, hands and brush for a few hours post shave.
Lube. Can't ask more.. Slick and thick with plenty of cushion. two shaves were with Weber DLC, one with a fresh Kai mild in a Feather Dx. The new Kai did leave me two small weepers, but it would have done so regardless of software selection.
Longevity. I have a pet peeve for lathers that dry down quickly as the Feather shave isn't the fastest session. The Kell's falls right in the middle of the pack here. I didn't feel compelled to relather as I got towards the end of the pass, but as applications thinned towards the end of the Feather shave, I did notice a little less protection. But with the faster Weber shave I had no concerns.
Packaging. I like the metal tin. The cap is a press on with no seal, so it's a little loose and the mouth of the container is small for a brush the size of the SoC or Rooney, but it isn't a show-stopper.
All in all, I give the Kell's Original line high marks on all counts but packaging and I am sure I will be adding more from their line as I use-down my software inventory.