Black Ship Grooming Co - Beaver Woodright.
I first came across these interesting, 'pirate' themed range of aftershave splashes and soaps some many months ago during one of my supposed-to-be-working-but-browsing-wet-shaving-suppliers sojourns while at work, as chance would have it I was quite unsurprisingly on @shavetheman The Stray Whisker site where I really enjoy browsing the less popular, as yet undiscovered items.
The artwork itself in the Beaver Woodright did not initially grab me, to be frank I find a lot of the 'themed' shave products a little bit modern and undesirable in the sense that I like my kit to look fairly classic and conservative in the bathroom. The Beaver Woodright line initially reminded me of the scandal plagued, dubious HTGAM and spin-off product line from 'Dodgelas' as he is now colloquially referred to.
The broad range of products, and the interesting scent compositions in Beaver Woodright however interested me a great deal - here was a company doing interesting, different things scent wise which I am always on the lookout for.
Packaging: A very nice frosted bottle, a nice solid cap that is not prone to cracking. Despite some minor scuff marks (which imho add to the pirate theme) the packaging is of very good quality. The glass is nice and thick and speaks to the quality and care taken from the producer.
Ingredients: Alcohol, aqua, witch hazel, aloe, vitamin E, menthol, fragrance & essential oils.
NB: I found these lightly mentholated, the descriptions on TSW site are great indicators in this regard with 1 or 2 being heavy on the menthol
Captain Scurvey
Scent: Lime, Sandalwood and Vanilla
This was the first bottle that I ordered based on the composition of Sandalwood, Lime and Vanilla as it was a combination I was seeking in regard to certain soaps I had, I generally like to pair my splashes with my soaps and creams to make things interesting, particularly if a soap is released without its accompanying splash.
Upon opening the bottle I was greeted with a strong scent of Vanilla and Lime with the Sandalwood notes as to be expected coming during the 'dry-down'.The percentage of perfume and essential oil to alcohol is very generous with all of the range and due to the volatile nature of most scents in perfume or oil form, a strong scent from the bottle is generally a good indicator of durability and longevity once on the face.
An application of 8 or 9 drops of this wonderful elixir retains it's presence a good 6 to 7 hours after the initial application. The face feel is good to very good, certainly it could not be considered wanting.
Thomas Tew
Scent: Orange, blood orange, lemons and dark amber.
Some evidence of separation (or oil falling out of solution to be more technically correct?) was evident in this bottle, with a pool of beautifully smelling blood orange and amber pooled at the top of the bottle. A vigorous shake got the oils back into solution however and the scent once correctly agitated was sweet, citrusy and very appealing. The definite warmth of the amber coming through at the base with the citrus riding top and middle.
I am looking forward to using this during the warmer and more humid months, it's fresh, alive and dynamic with the combination of the two oranges and the amber offsetting each other nicely and creating a great balance.
Queen Anne's Revenge
Scent: Pineapple, oak-moss, bergamont, patchouli, jasmine and vanilla.
The most recent of additions to the lineup and one that I wish I had acquired earlier in the piece, the combination of scents works incredibly well here - this is a must for those that like the sweet and tart combination with a touch of powder from the oak-moss. A really appealing fragrance that has real staying power and a scent that will work well throughout the whole year.
From the bottle the bergamot, jasmine and vanilla are immediately available and I credit the makers for not overdosing on the often too powerful Vanilla component. The dry-down sees the base notes really shine too.
Ship Wreck Cove
Scent: Bay rum, lime, musk, ginger and cloves.
Arriving with 'Queen Anne's Revenge' this was one I acquired based solely on the scent composition, aside from '42' it was hard to obtain a splash with ginger and lime and I must admit some reticence due to the Bay Rum presence - the last thing I wanted was a Bay Rum and Clove dominant splash that would overpower and definitely not sit well with the intended soap pairing of Ginger, White Tea or Verbena and lime.
Never fear, this is a subtle and very rounded splash with the musk and lime notes sitting comfortable next to the noticeable but suitable ginger. The bay rum is fractional, as is the clove and both sit at the base in an unobtrusive way providing a suitable framework for the other scents to shine.
Overall
A fantastic, creative range of scents that are present in strong quantities in solution. These are splashes that last for hours and hours without in anyway cloying or becoming sickly. The mixtures and ratios are excellent and pair very well with the soaps for which I intend pairing them.
The concentration of the splashes, with their more than reasonable price point makes these amongst my favourite splashes and I say that not having even tried their accompanying soaps as yet.
Highly recommended, and a much larger range is available than I have reviewed here. All of them are in stock at The Stray Whisker last time I looked.
