SOTD 18.01.2024

• Prep: warm water
• Razor: Stando Perun
• Blade: Rapira Platinum Lux
• Brush: TGS Galaxy 26 mm
• Lather: Wholly Kaw - Cuero Oscuro
• Post Shave: Thayer's Aloe Vera toner; Phytorelax Headshave ASB
• Fragrance: Philipp Plein - No Limit$ EdP

As always, I'm one of the last posts with my head shave of the day.

1 pass, overhydrated my lather so it was too wet for my personal preference. Still usable, but not very enjoyable even though WKs base usually gives me great shaves. Cuero Oscuro is a very dank, harsh leather fragrance. Think antique furniture. But I actually chose it to compare it to today's fragrance that I applied in the morning...

Philipp Plein, in case you're not familiar with him, is a german-born designer who designs fashion that kinda embodies the trashy Ed Hardy vibe of the late 2000s with Cowboy and Rock aesthetics. An accurate description I read about his fashion is like "he goes like 'well, this is a fair price' and then adds one or two zeros to the price tag". His brand is therefore a big cliché for the newly rich... Oh, and if you're ready for something truly cringe worthy, look up the ad for No Limit$ on YT. I seriously didn't knew anything about this when I blind bought it last year...

Back to the actual fragrance. It is made by Alberto Morillas, so not as bad as it may come off in the commercial. It opens with a very sharp note, mostly citrus and spices. The citrus is gone faster than your hard earned money when you buy a PP jacket, but the spices stay. Together with a rather synthetic leather note and some woody notes that are actually pleasing. The chocolate note is also noticeable and once it comes to life, this fragrance becomes way more bearable for me (and everyone around me). It never really becomes very gourmand-y to me due to the harsh synthetic leather note. Cuero Oscuro is way more pungent, but this leather note is too artificial to me personally. It certainly has a very great longevity (much to my dismay) at it's price point and it's certainly unique. But today was the last time wearing it. Despite the praise it got from people who don't like the marketing and PP as a brand and person, it's simply too over the top for me. I like leather, Oud and smoky fragrances, but this comes off as too much of a try hard. I adore the natural and comfortable leather scent in TF Ombre Leather and Tuscan Leather. I even appreciate the rugged leather in SW Valley of Ashes. But this here? Way too synthetic. Ok, this closes my rambling about this perfume and designer. Have a good night, folks!