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Tribute Solid Cologne | Contains Prickly Pear Oil | Cherry & Sandalwood

$26.95 USD
Scent Profile: An Epic and Alluring Blend of Cherry & Sandalwood; a rich, deep woody balsamic accord containing fruity, sweet and tart accents with naturally occurring nuances of bitter almond. A perfect balance of gourmand and masculine. 

Find the Entire TRIBUTE Collection Here!


First off, I can't really take credit for this one. Tribute is the brain-child of my good pal and wet shaving man about town, David Gonzalez! [One of the founding members of the classic youtube show Wet Shaver's Round Table and presently, Real Talk on Instagram (co-hosted by Christopher David Bailey).]

A Great Injustice Has Been Committed

While so many OG wet shave personalities within the community have been recognized for their contributions to wet shaving over the years, David has not. I hear even his wife Rocio got one...but sadly, this honor was never to be for David. An always the bridesmaid never the bride type situation for sure. Probably not the best metaphor when engaging with a male dominated community, but you catch my drift.

So what does David do? Rather than just accepting this is how things are and take his cruel fate lying down, David hired me, yes me, to create his dream soap, Cherry & Sandalwood. Over a few weeks both Fran and I tweaked, pushes and pulled at the scent and then shipped some options off to David. After a few more tweaks and voice messages via facebook from David, we nailed it. (David prefers to do the voicemail thing in chat. I don't get it either, but the man's an artist. Nuff said.) So, with new scent in hand next he requested we call it "Not A Tribute". Damn I thought, this endeavor would be quite punk rock when all was said and done...and it was. 

So we created David a batch so that he may dole them out to his buddies and called it a day. Soon the PMs and Emails came. Seems word got out, "Not A Tribute" was a kickass scent and gosh darnit, people wanted it. So I got to thinking, it was pretty low of me to let David go through all this, THIS guy truly deserved a signature soap. There was something very stoic and zen about his approach that I felt compelled to make it right. My only regret is that I didn't do this on my own for him the first time around. So now we have made it available to all and no longer is it "Not A Tribute" but a straight up, no bones about it "Tribute". Salud David, this has been a long time coming! Folks, you are absolutely going to enjoy Tribute, it truly is a crowd pleaser. 

NOTE: I kept this sales page short in honor of David who has made it VERY clear over the years that he is not a fan of my winded sales pages!

 


Solid Cologne?

I must confess, I was not a believer in Solid Colognes until recently! Many times when asked if I would ever consider doing one, my default answer was always:

"Solid Colognes are for hippies and little girls."

I really believed this. I mean, I vividly remember my little sister getting some that came with a doll of hers when she was 5! I also remember seeing the stuff on offer in many a new age store on the shelf next to the incense in intricately carved soapstone compacts, lol. 

I assure you dear reader, my answer wasn't meant to be hurtful or mean spirited, and I admit I was simply wrong and uneducated in the ways of this magical stuff!

So what changed my mind you ask? Quite simply, it was the history. It turns out I actually owned a book on solid perfumes! I know, how is this possible? But it does happen.

Whenever I delve into anything I go full tilt and many years back, when I began working on honing my skills as a perfumer, I ordered every book out there! Some books were even in French! And one, as I mentioned, was on Solid Perfumes... totally didn't read the subtitle when ordering it, all I read was "Perfume". When it arrived, uninterested, I tossed it to the side, only to stumble upon it once more, years later, while transferring books to a new shelf.

And after the many requests from people over the years I did become more curious as to what all the hoopla was about in regards to the balm. So I put the tome on my bed and promised to take a quick gander at it before I fell asleep that night. That gander turned into a marathon session, a real page turner!

I am embarrassed to say I was way wrong, my previous exposure to the stuff was very limited, and I really had no right making up my mind to write it off so quickly. Solid Perfumes & Colognes were born out of a rich history and are totally different animals when it comes to scent carriers. I was looking at them completely wrong.

Fact is, a Solid Cologne is a much more personal, intimate, and tactile creation when compared to say, an Eau De Parfum, Cologne, or Aftershave. It is not meant for everyone in the room to smell but rather those closest to you, as well as yourself. It isn't meant to live on the shelf in your bathroom, but more as a travel companion tucked in your backpack, briefcase, gym bag or carry on!

This is part of the history! Back in the day, solid perfumes were kept close, often on the body, hidden in the secret compartment of a ring, or worn close to the heart in a locket or metal ball called a Pomander. It was always there for a quick whiff or application to the hot spots or facial hair.

Many men and women even carried scent boxes with them back in the day for inhaling while walking the fowl streets of medieval cities! Some of these boxes and compacts held multiple scents to be enjoyed one at a time or all at once or in different combinations. The sniffer could turn on or off the different scents of the accord...That's just AWESOME! Like playing your own composition on a musical instrument. Scent for scents sake!

Even plague doctors got in on the act and kept solid perfume on themselves as well. Many now know that doctors of that time wore curious bird like masks, the beak of which was stuffed with aromatic herbs. These herbs were thought to prevent the spread of the plague, and they were also used to eclipse the stench coming off the patients.

What you may not know is these doctors also came outfitted with a cane that hid a secret flip lid in the handle. This compartment held a blended, solid perfume that could be accessed in a pinch and smeared under the nose. Brilliant!

In Ancient Egypt, solid perfumes were a large part of the culture. An Egyptian  woman often wore what was called an unguent, or scent cone, containing the perfume, on the top of her head. Unlike modern solid perfumes, which are mixed with wax and oils, these ancient fragrances were blended with animal fat, and during the course of the hot day it would melt and anoint the wearer...that's pretty epic!

I could go on, but instead, I encourage you to do your own research. I promise you it is fascinating and will give you a greater appreciation of Solid Cologne and Perfumes!

So, with the weight of history dancing in my head I went to work on creating my own Solid Cologne, and it came out wonderful! Rather than dissolving absolutes, resins, and balsams into alcohol as I typically would for an alcohol based perfume, I carefully heated them, and along with the scent oils, blended them into the Beeswax, Shea Oil, Jojoba oil, Prickly Pear Oil matrix.

I find that, as the perfumer, the scent stays truer longer to the original shape I was going for. Meaning, volatile top notes last longer and heart notes fade slower too! Base notes will last much, much longer as they mix and mingle more organically with your own body chemistry and natural oils seamlessly.

Solid Cologne is a total and complete departure from the chemical reaction one experiences with an alcohol based product. It is more like a harmonious alchemical marriage, than a quick burn and evaporate dry down effect. Very different energetics when compared, and don't misunderstand me, they are both wonderful, but again, unique from each other, and that's what I didn't understand before.

Even the mechanics of application are different. Apply it once or revisit it many times during the day as a pick me up, no one will even notice when you do. There's a very sensual element at play here, like a secret with yourself.

I really have to say, this whole process enriched me as a perfumer, I truly felt part of a greater work. Ok, it's getting a little woo woo, but I think you are picking up what I'm putting down, no?

It's true, I really misunderstood solid perfumes in the past and dismissed them way too soon in my arrogance. If you are like I was, I encourage you to become humble and check them out, otherwise you are doing yourself a great disservice. 

Now...How DO I Use Solid Cologne?

Rub a finger across the top of the solid cologne and apply it to the pulse points & hot spots: wrists, neck, inside of elbow, behind the ears, and heart. You can also use in the beard, moustache or hair. Reapply through the day or whenever yo need a pick me up!

1.5 Oz Heavy Duty Glass Jar & Bakelite Cap

Beeswax, Shea Oil Jojoba oil, Prickly Pear Oil, Fragrance & Rosemary Extract

Handmade in Arizona, USA

Net Wt. 1.5 oz.