About

It's a renegade! 

Or just a designer with a can-do attitude and a DIY spirit. 

I started my Industrial Design degree in 2013 as an extremely curious (and admittedly stubborn) student, always wanting to do everything myself. Whenever I saw a chair or desk in a furniture store, a bar of bath soap in a boutique, or sculptures and models, my first reaction was always: "I can make that myself, and I can make it better!"

So when I stumbled across the fine art of wet shaving, I took one look at all those brushes and shave soaps and the very same idea popped into my head: "I can make that!" 

I started small, with very limited supplies and my peers and professors as a test group. I figured since I knew how to make bath soaps, this wouldn't be so different. Of course, after a lot of trial, I quickly learned the errors of my ways and it was back to the drawing board. The different scents fascinated me, the chemistry had me poring obsessively over spreadsheets. I familiarized myself with all the big names, as well as the artisan products. I found a lack of Canadian artisans that made true shave soaps and brushes, and it was a lofty dream to fill in that niche.

Finally, after 2 years of on-and-off experimentation, I realized that this was something I can see myself doing long term. I set to finalize a tallow and lanolin based recipe that created a rich, full lather in scents that evoked memories, as well as a line of beautifully handmade brushes to compliment them. 

Small batches of soaps were made after my classes in the evenings between assignments, ingredients were sourced from Canadian based businesses and I struggled to make a presence for myself in the community. Batches were made, sampled, thrown out. Rinse and repeat, until I finally came up with a formula that worked. All my products are tested on people, and I can't thank them enough for helping. 

So, here I am, a one man design team, a renegade out to do (or make) anything. I hope you enjoy using my products just as much as I enjoyed making them.

- Flo Huynh