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To Saponificio Varesino: "Your Majesty, please accept my apologies"

Marco

B&B's Man in Italy
Marco, When comparing Desert Vetiver Beta 4.3 to any of the other SV 4.3 soaps, is there a difference in performance to elevate it to your #1?

Sir, I currently do not have sufficient data to answer this question properly because the only other Beta 4.3 I have tested is Opuntia. Between Desert Vetiver 4.3 and Opuntia 4.3 I certainly prefer Desert Vetiver. But things might change in the near future when trying other Beta 4.3 soaps! As already written, next on my list to buy is Manna di Sicilia Beta 4.3.
 

Marco

B&B's Man in Italy
I'll chime in. . .

While the base formula is consistent with all SV 4.3 soaps, there are specific ingredients for each type that may slightly affect performance of each one. The differences however are very minor.

My friend, I do agree 100%. :yesnod:
 

JCinPA

The Lather Maestro
I do not have the sommelier's nose some of you have. Things that help are "sorta like [other product]" even if not an exact match. Does anyone know or have a link to description of the scent profiles? I may try a 4.3 version of this, but it will be a while before I pull the trigger, I'm going to stay (hopefully) in GRUME until Christmas.

He says.

Confidently.

:crying:
 
Sir, I currently do not have sufficient data to answer this question properly because the only other Beta 4.3 I have tested is Opuntia. Between Desert Vetiver 4.3 and Opuntia 4.3 I certainly prefer Desert Vetiver. But things might change in the near future when trying other Beta 4.3 soaps! As already written, next on my list to buy is Manna di Sicilia Beta 4.3.
Marco, Can you help me understand why you pick Desert Vetiver over Opuntia? Is there a difference in performance or is it simply a scent preference?
 
Does anyone know or have a link to description of the scent profiles?
It takes a bit too much work trying to research each one. Maybe list your preferred scents and we can zone in on what might suit you best. Mana is a classic tobacco scent I believe. I have smelled it. You might like Opuntia, it is too musky on my skin. The top note vanishes quickly.
 

Mike M

...but this one IS cracked.
I do not have the sommelier's nose some of you have. Things that help are "sorta like [other product]" even if not an exact match. Does anyone know or have a link to description of the scent profiles? I may try a 4.3 version of this, but it will be a while before I pull the trigger, I'm going to stay (hopefully) in GRUME until Christmas.

He says.

Confidently.

:crying:
The SV website has some good descriptions of the scents and a scent pyramid for each one if you are interested.
 

Marco

B&B's Man in Italy
Marco, Can you help me understand why you pick Desert Vetiver over Opuntia? Is there a difference in performance or is it simply a scent preference?

Actually, in Desert Vetiver I prefer both performance and scent profile. Desert Vetiver contains desert date oil and, most probably because of this extra ingredient, I feel that it's ever so slightly more moisturizing than Opuntia. Desert Vetiver also features a truly exquisite fragrance, that is robust and persistent. It's a complex scent profile and, for a more accurate description of it, I invite you to check directly SV's web page here Desert Vetiver – Shaving Soap 150g – Saponificio Varesino Online Store - https://www.saponificiovaresino.com/svstore/en/shop/shaving/shaving-soap/desert-vetiver-sapone-da-barba-150g/.
 

JCinPA

The Lather Maestro
I think I will try that one. Gotta choose something, right? Now the question is now? Or around Christmas. I think I'll put this on my Christmas list. Old dad's are hard to buy for and this might work.
 
You know that SV includes direction on how to make lather with their soap.
Works every time for me, some of the best lather from any soap.
They recommend blooming the soap, yes? I've tried their method. I felt it produced a lackluster lather and encouraged over-consumption of soap. A damp brush and dry soap for loading, followed by face lathering on a wet face allowed me to dial in the lather better.

I'm in the "There is no better shave soap than SV" crowd, but not with their instructions.
 
Actually, in Desert Vetiver I prefer both performance and scent profile. Desert Vetiver contains desert date oil and, most probably because of this extra ingredient, I feel that it's ever so slightly more moisturizing than Opuntia. Desert Vetiver also features a truly exquisite fragrance, that is robust and persistent. It's a complex scent profile and, for a more accurate description of it, I invite you to check directly SV's web page here Desert Vetiver – Shaving Soap 150g – Saponificio Varesino Online Store - https://www.saponificiovaresino.com/svstore/en/shop/shaving/shaving-soap/desert-vetiver-sapone-da-barba-150g/.

A small irony that the SV product with a dry scent profile marketed to evoke the desert may end up being the slightly more moisturizing soap option...
 

shavefan

I’m not a fan
They recommend blooming the soap, yes? I've tried their method. I felt it produced a lackluster lather and encouraged over-consumption of soap. A damp brush and dry soap for loading, followed by face lathering on a wet face allowed me to dial in the lather better.

I'm in the "There is no better shave soap than SV" crowd, but not with their instructions.

100% agree. Blooming the soap as they recommend added nothing for me. IME, results are superb with a damp brush, loading, and face lather as you describe.
 
They recommend blooming the soap, yes? I've tried their method. I felt it produced a lackluster lather and encouraged over-consumption of soap.
First the obvious, you need to use actually hot water. Second, even if you don't bowl lather, I hold the puck at an angle that allows the water to run off rapidly into my bowl. Save that water. I have weighted my puck before and after and was getting it too wet. Squeezed or shaken brush to load then use the drained water to dip the tips. ;)
 
I do not have the sommelier's nose some of you have. Things that help are "sorta like [other product]" even if not an exact match. Does anyone know or have a link to description of the scent profiles? I may try a 4.3 version of this, but it will be a while before I pull the trigger, I'm going to stay (hopefully) in GRUME until Christmas.

He says.

Confidently.

:crying:

I will try (and likely fail) to help describe scents that I have:

Felce Aromatica pairs well with Barrister and Mann Reserve Fern. Fern is a bit harsher off the puck and then mellows out as it is lathered, Felce is better rounded all around. I also use Stirling Sharp Dressed Man balm and edt with felce, they also pair well.

SV 70th anniversary smells like acqua di gio. Slightly saltier in scent, but a very very good dupe. I enjoy it immensely. It is a beta 4.1 formula, but I find it almost as slick and as moisturizing as the 4.3 desert vetiver. I do use their SV 70th aftershave, however, so that could explain the moisturizing qualities. This is also my first SV soap so I have it well dialed in.

SV tundra artica is oud based, slightly woody to my nose but clean. It isn’t quite the same as RazoRock the Stallion or acqua di Parma colonia oud but close enough to pair well with them both. Immensely enjoyable scent. I bought the 4.1, havent gotten it fully dialed in yet but only one shave.

SV desert vetiver is really complex and a scent all its own. Not like anything I’ve tried. There is a slight… musk? type note that could turn some people off. My wife thinks proraso red smells like her grandmothers perfume, and there is an underlying note similar to that overall scent of proraso red that is the musk type scent I’m getting. It is not a standard vetiver that smells like dirt at all. I think of this as felce’s older brother: still the fern/green scent to it but many more layers of experience. It is the most potent SV I’ve yet tried.

SV dolomiti (beta 4.0): my least favorite. Hardest to lather, smells like clean soap though. Closest scent similarity would be haslinfer schafmilch or MWF. Least slick, tends to get a bit foamy if you add water too fast. Actually not unlike MWF I’m the foamy department (I never got that stuff dialed in). Least good post shave feel of all the SV soaps. It isn’t a bad soap at all, probably on par with Cyril r salter in slickness but better in post shave feel. But once you’ve tried 4.1 and on, it feels pretty lackluster.

Hope something in there was useful.
 
Alin, as my friend John @JCinPA has properly pointed out in another thread, I am only interested in performance. And performance-wise Saponificio Varesino is at the very top of my list. There are certainly many great soaps out there, but for me nothing else is at this absolutely terrific level. I'll always keep SV in my den, along with my other favourite.
What counts as “performance”? Is it only about how well the lather assists the shave? Is scent not part of the equation? Do you simply mean you are not brand conscious?
 
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