Barrister and Mann's new Omnibus base: discussion and reviews

[RayClem]

I'm looking forward to Waves. I'm looking forward to all the Reserve scents, for that matter. I hope he uses the same labels. Reserve labels have always been my favorite with the solid color symbol over black. Perfectly simple and elegant.

@RayClem I'm curious which scents you've rated 10/10?

As I noted in the earlier post, I have 60 soaps that I rate 10/10 on scent; the list would be far too long to post.

Personally, I like scents that have a variety of scent notes well blended such that no single scent dominates. Scents are some of the most personal aspects of wet shaving, so I normally recommend soap formulations rather than specific scents.

Nearly every artisan has scents I like and scents I do not like, or scents I have avoided as I suspect I will not like them based on the scent notes or description.

 

[BradWorld]

My favorite B&M soap is 42. Love that stuff. I have it in Glissant and hardened Soft Heart. If it comes out in Omnibus for Towel Day next year I am gonna buy it! I do love Excelsior as well and have a few great scents in that base... Seville, Dickens, LGC etc. I am not sure I would replace those with Omnibus unless they were finished. But 42, yeah man!

 

[SterFry]

My favorite B&M soap is 42. Love that stuff. I have it in Glissant and hardened Soft Heart. If it comes out in Omnibus for Towel Day next year I am gonna buy it! I do love Excelsior as well and have a few great scents in that base... Seville, Dickens, LGC etc. I am not sure I would replace those with Omnibus unless they were finished. But 42, yeah man!

A lot of people really like 42. Can you describe the scent?

 

[BradWorld]

A lot of people really like 42. Can you describe the scent?

It smells like Pan Galactic Gargleblaster of course. With a little Ambergris for good luck! But in reality it smells like sweetened lemonade and petunias. Great stuff. But if you dont like fruit forward or citrus its not for you. Probably my favorite soap ever.

 

[Barbarian80]

Anyone try the new spice melange?

 

[og556]

I have Melange and have used it. My wife said it smells like nutmeg and spices that remind her of Christmas.

I agree with her and we both love it. It’s not offensive at all and it’s a fall scent I’d wear for any occasion. I don’t think it’s one that needs an EdP or anything though. I would not want the scent to be any stronger.

Fougere Gothique on the other hand, that’s an awesome EdP we both enjoy. So glad to see this soap come back and hopefully a regular fall soap.

 

[Barbarian80]

FG is an amazing soap. Is the EdP pretty much the same scent?

 

[og556]

FG is an amazing soap. Is the EdP pretty much the same scent?

It’s actually a little brighter in all the right places. I’d wear it as a stand-alone in cooler fall-spring.

 

[merovirginian]

A lot of people really like 42. Can you describe the scent?

Different strokes, as they say. I was not a fan. It was not bad mind you, but I objected to whatever they referred to as "lemon sugar". It seemed like a forced and even artificial lemon scent. But the petunia/flower note, tea, and amber should have led to a home run. It didn't for me. I guess I'm no Zaphod. I've read plenty of contrary opinions though. Samples exist for a reason!

 

[merovirginian]

My favorite Barrister and Mann scent is Waves which I rate as 9/10.

My wife agrees, which is I why I happily have the aftershave (not the soap, though--I used one sample, and have another unused one due to an ordering error). I added a nice dose of menthol to the aftershave and enjoy the spousal affection

My personal favorite scent is still Cheshire, as I suggested above.

 

[RayClem]

My wife agrees, which is I why I happily have the aftershave (not the soap, though--I used one sample, and have another unused one due to an ordering error). I added a nice dose of menthol to the aftershave and enjoy the spousal affection

My personal favorite scent is still Cheshire, as I suggested above.

I am a fan of Earl Grey tea, so I do like Cheshire. However, I am not a fan of patchouli, a scent often found in barbershop scents. If Will had used something other than patchouli, it might have become one of my favorite scents. For those who love barbershop scents with patchouli, Cheshire is a good choice.

 

[kingfisher]

I have Cheshire in the Glissant base. I rate the performance at the B level and the scent as 8/10. I use the soap, but I do not particularly enjoy the experience as I have many soaps with better performance and scents.

I rate Excelsior as an A level soap for performance, but the two I have I rate 8/10 on scent: Beaudelaire and Vespers. Both contain Will's version of Mouse de Saxe, which apparently is not for my nose. YMMV.

My favorite Barrister and Mann scent is Waves which I rate as 9/10. I have 60 soaps in my collection whose scents I rate as 10/10. Unfortunately, I have not yet tried a Barrister and Mann scent that rated 10/10.

I am waiting for Will to introduce the Reserve soaps in Omnbus so I can try Lavender. Will describes this as an "Elegant, smooth lavender unlike anything you've smelled before." I am hoping it will finally be a scent I will love.

BTW: The worst of Will's scents I have tried is Roam. I rate that 5/10. It is not a scent I like, but it is still far above the worst scent I have tried. I have it in the SoftHeart base, which I rate as an A-level soap for performance. I hope Omnibus rates A+.

Have you tried LeGrand Chypre? Curious what score you gave it if you have tried it.

 

[kingfisher]

On Cheshire, I don't drink tea and have no idea what Earl Gray smells like. But if you open a tub of Cheshire and give it a whiff, it smells eerily similar to the scent you get when you open a huge bag of plain M and M's. I am an M and M junkie so I know that smell very well. I swear the resemblance between Cheshire and that 'new bag of plain M and M's' scent is uncanny.

 

[RayClem]

Have you tried LeGrand Chypre? Curious what score you gave it if you have tried it.

I do have Le Grande Chypre. I score it 8/10 on scent. The primary reason I downrated the scent score it that it irritates my skin. In the case of LCP, it is the lime and cinnamon. The irritation is not sufficient for me to stop using the scent, but it is not a scent I would purchase again. Many chypres are lime forward scents. Although I love the aroma of lime, my skin does not tolerate it well.

 

[haggis]

I swear the resemblance between Cheshire and that 'new bag of plain M and M's' scent is uncanny.

I'm in to try the splash at least. I can't say the word Patchoulli (sp?) around my wife but neither she nor I would have any issues with M&Ms

 

[Scaramouche]

Arrived today, and shaved. In a word - outstanding. The Omnibus base exceeds the performance - for me - of even the beloved Excelsior or Soft Heart. Smooth, infinitely soft on lathering, which it appears to do by itself. And, apparently, shipped by the Combine Honnete Ober Advancer Mercantiles (CHOAM). The fragrance. Ah, the fragrance. If you were expecting cinnamon soap, you will be disappointed. It's there - bitter cinnamon - but in the back, as a sort of binder, with much more complex forward notes of cardomom, and ginger and musk. The desert. The Spice. Arrakis. Just don't stop shaving with it. If you've read Herbert's novels, you'll understand.

"Never twice the same [...] It's like life—it presents a different face each time you take it."

 

[Herrenberg]

However, I am not a fan of patchouli, a scent often found in barbershop scents.

And Grateful Dead concerts, for some reason I never quite figured out.

 

[RayClem]

And Grateful Dead concerts, for some reason I never quite figured out.

Quite true. I am not sure members of the Grateful Dead or their dead-head fans ever spent much time in barbershops.

 

[MtView]

Arrived today, and shaved. In a word - outstanding. The Omnibus base exceeds the performance - for me - of even the beloved Excelsior or Soft Heart. Smooth, infinitely soft on lathering, which it appears to do by itself. And, apparently, shipped by the Combine Honnete Ober Advancer Mercantiles (CHOAM). The fragrance. Ah, the fragrance. If you were expecting cinnamon soap, you will be disappointed. It's there - bitter cinnamon - but in the back, as a sort of binder, with much more complex forward notes of cardomom, and ginger and musk. The desert. The Spice. Arrakis. Just don't stop shaving with it. If you've read Herbert's novels, you'll understand.

"Never twice the same [...] It's like life—it presents a different face each time you take it."

I jumped in on this and my order shipped from Cooperstown, NY Parcel Select. I live in New England and instead of moving east, it was shipped to Pennsylvania and instead of a 2-3 day original delivery date it now has a 6 day delivery date. This must be the new and not necessarily improved post office routing we've been hearing about. "Never gonna get it" started playing in my head....

 

[SterFry]

I jumped in on this and my order shipped from Cooperstown, NY Parcel Select. I live in New England and instead of moving east, it was shipped to Pennsylvania and instead of a 2-3 day original delivery date it now has a 6 day delivery date. This must be the new and not necessarily improved post office routing we've been hearing about. "Never gonna get it" started playing in my head....

Took mine 28 days