Baume.be Pre-shave and Cream review

[Phoenixkh]

Castle Forbes is a great cream. It’s very concentrated and quite thirsty. It whips up into a dense stable lather that’s stick and moisturizing. Pretty big hydration window. The scents are nice but I’m afraid they probably fall into the ‘in your face’ camp.

Fitjar Islands is a much milder scent. I’ve only tried Fjellheim. Very natural and woodsy. Some have complained about lack of slickness but I think it performs very well. Like DR Harris it works best when you use more product and don’t drown the lather with water.

Baume, MWF, Klar, and Fitjar Islands are all lightly scented.

Musgo Real, SV, Castle Forbes, SMN and AdP are all pretty strong.

MdC, DR Harris, Haslinger and Speick are somewhere in the middle.

It's a hard cream, just so you know. I didn't when I got it. You pretty much have to go into the jar with a damp brush and it takes more water(outside the jar) than other creams. It still has the advantage of not really needing any special technique to lather, just takes a little longer. I am currently on track to get 200 shaves out of the jar, just so you know. Try the pre-shave gel, I won't live without it.

Before I get started, I'd like to thank Tomo and Aaron (APBinNCA) for the recommending Baume.be cream for me. And another thanks to Aaron for suggesting the Baume.be pre-shave. I had written off pre-shaves as something I didn't really need. I've mentioned it before, I looked at the ingredients of the most popular pre-shaves mentioned on B&B and formulated my own.... after looking up lots of recipes online.

So, how was my first shave with these two products. The pre-shave looks like wax at a first glance. I wasn't sure how to apply it but I dipped my finger in... and it's very soft. It spreads so easily and doesn't feel oily. Just gave me a thin coating. It turns a little white when you apply it.

OK... good so far... The cream lathered up very well.. took me a couple minutes to adjust to the water needed... just like any new soap or cream. Lather was excellent.

Final test... I mean.. every looks good but if the shave is horrible.... you know. My ECS Claymore Evolution glided over my face like? Skates on ice? A hot knife through room temperature butter? Pick your own analogy. it was wonderful. I couldn't be more pleased.

I'm sure I'm not totally conveying how much I love this cream. There is not one thing I can think of that they should improve. I have two other creams/soaps that I really like, but this one tops them both. I don't want to make this about them, though. For my money, Baume.be is the best cream I've ever tried. I could use it every day and be content. I'd never have found it if I wasn't a member here at B&B.

So, thanks again to two seasoned wet shaving vets for giving advice tailored to a person's personal needs. This is the best PIF I could get.

In conclusion: the Baume.be is a very, very mild smelling cream. So subtle, you can hardly smell it. The second smell test was my wife... she approved. WAF accomplished. And the end results are spectacular for both products. I will use their pre-shave regardless of the cream/soap I use. It's as good as Aaron claims. I will keep buying Baume.be cream as soon as I empty out this one....

 

[APBinNCA]

Excellent! You had me on the edge of my seat, literally. Enjoy.

 

[Tomo]

Glad you like it.

 

[sanookd]

Before I get started, I'd like to thank Tomo and Aaron (APBinNCA) for the recommending Baume.be cream for me. And another thanks to Aaron for suggesting the Baume.be pre-shave. I had written off pre-shaves as something I didn't really need. I've mentioned it before, I looked at the ingredients of the most popular pre-shaves mentioned on B&B and formulated my own.... after looking up lots of recipes online.

So, how was my first shave with these two products. The pre-shave looks like wax at a first glance. I wasn't sure how to apply it but I dipped my finger in... and it's very soft. It spreads so easily and doesn't feel oily. Just gave me a thin coating. It turns a little white when you apply it.

OK... good so far... The cream lathered up very well.. took me a couple minutes to adjust to the water needed... just like any new soap or cream. Lather was excellent.

Final test... I mean.. every looks good but if the shave is horrible.... you know. My ECS Claymore Evolution glided over my face like? Skates on ice? A hot knife through room temperature butter? Pick your own analogy. it was wonderful. I couldn't be more pleased.

I'm sure I'm not totally conveying how much I love this cream. There is not one thing I can think of that they should improve. I have two other creams/soaps that I really like, but this one tops them both. I don't want to make this about them, though. For my money, Baume.be is the best cream I've ever tried. I could use it every day and be content. I'd never have found it if I wasn't a member here at B&B.

So, thanks again to two seasoned wet shaving vets for giving advice tailored to a person's personal needs. This is the best PIF I could get.

In conclusion: the Baume.be is a very, very mild smelling cream. So subtle, you can hardly smell it. The second smell test was my wife... she approved. WAF accomplished. And the end results are spectacular for both products. I will use their pre-shave regardless of the cream/soap I use. It's as good as Aaron claims. I will keep buying Baume.be cream as soon as I empty out this one....

Now you need to try Baume. Be balm to complete the set. It’s like the cream scent , mild with a very slight hint of menthol and I mean slight. I’m not a menthol lover but it doesn’t bother me. It really does feel great on the face after a shave.

 

[Tomo]

Now you need to try Baume. Be balm to complete the set. It’s like the cream scent , mild with a very slight hint of menthol and I mean slight. I’m not a menthol lover but it doesn’t bother me. It really does feel great on the face after a shave.

In my opinion, this is the best balm going. It goes with everything due to the mild scent. Personally I don’t pick up on any menthol.

 

[sanookd]

In my opinion, this is the best balm going. It goes with everything due to the mild scent. Personally I don’t pick up on any menthol.

I get just a tad…certainly not enough as I said to put me off. Perhaps it’s just the scent because I certainly don’t get any tingle like I would with a full dose of menthol.

 

[CzechCzar]

How does Baum compare to CF?

 

[Mr. Shavington]

I must try Baume cream some time. Belgium has to be good for something, right? Well, they dig up coticules, I suppose. And the paté is nice on a bit of toast.

I think my reservation has always been the light scent. It’s pure madness on my part but in my head I always think I pay for the soap and the scent comes free, so I feel a little cheated if they don’t give me a really good free scent, and a bunch of it. Is that just me?

Incidentally, if any of you have time, how many famous Belgians can you name? I can name seven really good ones (not footballers or rubbish like that, proper famous people who did something worthy of fame). I’ve always been rather proud of this feat. It’s like my party trick.

 

[Phoenixkh]

How does Baum compare to CF?

I've never tried Castle Forbes, but I've been told CF has much stronger scents. I'm the opposite of Stinkykid... I don't like in-your-face fragrances. And he's right... Baume.be has a very light, but pleasant scent. It has all the other good qualities, in my limited experience opinion. Great lather, good glide ( I don't really understand "cushion", so I can't comment there), nice feel after you wash it off.

 

[Star_Wahl_Clipper_Treker]

I've never tried Castle Forbes, but I've been told CF has much stronger scents. I'm the opposite of Stinkykid... I don't like in-your-face fragrances. And he's right... Baume.be has a very light, but pleasant scent. It has all the other good qualities, in my limited experience opinion. Great lather, good glide ( I don't really understand "cushion", so I can't comment there), nice feel after you wash it off.

Many folks on here don't like Tabac, simply because of the floral scent, even though we all know that Tabac with tallow is the best performing soap on the market, when rated on slickness! Yes, I wish Tabac had more scents like everybody else does in their soap line of products, but one thing you can never say bad about Tabac, is that its not a high performer, cause it is.

 

[BigJ]

Excellent review!!

 

[ChriWilson]

Great review @Phoenixkh
I may look to try the cream once I expire some of mine already in-use.

@Tomo @APBinNCA

Have either of you used the soap? If so was performance on par with the cream?
Sorry for my indolence, it's a gray and gloomy Friday here

...we all know that Tabac with tallow is the best performing soap on the market, when rated on slickness! Yes, I wish Tabac had more scents like everybody else does in their soap line of products, but one thing you can never say bad about Tabac, is that its not a high performer, cause it is.

I mean, it's been in circulation since 1959 so...

 

[APBinNCA]

DO NOT BUY THE SOAP, BACK AWAY FROM THE COMPUTER!

Just read the older Baum.be thread where somebody accidentally ordered the soap.

 

[Mr. Shavington]

Ok, nobody bit. But let me try to name seven famous Belgians anyway….

Jean Claude van Damme (martial artist and, arguably, actor)
Eddy Merckx (greatest cyclist of all time)
René Magritte (surrealist artist, painter of Ce N’est Pas Un Pipe)
Peter Paul Rubens (baroque artist)
Adolphe Sax (inventor of the saxophone)
Audrey Hepburn (actor - yes, she was Belgian)
“Django” Reinhardt (ask any guitarist)
Gerardus Mercator (developed the first usable world map)
Hergé (author, creator of Tintin)
Jacques Brel (one of the greatest French language ‘chanson’ singers, wrote Seasons In The Sun)
Plastic Bertrand (archetype of the one-hit wonder - Ça Plein Pour Moi was huge in the ‘70s)

Wow, that’s eleven. Best I ever managed before was ten. I know some of you will question Plastic Bertrand, but anyone of a certain age will not doubt his place in this list.

 

[CzechCzar]

I've never tried Castle Forbes, but I've been told CF has much stronger scents. I'm the opposite of Stinkykid... I don't like in-your-face fragrances. And he's right... Baume.be has a very light, but pleasant scent. It has all the other good qualities, in my limited experience opinion. Great lather, good glide ( I don't really understand "cushion", so I can't comment there), nice feel after you wash it off.

Never tried Baum, but apparently the soap is quite bad.

 

[ChriWilson]

So in this case:
Baume.Be Shave Soap = Baume.Be Bath Soap
(good to know for future)

I picked up some Belgian Chocolates once from Harrod's in London
They were quite nice

You could add Saint Damien of Molokai to your list @Stinkykid

 

[Phoenixkh]

Ok, nobody bit. But let me try to name seven famous Belgians anyway….

Jean Claude van Damme (martial artist and, arguably, actor)
Eddy Merckx (greatest cyclist of all time)
René Magritte (surrealist artist, painter of Ce N’est Pas Un Pipe)
Peter Paul Rubens (baroque artist)
Adolphe Sax (inventor of the saxophone)
Audrey Hepburn (actor - yes, she was Belgian)
“Django” Reinhardt (ask any guitarist)
Gerardus Mercator (developed the first usable world map)
Hergé (author, creator of Tintin)
Jacques Brel (one of the greatest French language ‘chanson’ singers, wrote Seasons In The Sun)
Plastic Bertrand (archetype of the one-hit wonder - Ça Plein Pour Moi was huge in the ‘70s)

Wow, that’s eleven. Best I ever managed before was ten. I know some of you will question Plastic Bertrand, but anyone of a certain age will not doubt his place in this list.

I thought Emil Fuchs was Belgian.... but when I checked, he's Austrian. I was all ready to play the game with one entry, but alas, fail.... We have a Cartier silver spoon based on one of his sculptures.... produced for the Heinz company. They gave them out when one of their employees had a new addition to their family. My wife the one gifted to her mother when she was born.

GENUINE CARTIER SILVER SPOON - EMIL FUCHS - H.J HEINZ - PATRICIA TALBOT 1929 | #426123058

Double your traffic. This is very important solid sterling silver spoon produced by Cartier. This spoon was designed by the Austrian/American sculptor Emil Fuchs (1866-1929). The bowl of the spoon sho

www.worthpoint.com

 

[Mr. Shavington]

I thought Emil Fuchs was Belgian.... but when I checked, he's Austrian. I was all ready to play the game with one entry, but alas, fail.... We have a Cartier silver spoon based on one of his sculptures.... produced for the Heinz company. They gave them out when one of their employees had a new addition to their family. My wife the one gifted to her mother when she was born.

GENUINE CARTIER SILVER SPOON - EMIL FUCHS - H.J HEINZ - PATRICIA TALBOT 1929 | #426123058

Double your traffic. This is very important solid sterling silver spoon produced by Cartier. This spoon was designed by the Austrian/American sculptor Emil Fuchs (1866-1929). The bowl of the spoon sho

www.worthpoint.com

Doesn’t matter. It is a very cultured answer, regardless.

 

[Phoenixkh]

Doesn’t matter. It is a very cultured answer, regardless.

yeah... then I blew it by not proof reading.. and left out the "has"... my wife "has" the one........... lol

 

[ohslant]

Hi everyone, this is my first post on this forum.
I've used this cream for the first time in early 2019, and have used it almost exclusively from that point till the end of 2020. About 4 jars in total, and all 4 bought in 2019.
Recently I ordered it again and I want to share my experience, after using it for 5 consecutive shaves, as sometime between 2019 and now the formula was changed. Here are some differences I noticed.

The label on the lid is the same, the one on the underside has changed a bit. The ingredient's list is mostly the same, the older jars have 'Sodium Borate' listed as the 14th ingredient, whereas on the newer this ingredient is missing. Similar to the older jars, neither an expiration date, production date or lot number are provided, which would have been nice.
The newer jars are filled to the top, even overfilled as all five that I got had dried up cream on the thread. Not all 5 were bought from the same store.

The old formula was very soft with a pearlescent sheen, an actual cream imo, similar in consistency to TOBS. This new one is quite similar to ice cream, almost no sheen and not as soft. It's less moist which makes it a bit difficult to do a face lather, and it's consistency is somewhere between a TOBS cream and a Proraso soap. The scent is slightly different, milder than before. It's also a little less yellow.

Lathering is also different. I'm using a bit more cream now to get a nice lather. Using the same amount as before with the old formula, I can only do 2 passes instead of 3. It used to make this kind of yellowish lather, but now with the new formula it's just regular white.

It's performance is still very good, extreme slickness and protection. However, after washing the lather away the skin feels tacky, almost as if I used an alum block. Whatever residue it leaves on the skin, it's also on the razor and sink. I had to scrub the sink after each shave. Even with the old formula, it still left residue on the razor and sink, but not this tacky feeling on the skin. It used to be similar to Proraso, TOBS or MdC in this respect, where scrubbing was needed on the 2nd or 3rd shave only.

Post shave was great with the old formula. My skin is a bit on the dry side, and I found the new formula a bit drying after using it daily. Not as drying as MdC though.

Given that the ingredients list is almost the same, and the ingredients themselves are listed in the same order on the label, I can only assume that the new formula has increased the weight percentages of the saponification ingredients/acids while lowering the rest, the skin nourishing ones.
Overall I think that the cream was downgraded, probably to keep the cost down. I would gladly pay a bit more for if they brought back the old formula.
I bought TOBS, MdC, Nuavia, SV and Musgo Real after finishing the cream back in 2020, and while all these are great products, I still prefer the (old) Baume cream.

I had intended to gift two of these creams, but ended up sending back three of them. As things are now, I would much recommend the TOBS Jermyn's Street as an alternative if you're looking for a similar cream.