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Martin de Candre (MdC) Range - Add your thoughts here

If the internet has robbed us of one thing it's the ability to touch/feel/smell products before buying them so I thought I'd put together a resource on here for members to add their thoughts and experience with soaps that are expensive enough for people to not take the chance on but would otherwise love.
I've limited the descriptions to the products website which can be vague and nowhere near enough to make a decision so add anything you think would help people who haven't tried something. Add as much as you like in terms of detail like Scent, Cushion, Glide, Price per gram, Longevity (product/scent), Value for money, Overall impression etc. Also add if a product smells similar to another more well known product so people get a better idea.
For an expensive premium product the Martin de Candre website does a poor job of describing it's products adequately. It should also be noted they have discontinued the glass jar in favor of a plastic container making it a cheaper (to them, not to us) product.

Original - Created in the 1980s. The discreet and elegant freshness of its perfume made from Lavender essential oils, Mint and Rosemary

Natural - "Slight smell of soap"

Fougere - Fresh, green notes. Fern. Perfumed with a Cologne made from 12 essential oils

Vetyver (Vetiver) - Described on their website as "Rose" but I think it's a copy/paste mistake. Otherwise described as Greener, manlier whatever that means. Maybe it made from soylent green?

Rose - Elegant and flowery notes

Agrumes - Described as citrus with lemon, grapefruit, bergamot.




Unscented - Light soap smell

Fougère - dfvdnb​

 
All of mine are plastic jars, and I never noticed until you mentioned it. Really, makes no difference to me.

A couple other thoughts:

First, I would never have spent the money on MdC (or any other expensive soap) without actually smelling and trying it, regardless of what others thought of it, so I ordered sample jars from Maggard. I now have three 200g jars: Agrumes, Fougere, and Rose, and will likely buy a jar of Original at some point.

Second, many TWS products are niche products that weren't carried at any stores near me before the internet, that I recall. And while it has been the bane of many brick and mortar retailers, the internet allows me to discover and use products that I otherwise may not have access to, or even known about. It's kind of a double-edge sword (might be a pun in there).
 

Steve56

Ask me about shaving naked!
the Martin de Candre website does a poor job of describing it's products adequately.

It’s much more understandable in French, lol.

It should also be noted they have discontinued the glass jar in favor of a plastic container making it a cheaper (to them, not to us) product.

According to a post (somewhere) from MdC, the PETG jars - the same material as the Maggard Razors Colt PETG jar - is more expensive per unit than the glass jars. The glass jar supplier raised the minumum order so high that MdC went to PETG.
 
Still love Vétyver and Agrumes, the benzoin note in the other scents is just too strong for my liking.. (also finished a tub of the Original)

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Thinking of getting my first MdC. Can anyone compare MdC to SV? SV is my first hard soap, I chose the Desert Vetiver and I really like it.

I think the original smells like Noxzema. But it lathers just as good (if not better) than SV. I got back and forth between SV and MDC on performance. (I only have 40th Anniversary 4.1)

Fougere is similar to Original, but a bit more flowery. Fougere I like slightly more. I like these two much better than the other 3. (I only have samples of the 5. Fougere will be my first full tub of MDC, once I finish these dang samples lol.
 
I think the original smells like Noxzema. But it lathers just as good (if not better) than SV. I got back and forth between SV and MDC on performance. (I only have 40th Anniversary 4.1)

Fougere is similar to Original, but a bit more flowery. Fougere I like slightly more. I like these two much better than the other 3. (I only have samples of the 5. Fougere will be my first full tub of MDC, once I finish these dang samples lol.
Thank you!
 
I agree that there is a fairly strong benzoin note in the original. It's also a fairly medicinal lavender, rather than an herbal or floral one. The overall effect of the scent wasn't for me. It reminded me a bit more than I would have liked of the smell of the anatomy lab during my first year of medical school. I don't want that scent on my face, thank you very much.

And yes, I am aware that a lot of people really like the scent. Probably a lot more than dislike it. But for me, the original ls a no-go.

I had a sample of one of their bath soaps one time, and it, too, had that background scent that I don't care for. Couldn't use it. YMMV.
 
Both are top soaps and you can't go wrong with any. Mdc scents are I think more recognisable than sv. Price is about the same in UK, as sv is 150gm, mdc 200. Both are treats for my skin.
DOLMITO was my first sv soap and my first imression was WOW,! This was after some highly regarded budget soaps.
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I have always loved the idea of the brain bowl - a big bowl of teh stuff sitting on the counter would always be a welcome sight. I have the original, fougere, and agrumes. All great and plenty of soap to get through but I hope to purchase a bowl when i need some more Mdc
 
Thinking of getting my first MdC. Can anyone compare MdC to SV? SV is my first hard soap, I chose the Desert Vetiver and I really like it.
I like both for different reasons. For me, SV lathers a bit denser and slicker. Post shave feel is great, and I love the scents. MdC lathers great, but I find it not as slick, and a bit dryer post-shave. Perhaps I do not have the lather optimized for MdC. Anyways, MdC does feel really clean post-shave, in the sense that everything washes away, and I don't feel any residue left behind. Both have permanent spots in my rotation.
 
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