Soap Makers Who Offer "Modern" Scents

[Wgg2017]

I recently purchased about 20 soap samples from Maggards and, unfortunately, didn't really find much I like outside of about 5 of them. Some of the brands include A&E, Wholly Kaw, Proraso, Dr Jon's Lime (which I like), B and M, Captains Choice, and a few others. A&E was my favorite overall but even their stuff wasn't quite what I'm looking for.

After smelling all those samples I know for a fact that I don't like floral, powdery, or fougere scents. In fact, I would say that most of the samples I have are of the traditional scent type.

What I like instead are citrus scents (which are easy to identify) and, for lack of a better term, department store cologne scents. The cologne scents are what I'm having trouble identifying, partly because I don't really have a good idea of what something will smell like just by reading the scent profile.

All of that is a really long way of asking if their are currently any soap makers producing what I would call modern department store cologne scents?

I also found the scent wheel below and was reviewing it. My focus I expect would be on Water, Citrus, and Oriental scents. What soap makers should I be looking at who focus on more modern scents? Are there any? Thanks for any help and advice provided.

 

[Brian C.]

Stirling Soap Company


AoM; B.O.S.S.;Knight of the Veg Table;WISE;CoA;4yr/10yr Sabbatical

 

[Adis653]

Declaration grooming taxes

 

[Wgg2017]

Stirling Soap Company


AoM; B.O.S.S.;Knight of the Veg Table;WISE;CoA;4yr/10yr Sabbatical

Just looked at Stirling. Soooo much to pick from lol. They have quite the selection.

 

[muzichead]

Just looked at Stirling. Soooo much to pick from lol. They have quite the selection.

I first tried Stirling in Jan of 2017 and haven't looked back!! So much so I use them exclusively for shave soap and I've expanded into bath and shampoo bars along with some balms they carry. Quality product from a great American company...

 

[emwolf]

I have several Stirling soaps and Like them all. Cbl is another soap that has a variety of scents with a really good product.

 

[merovirginian]

Very popular colognes scents can often be found as a shave soap. I use the Fragrantica site to get a better sense of a fragrance before a purchase (tub or sample). Very popular scents now are Creed Aventus, Creed Green Irish Tweed, Terre d'Hermes, Dior Sauvage. So many soap makers have them available.

Stirling is a great soap and has so many samples to try so you aren't locked into a whole tub of a soap scent you don't like. I also recommend Murphy and McNeil—they have samples too (and my current favorite scent, one based off of Creed Viking). Maggard's online store also has lots of samples to try to explore soap scents.

For example:
M&M Trinity—Aventus
Stirling Exec Man—Aventus
Stirling Arkadia—Hermes
M&M Kells—Sauvage
Stirling Sharp Dressed Man—Irish Tweed
M&M Crann Bethadh—Irish Tweed
etc.

 

[Wgg2017]

Very popular colognes scents can often be found as a shave soap. I use the Fragrantica site to get a better sense of a fragrance before a purchase (tub or sample). Very popular scents now are Creed Aventus, Creed Green Irish Tweed, Terre d'Hermes, Dior Sauvage. So many soap makers have them available.

Stirling is a great soap and has so many samples to try so you aren't locked into a whole tub of a soap scent you don't like. I also recommend Murphy and McNeil—they have samples too (and my current favorite scent, one based off of Creed Viking). Maggard's online store also has lots of samples to try to explore soap scents.

For example:
M&M Trinity—Aventus
Stirling Exec Man—Aventus
Stirling Arkadia—Hermes
M&M Kells—Sauvage
Stirling Sharp Dressed Man—Irish Tweed
M&M Crann Bethadh—Irish Tweed
etc.

Thanks for the specific recommendations! That will make it easy for my next Maggards purchase.

 

[MntnMan62]

Finding 5 out of 20 scents that you like is actually doing pretty well as far as I'm concerned. I have low expectations when I buy samples. Which is why I like companies that sell samples so I don't waste my money on full tubs. 25% return I think is pretty darn good.

 

[karacha]

You want a cologne-type scent? Try Stirling Sandpiper.

 

[boilerphan]

Very popular colognes scents can often be found as a shave soap. I use the Fragrantica site to get a better sense of a fragrance before a purchase (tub or sample). Very popular scents now are Creed Aventus, Creed Green Irish Tweed, Terre d'Hermes, Dior Sauvage. So many soap makers have them available.

Stirling is a great soap and has so many samples to try so you aren't locked into a whole tub of a soap scent you don't like. I also recommend Murphy and McNeil—they have samples too (and my current favorite scent, one based off of Creed Viking). Maggard's online store also has lots of samples to try to explore soap scents.

For example:
M&M Trinity—Aventus
Stirling Exec Man—Aventus
Stirling Arkadia—Hermes
M&M Kells—Sauvage
Stirling Sharp Dressed Man—Irish Tweed
M&M Crann Bethadh—Irish Tweed
etc.

Great suggestions here. Other makers have dupes for Terre d'hermes (Declaration Grooming Trismegistus), Aventus (Ariana & Evans Spartacus, Declaration Grooming Sellout, Fine Platinum, etc) and Sauvage (Declaration Grooming Taxes), so you have a lot of options.

I think Bleu de Chanel dupes may also appeal to you such as Stirling Deep Blue Sea or Wickhams Le Bleu.

 

[Steve56]

Not exactly department store unless maybe its Harrods, but Acqua di Parma Colonia, latest version in the yellow tub/tube is a classic cologne. The new yellow tub/tube has not been out long and reverts to the classic colonia fragrance. Shavedash has samples of the balm, and Stirling Piacenza is a good copy, but not exactly the same. Note, the AdP Collezione Barbiere in the brown tub is not a Colonia, it;s a light aquatic.

Christian Dior Eau Sauvage cream might also interest you, it’s similar but has a darker note to it. Shavedash has balm and cream samples, and the cream is not as expensive as AdP by far.

 

[camoloc]

oddly enough i would say that D.R. Harris Windsor is a modern cologne-like scent to me. it is not a strongly scented soap, but has a peppery spicy scent that I could easily see being a spray EDT of today. Not sure how long this specific flavor has been around but I like it.

camo

 

[Atlantic59]

Water scents, there are a few soaps based on Cool Water or Acqua di Gio. For example, Sterling Deep Blue Sea, Razorock Aqua.

 

[BudgetShaverGuy]

Soap Commander makes some very nice Cologne-ey scents, like Courage. TOBS Jermyn Street hard soap is easily one of the best soaps I’ve ever smelled and utterly fail when trying to describe it. TOBS St. James stick is similar, although different and more subdued, yet still amazing and classy.

Of everything I’ve tried, which has been a lot, TOBS owns the scent ballgame by a long shot.

 

[Wgg2017]

Wow you guys are going to have me stocked up on soaps for a long time lol. I really appreciate all the recommendations. Most of what has been listed wasn't on my radar at all and I'm looking forward to trying them out.

I need to get better at identifying what I'll like based on descriptions. I guess it's one of those things that just takes time and experience.

 

[Ivo4u2]

I would (just as many) recommend sterling
And if you live in the USA they have a looot of 1oz samples.
some of them can be a bit different like mentholated candy. And they are strong smellers very smooth shavers.
They also have nice pre shave soap!

 

[og556]

Stirling sandpiper smells amazing. It’s my wife’s favorite even against sharp dressed man, deep blue sea, and executive man. She normally hates colognes but loves sandpiper.

 

[WetShavingRules]

Stirling Green is a knockoff of Polo Green. Don’t know what you mean by modern, but MAN do I love a good Polo replication!

 

[Brian C.]

Stirling Green is a knockoff of Polo Green. Don’t know what you mean by modern, but MAN do I love a good Polo replication!

That takes me back to high school in the 80’s. Lol.


AoM; B.O.S.S.;Knight of the Veg Table;WISE;CoA;4yr/10yr Sabbatical