Passaround - Natural Ireland soaps - all three varieties

[Rory1262]

I am going to ask shavefan if he wants to get back in again after JimDandy.
If not, and if nobody else joins, then the tour will conclude.
But that juncture is a little way off yet.

Current list:
01. dfoulk (finished)
02. bobmsp (finished)
03. Hoka Hey (finished)
04. SGWB (finished)
05. Grundi (finished)
06. ShavePastor (finished)
07. JimDandy (en route)
08.
09.

 

[Grundi]

As I noted before, I do believe performance of the Natural Ireland's benefits from generous loading. As for slickness, with any soap I like to take the little island that floats in the sink from rinsing after a pass and rub it over my face again before lathering. It gets pleasantly warm that way. Natural Ireland isn't like Williams, for example, in terms of slickness...but I don't find it lacking on this count.

+1. Williams' slickness is top-shelf and hard to beat...but it's lather isn't as thick as others. I think each soap has its good-points and no-so-good-points. For me, Natural Ireland is a decent soap with Natural being the more pleasant scent of the three. Arko is another decent soap that the scent is off-putting for some (industrial citrus clean that's often compared to urinal cakes). Scents have a powerful way of connecting to memories...and maybe the seaweed prompts fond memories in some.

 

[JimDandy]

Hi All

Just FYI, the soaps arrived today. Of course, at unboxing I recalled the unique scent of the Seaweed that I experienced in a sample that @Rory1262 provided as a PIF back in February. I am excited to try each one and report back. I tend to shave every other day, so I will probably mail them out by Monday of next week. Hopefully @shavefan will rejoin the tour and I can mail to him, otherwise I'll send them back to @Rory1262.

 

[JimDandy]

Initial Impressions:

Monday evening I unboxed the soaps from the USPS Priority envelope and observed the containers' denting that @SGWB noted in his posts. I have used the same tins (available in bulk on Amazon) for nuts/screws, small gift containers etc., and can concur with the opinion that they are flimsy. That said, a nice container like Mitchell's Wool Fat uses, would certainly raise the price significantly, so I see the reasoning behind the choice to use an inexpensive vessel. I can see how this container would probably become misshapen from brush-loading if one directly loaded from the container for every shave. Not super important, since it’s what inside that really matters.

I sniffed each tin. I have previous very limited exposure to both the Natural and the Seaweed scent from some samples that @Rory1262 sent me several months ago. I was curious about the commotion around the Stout and Seaweed scent and the notion that it was fishy. I will say at first whiff, it comes off as pungent but not unpleasant. As others have said, scent is a very highly subjective topic. Therefore all opinions are valid. I’d say I didn’t find it displeasing, but also not one that I went back to take a second stronger whiff to absorb more its aroma. The Seaweed has a unique and uncommon profile and IMO is a more inviting scent than the Stout and Seaweed. The Natural was, to my nose, the subtlest of the three – almost understated in comparison to the boldness of the others, and distinctly different from the other two. None of them struck me as ‘artificial’ or over-produced. Not having regular access to flats of seaweed, I can't really say how ‘accurate’ a reproduction of that scent these are, but it seemed convincing enough to me. It’s what I recall as the scent of seaweed, or at that moment what my mind perceives as the scent of seaweed, merely because the label is suggesting it – so there it is. At this point I’m teetering on the edge of entering a very philosophical discussion about the strong relationship between aroma and memory, which would be a fascinating discussion, but alas…I drift…….

Shave #1

“Innocence”……… (In keeping with the Irish theme and the band U2’s recent visit to Philadelphia)

Soap: Natural Ireland Stout and Seaweed
Razor: Edwin Jagger DE89L
Blade: Gillette Nacet
Brush: Yaqi 24mm Badger
Pre: Hot Shower, soak brush, dollop of soap in the bowl for blooming
Aftershave: Thayers Witch Hazel – Cucumber, Khiel’s Facial Fuel, Sandalwood EE

I pulled a ‘pinky’ fingernail sized piece of soap out of the container and flattened it into the bottom of my bowl into about a penny sized circle. This soap loaded very quickly and had a good ‘pull’ to it while I was loading it up. It transitioned from dollop to air-filled fluff to dense lather pretty quickly. The scent certainly bloomed a bit as I loaded it up, and IMO actually seemed to change just a bit…losing its slightly pungent edge that I experienced from the container. Was I transported to the Cliffs of Moher sipping a pint of Galway Hooker? Not exactly.

Perhaps the most outstanding thing I noticed about this soap is its response to the judicious addition of small quantities of water. If you live in a drought zone or have limited access to fresh water, this is your soap. I whipped up a lot of very dense lather from about a teaspoon of water. Based on what I saw with the Stout and Seaweed, I will reduce the amount of soap I pull from the container for the next couple of shaves. I did three passes and a cleanup, and there was almost enough soap on the brush for another full pass for sure.

The soap goes on thick and dense, and provides a great bed to reduce hair. I did not find the scent so strong that it broke my concentration or forced itself into ‘center stage’ in my mind as I shaved. Three passes and a cleanup, and I was there. I did not experience any burn or post shave irritation. Since I moisturized and applied an essential oil post-shave, I can’t speak to how long the scent lingers after.

 

[Rory1262]

@shavefan has respectfully declined to rejoin the tour.

This is a last call for any potential new joiners!

 

[Rory1262]

Participants in this tour are welcome to take part in a PIF.
Please let me know if you want any or all of the remainder of the three tins.
I'll figure out something equitable.

I will declare a winner or winners on Wednesday afternoon.
Meanwhile, @JimDandy -- please just hang onto the tins for now and enjoy a few more shaves.

 

[Grundi]

Participants in this tour are welcome to take part in a PIF.
Please let me know if you want any or all of the remainder of the three tins.
I'll figure out something equitable.

I will declare a winner or winners on Wednesday afternoon.
Meanwhile, @JimDandy -- please just hang onto the tins for now and enjoy a few more shaves.

Not in.

Thank you, @Rory1262, for organizing this passaround and offering the soaps as a PIF, but (after your Soap Monogamy PIF #3 and my daughter's Fathers Day gift of PdP #63), SWMBO thinks I've got too many soap now and need to work down my inventory. Must maintain domestic tranquility!!

 

[bobmsp]

I appreciate the offer but not in. I've will have to deal with the remnants of my own Lavender passaround.

 

[JimDandy]

The End of Whirlwind Tour

Soap: Natural Ireland Natural
Razor: Edwin Jagger DE89L
Blade: Gillette Nacet
Brush: Yaqi 24mm Badger
Pre: Hot Shower, soak brush, dollop of soap in the bowl for blooming
Aftershave: Thayers Witch Hazel – Cucumber, Khiel’s Facial Fuel

I dipped into the sample tin and pulled out a dollop of Natural Ireland - Natural. Using less than I had before in my previous shaves, because of the amount of lather I got with the Stout and Seaweed.

Olfactory:
I'll say one should not confuse that Natural scent to mean Neutral. It is not. It definitely has an interesting, and in my opinion attractive scent. The sublest of the three for sure. The Natural scent was hard to pin down, but interesting, and I found myself really enjoying it's elusiveness. The Seaweed was also very unique and compellingly complex. That said, I thought the Seaweed scent was inviting, and preferred that just a little more than the Natural. I think the Stout and Seaweed, although distinct from anything I've ever used, was my least favorite scent of the three. If I had to list the scents in order of preference I'd say:
1) Seaweed
2) Natural
3) Stout and Seaweed

Experience:
I very much enjoyed working this soap into a lather. Voluminous would be an understatement. I don't want to get hyperbolic, but cumulo clouds come to mind when I try to illustrate what my bowl looked like after whipping this soap up.

The shave expereince with all of these Natural Ireland soaps made me want to do pass after pass after pass. They just made me want to play with them for as long as I could without getting irritated. Easy to lay on a nice thick coat, providing a nice slickness for passing the razor, no razor drag at all. I easily did the usual WTG, XTG, ATG, and a bit of cleanup in the throat Adam's apple area. No irritation at all, and a nice smoothness.

Post Shave was adequate, but not did not leave my skin in the slickest post-shave state I’ve experienced. I think it may be worthwhile to try to understand if there is a distinction between moisturizing and slick. I am not sure that you need to have one to have the other. Slick implies a more fleeting characteristic, where moisturizing implies a longer term benefit. I could be totally off-base about this assessment, but just something I thought. Perhaps the moisturizing qualities advertised as this brand’s strength comes with repeated and consistent use. Donno. I’ve found a bit of pre-shave oil aids in promoting a bit of slickness to remain, but then the question becomes is it the soap or the PSO?

Final Thought:
I found these these soaps to be consistently pleasing performers. Each scent profile offers a unique, distinct but unobtrusive presence. In my opinion the Natural Ireland brand brings a touch of quiet sophistication and elegance to a market that has its share of more flamboyant, but certainly less than pleasing offerings. One of the beauties of this Artisan Gourmet Soap Renaissance is myriad products to give satisfaction to a variety of consumer tastes and preferences. You say Tomato and I say Tom-ah-toe....Mustard or Katsup.. Tastes Great / Less Filling.....you get the idea.... Its a beautiful thing...

Thanks @Rory1262 for informing me of a soap-maker that was totally off of my radar. I very much enjoyed my time with these soaps. As stated in our PM conversation, if nobody else is interested in the PIF, I'm in. I would be delighted to hold onto the Seaweed. That said, since I have been the winner of a previous PIF you offered, in the spirit of generosity, it would be my pleasure to send them all to the winner(s).

Again, thank you for your generous Natural Ireland Tour!

 

[Rory1262]

Something I've been meaning to mention: Majella from Natural Ireland has said that she'd appreciate it if any of our participants wishes to leave reviews on the company's website.

 

[JimDandy]

Per @Rory1262 's request I submitted a review to the vendor's website. I tried to keep it short.. which is hard for me... LOL. I suspect there is an evaluation process before it gets posted.

 

[Rory1262]

@JimDandy -- please keep the Seaweed soap. You may return the others to me at your convenience.
That's a wrap, folks!