Benton Clay Vetiver Paradisi

I received a generously-sized sample of this soap from Dave at Benton Clay and tried it this morning - one of the best shaves I've ever had! The soap itself is quite soft, it reminded me of the consistency of white chocolate (it even kinda melts in your hands) and the scent is a very pleasant combination of sweet citrus, a hint of what smells like vanilla and maybe just a touch of vetiver. I personally would prefer a bit more vetiver, especially of the Bourbon variety, but even as it is the scent is delicious enough to make you wanna take a bite out of the puck

I think my brush was a little too dry at first, but I sprinkled a bit of hot water on the soap and was able to load my small Rooney Stubby with thick, paste-like soap in no time. The manufacturer calls this a glycerine soap but it's very different from QED for example - it's soft, non-transparent and much easier to load and lather. I usually face-lather and it was a breeze with this soap, the consistency and protective properties of the lather on my face reminded me of Castle Forbes cream, but the Benton Clay soap arguably provided for a slicker glide of the razor. After two passes and a bit of clean-up I had a smooth face and zero irritation, the skin also didn't tighten and felt moisturized (although it's a humid day today, which may be a factor).

Overall, the experience was very pleasant, from the scent to the feel of the soap and the protective sleek lather which gave me a close, irritation-free shave. I liked it so much I think I'll use this soap exclusively for at least a week (which is something I've never done before, having become used to rotating soaps and creams daily). Hopefully, I'll get consistently great results.

Price-wise it's not bad at all (Cad $7.48 shipped for a 70 Gram puck), and while it's not quite as cheap per gram as say Klar Kabinett or the Italian soaps, I feel that it's worth the asking price as I liked the scent more than Kabinett, Proraso or P160 and enjoyed being able to shave with no irritation even after multiple touch-ups.

I will definitely pick up some soap from these guys when my sample runs out (should last at least a couple of weeks by the looks of it). I hope the Benton Clay guys can expand the range of their scents and introduce a Verbena and a Rose.

I was also one of the lucky persons to receive one of the samples of this soap. When I opened the package I immediately smelled the soap and showed it to my wife. I'm a big fan of SCS Very V and this doesn't fall far behind. There is the vetiver scent for sure but the grapefruit (which in my mind smells more like orange) is very clear and provides a very nice "wrapping" of the vetiver.

The soap performed very well and I got a nice, smooth straight shave from it!

Shocked at my face after the shave. Beside the great smell and easy lather, my face feels amazing after the shave. No need for ASB/milk, etc for me after this.

Now searching for a matching aftershave (for the heck of it) and cologne to pair with this...any suggestions?

Great scent. Lasted throughout the shave, didn't linger after.

Great cushion.

Good lubrication.

Irritation free shave.

Loaded easily onto a TGN 20mm silvertip knot.

Bowl lathered good enough (took a little time), face lathered very well.

I also received a sample of this soap through his "vote for the new December scent" thread, but at $5 a puck, and free samples all the time when available (you cover shipping) this is tremendous bang for buck.

Performance, this soap performs every bit as good as any of my favourite soaps. I recently spent a month with P.160 and I don't miss it using this soap. Loads easily, makes mountains of rich creamy lather. Plenty slick and cushioning (my wife just commented this morning what a smooth shave I had, and no red skin/bumps)

The scent, this is where Benton Clay really shines, I have now tried 4 of his soaps, and they all perform great, and smell outstanding! I have not smelled another soap yet that was as complex in notes, yet not irritating to the face due to fragrance.

I will certainly keep this, and other Benton Clay soaps, in my soap library.

Re my score: Price and scent cannot be beat, they get a 10, Quality is great, the puck itself is very nice, cool stamp in the top. I wish they had a decorative bowl you could order it in. (perhaps someday? heh) Lather and efficacy were awesome, but I just don't feel right giving anyone a perfect score here until I've tried every soap. Moisturizing, could just be -40 winter days here, but everything is dry, so it gets a good mark for now, perhaps a better mark later. (didn't add any noticeable moisture, but didn't take any away either)

I had a chance today to try a pre-production sample of Benton Clay's new shaving soap, Vetiver Paradisi. As far as I know, it's not yet available in retail, but once it is, it will definitely be on my want list.

In regards to performance, I can't think of anything negative to say about it. It loaded easily onto my Frank Shaving Finest Badger brush, quickly whipped up into a rich, thick lather in a bowl, and provided a smooth, comfortable shave with great lubrication and cushioning. You can't ask for much more than that!

I rated Moisturizing as a 5, but almost all shaving soaps tend to dry my face a little, so I don't consider this a real negative.

The fragrance is the real kicker. The primary scents are Vetiver and Grapefruit. Kind of an odd combination, but it really works well together. The Grapefruit is the dominant scent, but the Vetiver is always there in the background, providing an earthiness that balances against the bright, fresh Grapefruit. I personally would prefer a little more of the Vetiver, but it's still an outstanding combination.

Benton Clay is to be commended for developing this excellent soap and for providing samples to many of us here on B&B.