Cyril R. Salter French Vetiver

This is a fantastic cream. But - and this is the dealbreaker for some - it is earthy, smoky, leathery, meaty. It is not a parfum vetiver, with woods and florals mixed in to balance the funk of the vetiver essential oil. If you're looking for Guerlain - this isn't. It's dirty, oh so dirty, in a really good way. It's the shaving cream equivalent of a robust cigar - not for everyone, but oh so tasty for those that appreciate what it brings to the table.

It performs very well - readily loads onto the brush as well as soft enough to dip the fingertips and spread on the skin, lathers with abandon, and takes plenty of water to deliver a thick, cushioning, but very wet lather. On the face, it cushions well, softens the beard nicely (especially when allowed to sit for a little bit), and provides excellent glide. The price for this performance, just slightly more than Taylor's, is a bargain.

It provides decent moisturizing, slightly above average, but I still use a moisturizer of some sort afterwards. The plastic tub is a cool navy blue with a deep insert, and seals tightly, but the two parts of the tub have a tendency to separate.

If the smells of wood smoke, pipe tobacco, of topsoil after a good rain, of mushrooms, cut grass, and the woodpile are pleasant to you, this might be your favorite cream.

Great shave cream. The scent smells very similar to the vetiver essential oil that I have, which I quite like - earthy, grassy and dirty - in a refined gentlemanly way. To me, vetiver is the most masculine scent there is. It's a refreshing alternative to all the floral, citrus, "cologne", or foody types of scents that a lot of shave products offer.

The performance is fantastic - the lather is dense, slick and moisturizing. I also appreciate how they didn't add any coloring to the cream. It erks me when a shave cream is some impossible fluorescent color. No parabens in this product, if that concerns you.

I like the looks of the basic navy blue plastic container it comes in, though it doesn't seem it would survive a drop on the floor. It's a little flimsy.

Does this SC "go bad"? I liked the scent when I got the tub (two months ago). Since I am new and trying different products, I have not used it for about 6 weeks. Now the stuff smells BAD! Is thier something in the mixture that does not keep well (stored at normal room temperature)?

If you like the aroma of vetiver, Salter French Vetiver delivers. I have to strain to detect a scent on creams (unless it's menthol) and most soaps. This fills the room.

I usually prefer soaps to creams, but this stuff lathers well. A little dab produces lather for four passes. It takes a little water, and lots of elbow grease to overflow the scuttle, but it produces volumes. It doesn't breakdown and get runny, nor does it dry out. It leaves my face feeling great, and it cushions the razor as well as any soap I've used.

At $15 for 5.8 oz. it is reasonable.

Love this stuff - my all time favorite shaving cream & second isn't even close - definitely a "love it or hate it" thing

Maximilian;1969506 said:

I love vetiver. True hardcore earthy, pungent, grassy scented vetiver. It's an acquired taste. You love or hate it. The dirtier it smells the better. My wife calls it the celery scent.

There aren't many vetiver scented creams on the market that perform and smell wonderful at the same time. This vetiver cream has it all. The scent is earthy, grassy, lathers extremely well, moisturizes, slick and smells great during and after the shave. Followed by some Vetiver de Carven After Shave and a few spritzes of the EDT and I'm blessed with a day long whiff of this excellent scent. Again, Vetiver is NOT for everyone. It has to grow on you.
Tube is sturdy and price is right as a little goes a long way.
Considering one doesn't have many vetiver scented creams to chose from I'm happy this one to be a home run.

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Totally in agreement. Salter Vetiver cream, QED Vertiver soap and SRD Caribbean Vetiver. It is good they all still make strong pungent smoky vetiver for those of us who love it

I love vetiver. True hardcore earthy, pungent, grassy scented vetiver. It's an acquired taste. You love or hate it. The dirtier it smells the better. My wife calls it the celery scent.

There aren't many vetiver scented creams on the market that perform and smell wonderful at the same time. This vetiver cream has it all. The scent is earthy, grassy, lathers extremely well, moisturizes, slick and smells great during and after the shave. Followed by some Vetiver de Carven After Shave and a few spritzes of the EDT and I'm blessed with a day long whiff of this excellent scent. Again, Vetiver is NOT for everyone. It has to grow on you.
Tube is sturdy and price is right as a little goes a long way.
Considering one doesn't have many vetiver scented creams to chose from I'm happy this one to be a home run.

This cream is called French Vetiver and it smells like.. vetiver. If you want a cream that smells like mint or roses or whatever, don´t buy a cream that smells of vetiver. Seems like a no-brainer to me.

The scent is definitely unusual, very spicy and not the least bit floral. I rather like it, but it´s almost overpowering. This will not be an everyday cream for me, but it´s a nice change from citrus, floral etc.

This cream seem to be very concentrated, and I needed a bit more water (or less cream) compared to other creams. Whipped up nicely though. This is my first Salter cream, so I can´t compare it to the others.

The price of this cream is very reasonable, about equal to TOBS. Shaves have been above average, moisturization average. The packaging is fine, nothing special but utilitarian and reasonably attactive.

I have to admit I bought this mostly to see what all the fuss was about - I don't think any scent is more reviled on the B&B forums than this one. People have described it as dog doo, various boiled vegetables, and, above, cardboard. I was intrigued and I ordered a tub and I'm glad I did.

Performance/efficacy/quality etc: It's a great shaving cream, tolerant of various levels of moisture, slick, protecting, lubricating, etc. Comes in a very high quality plastic tub with a nice seal to keep it fresh, you get a lot for the money, etc. It gives a very fine shave, on par with the other English luxury creams.

Scent: This, of course, is the kicker. I think people may see "French Vetiver" and expect a gentle, floral, South of France smell, something like a delightful herb garden. NO DICE!

Remember that Vetiver is an Indian grass and you'll have the right idea. This cream has an intense, exotic smell that suggests many different things. In the tub it really does smell like a greasy campfire or celery, almost like a cheeseburger from Wendy's, a meat, tomatoes and lettuce scent. It's definitely out of the ordinary.

When you whip it up it starts to release hints of leather, turned earth, a medicinal sharpness, and spice. It's kind of like a truffle - a very, very complex scent. I find it very fresh and invigorating, although it could not be farther from the barber shop freshness of Tabac, Proraso, Spieck or Erasmic. There's almost nothing I can compare it to. I don't know if I would use this every day, but it's a pretty amazing experience. I have no idea what a person would do for a complementary aftershave - the scent doesn't really linger, so it may not really matter.

Worth a shot!

The closest thing that I can think of for the smell of this jewel would be freshly cut cardboard. Or some musty old downtown building that you just bought and hasn't had the doors opened in years. Well maybe it is a bit harsh, but the smell doesn't bowl me over with excitement.

That being said the lather is fantastic and the shaves are top notch.

Moisturizing would be average but nothing to write home about.

Although I've had a tub of QED "Not-For-Faint-Hearted" Vetiver shaving soap for quite some time (and it lives-up to its disclaimer), I was determined to also have a tub of vetiver-scented shaving cream. But I was stumped: which one to buy? Then I read this recent thread, here on B&B, and I knew that it had to be the Cyril R. Salter French Vetiver. The package from QED (thanks, Charles!) arrived on Saturday, I got it on Sunday, and today's shave was my first opportunity to try it.

Packaging: I prefer the old container -- not so "towering", wider, and held more product. However, that's just the way it is, so let's not waste any more words on it.

Price: At $18.95 for a 5.8oz tub, it's $3.27/oz. Considering that a little bit goes a long, long way (more on that, later), a single tub ought to last quite a while. I look at it as a hedge against inflation.

Now, on to more important aspects of Salter's French Vetiver...

Latherability: A little really does go a long, long way. Less than a snurdle, together with a teaspoon of hot water, quickly and easily filled my lovely Nora (shaving mug) with thick, hot, frothy lather. What's more, throughout the next half-hour (I shave slowly), and four passes, the lather remained thick and frothy. It was, quite simply, the best lather I've ever gotten.

Efficacy: The lather, while frothy, didn't run, dry-out, or become thin, during any pass. What it did do was soak into my beard, lubricate my face, and cushion the head of my 1921 "New Improved" safety razor, so that the Israeli Personna blade (on it's fourth day-of-use) gave me a perfect BBS shave, without any nicks, scrapes, burn, or other kind of irritation.

Quality: Empirically, I rate this at 59 out-of 60; subjectively, it's the best shaving cream I have ever used.

Scent: It's strong, it's masculine, it's earthy, it's in-your-face. I love the smell of vetiver -- the stronger, the better. Unlike other variations of vetiver -- both shaving soap and shaving cream -- the scent of Salter's French Vetiver remained strong throughout the four passes I made; as noticable during the last, as it was at the start of the first.

Salter's French Vetiver makes me want to move to Vermont, wear corduroy pants and Birkenstock sandals, and open a bookstore or vegan restaurant. I settled for massaging-in a pea of QED Vetiver ASC, followed later by a few generous shpritzes of Maitre Parfumeur et Gantier Route du Vetiver EDT.

Six hours later, and my shaving area still smells of vetiver. Salter's French Vetiver is the "Real McCoy". Even my kittens like it; you will, too.

I wouldn't say that this is an acquired taste- if you don't like it, you will never grow to like it. Certainly not for the faint of heart, it is an almost overwhelming assault on the senses, evocative of bacon fat, campfires, and smoldering tobacco.

I love it, and it works great, too.

I would recommend trying a sample first.

This cream would be perfect if it wasn't for horrific smell hidden within the innocent looking PVC tub. No kidding, upon opening this cream for the first time, the first thought that came to mind was "cream of celery". Very nasty smelling, which was bad because I really like the other flavors of the Salter collection like their Citrus scented cream.

I didn't really like want to test the moisturization factor since I was afraid of putting it anywhere near my nose. Even my dog can't seem to stand the smell. Definately pass on this one, fellas. Look at some of the other Salter creams for sale.