eShave Mandarin

As a comparison against other triple milled soaps including Tabac,EJ and other high end products this face lathers exceptionally well.

The post shave is very slightly moisturising but it washes off very clean and easily without the residue left from tallow based soaps.

It isn't cheap but looks like it will last for many shaves.

I used a semogue boar brush and I would imagine better results using a 2 band badger.

Worth trying out - clean with no parabens .

This review is for eShave brand Mandarin shave soap. A soap from this manufacturer had been on my try list for some time. There are precious few reviews of these soaps online and only a smattering of threads on the typical grooming forums. The soap is available in Avocado and Linden, Lavender, and the subject of this review; Mandarin. My overall impression of the soap is good. However, it is not spectacular. At least not with my water. I say this because at times, I had gotten the lather to the point where I was sure it would be excellent. It was not to be. I have seen it speculated these soaps are made by the same company who make Pre de Provence. That may be true but the two lathers are entirely different. I will elaborate in each category below. Sorry for the lack of photos. I know it would be a big help with the review but I just don't think of it whilst I am shaving.

Price: At $18 per cake, this is as much as I would pay for the soap. Unless you are just taken by the optional metal bowls, I would not pay the premium for them.

Quality: The overall impression I get of the soap is that it is a quality product. Certainly not the impression you would get from Penhaligon's packaging and presentation. It is also not $30 for a refill cake nor $65 for a bowl with soap either. The box evokes a modern image and not the classic Victorian image you get with the Anglo brands.

Scent: This was a complete mystery to me. When I hear or say the word mandarin I immediately think of a sweet orange scent or flavour. Something a bit intense and quite bright to the olfactory sense. The scent of this soap is neither sweet nor bright. It is for lack of a better description somewhat a light floral scent. Certainly not sweet or cloying but a dry and mild. It is quite nice, it just does not smell of mandarin orange to me. I suspect it is scented to emulate the flowers or foliage of a mandarin orange tree. I certainly cannot be sure of this so someone else may want to elaborate here.

Lather: Another oddity. The box says it is the soap that lathers like a cream and for the most part, that is a correct description. This stuff lathers easily. In fact, it is one of the easiest soaps to load I have used. It will take a good deal of water without breaking down. What I did notice is that it does not produce the soft peaks that the aforementioned Pre de Provence soap does. It is much denser at first and has a more cream/lotion texture to it. This is hard to describe because it sounds like I am saying it does not produce a normal lather. It does, it is just not the lather of a Provence Sante or D.R. Harris soap. It does not billow up like these soaps and stays closer to the skin. It does not have their stability either. It is somewhat a cross between a soft cream and a hard soap. As I said in the opening paragraph, water is the key to this one. I suspect if you have water this "agrees" with, it could produce a super lather.

Efficacy: This is always the hardest one for me. This soap feels great lathering up, has the pleasant, nondescript floral aroma to keep you calmed, feels pretty good on the beard. But does it shave well? Again, a contradiction of sorts. The beginning of passes was very good with my Feather blades. However, toward the end of the shave I felt a bit of drag which told me the lather was breaking down. Yet at times, I felt like it should have been providing a great shave. I go back to the lathering properties. If you have water this likes, I feel it could go WAY up in the efficacy rating.

Moisturising: Another odd sensation. After the somewhat draggy end of the shave, I was expecting some tightness and tingling. I was pleasantly surprised to find it was not so. Oh yes, the normal aftershave tingles but no real tightness nor razor rash. After a good pat dry, my face felt pretty good and only the slightest hint of a aftershave lotion or balm was needed. After some shaves it almost felt as good as the other Franco soaps I have used. I am telling you, the French know how to make skin friendly soaps.


Final thoughts. This is pretty good shave soap. It is not a spectacular performer for me. There is no way it knocks on my top five list. Yet at the same time, I suspect if you have softened water it could be a real performer. I discount distilled water for these comparisons because it simply lacks the minerals needed for water balance. I have tried it with other soaps and was mildly disappointed with the results. The scent is clean, fresh, and mild but certainly not an attention getter. I cannot in good conscience give this overly stellar marks but neither can I steer you away from it. It should get more play. It easily bests some of my other soaps like L'ome Durance. Give it a go lads. You may be surprised.

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