Please do let me know via PM what soap number 130 is as I don't seem to have that number on my list and can't put a soap to the description.
2nd round Soap Pass-Around
- Thread starter Demaskee
- Start date
Please do let me know via PM what soap number 130 is as I don't seem to have that number on my list and can't put a soap to the description.
this morning I decided to use 742. It performs exactly the same as 130. It is a great soap. The scent is very nice. I am not sure how to describe, but it says it has bergamot and other spices. It is complex but very nice. This soap is definitely in the running for one of my takes.
PS. Is there a value list / spreadsheet for this pass?
PS. Is there a value list / spreadsheet for this pass?
I could not figure out how to describe 742 either. I also couldn't describe 703 & 743, the other two soaps in the box from this manufactorer. They are extremely unique scents. To me, 742 was the most likeable of the three.
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I'll send you a link to the list shortly. Busy time of year. [emoji318]this morning I decided to use 742. It performs exactly the same as 130. It is a great soap. The scent is very nice. I am not sure how to describe, but it says it has bergamot and other spices. It is complex but very nice. This soap is definitely in the running for one of my takes.
PS. Is there a value list / spreadsheet for this pass?
No worries. I completely understand. This is busy for all of us!
This morning was 735. Another brand I had heard lots about and looked forward to trying. The scent on this one was nice. A bit of citrus and a bit of classic. Really nice actually.
As for performance the lather building was good. A little thirsty, but still made a good lather. In my opinion the lather traded cushion for slickness. I have now found I prefer a bit more cushion to slickness. Just something for me on this one is slightly off.
It does rinse clean and he after shave to me is just ok. Overall a nice soap, but the performance for me isn't up to snuff.
As for performance the lather building was good. A little thirsty, but still made a good lather. In my opinion the lather traded cushion for slickness. I have now found I prefer a bit more cushion to slickness. Just something for me on this one is slightly off.
It does rinse clean and he after shave to me is just ok. Overall a nice soap, but the performance for me isn't up to snuff.
Nice reviews
And I have some time tonight for a lather or 2. I started with 129 sample only. This is not a brand I have heard of before, so I wanted to try it.
The scent is a barbershop scent. Clean, slightly powder, ever so slight cologne. It is nice and not too strong.
As for performance, it lathered up quickly with very little water. And produced a good amount of lather. The lather had good cushion and average slickness.
It definitely rinsed clean and left a great after face feel. So overall a good soap. I will have to look out for this maker.
The scent is a barbershop scent. Clean, slightly powder, ever so slight cologne. It is nice and not too strong.
As for performance, it lathered up quickly with very little water. And produced a good amount of lather. The lather had good cushion and average slickness.
It definitely rinsed clean and left a great after face feel. So overall a good soap. I will have to look out for this maker.
That's an awesome maker. All of thier soap scents are medium strength. There are some other scents from the same brand in the box that you can try, like 722 which is a very nice and light version of Sandlewood which I like. I realize you prefer a stronger Sandlewood. 741 is a dark, earthy, and woody scent which is a bit strong for me, but still very pleasant. 739 is a very mild take on Green Irish Tweed. I'm not drawn to vintage cologne style scents, but if I was, this would be exactly what I would like. This brand is now rolling out a tallow line, and some of thier vegan soaps are being made in this new formula along with some new scents. 129 that you tried tonight is part of that tallow line.
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This morning I stuck with the same brand for my shave. 741 was the number.
The lather and after shave feel was the same as the soap from last night.
The scent was nice. It was manly. Woodsy and ever so slightly powder. I enjoyed it. This may be in the running for a take!
The lather and after shave feel was the same as the soap from last night.
The scent was nice. It was manly. Woodsy and ever so slightly powder. I enjoyed it. This may be in the running for a take!
Samples
24 - (full review earlier in thread)
124 - this my second exposure to this scent, and I think my nose is broken. The first time I smelled this soap, it was too strong. I also didn't care too much for the scent. This time I found the scent Ok and something I could live with for the sake of performance. Much has been said about performance, so I'll leave it here.
125 (full review earlier in thread) - this scent seems to be spicy, maybe peppery along with something else I can't quite put my finger on. I think this is the first time I have been able to separate scents. I just can't figure out what that other scent is. It is a nice blend, and I wondered if I detected some cooling in there. Not sure. Great scent though. Performance was great. This soap does not foam up with air, and produces a nice creamy shaving cream. Applying to the face it became clear this is a luxury soap, a cream with some body to it. I really liked the protective quality of the soap, which was obvious when alum application tested negative for a rough shave. #125 rinsed off quickly and cleanly. I think we have another winner here. It's too bad the limited production of this soap keeps it from being enjoyed by the larger community. I think it would qualify as a top tier soap.
126 (review earlier in thread) - I could not figure out what this scent was, so I went with 126 for testing. I figure its the same great formula in a different scent.
127 (full review earlier in thread)
128 (full review earlier in thread)
129 - one of the lightest barbershop scents I've come across, but still too heavy for me. Still a very high performing soap in the newest formulation. Its a pass for me but so close to being light enough. Fortunately, there are many lighter scents to be had in both lines, a vegan line and a tallow line.
130 - Same as soap #743; see notes on that soap.
Soaps
613 - this is one of those classic soaps that never dies on the forums. I'm glad to finally try this soap so I can now ignore the constant chatter about it. I had an immediate skin reaction, resulting in the worse skin irritation I have ever had from shaving. Post shave burning continued for hours at severe sunburn levels for comparison purposes. This soap produces volumes of lather, but aside from the skin reaction, I did not think the soap was very protective. It was also very difficult to wash off, and I never got the feeling it was completely gone. Drying also seemed a problem. Bottom line, doesn't work for me, and I'll never take a second look, and I will now tune this soap out forever. Scentwise, I'm not an almond fan, but if the soap had performed, I would have adjusted.
703 - Once lathered up, I was unable to determine exactly what I was smelling. I've never smelled something so unique, inviting, and repelling at the same time. Total chaos and confusion, I suppose that's what you would get if a monster really showed up. I could not find the lime, the peppermint, or the basil in any significant way. It is a truly unusual scent, but today I could not put this soap to my face. It is still early in my olfactory travels, and I still have active olfactory cells present, though in need of retraining. Maybe next time we meet, I'll have the courage. But today, I think I'd prefer the birthday soap, which wasn't all that bad.
710 - Performance is legendary and world class at least equal to any tier 1 soap in the world. But the scent is too strong for me. This has to be the strongest scents of all time with a scent level greater than B&M. I dislike almost every sandlewood scent I've come across with the exception of two. One is a rose/sandlewood mix in Rustic Sandlerose, a now discontinued soap. The other is #722 in this passaround.
714 A very pleasant Irish Spring, fougere type scent which I am not drawn to.
248 is a very light cologne type scent which gave me a very nice enjoyable shave. The lather did not dry out and post shave feeling was very soft and moisterized. I'm sure the shea butter contributed to the soft skin feeling after the shave. I did use an AS but felt no need for a balm. I would recommend this soap brand as an above average performer, with great post shave feel.
722 - Finally a sandlewood scent I like. It is a light take on a normally heavy scent. Almost everyone has a sandlewood scent and every one I've tried so far has been too heavy for me. This one hits it on the light side like most all soaps they make. Combine that with their great performance directly challenging MdC, and this is a definite add to my buy list. Not only that, this scent has now been released in the companies new tallow line of soaps.
726 I had a previous exposure to this soap and was not impressed with the scent in the tin. Once I lathered up a small sample, I decided it was a bit dark and repelling. My opinion this time has only slightly softened, and that's progress.
729 Somehow I overlooked this one and can't comment on it.
733 is a light peppermint soap, or so I thought when opening the tub. I was wondering how it was possible to make a light peppermint scented soap. However, when I lathered it up, the peppermint scent exploded in my nose and I quickly ended my investigation with a rush of tap water. I would rate this a strong peppermint soap, and will not be getting a tub.
734 is a very light spicy citris scent containing some vetiver among other things which is too complex for me to sort out. If you are after a strong solid citris scent, then you will be disappointed by this soap. I found it likeable and put it on my list to buy someday.
735 - I lathered this soap up, and then let too much time go by before reviewing it. I think it would not be fair to review this soap in depth. I did not care too much for the scent. Vetiver is not one that I like in general. As a result, the mixture with orange didn't seem to go together. I'm sure most everyone else is going to like this combination.
736 - I lathered this up soon after my 613 shaving failure. This is another almond scented Italian soap that is supposed to be made with better fragrance oils than the discontinued first batch. I have no doubt this is true, but I again had a skin reaction like I did with 613. Not nearly as bad, but enough to consider this soap as a no go for me. Other than scent, performance was very good. Dr. Jon's badger brush made a very nice creamy paste. 736 provided good protection compared to 613, and my skin felt dry and smooth after the shave. I would prefer this soap over 613, but I have to pass on 736 also because of aftershave face feel and the burning & tingling reaction during the shave.
737 - I have this soap in my den, it has a slight citris scent, very good lathering and shaving qualities. I do think it is a very drying soap and a moisterizing AS or balm seems appropriate.
738 (reviewed previously in thread) My take is #738 Petal Pusher Fancies Coconut. It smells absolutely overwhelming in the tin, but more subdued when lathered which is not unusual. It had nice creamy performance to go along with the scent.
739 - a mild scented take on Green Irish Tweed. I am not drawn to classic vintage scents, but if I was, this milder version would be my choice. This is made by the same soap maker as 741 and 722, but in their vegan line.
740 is a strong fall scent with cinamon and apples taking the lead. Apple cider comes to mind also. Orange is supposed to be present, but I could not identify it, which would not be unusual. This is a Limited Edition vegan soap that goes well with pumpkin pie and Thanksgiving. In the tub, the description on this soap seems like it was a misprint, but once lathered up, there's no mistaking this wonderful cool weather scent. As for performance, there is a lot of slickness here. The soap had some drying issues, but its winter here, and I suppose many soaps are exhibiting this characteristic. This brand has produced no scents to my liking, so I have not put this soap to my face. I'll leave others to comment on performance of this completely vegan and popular soap line.
741- I have this soap in an earlier formula and don't think the scent has changed. It is a dark, earthy, and woody type scent that I like more now than when I received it. It doesn't smell like Mahogany in my opinion, but close enough.
742 - The subtitle for this soap refers to caffeine. I don't know what caffeine smells like, and I don't know what this soap smells like. But it is definitely likeable, and the scent quickly grew on me. This is the one soap from this manufactorer that I would probably use. I just don't know what it smells like. That seems to be a common thread throughout the three soaps from this brand in the box. I could see myself putting this on my face one day. Just not today.
743 - This is a limited production soap that is sure to cause noses to twitch. Another "what is it?" soap that I have no clue how to describe. I'm just a scent tenderfoot, and this scent goes over the top for my nose. I never gave it a try, and don't see that happening anytime soon. I'll leave that to seasoned soap aficionados. If by chance this soap is taken before getting to you, Sample #130 will allow you the oppourtunity to test out this unique soap.
744 - I like the nice lime scent, and thought the performance was adequate, but it fell just short of something that would make my list of soaps. I prefer the scent of Mike's lime better.
745 - I like the smell very much, and some of the notes remind me a little bit of Christmas in Tuscany. Performance is excellent, with great slickness, lather is non-drying, and does not fade away during use. The lather washes off the face quickly and cleanly. Facial skin seems a little tighter providing an overall great aftershave feel.
I really enjoyed this box and appreciate all the work in putting it together. Thank you.
24 - (full review earlier in thread)
124 - this my second exposure to this scent, and I think my nose is broken. The first time I smelled this soap, it was too strong. I also didn't care too much for the scent. This time I found the scent Ok and something I could live with for the sake of performance. Much has been said about performance, so I'll leave it here.
125 (full review earlier in thread) - this scent seems to be spicy, maybe peppery along with something else I can't quite put my finger on. I think this is the first time I have been able to separate scents. I just can't figure out what that other scent is. It is a nice blend, and I wondered if I detected some cooling in there. Not sure. Great scent though. Performance was great. This soap does not foam up with air, and produces a nice creamy shaving cream. Applying to the face it became clear this is a luxury soap, a cream with some body to it. I really liked the protective quality of the soap, which was obvious when alum application tested negative for a rough shave. #125 rinsed off quickly and cleanly. I think we have another winner here. It's too bad the limited production of this soap keeps it from being enjoyed by the larger community. I think it would qualify as a top tier soap.
126 (review earlier in thread) - I could not figure out what this scent was, so I went with 126 for testing. I figure its the same great formula in a different scent.
127 (full review earlier in thread)
128 (full review earlier in thread)
129 - one of the lightest barbershop scents I've come across, but still too heavy for me. Still a very high performing soap in the newest formulation. Its a pass for me but so close to being light enough. Fortunately, there are many lighter scents to be had in both lines, a vegan line and a tallow line.
130 - Same as soap #743; see notes on that soap.
Soaps
613 - this is one of those classic soaps that never dies on the forums. I'm glad to finally try this soap so I can now ignore the constant chatter about it. I had an immediate skin reaction, resulting in the worse skin irritation I have ever had from shaving. Post shave burning continued for hours at severe sunburn levels for comparison purposes. This soap produces volumes of lather, but aside from the skin reaction, I did not think the soap was very protective. It was also very difficult to wash off, and I never got the feeling it was completely gone. Drying also seemed a problem. Bottom line, doesn't work for me, and I'll never take a second look, and I will now tune this soap out forever. Scentwise, I'm not an almond fan, but if the soap had performed, I would have adjusted.
703 - Once lathered up, I was unable to determine exactly what I was smelling. I've never smelled something so unique, inviting, and repelling at the same time. Total chaos and confusion, I suppose that's what you would get if a monster really showed up. I could not find the lime, the peppermint, or the basil in any significant way. It is a truly unusual scent, but today I could not put this soap to my face. It is still early in my olfactory travels, and I still have active olfactory cells present, though in need of retraining. Maybe next time we meet, I'll have the courage. But today, I think I'd prefer the birthday soap, which wasn't all that bad.
710 - Performance is legendary and world class at least equal to any tier 1 soap in the world. But the scent is too strong for me. This has to be the strongest scents of all time with a scent level greater than B&M. I dislike almost every sandlewood scent I've come across with the exception of two. One is a rose/sandlewood mix in Rustic Sandlerose, a now discontinued soap. The other is #722 in this passaround.
714 A very pleasant Irish Spring, fougere type scent which I am not drawn to.
248 is a very light cologne type scent which gave me a very nice enjoyable shave. The lather did not dry out and post shave feeling was very soft and moisterized. I'm sure the shea butter contributed to the soft skin feeling after the shave. I did use an AS but felt no need for a balm. I would recommend this soap brand as an above average performer, with great post shave feel.
722 - Finally a sandlewood scent I like. It is a light take on a normally heavy scent. Almost everyone has a sandlewood scent and every one I've tried so far has been too heavy for me. This one hits it on the light side like most all soaps they make. Combine that with their great performance directly challenging MdC, and this is a definite add to my buy list. Not only that, this scent has now been released in the companies new tallow line of soaps.
726 I had a previous exposure to this soap and was not impressed with the scent in the tin. Once I lathered up a small sample, I decided it was a bit dark and repelling. My opinion this time has only slightly softened, and that's progress.
729 Somehow I overlooked this one and can't comment on it.
733 is a light peppermint soap, or so I thought when opening the tub. I was wondering how it was possible to make a light peppermint scented soap. However, when I lathered it up, the peppermint scent exploded in my nose and I quickly ended my investigation with a rush of tap water. I would rate this a strong peppermint soap, and will not be getting a tub.
734 is a very light spicy citris scent containing some vetiver among other things which is too complex for me to sort out. If you are after a strong solid citris scent, then you will be disappointed by this soap. I found it likeable and put it on my list to buy someday.
735 - I lathered this soap up, and then let too much time go by before reviewing it. I think it would not be fair to review this soap in depth. I did not care too much for the scent. Vetiver is not one that I like in general. As a result, the mixture with orange didn't seem to go together. I'm sure most everyone else is going to like this combination.
736 - I lathered this up soon after my 613 shaving failure. This is another almond scented Italian soap that is supposed to be made with better fragrance oils than the discontinued first batch. I have no doubt this is true, but I again had a skin reaction like I did with 613. Not nearly as bad, but enough to consider this soap as a no go for me. Other than scent, performance was very good. Dr. Jon's badger brush made a very nice creamy paste. 736 provided good protection compared to 613, and my skin felt dry and smooth after the shave. I would prefer this soap over 613, but I have to pass on 736 also because of aftershave face feel and the burning & tingling reaction during the shave.
737 - I have this soap in my den, it has a slight citris scent, very good lathering and shaving qualities. I do think it is a very drying soap and a moisterizing AS or balm seems appropriate.
738 (reviewed previously in thread) My take is #738 Petal Pusher Fancies Coconut. It smells absolutely overwhelming in the tin, but more subdued when lathered which is not unusual. It had nice creamy performance to go along with the scent.
739 - a mild scented take on Green Irish Tweed. I am not drawn to classic vintage scents, but if I was, this milder version would be my choice. This is made by the same soap maker as 741 and 722, but in their vegan line.
740 is a strong fall scent with cinamon and apples taking the lead. Apple cider comes to mind also. Orange is supposed to be present, but I could not identify it, which would not be unusual. This is a Limited Edition vegan soap that goes well with pumpkin pie and Thanksgiving. In the tub, the description on this soap seems like it was a misprint, but once lathered up, there's no mistaking this wonderful cool weather scent. As for performance, there is a lot of slickness here. The soap had some drying issues, but its winter here, and I suppose many soaps are exhibiting this characteristic. This brand has produced no scents to my liking, so I have not put this soap to my face. I'll leave others to comment on performance of this completely vegan and popular soap line.
741- I have this soap in an earlier formula and don't think the scent has changed. It is a dark, earthy, and woody type scent that I like more now than when I received it. It doesn't smell like Mahogany in my opinion, but close enough.
742 - The subtitle for this soap refers to caffeine. I don't know what caffeine smells like, and I don't know what this soap smells like. But it is definitely likeable, and the scent quickly grew on me. This is the one soap from this manufactorer that I would probably use. I just don't know what it smells like. That seems to be a common thread throughout the three soaps from this brand in the box. I could see myself putting this on my face one day. Just not today.
743 - This is a limited production soap that is sure to cause noses to twitch. Another "what is it?" soap that I have no clue how to describe. I'm just a scent tenderfoot, and this scent goes over the top for my nose. I never gave it a try, and don't see that happening anytime soon. I'll leave that to seasoned soap aficionados. If by chance this soap is taken before getting to you, Sample #130 will allow you the oppourtunity to test out this unique soap.
744 - I like the nice lime scent, and thought the performance was adequate, but it fell just short of something that would make my list of soaps. I prefer the scent of Mike's lime better.
745 - I like the smell very much, and some of the notes remind me a little bit of Christmas in Tuscany. Performance is excellent, with great slickness, lather is non-drying, and does not fade away during use. The lather washes off the face quickly and cleanly. Facial skin seems a little tighter providing an overall great aftershave feel.
I really enjoyed this box and appreciate all the work in putting it together. Thank you.
Nice reviews and a very nice summary. Based on your experience with 613, and 736 (both traditional Italian almond scents) I'm guessing you have an issue with the almost scent (not uncommon). You should avoid any almond soaps in the future, or at least go in with a full understanding that they will likely cause you issues. I have the same issue with Bay Rum. After having a bad reaction from bay rum from 5 different vendors, I now stay away (I'm a slow learner, apparently 
)
Your description of 703 made me laugh. I had the same exact reaction!
742 - I don't think caffeine has a scent. I believe the caffeine is added for performance reasons and not for scent. (someone correct me if I'm wrong)
I'm glad to hear you found a soap you fell and love with (and get to keep!)
)Your description of 703 made me laugh. I had the same exact reaction!
742 - I don't think caffeine has a scent. I believe the caffeine is added for performance reasons and not for scent. (someone correct me if I'm wrong)
I'm glad to hear you found a soap you fell and love with (and get to keep!)
Maybe Jon can chime in but my understanding is that caffeine is supposed to have some healing or skin tightening properties. I haven't seem it used much in shave soaps outside of coffee scented soaps here and there, so Jon is trying something new or at least something somewhat uncommon.
Also, I'm loving the reviews and comments in this thread. Great job guys, I look forward to reading it every time I jump on this site.
Also, I'm loving the reviews and comments in this thread. Great job guys, I look forward to reading it every time I jump on this site.
Well hello again. This morning I shaved with 739. It is a brand I have used before in a previous pass of this box.
For scent, it is a green Irish tweed clone. I have never smelled the original, so can't compare it. However, I did like the scent. It was not too strong and reminded me of an almost woodsy scent.
For performance, it was a good performer. Building the lather was good, a fairly thirsty soap.
The shave was good. Good cushion and average slickness. And it left a clean rinse and a decent after shave feel.
Not sure if this is one I would keep, but overall a good soap.
For scent, it is a green Irish tweed clone. I have never smelled the original, so can't compare it. However, I did like the scent. It was not too strong and reminded me of an almost woodsy scent.
For performance, it was a good performer. Building the lather was good, a fairly thirsty soap.
The shave was good. Good cushion and average slickness. And it left a clean rinse and a decent after shave feel.
Not sure if this is one I would keep, but overall a good soap.
I made this soap at the request of the company it's named after, they requested caffeine claiming that it tightened the skin with consistent usage. After having used the soap quite a bit I can say that I noticed very little difference if any, I think caffeine in cosmetic products is just a gimmick. The soap is no longer made as we don't do business with this company anymore, I may bring back the non caffeine version and re-brand it as I really enjoy the smell.
"703 - Once lathered up, I was unable to determine exactly what I was smelling. I've never smelled something so unique, inviting, and repelling at the same time. Total chaos and confusion, I suppose that's what you would get if a monster really showed up. I could not find the lime, the peppermint, or the basil in any significant way. It is a truly unusual scent, but today I could not put this soap to my face. It is still early in my olfactory travels, and I still have active olfactory cells present, though in need of retraining. Maybe next time we meet, I'll have the courage. But today, I think I'd prefer the birthday soap, which wasn't all that bad."
I spit coffee my desk when reading this.
I spit coffee my desk when reading this.
I've seen it in several skin care products. One of my balms has it from a big name company.
Also: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23075568
Abstract
Caffeine is being increasingly used in cosmetics due to its high biological activity and ability to penetrate the skin barrier. This alkaloid is frequently used as a hydrophilic model substance in human and animal skin penetration as well as different synthetic membrane using Franz diffusion cell experiments. The commercially available topical formulations of caffeine normally contain 3% caffeine. As for a cosmetic purpose, caffeine is used as an active compound in anti-cellulite products because it prevents excessive accumulation of fat in cells. This alkaloid stimulates the degradation of fats during lipolysis through inhibition of the phosphodiesterase activity. Caffeine has potent antioxidant properties. It helps protect cells against the UV radiation and slows down the process of photoaging of the skin. Moreover, caffeine contained in cosmetics increases the microcirculation of blood in the skin and also stimulates the growth of hair through inhibition of the 5-α-reductase activity.Maybe gimmick is a bit strong, I simply didn't notice any significant difference when using it. I have not used any other caffeinated skin care products, maybe I will try some others out.
I would agree with this since the concentrate needed to have an active affect would kill a shaving soap.
Now, caffiene in a thick ASB could possibly work, since you don't have have to worry about lather ability or slickness.
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