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Anyone else dislike Proraso ? (and where to go from here)

Look for the Arko, Tamara, and Godrej creams on eBay. They can often be bought for under $10 and many times have free shipping.

I've read about Arko, but not the others yet. I'm scared to try Arko, people describe it as a heavy commercial laundry detergent scent, like Pine-Sol. That does not sound good to me at all.
 
Proraso green was my first soap and I still enjoy it but it's not a top performer. I hear the new cream is really good but I haven't had the chance to try it, but I have the beard balms and washes in Fresh and Azure Lime and really enjoy the scents.

There are a lot of great soaps and creams around the same price point so you'll never have to worry about finding something that works for you.
 
I've read about Arko, but not the others yet. I'm scared to try Arko, people describe it as a heavy commercial laundry detergent scent, like Pine-Sol. That does not sound good to me at all.
Yeah, you've heard about the Arko shave stick. It does smell really clean and powerful, but the scent will fade away after awhile. I'm actually talking about Arko shaving cream. There are several varieties of Arko shaving cream. The performance is very good and it has great skincare. And if you don't like any of them, then you won't be out a whole boat load of money.
 

Steve56

Ask me about shaving naked!
I hear ya Jim, I’m a 3P man myself. I had a sample gifted to me and liked it better than Cella but figured that it would turn rancid like Cella, so I left part of it to age and it did not turn rancid - it did change color very very slightly but smelled fine, as new. Then I bought the 1000ml brick from Connaught, $26 delivered.
 
I've read about Arko, but not the others yet. I'm scared to try Arko, people describe it as a heavy commercial laundry detergent scent, like Pine-Sol. That does not sound good to me at all.
Look, how many times do we have to tell you guys?!

It doesn't smell like industrial cleaner... it smells like a urinal cake! :lol:
 
Look, how many times do we have to tell you guys?!

It doesn't smell like industrial cleaner... it smells like a urinal cake! :lol:

That sounds terrible to me, even AFTER factoring in that some seemingly gross scents can keep you coming back again and again for more
 
Did anyone have a similar experience with Proraso and if so what do you use (or recommend) instead?

I tried a couple of different Proraso creams and wasn't impressed at all, but then I don't seem to get along with Italian creams in general.

I've had much better success with Iberian creams like Lavanda and Top Secret, both work very well for me. You might also try some creams from eastern Europe, like Rose of Bulgaria (hard to get in the states, sometimes available on ebay). Figaro and Barbon from Hungary are top-notch too, but I give the edge to Figaro. None of these will break the bank, either.
 
I’m shocked no one has suggested for the OP to work on his technique. It’s clearly the obvious issue here.
Seriously thou. I’ve never tried the stuff but you might want to consider a higher priced selection. You could be more of a artisan person and not know it.
 

musicman1951

three-tu-tu, three-tu-tu
Last I knew it cost about 2 euros in Italy. It's great soap for that price, if you like the scents. I'm not a menthol fan, but it's still a fine product in it's price range. Even with the added shipping and a bit for the middle man it's pretty cheap.

Haslinger's is my favorite cheap soap (maybe not quite as cheap as it seems when you see the size of the puck).

There are lots of soaps out there in every price range. There is no way to know what you'll like without trying them. Remember that somebody loves the ones you hate (or they wouldn't still be on the market). You did exactly the right thing with the samples. Enjoy the journey. Try to keep your current supply to a reasonable limit, it's a marathon rather than a sprint.
 

thombrogan

Lounging On The Isle Of Tugsley.
It doesn't smell like industrial cleaner... it smells like a urinal cake!

My “after my creams and lone shave soap are gone” list was going to be Vitos Super Coco, Wickham 1912, and PdP 63, but you’ve changed that! Thank you, good sir!
 
I have them all, all the hype when you start. They aren't bad but neither good (as others). I do NOT like the fact that it leaves a hard residue in the sink and equipment.....
 
Well there goes the Clockwork Orange bodily restraint kit I was planning…
BA08F9DC-0428-4974-95EB-FD9C876029B7.jpeg

I want this.
 
I find most every cream and soap performs well. I have only run into a few instances that one didn’t and it was usually due to using too little product. Some creams or soaps just require a lot more. Samples are notoriously bad for me trying out a soap or cream because I almost always use too little. I have almost always enjoyed the shave when I used enough.

I tend to gravitate towards the scents I like most because of this. I do enjoy a lot of different scents, and I have a tendency to collect too many!

Best Wishes All
 
I got a Proraso sampler pack from WCS. As far as scent goes, I found the Cypress Vetiver and Wood&Spice to be highly offputting. As for the Green Tea&Oat (White) and Menthol/Eucalyptus (Green), both have menthol which I hated. Eucalyptus by itself is usually a nice scent but the menthol scent and sensation killed it for me. I was surprised that they would put Menthol in a "sensitive skin" product. The White and the Green both smelled like cleaning products to me (not in a good way, more like janitorial or maid service supplies).

The Red (sandalwood), is obviously a classic Sandalwood scent. I know many guys like this, but not me. I found it heavy, dark, and old man-ish, like a steam room full of naked wrinkly fat men. I was suffocating while using it and couldn't get the scent off for a whole day.

Azur Lime smelled like a modern day clean and fresh cologne, not bad at all but not what I want to shave with everyday

As for performance of Proraso, it was ok, but nothing special. So far I've tried Cella, Art of Shaving, Fine, Haslinger, MWF. I would put Proraso towards the bottom of the list, but I'm sure there are much worse creams/soaps out there than Proraso.

Did anyone have a similar experience with Proraso and if so what do you use (or recommend) instead?
I enjoy the scent of Green/white and didn't like red. Their performance is average but will work for a shave.
 
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