Earlier this year I got a tub of Captain's Choice Nor'easter shaving cream. Great stuff--checks all the boxes for me in terms of performance and scent. Well, my wife (who pays attention to what's on my vanity getting most use) also likes the scent and gifted me the soap version last week. The cream was the first Captain's Choice product I've used (not sure why I never tried them before--probably fatigue from trying too many artisans), so I was excited to be able to compare the soap and cream.
First off is scent. The cream and soap smell almost identical. I tend to be able to smell the soap bases, so I pick up some small differences between to the two. I give the nod here to the cream--but they are close enough that you'd never know the difference if you weren't comparing side by side.
Second--consistency. The cream is deceptively light--all I can think of is fluffy to describe it. I say deceptive, though, because I need a surprisingly small amount for a nice, thick lather. The soap also surprised me with how soft it is. I used a boar brush and only needed a small amount of soap to once again get a great lather. I'll probably stick with badger or synthetic on it in the future.
Third--performance. Both are superb. As my daughter would say "10 out of 10; would buy again." Thick lather, cushioning, great post shave feel.
Fourth--value. This one is tougher. The cream is a couple of dollars cheaper than the soap, but the cream is 4 ounces and the soap is 5 ounces. I also suspect I use more cream than soap for each shave. Probably too early to tell, but I'm guessing the soap will last longer and would be a better value over time.
Final verdict--I love them both. I give a very slight nod to the cream, which surprises me because I've been pretty soap exclusive in the past. I may keep a mix of the soap and cream in my shave den. Next time I make a purchase, I'll be looking to add the Captain's lime and sandalwood scents to my rotation.
First off is scent. The cream and soap smell almost identical. I tend to be able to smell the soap bases, so I pick up some small differences between to the two. I give the nod here to the cream--but they are close enough that you'd never know the difference if you weren't comparing side by side.
Second--consistency. The cream is deceptively light--all I can think of is fluffy to describe it. I say deceptive, though, because I need a surprisingly small amount for a nice, thick lather. The soap also surprised me with how soft it is. I used a boar brush and only needed a small amount of soap to once again get a great lather. I'll probably stick with badger or synthetic on it in the future.
Third--performance. Both are superb. As my daughter would say "10 out of 10; would buy again." Thick lather, cushioning, great post shave feel.
Fourth--value. This one is tougher. The cream is a couple of dollars cheaper than the soap, but the cream is 4 ounces and the soap is 5 ounces. I also suspect I use more cream than soap for each shave. Probably too early to tell, but I'm guessing the soap will last longer and would be a better value over time.
Final verdict--I love them both. I give a very slight nod to the cream, which surprises me because I've been pretty soap exclusive in the past. I may keep a mix of the soap and cream in my shave den. Next time I make a purchase, I'll be looking to add the Captain's lime and sandalwood scents to my rotation.
), and Lime soap, and have tried samples of others. I never considered the cream until now and will be adding a CC cream to my next order. It won't bother me to use it up quicker.
