Gentlemen, pardon the somewhat cryptic title of this thread but I had to pay a bit of homage to one Scotto from the early days of B&B. He reviewed this fragrance and the hilarious nature of the comments have stuck with me over the years. He was sure this fragrance was for people who wanted to smell like a vampire. Really worth a read if you look it up in the fragrance reviews.
To business. I purchased both #88 and Oxford & Cambridge a few years ago. I did not want to buy a full cake of each and maybe not like them but chose the 3X25 gram box instead. This worked out well since I don't like to keep giant cakes of shave soap in rotation all the time. I was able to use up a cake or two of both scents and found myself wanting to get back to the line after a two year or so hiatus. And I am rather glad I did.
Scotto did a much better job of describing the scent notes than I ever could but suffice it to say this is a nice, dry dusky rose and woody scent that I find works best for me in the dry cool air of fall and winter. My sense of smell is much more acute then and it allows me to pick up the subtle notes in the scent of the soap. I suspect the soap is not nearly as potent as the edt and surely my cake has mellowed a bit in scent over three years. I still find the aromas awakening, dry, earthy, and somewhat sensual(yeah, I said that). I will always champion O&C as my favourite of the two but #88 is really the signature scent of the brand and their first. I liken it to Penhaligon's Hammam Bouquet in that regard. It was their first, and to my nose, still the scent I think of when I hear their name. 88 is Czech & Speake.
The peformance is flawless. It is said Valobra makes this soap. I cannot speak to the veracity of that comment though I suspect it is completely accurate. Whoever makes it is no dunce I can assure you. From the packaging presentation to the scent, and best of all the shave, this is a class product. I had been using my stick of Harris Sandalwood for awhile and like always, become bored with the scent. I rummaged around the bath cabinet and found the 88. From the first swirl of the brush that unlocked the scent to the final rinse after a superbly comfortable shave, I was in a state of shaving nirvana. This soap always leaves you feeling just a bit more chipper, refined, and ready to take on the day. I do admit though in no way did I feel like a dusty character from Dark Shadows nor did I feel the urge to drink blood of any kind.
To business. I purchased both #88 and Oxford & Cambridge a few years ago. I did not want to buy a full cake of each and maybe not like them but chose the 3X25 gram box instead. This worked out well since I don't like to keep giant cakes of shave soap in rotation all the time. I was able to use up a cake or two of both scents and found myself wanting to get back to the line after a two year or so hiatus. And I am rather glad I did.
Scotto did a much better job of describing the scent notes than I ever could but suffice it to say this is a nice, dry dusky rose and woody scent that I find works best for me in the dry cool air of fall and winter. My sense of smell is much more acute then and it allows me to pick up the subtle notes in the scent of the soap. I suspect the soap is not nearly as potent as the edt and surely my cake has mellowed a bit in scent over three years. I still find the aromas awakening, dry, earthy, and somewhat sensual(yeah, I said that). I will always champion O&C as my favourite of the two but #88 is really the signature scent of the brand and their first. I liken it to Penhaligon's Hammam Bouquet in that regard. It was their first, and to my nose, still the scent I think of when I hear their name. 88 is Czech & Speake.
The peformance is flawless. It is said Valobra makes this soap. I cannot speak to the veracity of that comment though I suspect it is completely accurate. Whoever makes it is no dunce I can assure you. From the packaging presentation to the scent, and best of all the shave, this is a class product. I had been using my stick of Harris Sandalwood for awhile and like always, become bored with the scent. I rummaged around the bath cabinet and found the 88. From the first swirl of the brush that unlocked the scent to the final rinse after a superbly comfortable shave, I was in a state of shaving nirvana. This soap always leaves you feeling just a bit more chipper, refined, and ready to take on the day. I do admit though in no way did I feel like a dusty character from Dark Shadows nor did I feel the urge to drink blood of any kind.
