This is my review of a relatively new vendor, to me at least, Los Angeles shaving soap company. Below you will find my review of all currently available scented options:
price: at $14-24 for a 4 oz. jar of soft shaving soap it moves from good price to a little on expensive side. However, the soaps are all essential oils and the most expensive soap (topanga fougere) uses a large number of essential oils, some of which are pricey, the unbelievably complex and intoxicating aroma is totally worth the price of admission. And this soap require a small amount of loading to create loads of lather. More below.
Scents:
I have all four of their current scented offerings as I was so amazed with their performance, I just had to have them all:
1. Woodland Lavender - this is a nice masculine lavender. Herbaceous and camphoraceous that has its floral character tamed with the addition of a mixture of wood essential oil. A great rendition of a classic shave soap scent.
2. Vanilla/eucalyptus/spearmint - this scent is a refreshing and invigorating scent. The vanilla adds warmth and depth to the classic combination of the smoothness of spearmint and medicinal character of eucalyptus. Really an excellent summer soap, but will be perfect year round as a "wake me up" soap for the difficult mornings.
3. Santa Monica Bay Rum- this is a very interesting rendition of bay rum. You definitely get the notes of the bay essential oil and an interesting spice mixture including anise. But the top citrus note really gives this bay rum a really unique character. Not the most classic rendition of bay rum, but a great rendition nonetheless.
4. Topanga Fougere - this is something really special. A complex "green" scent with a slight slickness with woody notes pulling all its myriad components together. This is perhaps the greatest fougere scent I have experiences. It is all essential oil, which is unusual and quite the treat. It is worth the higher price for something as special as this scent.
lather:
As with all soaps this is where rubber meets road, or rather razor meets face, I have lathered this with two different omega boar brushes and a silver tip badger. I always get voluminous, thick and unctuous lather. This a,axes me for a vegan soap, especially with its scant ingredient list overall. It provided a crazy good level of cushion and glide. It also had some serious moisturizing properties that equaled or surpassed many of my tallow and lanolin based soaps. It is perhaps one of the better soaps I have ever used. I can't believe I am saying that about a vegan soap. Seriously, look at the relevant soaping ingredients and it should amaze you with how little you need to create a lather like this.
overall:
Given all the above, that should sufficiently justify buying a tub. But to make things even better, you will experience great customer service and very fast shipping. Usually three days gets me my sample across the country to my door. I for one would kill to have the fougere scent as an aftershave splash... Hint, hint.
price: at $14-24 for a 4 oz. jar of soft shaving soap it moves from good price to a little on expensive side. However, the soaps are all essential oils and the most expensive soap (topanga fougere) uses a large number of essential oils, some of which are pricey, the unbelievably complex and intoxicating aroma is totally worth the price of admission. And this soap require a small amount of loading to create loads of lather. More below.
Scents:
I have all four of their current scented offerings as I was so amazed with their performance, I just had to have them all:
1. Woodland Lavender - this is a nice masculine lavender. Herbaceous and camphoraceous that has its floral character tamed with the addition of a mixture of wood essential oil. A great rendition of a classic shave soap scent.
2. Vanilla/eucalyptus/spearmint - this scent is a refreshing and invigorating scent. The vanilla adds warmth and depth to the classic combination of the smoothness of spearmint and medicinal character of eucalyptus. Really an excellent summer soap, but will be perfect year round as a "wake me up" soap for the difficult mornings.
3. Santa Monica Bay Rum- this is a very interesting rendition of bay rum. You definitely get the notes of the bay essential oil and an interesting spice mixture including anise. But the top citrus note really gives this bay rum a really unique character. Not the most classic rendition of bay rum, but a great rendition nonetheless.
4. Topanga Fougere - this is something really special. A complex "green" scent with a slight slickness with woody notes pulling all its myriad components together. This is perhaps the greatest fougere scent I have experiences. It is all essential oil, which is unusual and quite the treat. It is worth the higher price for something as special as this scent.
lather:
As with all soaps this is where rubber meets road, or rather razor meets face, I have lathered this with two different omega boar brushes and a silver tip badger. I always get voluminous, thick and unctuous lather. This a,axes me for a vegan soap, especially with its scant ingredient list overall. It provided a crazy good level of cushion and glide. It also had some serious moisturizing properties that equaled or surpassed many of my tallow and lanolin based soaps. It is perhaps one of the better soaps I have ever used. I can't believe I am saying that about a vegan soap. Seriously, look at the relevant soaping ingredients and it should amaze you with how little you need to create a lather like this.
overall:
Given all the above, that should sufficiently justify buying a tub. But to make things even better, you will experience great customer service and very fast shipping. Usually three days gets me my sample across the country to my door. I for one would kill to have the fougere scent as an aftershave splash... Hint, hint.
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