Martin de Candre, finally tried it

[sm29]

MdC is my favorite soap.

It has fantastic cushion and slickness. I usually use a pre- shave but have been skipping it when using MdC and it yields a better shave, protection and post- shave feel of any soap I have tried and that is without any type of pre- shave. I can also attest to the fast loading and seemingly minimal usage of soap to build plenty of lather

I have found similar results. I face lather and load heavy yet this is still a long lasting soap.

Absent from the above review but very evident and important to me is the clean feel of this soap. It goes on clean, rinses well and leaves my face feeling clean without the faintest hint of too much stickiness or greasy feeling.

I use MdC daily when home. The 135 g LE Canelle Original yielded 182 shaves and the Brain Bowl Original has 260 shaves with plenty more to go. That is over 440 shaves without finishing my second purchase! I have a Rose Brain Bowl waiting, but it will not see any use until November or December when the Original is finished.

it may be expensive, but given the quality, size and longevity it is a good value.

 

[kingfisher]

Glad you like it.

 

[Ckmaui]

important to me is the clean feel of this soap. It goes on clean, rinses well and leaves my face feeling clean without the faintest hint of too much stickiness or greasy feeling.

YUP for me its the SV that is my fav but its the same idea

And that is something that also has made me put aside a few soaps while the durring shave its slick and post feel are good as far as comfort to the face
its that residue that you can kinda feel and especially see on things like the brush and I know that is on my face
never sure if its the hard water that makes it worse with some soaps ? but when others do not leave that I kinda have that why bother with something that is not “residue free”

 

[dmshaver]

MdC is excellent soap, congrats on discovering it!

 

[BDF]

Got a tin of SV 70th anniversary in and have taken it for a couple of test- shaves. I will not contaminate this thread with SV comments but just a quick comparison: SV is not the equal of MdC for me. It is an excellent shaving soap, with a very nice, middle of the road scent (which I do like) but it does not provide the cushion of MdC on my face.

Shaving with SV yielded a very close shave, closer than MdC but with its own share of weepers and after- shave alcohol sting. Again, an very, very good shave soap but not the equal of MdC in my opinion or experience. Again, not saying it is not a good or even great soap, just that it is not quite on the level of MdC in very limited testing (two shaves). That said, I did mix it a little on the watery side and will mix it a little thicker in the future. And yes, it is in my rotation for future shaves

 

[GR5233]

MdC is definitely an outstanding soap. Out of all the soaps in my den it’s my top soap

 

[Steve56]

Got a tin of SV 70th anniversary in and have taken it for a couple of test- shaves. I will not contaminate this thread with SV comments but just a quick comparison: SV is not the equal of MdC for me. It is an excellent shaving soap, with a very nice, middle of the road scent (which I do like) but it does not provide the cushion of MdC on my face.

Shaving with SV yielded a very close shave, closer than MdC but with its own share of weepers and after- shave alcohol sting. Again, an very, very good shave soap but not the equal of MdC in my opinion or experience. Again, not saying it is not a good or even great soap, just that it is not quite on the level of MdC in very limited testing (two shaves). That said, I did mix it a little on the watery side and will mix it a little thicker in the future. And yes, it is in my rotation for future shaves

I’m not big on SV scents, but I do have the SV Asylum Colonia in two versions, 4.3 and 4.1. The 4.3 seems to make a slicker, denser, yet thinner lather, the 4.1 makes a more conventional lather, closer to MdC. 4.3 is better for SR I think, but I can see how 4.1 might appeal more to DE users.

 

[Rosseforp]

For anyone that is curious, here's what the bottom of the jar looks like.


View attachment 1522544

It's gonna take me a long time to get there with my 200gram jar of Agrumes. I could use MdC everyday, but I like to spice things up a bit.
MdC is definitely at the top of my rotation.

~doug~

 

[sm29]

MdC is the soap I use almost every day I’m home. This Brain Bowl of Original has yielded 284 shaves but is almost to its end. I load heavily and find MdC to be high priced bit not unreasonably so.

I have an unwrapped Brain Bowl of rose waiting to make it’s debut. However, I may use some of my other soaps for a week or two as once I start the MdC I rarely want to use anything else.

 

[BigJ]

And after a week of using it, the stuff really is fantastic! Good enough to replace my old favorite, Valobra stick.

I picked up a container of rose, and while it does smell like rose, it is very mild. No problem with that though, there is absolutely nothing offensive about a mild rose scent for me.

The stuff reminds me a bit of Tabac in that it is very 'water insensitive', meaning mix it a bit too thick and it works wonderfully. Mix it on the thin side, and it still has great properties until it actually dries on my face which is clearly too much water. But any reasonable amount of water and MdC retains all of its great properties- it is just not a fussy soap.

It has fantastic cushion and slickness. I usually use a pre- shave but have been skipping it when using MdC and it yields a better shave, protection and post- shave feel of any soap I have tried and that is without any type of pre- shave. I can also attest to the fast loading and seemingly minimal usage of soap to build plenty of lather (I use a scuttle and large boar brushes so tend to make too much later, which is just right for me ).

Anyway, for whatever little my opinion is worth, I and finding this to be a truly outstanding shave soap. As I get older, I am tending to narrow down my preferred types of brush, soap, razors and so forth simply because I have basically homed onto what I like and what works for me. MdC is a new favorite which I am looking forward to using often.

I also ordered a tin of SV because again, it comes so highly recommended that I think I just have to take it for a test- shave. If it is in the realm of MdC, I will take it into my new, much smaller rotation of shaving soaps that I really enjoy using and provide the most comfortable shaves.

Congratulations! MdC is definitely ‘top-tier!’ Plus, it lasts and lasts.

 

[CCS]

View attachment 1541336
MdC is the soap I use almost every day I’m home. This Brain Bowl of Original has yielded 284 shaves but is almost to its end. I load heavily and find MdC to be high priced bit not unreasonably so.

I have an unwrapped Brain Bowl of rose waiting to make it’s debut. However, I may use some of my other soaps for a week or two as once I start the MdC I rarely want to use anything else.

So that's what the bowl looks like! Seems to have held up well from water marks. If I didn't already have so much stuff, I'd buy one of those as I've never had the chance to try MdC.

 

[Rosseforp]

If I didn't already have so much stuff, I'd buy one of those as I've never had the chance to try MdC.

You don't know what you're missing.

~doug~

 

[CCS]

You don't know what you're missing.

~doug~

There are many things in life I miss. For the time being, this will be on the long list of them.

 

[GR5233]

If I didn't already have so much stuff, I'd buy one of those as I've never had the chance to try MdC.

MdC is definitely one worth trying. Maybe think about getting the 50 gram version of whatever scent(s) you’re interested in

 

[Rosseforp]

MdC is definitely one worth trying. Maybe think about getting the 50 gram version of whatever scent(s) you’re interested in

Shhhh, more MdC for us!

~doug~

 

[bluewater23t]

Wow, just tried MdC for the first time, Fougere. I just scraped some soap into my bowl and lathered up that way. Not sure I got the amount of soap to water ratio perfect, but gave a nice lather, and great shave. Maybe not as dense as tallow soaps/creams, but loving the smell. It sticks around much longer than the Cella or TOBS/Trumpers fragrances. Definitely a keeper!

 

[Mike M]

just a quick comparison: SV is not the equal of MdC for me.

I find SV slightly superior to MdC, but that is only due to the better post shave feel. You don't need to overload with SV, but you don't need much water with it either or you end up with a lather that is too thin. MdC still definitely requires less soap to produce a good lather though

 

[Steve56]

… Maybe not as dense as tallow soaps/creams, ….

Load a little more.

 

[Roy]

I wish I'd never bought MdC! I want another 2 but know I won't use the old soaps very much, notthat they are awful! Any one else the same?

 

[sanookd]

I wish I'd never bought MdC! I want another 2 but know I won't use the old soaps very much, notthat they are awful! Any one else the same?

No I just cut to the chase and bought 3 at once. Rose, Vetyver and Argumes. I purchased samples of those first then I ordered the 3 containers from Spain and paid a fraction of US prices.