It's always a pleasure to review an Australian product. We have some hidden gems like Occams and ShaverHeaven but then we have those we'd prefer to forget like Valor or Otoko. But for the most part we are all distracted by the shiny new things that come out overseas. So it is with great pleasure that I introduce Murphy & Daughters Old School Shave Cream.
First thing I noticed was the label no hipster motifs or pirates straddling goldfish. Just the brand and nice clean lime text on a black label that says what's in it - in a very tasteful and contemporary way.
Next, the container. Great size. A few makers of hard soaps could learn a thing or two about being less stingy with the girth of their tubs. But then the contents of Murphy & Daughters doesn't necessarily need the room for a brush to work hard. This is a soft cream, similar in consistency to Occams.
Before I move onto the lather though I'd like to talk a little about the ingredients. This is all natural. I know what everything on that label means and is - nothing that sounds like a new disease invented to sell a product (and the ingredients in that product) nor does it sound like robot jive. Key ingredients include Coconut Oi, Shea Butter, Macadamia Seed Oil, Aloe Vera and Sandalwood. This is the first thing I really appreciate in my lather, no rubbish. I also like to steer clear from Palm Oil and the ingredients do not depend on it primarily (in it's palminate forms), however there may be palm in the stearic acid?
So you pop the lid and what do you get? Well Murphy and Daughters says Eucalyptus, Menthol and Lavender. I agree it has that freshness but don't think of that Proraso smack in the face kind of Eucalyptus and Menthol. To my nose I get more of a citrus zesty high note and a smell reminiscent of Lemon Verbena. Very fresh.
To the lather, as I mentioned earlier this is a cream and I mean a soft cream. So really all you need is to the dip the brush in the tub and maybe twist your wrist and there's enough for four passes. My usual routine is to get the motion going without any water and this what we get - already nice and smooth...though I fear already I've overloaded.
After a few drops of water and 30 seconds of work and we are already getting somewhere nice. There are bubbles but they are tightening - and I should note this brush is still not completely broken in yet.
And after about a minute and a bit I have my lather
As you can see nice texture. The peaks hold and the consistency between the fingers is very very viscous. I actually think I could have dialled back the water a smidgen, but irrespective a very nice lather. When wet the scent gets a little more citrus and spice. It really is a nice scent - very different from my usual heady European profiles.
The lather build nicely on the face. Closer to the nose I get more zesty a scent and then the slight tingle - I assume that comes from the menthol - makes me think of lemons. The lather goes on nicely, but I did notice for the first lather that the lather thins a little. No trouble I just add more, but it does thin again. However, any concerns I had about the apparent thinning lather were satiated on my first pass. "Slickness" or "glide" or whatever you want to call it, this lather has it in the nines. Also this glide is in no way to the expense of protection. It's a funny lather, it is not protective in the thick resistive sense but more it provides a nice buffer to the glide - so blade to face with lather in-between feels like rubbing two bits of satin or silk together. I really, really rate this lather. A word of caution though this reminds me a little of the lather I get from the version 1 of ShaverHeaven's soaps (in my case the Forbidden Forest) it's so slick and protective you feel a little invincible. It is the lather that earned me my only (so far) shaving scar. I mean a fat tallow lather can be nice but this sort of smooth, silky glycerine/vegetable based lather is very, very nice.
So my initial fears of overloading were well founded. After four passes I still had lather enough left for at least another shave. I've been conditioned to abhor waste and this is a sin I confess to this morning. But it does prove you don't need much cream to make the required lather. I'd predict an almond sized scoop on your finger would do the job.
Finally, post-shave? Immediate post-shave is odd. I came out of the basin after a few rinses and dried my face and the shave area was very dry. Then I splashed my face again and left the water to make its own way off, out or in (my usual clean-up state) and it felt so beautifully moisturised. Lather rinsed out well from the brush and the scent didn't appear to stain the knot. By the time all was right again with the brush, razor, and bowl. I wiped my face dry and applied the after shave. Only the slightest sting.
I sit here now about thirty minutes post shave and I feel very happy A close shave with a face that remains soft and well moisturised. The impression I'm left with is we have another medal here for Australia. I need a few more shaves to really make a call but I suspect this will rate up there beside Occams. A those who know me, know this is no small call.
Congratulations Murphy and Daughters.
First thing I noticed was the label no hipster motifs or pirates straddling goldfish. Just the brand and nice clean lime text on a black label that says what's in it - in a very tasteful and contemporary way.
Next, the container. Great size. A few makers of hard soaps could learn a thing or two about being less stingy with the girth of their tubs. But then the contents of Murphy & Daughters doesn't necessarily need the room for a brush to work hard. This is a soft cream, similar in consistency to Occams.
Before I move onto the lather though I'd like to talk a little about the ingredients. This is all natural. I know what everything on that label means and is - nothing that sounds like a new disease invented to sell a product (and the ingredients in that product) nor does it sound like robot jive. Key ingredients include Coconut Oi, Shea Butter, Macadamia Seed Oil, Aloe Vera and Sandalwood. This is the first thing I really appreciate in my lather, no rubbish. I also like to steer clear from Palm Oil and the ingredients do not depend on it primarily (in it's palminate forms), however there may be palm in the stearic acid?
So you pop the lid and what do you get? Well Murphy and Daughters says Eucalyptus, Menthol and Lavender. I agree it has that freshness but don't think of that Proraso smack in the face kind of Eucalyptus and Menthol. To my nose I get more of a citrus zesty high note and a smell reminiscent of Lemon Verbena. Very fresh.
To the lather, as I mentioned earlier this is a cream and I mean a soft cream. So really all you need is to the dip the brush in the tub and maybe twist your wrist and there's enough for four passes. My usual routine is to get the motion going without any water and this what we get - already nice and smooth...though I fear already I've overloaded.
After a few drops of water and 30 seconds of work and we are already getting somewhere nice. There are bubbles but they are tightening - and I should note this brush is still not completely broken in yet.
And after about a minute and a bit I have my lather
As you can see nice texture. The peaks hold and the consistency between the fingers is very very viscous. I actually think I could have dialled back the water a smidgen, but irrespective a very nice lather. When wet the scent gets a little more citrus and spice. It really is a nice scent - very different from my usual heady European profiles.
The lather build nicely on the face. Closer to the nose I get more zesty a scent and then the slight tingle - I assume that comes from the menthol - makes me think of lemons. The lather goes on nicely, but I did notice for the first lather that the lather thins a little. No trouble I just add more, but it does thin again. However, any concerns I had about the apparent thinning lather were satiated on my first pass. "Slickness" or "glide" or whatever you want to call it, this lather has it in the nines. Also this glide is in no way to the expense of protection. It's a funny lather, it is not protective in the thick resistive sense but more it provides a nice buffer to the glide - so blade to face with lather in-between feels like rubbing two bits of satin or silk together. I really, really rate this lather. A word of caution though this reminds me a little of the lather I get from the version 1 of ShaverHeaven's soaps (in my case the Forbidden Forest) it's so slick and protective you feel a little invincible. It is the lather that earned me my only (so far) shaving scar. I mean a fat tallow lather can be nice but this sort of smooth, silky glycerine/vegetable based lather is very, very nice.
So my initial fears of overloading were well founded. After four passes I still had lather enough left for at least another shave. I've been conditioned to abhor waste and this is a sin I confess to this morning. But it does prove you don't need much cream to make the required lather. I'd predict an almond sized scoop on your finger would do the job.
Finally, post-shave? Immediate post-shave is odd. I came out of the basin after a few rinses and dried my face and the shave area was very dry. Then I splashed my face again and left the water to make its own way off, out or in (my usual clean-up state) and it felt so beautifully moisturised. Lather rinsed out well from the brush and the scent didn't appear to stain the knot. By the time all was right again with the brush, razor, and bowl. I wiped my face dry and applied the after shave. Only the slightest sting.
I sit here now about thirty minutes post shave and I feel very happy A close shave with a face that remains soft and well moisturised. The impression I'm left with is we have another medal here for Australia. I need a few more shaves to really make a call but I suspect this will rate up there beside Occams. A those who know me, know this is no small call.
Congratulations Murphy and Daughters.
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