I was the lucky winner of this PIF, which means I owe a review. This review is long overdue, so forgive me. Also consider that I'm still a newbie (2.5 months in), though I've been shaving for 30 years and so I had a baseline from which to work, but I don't have a ton of comparative data from a lot of soaps. Also also, this is my first official product review. 
The packaging was very nice - a classic box and a paper wrapper. The first sniff was nice, but didn't reveal much. I pressed the puck into a 4" tin container after trimming a tiny bit off the sides to get it in (because the top of the tin rounds in a little).
Scent - 6/10
The scent is very pleasant, not overly floral and certainly not overpowering. It's nice when I'm shaving and I get a whiff. That's all I get, though - it's definitely subtle. This is a little disappointing for me, as the olfactory stimulation is part of the joy of shaving. I like the amount of scent that I get from Proraso and Strop Shoppe. If you don't like a strong scent, this would be a great choice.
Lather (Amount, Slickness) - 7/10
I really struggled here. I tried bowl-lathering and just couldn't get it right. Too little water and it just foamed up into a dry, flaky mess. Too much water and it just foamed up and slopped around and managed to be dry at the same time. In both cases, I spent way too long trying to get something usable, but there was almost no slickness and I ended up starting over, or putting another cream on my face first for cushion, or switching to another soap altogether mid-shave. I was ready to give up and just PIF it and be done, happy to have been able to try it and disappointed in the experience (and myself).
Then I read a bunch and decided to approach it with (1) a less-wet brush and (2) face-lathering rather than using the bowl. I also have decided that I need to learn each soap instead of hopping around, so I've committed to a one-week turn with each soap. This puck was first on the list...and on its last leg.
I'm glad I committed - somehow, face-lathering changes the character of the lather. I'm now able to judge the water ratio better and I think that I'm not whipping so fast that I introduce (too much) air before the water incorporates. It still doesn't feel as slick as Strop Shoppe, but it's a damned sight better than it was. I'm able to build the lather in far less time, it's better lather and I'm now enjoying the shaves rather than feeling frustrated.
Soaking the puck while I shower and then loading my moist Parker SilverTip for about 30 seconds gives enough generous lather for a 3-pass shave plus touch-ups...and I only do a 2-pass plus. You could probably get a comfortable 4-pass shave if you were judicious with your lather application.
After-shave Feel - 7/10
My skin feels pretty good afterward, not too moist and not tight. I tend to use a lot of after-shave care, but on days when I don't use a balm, I don't feel like the skin is dry - it's just not as moist as it could be.
So, there you go. DR Harris Lavender gets a 20-of-30 score on the FM Scale. Of course, this is a YMMV thing and your personal scale is no doubt calibrated much differently. I still may PIF the puck as I have others to use (and try), but now at least it would be a slightly sad good-bye rather than a GTFO situation.
No matter what, I really appreciate the opportunity to try this soap - I feel like it has taught me a lot about lathering - so thanks (again) to b_market.
I hope this review has been helpful.
The packaging was very nice - a classic box and a paper wrapper. The first sniff was nice, but didn't reveal much. I pressed the puck into a 4" tin container after trimming a tiny bit off the sides to get it in (because the top of the tin rounds in a little).
Scent - 6/10
The scent is very pleasant, not overly floral and certainly not overpowering. It's nice when I'm shaving and I get a whiff. That's all I get, though - it's definitely subtle. This is a little disappointing for me, as the olfactory stimulation is part of the joy of shaving. I like the amount of scent that I get from Proraso and Strop Shoppe. If you don't like a strong scent, this would be a great choice.
Lather (Amount, Slickness) - 7/10
I really struggled here. I tried bowl-lathering and just couldn't get it right. Too little water and it just foamed up into a dry, flaky mess. Too much water and it just foamed up and slopped around and managed to be dry at the same time. In both cases, I spent way too long trying to get something usable, but there was almost no slickness and I ended up starting over, or putting another cream on my face first for cushion, or switching to another soap altogether mid-shave. I was ready to give up and just PIF it and be done, happy to have been able to try it and disappointed in the experience (and myself).
Then I read a bunch and decided to approach it with (1) a less-wet brush and (2) face-lathering rather than using the bowl. I also have decided that I need to learn each soap instead of hopping around, so I've committed to a one-week turn with each soap. This puck was first on the list...and on its last leg.
I'm glad I committed - somehow, face-lathering changes the character of the lather. I'm now able to judge the water ratio better and I think that I'm not whipping so fast that I introduce (too much) air before the water incorporates. It still doesn't feel as slick as Strop Shoppe, but it's a damned sight better than it was. I'm able to build the lather in far less time, it's better lather and I'm now enjoying the shaves rather than feeling frustrated.
Soaking the puck while I shower and then loading my moist Parker SilverTip for about 30 seconds gives enough generous lather for a 3-pass shave plus touch-ups...and I only do a 2-pass plus. You could probably get a comfortable 4-pass shave if you were judicious with your lather application.
After-shave Feel - 7/10
My skin feels pretty good afterward, not too moist and not tight. I tend to use a lot of after-shave care, but on days when I don't use a balm, I don't feel like the skin is dry - it's just not as moist as it could be.
So, there you go. DR Harris Lavender gets a 20-of-30 score on the FM Scale. Of course, this is a YMMV thing and your personal scale is no doubt calibrated much differently. I still may PIF the puck as I have others to use (and try), but now at least it would be a slightly sad good-bye rather than a GTFO situation.
No matter what, I really appreciate the opportunity to try this soap - I feel like it has taught me a lot about lathering - so thanks (again) to b_market.
I hope this review has been helpful.
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