Pre de Provence 63. WOW!!

[Marco]

I would say the soap has a mild aromatic herbal scent. If there is citrus, it is far in the background. I imagine it smells similar to a Clary Sage bath soap from a nice boutique hotel somewhere in the South of France. There are other notes like rosemary, thyme, juniper and so on. The scent will rinse off almost completely. The balm, on the other hand, has a more persistent, penetrating scent. You only need a small amount, say a pea-sized amount, applied to moist skin. The balm's scent might persist 60-90 minutes depending on the person.

It seems most people like the scent. You do see some comments along the lines of "the scent grew on me over time." Some would say it's too mild and not very exciting.

This soap lasts a very long time. I've noticed the soap scent has become even milder after a few years.

This is the original packaging, BTW.
View attachment 1323048

It's exactly what I wanted to hear! I'm certainly buying a tin with matching balm on my next order. Thank you so very much, Sir.

 

[smu]

I have been using this for years. In my opinion it has a citrus scent combined with herbal notes. I don't like weak smelling soaps so in my opinion, the scent is bold but not too bold! The scent is just right for me!

 

[Owen Bawn]

I agree with those above who have written that the Bergamot & Thyme is a light clary/sage scent. Not heavily perfumed in the least. Any bergamot or citrus notes don't appear to be in the forefront. The soap scent virtually disappears once the face is rinsed. The balm is also lightly scented, and I can pick it up on myself for maybe a little over an hour. I've been following it up with Floris No 89 EdT, which is a lovely finish to a very good shave.

 

[Marco]

I agree with those above who have written that the Bergamot & Thyme is a light clary/sage scent. Not heavily perfumed in the least. Any bergamot or citrus notes don't appear to be in the forefront. The soap scent virtually disappears once the face is rinsed. The balm is also lightly scented, and I can pick it up on myself for maybe a little over an hour. I've been following it up with Floris No 89 EdT, which is a lovely finish to a very good shave.

Owen, da vero Gentiluomo.

 

[sarir97]

The PdP 63 balm is the simply outstanding.

 

[Demolition]

PdP Bergamot and Thyme is currently my favourite soap. It has been in my rotation for a few months and I eagerly anticipate using it as its turn approaches.

@Marco, I posted a quick review, mostly concentrating on the scent, in the What are you unpacking/opening? thread. I wrote the following:

On opening the tin, this has a much subtler scent than the No. 63. There's a sweet, herbal top-note that could be bergamot and/or thyme, but it smells somewhat more sage-like. I know that Pré de Provence makes a sage-scented soap... Could this be the same fragrance? (I don't know what PdP Original shaving soap smelled like; Bergamot and Thyme is apparently a re-labelled version of Original).

I ended up going to the kitchen spice rack and sniffing a bunch of herbs to figure it out. Interestingly, the top-note does appear to be thyme with a hint of rosemary (later, I saw that rosemary is on the ingredient list). The mid-note is very sage-y and is the scent that registers most strongly on your brain. There's something vanilla-like in there, too; that could be the coumarin. The base-note is slightly citrusy with a trace of spice (somewhat peppery; could be the bergamot). This last bit is also present in No. 63, albeit way stronger.

Anyway, the Bergamot and Thyme uses the same base as the No. 63, so it's also an extremely easy-lathering soap. However, the after-scent is not as in-your-face as the No. 63. My face was left feeling very refreshed, afterwards.

So, if you think that you'd like a mild herbaceous scent with just a touch of sweetness and spiciness, then this soap is for you!


(Side note: Since writing the above, I've used the PdP Sage bath bar and the sage scent is much more forward because it contains actual bits of sage. I thought I should mention that because a lot of people have noted a sage-y scent in B&T. The B&T scent is more subtle than that of the products in PdP's Sage collection.)

 

[Owen Bawn]

I just had a most satisfying shave using the Bergamot & Thyme soap and then followed it with a little balm of the same name. My skin feels clean, healthy, and moisturized. Finished with 3 wee spritzes of Floris No. 89 and I couldn't be happier. These Pre de Provence products are truly outstanding.

 

[Marco]

I just had a most satisfying shave using the Bergamot & Thyme soap and then followed it with a little balm of the same name. My skin feels clean, healthy, and moisturized. Finished with 3 wee spritzes of Floris No. 89 and I couldn't be happier. These Pre de Provence products are truly outstanding.

I agree entirely, my dear friend. These French soaps are just exceptional and have quickly climbed very, very high in my ranking.

 

[RPShaves]

I'm a big fan of 63 - this thread just reminded me to pull it out for the next shave.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[nemo]

I'm a big fan of 63 - this thread just reminded me to pull it out for the next shave.

Pulled mine out twice this week due to this thread!

 

[sarir97]

Aside the PdP balm, is there another aftershave that pairs well with the #63?

 

[Atlantic59]

Some that I've tried: Proraso Red splash, LEA 3-in-1 Sensitive Balm, Clubman Vanilla splash

 

[sanookd]

Aside the PdP balm, is there another aftershave that pairs well with the #63?

Yes, there is a #63 EdT

 

[kcbrett]

Purchased PdP No 63 based off of advice received from @Marco. Glad I did! I received it the other day and the test lather I made with it was magnificent. Used it to shave yesterday and I really think it has a lot of potential for me. I really enjoyed the scent and am considering getting the matching balm to pair with it.

The balm is awesome as well!!

 

[Pressroll]

The balm is awesome as well!!

Bought the balm shortly after my original post. I completely agree!

 

[JCinPA]

Dagnabbit! Just put the B&T in my cart. After cold turkey for several years, I'm certainly back on the soap acquisition sauce, big time.

 

[Marco]

Dagnabbit! Just put the B&T in my cart. After cold turkey for several years, I'm certainly back on the soap acquisition sauce, big time.

Don't worry John, you are certainly not alone. And isn't this part of the fun, too?

 

[BigJ]

Dagnabbit! Just put the B&T in my cart. After cold turkey for several years, I'm certainly back on the soap acquisition sauce, big time.

My bet is that you will love the performance!!

 

[Pressroll]

Dagnabbit! Just put the B&T in my cart. After cold turkey for several years, I'm certainly back on the soap acquisition sauce, big time.

Everything will be ok... (isn't that what enablers say?!? hahaha)

I placed an order yesterday for the B&T soap and balm! I certainly don't need it but I really want it.

 

[Marco]

Everything will be ok... (isn't that what enablers say?!? hahaha)

I placed an order yesterday for the B&T soap and balm! I certainly don't need it but I really want it.

Matthew, please report here your thoughts mainly on the B&T's scent and how much you like it (if you do) compared to the N°63.