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Saponificio Varesino: smell and cooling properties

I'm looking forward to selecting an SV shaving soap. So I plan on buying a few handsoaps first at €9 a bar, to select the smell I like most before buying a shaving soap at € 30.
But even then, some preselection is required.
I'm currently considering:
- 70th anniversary
- desert vetiver
- opuntia
- Dolomiti

Which one would you skip (or add) considering...
- when it comes to shaving soap later on, I don't like the cooling feeling of menthol, mint or whatever can be used to give this icing feeling.
- when it comes to smell, I (we) like Tabac, are oké with Pitralon, are fond of most YSL EdT's. We're no fans of Old Spice and bay rum. But we do like Paco Rabanne (even more the grey version that came before the green one). Yes for Blue de Chanel, no for Hugo reversed. Yes for Victor&Rolf spicebomb fresh.
 
Okay, so today I used the first sample. The Opuntia.
What I like about it:
- the product itself is like a liquid gel. More fluid than a cream, less than a regular AS. Like that.
- the product really takes good care of my skin
- the smell is rather discreet and complex. Not one-dimensional, not 'in your face - car salesman'

What I don't like about it:
- It's not that I dislike the smell, that I experience it as 'bad', but I don't really like it for an AS. It smells too much like fruit when first applied. Like I'd been eating pineapple.
- The smell is maybe a tad too discreet. My wife had to sniff my face to evaluate it.

Points: 7/10
 
Scent is subjective, so YMMV.

But I don't think that guys who like standard modern scents (by YSL, Paco Rabanne, Channelle, Dior) would necessarily like most of these Italian classic ontakes on Colonia style stuff. I think they are better off with Stirling ontakes on these scents. The SVs are a modern ontake, but more for guys who wear classic stuff by Aqua di Parma, Penhaligon or Guerlain, so, not common designer frags but also nor common niche. Again, there are a lot of artisans who feed that market with their ontakes.

But, their are exeptions IMHO:
The 70th is more modern, more designer, more an ontake on Aqua di Gio IMHO. Maybe that's the reason why it apeals most to the masses.
The Opuntia is my least favourite, I think it is an ontake on Creed Aventus while trying not to be identified as an ontake. "Not fish, not meat" ("Nicht Fisch, nicht Fleisch") as we say in German.

My favourite is Manna di Sicilia. But I also like Dolomiti, Stella Alpina, and Tundra Arctica.
Next winter I will stock up on Cubebe. Due to Covid and spending restrictions I gave that one a pass the second year. It is time when winter is coming...

The Desert Vetiver I don't know, and I couldn't get a sample yet. But most likely I will buy it sooner or later.

The aftershaves are something inbetween a splash and a balm, but very soothing, for more oily skin often too much goodness. If the scent is not strong enough (which they are for me), they also make Eau de Parfums of some of their scents. And those are very potent. Personally, I find projecting scents obstrusive, so I'm happy with the aftershaves.
 
Scent is subjective, so YMMV.

My favourite is Manna di Sicilia. But I also like Dolomiti, Stella Alpina, and Tundra Arctica.
Next winter I will stock up on Cubebe. Due to Covid and spending restrictions I gave that one a pass the second year. It is time when winter is coming...

Would you mind trying to describe Manna di Sicilia, Dolomiti, Stella Alpina and Tundra Arctica? I'm trying to get a read on these and I've noticed that folks who review them often take a pass on trying to describe the scent (as I would likely do as well :) ).
 
My favourite SV soaps and asb /asl
( scent -wise ) are Manna di Sicilia ,Cosmo and Desert Vetiver .

Manna di Sicilia is a complex and rather easy -going /sweet citrusy-herb-woody scent .I can not define it
as either winter or summer scent .
So it’s used all year round .
My most favourite one,also !

Cosmo is a rather unique ,odd and somewhat “dark/ noir “ scent.
Coffee and citrus ,spiced up !
Yet refreshing.
Not everyone will appreciate the Cosmo line scent ,though.
Great for late summer -autumn shaves.

Desert Vetiver is very complex to describe . Peppery & green ,
“slick & sharp” .
Extraordinary .
A late autumn - winter
scent ,but not overwhelming.
A somewhat “darker”
(...almost “post-apocalyptic” )
approach on the classic
complex Italian cologne scent family .
Truly a great scent .
 
My favourite SV soaps and asb /asl
( scent -wise ) are Manna di Sicilia ,Cosmo and Desert Vetiver .

Manna di Sicilia is a complex and rather easy -going /sweet citrusy-herb-woody scent .I can not define it
as either winter or summer scent .
So it’s used all year round .
My most favourite one,also !

Cosmo is a rather unique ,odd and somewhat “dark/ noir “ scent.
Coffee and citrus ,spiced up !
Yet refreshing.
Not everyone will appreciate the Cosmo line scent ,though.
Great for late summer -autumn shaves.

Desert Vetiver is very complex to describe . Peppery & green ,
“slick & sharp” .
Extraordinary .
A late autumn - winter
scent ,but not overwhelming.
A somewhat “darker”
(...almost “post-apocalyptic” )
approach on the classic
complex Italian cologne scent family .
Truly a great scent .

Thank you for describing them in terms I can relate to!
 
I have Dolomiti and, in fact, used it today. Very pleasant scent, but pretty light. It pairs well with a lot of balms and aftershaves.

The lather is amazing.
 
Okay, so today I used the second sample. The Felce aromatica.
What I like about it:
- the product itself is like a liquid gel. More fluid than a cream, less than a regular AS. Like that.
- the product really takes good care of my skin
- the smell is rather discreet and complex. Not one-dimensional, not 'in your face - car salesman'
- I appreciate the smell. That's not exactly the same as 'like'. Both how it starts as after 15 minutes

What I don't like about it:
- I have the impression the product is a tad more liquid than the previous Opuntia. Kind of ran between my fingers.
- The smell is maybe a tad too discreet. My wife had to sniff my face to evaluate it.
- After an hour, there's little left of the smell. I did use only a small quantity.

Points: 7/10
 
Okay, so today I used the third sample. The 70th anniversary special edition.
What I like about it (and those plusses seem to run in the SV-family):
- the product itself is like a liquid gel. More fluid than a cream, less than a regular AS. Like that.
- the product really takes good care of my skin
- the smell is rather discreet and complex. Not one-dimensional, not 'in your face - car salesman'
- I appreciate the smell. That's not exactly the same as 'like'. Both how it starts as after 15 minutes

What I don't like about it:
- The smell is maybe a tad too discreet. My wife had to sniff my face to evaluate it.
- The first notes have too much of a flower-like smell for me. That changes after an hour or so.

Points: 7/10
 
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