OK guys, I have one sample left to try tonight (Maggard's Lime & Bergamot) and then I'll be sending the box on its merry way. This has been a great way to try a variety of bases, and I'm looking forward to getting a crack at box 2! I'll be posting some reviews today.
Soap Sample Passaround Box
- Thread starter dfoulk
- Start date
Soap of the Gods - Fougere
Scent - 3
First of all, I want to start with the scent description from the vendor:
"Lavender, Bamboo, Rosewood, Helichrysum, Oak moss, Geraniums, Cedar Balsam, Vetiver, Tonka beans and a touch of Oakmoss."
Normally I'm a huge fan of fougere scents, but this one wasn't doing it for me. I felt like the cedar scent was a bit overpowering once lathered. Scent strength was strong both on and off the puck. Very woody/spicy take on a fougere.
Ease of Lather - 3.5
The soap lathered well and resulted in a fairly dense/creamy lather. It did take a little effort to get it dialed in.
Slickness/Protection - 3.5
Initial slickness I would rate a 4. My razor had no issues gliding through the lather and I felt like my face was well protected. With that said, residual slickness I'd rate only a 3. It'd be fine to go over an area again for a touch up, but I wouldn't over-do it.
Post Shave - 2
Soap was a little bit drying and my face was somewhat burning toward the end of use. I believe this may have been from the cedar (a scent I will now be steering clear of). Van Yulay has a variety of different bases, this one being their vegan option. I would like to eventually try their tallow versions to see if there is a noticeable difference in performance.
Overall - 3
Overall, I got a pretty decent shave, but this one is not for me. I'm curious to try some of their other bases to see if it was the vegan base/Cedar oil that was causing some of my issues (I suspect that it was). I would encourage others to give this a try since scent perception/skin sensitivity differs by person.
Scent - 3
First of all, I want to start with the scent description from the vendor:
"Lavender, Bamboo, Rosewood, Helichrysum, Oak moss, Geraniums, Cedar Balsam, Vetiver, Tonka beans and a touch of Oakmoss."
Normally I'm a huge fan of fougere scents, but this one wasn't doing it for me. I felt like the cedar scent was a bit overpowering once lathered. Scent strength was strong both on and off the puck. Very woody/spicy take on a fougere.
Ease of Lather - 3.5
The soap lathered well and resulted in a fairly dense/creamy lather. It did take a little effort to get it dialed in.
Slickness/Protection - 3.5
Initial slickness I would rate a 4. My razor had no issues gliding through the lather and I felt like my face was well protected. With that said, residual slickness I'd rate only a 3. It'd be fine to go over an area again for a touch up, but I wouldn't over-do it.
Post Shave - 2
Soap was a little bit drying and my face was somewhat burning toward the end of use. I believe this may have been from the cedar (a scent I will now be steering clear of). Van Yulay has a variety of different bases, this one being their vegan option. I would like to eventually try their tallow versions to see if there is a noticeable difference in performance.
Overall - 3
Overall, I got a pretty decent shave, but this one is not for me. I'm curious to try some of their other bases to see if it was the vegan base/Cedar oil that was causing some of my issues (I suspect that it was). I would encourage others to give this a try since scent perception/skin sensitivity differs by person.
Oleo - Shiloh
Scent - 5
First of all, I want to start with the scent description from the vendor:
"A scent inspired by Acqua Di Parma Colonia.
Scent Notes: Sicilian citrus, Lavender, Rosemary, Verbena, Damask Rose, Vetiver, Sandalwood, Patchouli"
Lovely scent! Very strong on and off the puck, but does not linger after rinse. Would not interfere with post shave products/cologne. This was a well blended scent that is slightly citrusy, somewhat woody, and a little spicy. It's hard to explain, but it's very nice.
Ease of Lather - 4
The soap lathered well and resulted in a creamy lather with a nice sheen. Was not hard to dial this one in, IMO.
Slickness/Protection - 4
Initial slickness I would rate a 4. My razor had no issues gliding through the lather and I felt like my face was well protected. Residual slickness I would also rate a 4. No issues going over areas as I felt like I still had plenty of slickness to prevent irritation.
Post Shave - 4
Excellent post shave on this one. Skin felt soft and well hydrated.
Overall - 4.25
Overall, I got a very good shave. Oleo's current base incorporates a lot of skin nourishing/moisturizing ingredients. I believe they also utilize duck fat, which produces a very luxurious and slick lather in my experience. Would highly recommend this one.
Scent - 5
First of all, I want to start with the scent description from the vendor:
"A scent inspired by Acqua Di Parma Colonia.
Scent Notes: Sicilian citrus, Lavender, Rosemary, Verbena, Damask Rose, Vetiver, Sandalwood, Patchouli"
Lovely scent! Very strong on and off the puck, but does not linger after rinse. Would not interfere with post shave products/cologne. This was a well blended scent that is slightly citrusy, somewhat woody, and a little spicy. It's hard to explain, but it's very nice.
Ease of Lather - 4
The soap lathered well and resulted in a creamy lather with a nice sheen. Was not hard to dial this one in, IMO.
Slickness/Protection - 4
Initial slickness I would rate a 4. My razor had no issues gliding through the lather and I felt like my face was well protected. Residual slickness I would also rate a 4. No issues going over areas as I felt like I still had plenty of slickness to prevent irritation.
Post Shave - 4
Excellent post shave on this one. Skin felt soft and well hydrated.
Overall - 4.25
Overall, I got a very good shave. Oleo's current base incorporates a lot of skin nourishing/moisturizing ingredients. I believe they also utilize duck fat, which produces a very luxurious and slick lather in my experience. Would highly recommend this one.
Lisa's Premium Coconut Oud
Scent - 4
First of all, I want to start with the scent description from the vendor:
"Raw fresh coconut fused with cocoa bean, lemon leaf, citron, vanilla and hints of amber, oud wood, cedar, ambrette seed, green rosemary, baby orchid, gala apple, dark olibanum, black musk and earthy patchouli "
Very nice coconut scent off the puck. Very strongly scented both on and off the puck. Once lathered, the scent is a dark/smoky coconut scent. It's a nice scent, but not something I would reach for with any regularity.
Ease of Lather - 3.5
The soap lathered well and resulted in a creamy lather with a nice sheen. Took a good amount of water/effort to get it dialed in, IMO.
Slickness/Protection - 4
Initial slickness I would rate a 4. My razor had no issues gliding through the lather and I felt like my face was well protected. Residual slickness I would also rate a 4. No issues going over areas as I felt like I still had plenty of slickness to prevent irritation.
Post Shave - 5
Excellent post shave on this one. Skin felt soft and well hydrated. Base contains sheep's milk and lanolin which contribute to an excellent post shave feel.
Overall - 4.125
Overall, I got a very good shave. This base is top notch in terms of post-shave feel. My only knock against it was the scent, but taste is personal. I'd like to try some of their other offerings in the future that may be more for me. Would highly recommend this base.
Scent - 4
First of all, I want to start with the scent description from the vendor:
"Raw fresh coconut fused with cocoa bean, lemon leaf, citron, vanilla and hints of amber, oud wood, cedar, ambrette seed, green rosemary, baby orchid, gala apple, dark olibanum, black musk and earthy patchouli "
Very nice coconut scent off the puck. Very strongly scented both on and off the puck. Once lathered, the scent is a dark/smoky coconut scent. It's a nice scent, but not something I would reach for with any regularity.
Ease of Lather - 3.5
The soap lathered well and resulted in a creamy lather with a nice sheen. Took a good amount of water/effort to get it dialed in, IMO.
Slickness/Protection - 4
Initial slickness I would rate a 4. My razor had no issues gliding through the lather and I felt like my face was well protected. Residual slickness I would also rate a 4. No issues going over areas as I felt like I still had plenty of slickness to prevent irritation.
Post Shave - 5
Excellent post shave on this one. Skin felt soft and well hydrated. Base contains sheep's milk and lanolin which contribute to an excellent post shave feel.
Overall - 4.125
Overall, I got a very good shave. This base is top notch in terms of post-shave feel. My only knock against it was the scent, but taste is personal. I'd like to try some of their other offerings in the future that may be more for me. Would highly recommend this base.
- Thread starter
- #4,245
Current Status
1. A. Feitar - Box 2 en route
2. ryinzana - In possession Box 1
3. jldallas
4. spolct
5. Montgomery115
6. catchacoolbreeze
7. CJB3
8. kooldecker
9. FloorPizza
10. mrlandpirate
11. boghopper
12. dezmil
13.Joshua223
14. Schinny
15. Psusocr
16. SailFast
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.Iloverootbeer
25. Suhrim21
26. back to dfoulk for refill.
1. A. Feitar - Box 2 en route
2. ryinzana - In possession Box 1
3. jldallas
4. spolct
5. Montgomery115
6. catchacoolbreeze
7. CJB3
8. kooldecker
9. FloorPizza
10. mrlandpirate
11. boghopper
12. dezmil
13.Joshua223
14. Schinny
15. Psusocr
16. SailFast
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.Iloverootbeer
25. Suhrim21
26. back to dfoulk for refill.
Viking Shaving Soap - Ragnar
Scent - 5
First of all, I want to start with the scent description from the vendor:
"Named after the famous Viking king, Ragnar Lothbrok, this scent is fit for a smooth operating king. Our take on, but certainly not affiliated with, the classic Creed ‘Aventus’ scent. All around fantastic!"
For those not familiar with Creed Adventus, the scent notes are as follows:
Ease of Lather - 5
The soap lathered well and resulted in a creamy luxurious lather with a nice sheen. Resulting lather was the consistency of yogurt. Was not hard to dial this one in. In fact, I accidentally added what I thought was too much water at one point, and the lather did not break down at all.
Slickness/Protection - 4.5
Initial slickness I would rate a 5. My razor glided across my face like a hot knife through butter. Residual slickness I would also rate a 4. No issues going over areas as I felt like I still had plenty of slickness to prevent irritation.
Post Shave - 5
Elite level post shave on this one. Skin felt soft and well hydrated. Top notch stuff. Was able to skip post shave products.
Overall - 4.87
This one really surprised me I have to say... The performance was top notch. I'll definitely be adding this to my den in the near future. The ingredients list on this one is fairly simple, but after review it's not surprising how well this performed. The Tallow/Steric acid/Coconut/Castor Oil provides for a creamy lather while the rest of the ingredients are pure skin food - shea butter, mango butter, aloe, glycerin, etc.
Scent - 5
First of all, I want to start with the scent description from the vendor:
"Named after the famous Viking king, Ragnar Lothbrok, this scent is fit for a smooth operating king. Our take on, but certainly not affiliated with, the classic Creed ‘Aventus’ scent. All around fantastic!"
For those not familiar with Creed Adventus, the scent notes are as follows:
- Top Notes
- Heart Notes
- Base notes
Ease of Lather - 5
The soap lathered well and resulted in a creamy luxurious lather with a nice sheen. Resulting lather was the consistency of yogurt. Was not hard to dial this one in. In fact, I accidentally added what I thought was too much water at one point, and the lather did not break down at all.
Slickness/Protection - 4.5
Initial slickness I would rate a 5. My razor glided across my face like a hot knife through butter. Residual slickness I would also rate a 4. No issues going over areas as I felt like I still had plenty of slickness to prevent irritation.
Post Shave - 5
Elite level post shave on this one. Skin felt soft and well hydrated. Top notch stuff. Was able to skip post shave products.
Overall - 4.87
This one really surprised me I have to say... The performance was top notch. I'll definitely be adding this to my den in the near future. The ingredients list on this one is fairly simple, but after review it's not surprising how well this performed. The Tallow/Steric acid/Coconut/Castor Oil provides for a creamy lather while the rest of the ingredients are pure skin food - shea butter, mango butter, aloe, glycerin, etc.
Soap box #2 arrived this afternoon in the mail. I don’t need to shave at the moment so I sorted through the box and found a couple to test lather. The first test lather was Mystic Water Maestrale.
This soap artisan was new to me. The scent of Maestrale reminds me of Southern France on a sunny summer day: Lavender, Mint and Rosemary. It lathered easily and produced a great lather that I look forward to shaving with.
This soap artisan was new to me. The scent of Maestrale reminds me of Southern France on a sunny summer day: Lavender, Mint and Rosemary. It lathered easily and produced a great lather that I look forward to shaving with.
Shave #1 from Soap Box 2.
I have never tried Barrister and Mann’s reserve so I picked the Lavender Reserve soap for this first test.
I smeared some in the bottom of my copper lathering bowl and added water incrementally. This soap likes lotsa water. The lather consistency was very different from other lathers. When I transferred the lather from the bowl to my face it was difficult to get it to release from the brush in an even manner. It wasn’t creamy smooth but more like peaky meringue. I used a B7 Declaration brush which has significant backbone and it was difficult to get the lather to spread evenly. It seems like had I used a floppier brush it would have done a better job of spreading the lather evenly. The shave however was excellent with a very slick lather that produced no irritation. I love the scent of lavender and I know that there are dozens of varieties of lavender from English to French and Hungarian etc. This one is much more masculine smelling than most. The scent reminds me of a mosquito repellent I am familiar with because this lavender has more of an sharp edge to it. While I enjoyed the test, I don’t think I will buy a B&M reserve soap in the future. I prefer the Glissant and Excelsior bases which for me produce a creamier lather rather than the peaky meringue I produced with the Reserve.
I have never tried Barrister and Mann’s reserve so I picked the Lavender Reserve soap for this first test.
I smeared some in the bottom of my copper lathering bowl and added water incrementally. This soap likes lotsa water. The lather consistency was very different from other lathers. When I transferred the lather from the bowl to my face it was difficult to get it to release from the brush in an even manner. It wasn’t creamy smooth but more like peaky meringue. I used a B7 Declaration brush which has significant backbone and it was difficult to get the lather to spread evenly. It seems like had I used a floppier brush it would have done a better job of spreading the lather evenly. The shave however was excellent with a very slick lather that produced no irritation. I love the scent of lavender and I know that there are dozens of varieties of lavender from English to French and Hungarian etc. This one is much more masculine smelling than most. The scent reminds me of a mosquito repellent I am familiar with because this lavender has more of an sharp edge to it. While I enjoyed the test, I don’t think I will buy a B&M reserve soap in the future. I prefer the Glissant and Excelsior bases which for me produce a creamier lather rather than the peaky meringue I produced with the Reserve.
Believe it or not, you probably needed more water. It likes to be goopy, runny.
I discovered one of my favorite lavender scent combos in a previous soap passaround: Wild West Shaving Aces & Eight (Box 4). I like lavender as a stand alone, but really liked it as part of that scent combo. So I acquired a tub of it.
Shave #2 from Soap Box 2.
This morning’s choice for a Soap was Mystic Waters Sweet Briar. The scent is of a mild pipe tobacco and is really pleasant and clean smelling. This was my first use of a Mystic Water soap.
I smeared some of the sample in the bottom of a Captains Choice copper bowl and lathered with my SOC boar brush. It lathered quickly and easily with 4-5 small additions of water to the bowl. There was enough lather for 4 passes.
The shave was with a Timeless bronze razor with a Rapira Swedish Steel blade. Finished up with some
Thayers in which I have added some crushed menthol crystals.
Overall a fantastic BBS shave. Great post shave feeling where you want to keep touching your face to feel how smooth it is!
This morning’s choice for a Soap was Mystic Waters Sweet Briar. The scent is of a mild pipe tobacco and is really pleasant and clean smelling. This was my first use of a Mystic Water soap.
I smeared some of the sample in the bottom of a Captains Choice copper bowl and lathered with my SOC boar brush. It lathered quickly and easily with 4-5 small additions of water to the bowl. There was enough lather for 4 passes.
The shave was with a Timeless bronze razor with a Rapira Swedish Steel blade. Finished up with some
Thayers in which I have added some crushed menthol crystals.
Overall a fantastic BBS shave. Great post shave feeling where you want to keep touching your face to feel how smooth it is!
Based on your comment, I test lathered Wild West Shaving’s Aces and Eight. What a great scent!! Bourbon, Vanilla and Lavender.
The rest of the WWS soaps all smell really pleasant too. The test lather was airy but still held a lot of water and had a nice shine.
Just an FYI - Box 1 has been sent on. Will be posting my last 3 reviews soon.
What's in Box #3?????
- Thread starter
- #4,256
I have to get that one listed. I'm not at home now so I'll have to get to it later on.
I received box 1 today. I'm going to smell them tonight and choose a soap to use tomorrow.
Just received box two yesterday. Gave the Razor Master Toivo a try last night. This is a pine tar/wood smoke scent. Apparently, Finland - where this soap originates - is a large producer of pine tar worldwide. Here's my thoughts:
Scent - 4
First of all, I want to start with the scent description from the vendor:
"Toivo pine tar scent is the most Finish shaving soap from Razor Master range. It evokes the bonfires burning in the cold Finish winter. A very particular scent!"
This scent is not going to be for everyone... It's a very strong wood smokey smell off the puck. When it lathers you pick up more of the pine tar smell. It is very much reminiscent of sitting around a campfire in the middle of a forest. I liked it a lot because it reminds me of camping as a kid. With that said, it's not a scent I would reach for all the time (it's more of a novelty thing/when I'm feeling outdoorsy). The scent strength is strong both on the puck and lathered, and it definitely lingers after rinse. It would definitely interfere with scented post-shave products/fragrances.
Ease of Lather - 5
The soap lathered well and resulted in a creamy lather with a sour cream like consistency. Handles a good amount of water without breaking down, IMO.
Slickness/Protection - 4
Initial slickness I would rate a 4. My razor had no issues gliding through the lather and I felt like my face was well protected. I would rate residual slickness a 4. No issues going over areas as I felt like I still had plenty of slickness to prevent irritation.
Post Shave - 4
Very good post shave on this one. Skin felt soft and pine tar has a soothing quality to it, which I feel does come through with this soap. I wouldn't say the soap was drying, but it wasn't as moisturizing as some other products I've tried.
Overall - 4.25
Overall, I got a very good shave. Scent on this one would likely be polarizing, but I liked it. I feel the overall score is right where it should be, a strong but not quite elite performer.
Scent - 4
First of all, I want to start with the scent description from the vendor:
"Toivo pine tar scent is the most Finish shaving soap from Razor Master range. It evokes the bonfires burning in the cold Finish winter. A very particular scent!"
This scent is not going to be for everyone... It's a very strong wood smokey smell off the puck. When it lathers you pick up more of the pine tar smell. It is very much reminiscent of sitting around a campfire in the middle of a forest. I liked it a lot because it reminds me of camping as a kid. With that said, it's not a scent I would reach for all the time (it's more of a novelty thing/when I'm feeling outdoorsy). The scent strength is strong both on the puck and lathered, and it definitely lingers after rinse. It would definitely interfere with scented post-shave products/fragrances.
Ease of Lather - 5
The soap lathered well and resulted in a creamy lather with a sour cream like consistency. Handles a good amount of water without breaking down, IMO.
Slickness/Protection - 4
Initial slickness I would rate a 4. My razor had no issues gliding through the lather and I felt like my face was well protected. I would rate residual slickness a 4. No issues going over areas as I felt like I still had plenty of slickness to prevent irritation.
Post Shave - 4
Very good post shave on this one. Skin felt soft and pine tar has a soothing quality to it, which I feel does come through with this soap. I wouldn't say the soap was drying, but it wasn't as moisturizing as some other products I've tried.
Overall - 4.25
Overall, I got a very good shave. Scent on this one would likely be polarizing, but I liked it. I feel the overall score is right where it should be, a strong but not quite elite performer.
I smelled the Toivo smoke pine tar and couldn’t get the cap back on fast enough 
I smelled the Toivo smoke pine tar and couldn’t get the cap back on fast enough
Ha! I completely get that! It’s very intense. I like it, but it definitely isn’t a scent for everyone. It’s not a daily scent either. I wouldn’t want to smell like a campfire at work.
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