What's new

what attracts you ?

AimlessWanderer

Remember to forget me!
Size- although I have bought big *** tubs (8 oz Grandstaff, Tiki, catties Bubbles, etc.) I prefer a more reasonable sized tubs and since I have a large "den" I prefer samples whenever possible since I have yet to finish ANY full sized tub thus far.

Good point! I stocked up not long ago, and got several "mug soap" sized ones for that very reason.

3 x Goodfellas Smile
3 x Edwin Jagger
1 x Muhle
2 x Haslinger
1 x Thiers Issard

I'll only use these one at a time, but they'll be in the bathroom alongside one cream, and a sample sized serving from one of the larger (100g+) soaps. Right now, I have Goodfellas Smile Italian Lemon on duty, alongside Erasmic cream, and servings from one of four open soaps. Those three options per day, with only 6 products open in total, give me enough variety, whilst also doesn't spread the load so far across all the soaps, that none ever get finished. I expect to finish at least one product a year this way.
 
For me, most important factor by far is ingredients. I have a severe tree nut allergy (anaphylactic) and several brands use almond oil so that is the make or break whether I will try a brand.

Second for me is scent. My favourite part of the shave is building the lather and experiencing the scent and the different scent notes evolving. I also love the soaps that have scents that bring back memories for me.

Performance is important but honestly pretty much all or most of the top brands and artisans (that I’ve tried anyways) have figured out how to make good to great bases so it’s likely bad luck if you get a poor performing soap from the top brands and artisans.

Soaps with cool looking labels do draw my eye to look further into them but wouldn’t be the reason I buy a soap if the ingredients didn’t agree with me or the scent isn’t appealing.

One thing I’ve come to realize is I usually won’t blind buy soaps or creams without buying a sample first, unless there are no samples available and it is highly favoured or many positive reviews on B&B. If it’s a new release / limited edition, I won’t bother, I did that with one soap and aftershave (NO Firefighter) and was so disappointed.
 
Performance for me is key, with everything else being secondary.

Post shave quality and what it does for my skin is the most important attribute for me. Slickness is likely next. Cushion and lather ability are secondary. There has to be some cushion and it should lather easily but it's not critical in comparison to Post shave and slickness. A really great scent is also a nice to have but it's not as important as performance.
 
I would say the first thing that draws me to a soap would be the brand. We all have our favorites and when I see one of mine I definitely check to see what the scent description is.

Other than that, I would say the rest of what draws my interest would be evenly split between label art and the name of the soap.
 
Good old fashioned advertising is what filled my shave cabinet. I have most of the affordable must have soaps that get recommended here and several that were used and highly praised in review videos. For all my anti consumerism I do fall flat on my backside sometimes..

However I won't use something if it's said to be average or meh and tbh I don't know what half the ingredients are. Im simple in that I want a good product that's readily available at a fair price, if it smelt good that was a bonus. All I used years ago was Palmolive sticks and erasmic sticks as both cost £0.50, worked well and were in the local shops in abundance. Then they stopped selling both and I came crawling on my hands and knees like some beggar looking for other options and got interested in the wide range that we enjoy today.

And of all the soaps I own (17?) The ones with the most scent are Arko, Tabac and Cella. I always sneak a sniff from the arko when I'm rummaging around and bought a whole box of sticks just in case.. but it was only when a kilo of Cella arrived last week that I actually had a soap that smells incredible! I'll be honest and go as far as to say I'm now only interested in really good smelling soaps and it's a catagory that has finally become important to me.
 
Ingredients first. One of my kids is allergic to sandalwood. It doesn't matter how nice it smells or feels or works, if I can't kiss my little girl goodnight I'm not using it. And then availability. I would rather not fall in love with a puck of unobtainium and never be able to find it again.

Outside of that, it's really hard to say what will pique my interest. It could be ingredients, artwork, scent, God knows what. But once it does, it's onto the search function of the forums to see how it measures up with people in the know.
 
I'm usually wowed by the number of exotic ingredients and skin food. If the price is right, and the scent sounds mild, then it's right up my alley.
 
I'm usually wowed by the number of exotic ingredients and skin food. If the price is right, and the scent sounds mild, then it's right up my alley.
if i read a post by a member regarding a particular soap, I'll usually google it and if i like the sound of it I'm in, otherwise I'm drawn to artwork on a particular tub whilst browsing and again I'll read the profile of it, if i like then I'm in😁
 
Well, although shaving for a while now I have only used three soaps over the years and all bought after reading the discussions in this and one other German language forum.

I started with a Proraso White (now passed on to my son) and then only used Haslinger sheep for years. Only two weeks ago I purchased a Martin de Candre Aggrumes and am trying it out here and there. Workhorse is still the Haslinger.
 
Performance first, scent second, third can I order a sample?
though I like artwork love really nice metal, ceramic or wood bowls...
The only soap I bought for that reason was loccitane. And sure a lady riding a dragon on the a&e kaizen does tickle. But the experience with a sample of amber rose tickles a looooot stronger. But in practice I have stacked jars with text printed on the side. So I rarely appreciate the artwork for its value.
a fancy bowl I might reload with something new. But it is likely I will buy the refill in the first place without the bowl in the first place.
 
Since I love milled soaps, I'm always looking to add more to the den but the choice isn't huge.

As long as the scent is not repulsive and it doesn't irritate my skin, I tend to add them to the rotation.

I don't pay much attention to artwork, superfatted soaps, or chasing the latest bases!
 
I went down the rabbit hole and purchased multiple pucks of around 15 types of soaps. I'm the guy that bought 10 MWF because its cheap and why not. Same on the Fine Platinum before they changed the formula, though it wasn't so cheap as it happens. I didn't know what on earth I was doing and by chance have found some stand-out performers - MWF/DR Harris/A&E Kaizen base etc. I've also bought a number of others which are OK but where i wont bother replacing them.

What guided my choice? Initially it was scent - i love the Creed dupes. Hard experience taught me that some makers have smelled a different creed to me, and sometimes even a good scent lasts hardly any length of time. I also got pulled in a bit by the snazzy sunshine/tropics images on the tub, with promises of citrus and evening cocktails. I also got intrigued by some of the nonsense about "scent based on the exploits of napoleon" or such like. I knew it was rubbish, but you have to start somewhere.

A year in, I'm a huge fan of the triple milled and the MWF. They provide brilliant slickness and post shave feel. I'm not overly cost conscious but some artisan soaps in the UK cost £25 to £30 for a 4 ounce puck. Even the lovely Kaizen isn't worth it to me when I can get over 100 shaves from a DR Harris Windsor or Arlington and I love the scent. I think I will end up as an occasional buyer of Artisan soap. I feel slightly guilty to be honest as these guys are out there trying to make a living but as i don't have a great sense of smell anyway, and i love the traditional alternatives, then I think I can see why MWF and DR Harris and Haslinger have been around as long as they have (plus the Arko/Tabac etc which i have not tried).
 
Good point! I stocked up not long ago, and got several "mug soap" sized ones for that very reason.

3 x Goodfellas Smile
3 x Edwin Jagger
1 x Muhle
2 x Haslinger
1 x Thiers Issard

I'll only use these one at a time, but they'll be in the bathroom alongside one cream, and a sample sized serving from one of the larger (100g+) soaps. Right now, I have Goodfellas Smile Italian Lemon on duty, alongside Erasmic cream, and servings from one of four open soaps. Those three options per day, with only 6 products open in total, give me enough variety, whilst also doesn't spread the load so far across all the soaps, that none ever get finished. I expect to finish at least one product a year this way.

If i may ask, how do you find the performance of the Goodfellas lemon? I would appreciate a second opinion.
 

AimlessWanderer

Remember to forget me!
If i may ask, how do you find the performance of the Goodfellas lemon? I would appreciate a second opinion.

I thought it was very good indeed. Good post shave feel from the lanolin too. :thumbup1:

Foolishly, I wrecked my puck by giving it an extended soak to try and mould it into a bowl. The contents appeared to separate and I ended up ditching it. I still have the Blueberry Grapes and Briarwood ones, but am using a Jagger soap at the moment. I only use one mug soap at a time.
 
I thought it was very good indeed. Good post shave feel from the lanolin too. :thumbup1:

Foolishly, I wrecked my puck by giving it an extended soak to try and mould it into a bowl. The contents appeared to separate and I ended up ditching it. I still have the Blueberry Grapes and Briarwood ones, but am using a Jagger soap at the moment. I only use one mug soap at a time.

Thank you very much! This is the 2nd positive review i get today on this soap. Which may lead me to re-order (i have 3 pucks, but not used them yet).
 
I prefer traditional brands, but if I know them to be sub-par performance-wise, I might skip one. I mostly choose based on the scent, after that. I find myself un-attracted to many artisan soaps due to offputting names, ugly or offensive packaging, etc., however.
 

Tirvine

ancient grey sweatophile
I want it to lather quickly and copiously, have a pleasant but not very obtrusive smell, have no ingredients that freak me out or bring in undesirable properties (such oiliness), and have a reasonable cost per use. So it will probably be MdC Fougere.

;0)
 
Top Bottom