The Quest To Find My Favorite Soaps With Reviews...

What? - Well, having determined through much blissful trial and error that I am indeed a soap man (for the present) I have set out on a quest to find my favorite soaps.

Why? - I want to find my favorite soaps (10) or less so I can scale back on some of my excess products and find a solid rotation.

The Prep – Hot Towel + MR GLO Soap + Homemade PSO

The Tools – WSP 26mm 2 – Band Super, Merkur 38c + Gillette Silver Blue + Soap Samples + Old Spice Mug #3

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The Rules – Soak brush and Soap while showering, Single Brush Loading, (3) passes: WTG, XTG, ATG – (No Touch Ups), Use sample every day until gone

The Criterion (Weighted) – Ease of Lathering (.9), Scent (1.05), Lubrication - Slickness (1.1), Density – Cushion – Protection (1.15), Skincare (1), Price (.8), Overall…Scores will be posted on the final day of the sample’s trial.

The Standard (@ the request of the BaconLord ) - MWF - Ease of Lathering 9, Scent 8.75, Lubrication - Slickness 10, Density – Cushion – Protection 9, Skincare 10, Price 9 = Overall - 9.30

The Fat – This is an all Tallow party because, I believe that “the best part of waking up is tallow on your brush.”

Stop One - Mike’s Natural Soaps…​

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Stop Two – Lavender Fields…​

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I welcome you to join in, follow along, or post your comments or questions along the way.

 

Stop One - Mike’s Natural Soaps…

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Tour De Mike’s​

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After much anticipation I received my samples from Mike's Natural Soaps. I didn't order every single one of these, but I guess Mike felt I should try all of them. So...That is exactly what I am going to do!​

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I must start out by saying that I have really high expectations for this soap. I have read the denizens who sing the praises of this tallow based artisan soap. With a number of classic and high quality tallow soaps in my den, living up to these expectations may be a tall order. On occasion I enjoy Tabac, Czech & Speake, Speick, MWF, and a recently acquired AOS tallow first old formulation - a daunting lineup for any challenger. So, lets press on to see how this new competitor stacks up against the old guard! ​

 

Nice idea! I like it!
May I make a suggestion, Chris?
Establish a standard first.
Pick a common, well-known soap so we all have reference. Example: VDH Soap or a similar one of your choosing
Many are familiar with this product so per your criterion, a numerical value of 'ease of lathering' .3 for VDH and say, .8 for Mikes will give the viewer some relative perspective and value on the product you're testing.
Just a suggestion.
BTW: I had a sample pack like that of Mike's. some good soaps!
Look forward to seeing your testing!

 

On the first day of this trek the Pine & Cedarwood scent was randomly selected. In many ways, this was a great way to start the tour. The pine notes reminded me out hiking outdoors in the Canadian Rockies. The Cedarwood also held a bit of nostalgia for me as I worked in a Cedar-mill in Canada once upon a time. These two scents were not only paired well, but were also balanced well. Both scents were prevalent and natural smelling. Throughout the shave, these two scents continued to dance around first one, then the other, blending at times. The blending created an almost peppery aroma. Needless to say, it was very refreshing as I have been stuck, cooped up in the house for a week after my knee surgery.

I was planning on soaking the sample in a few drops of water as I showered because I have heard that Mike's soaps are thirsty, however, I forgot this step today. It will be incorporated into the process starting tomorrow, unless my memory fails me again. The proto-lather began to form very quickly, but overall it did take a little more loading time than either Tabac or MWF. This could easily be due to the fact that it was just a small sample rattling around at the bottom of an Old Spice mug though. Once the brush was sufficiently loaded, there was plenty there for my regular (3) pass shave with enough for at least two additional passes. I was pleased with the slickness of the lather, both testing with my hands and more importantly the residual slickness on my face as I rinsed between passes. The blade glided smoothly and effortlessly across the skin. The lather was fairly dense having plenty of cushion and protection, but again not as much as MWF or Tabac.

The end result was a near BBS, with no irritation or weepers. My skin feels smooth, refreshed and fairly hydrated.


Day 1 conclusion: I was probably most pleased with the scent and the slickness from this soap today. There was a little left to be desired on the density side, with cushion and protection coming in a little behind the products that are known for this. But, then again, look at the lineup I am comparing this with! Looking forward to seeing how it performs tomorrow, now that I have had my first experience with this soap.

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Great thread........have fun!

Bob

FWIW-I pressed my Mike's sample into the bowl to prevent it from rattling around.

 

Tour De Mike's Day 2​

Pine & Cedarwood​

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What was left in the brush after the 3rd pass...​

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Day 2 conclusion: Today I remembered to add a few drops of warm water into the OS Mug prior to showering. I do this with some of my other soaps, particularly MWF. It seemed to assist the process as lathering was easier and the lather itself seemed to have a little more of that cushion/density/protection that I was looking for. I picked up on a little more as far as scent goes. There is definitely a hint of a smoky aroma to this one. Think campfire or hickory, not tobacco or cigarettes. By the looks of the OS mug there are at least 1-2 more days of shaves on this one. End result was a near BBS again with no nicks, weepers or irritation, just a soft, hydrated clean shaven mug! Have a blessed day all!

 

Tour De Mike's Day 3​

Pine & Cedarwood​

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Day 3 conclusion: I would definitely recommend adding a few drops or maybe 1/2 tbsp (if using tin) of warm water prior to using this soap. Today, I was able to whip up that same rich, creamy, dense, and slick lather as yesterday with even slight improvements. The scent is definitely a strong, woodsy - smoky aroma, perfect for the evergreen or alpine forest lover. I decided to wrap this scent up after (3) days to ensure I didn't run short on the next shave. Though as I was cleaning out the mug, I was pretty certain there was enough left for a 4th shave. Great results as usual! Summary and wrap up on this scent to follow this evening. Up next...Mike's Hungarian Lavender!

 

Tour De Mike's​

Pine & Cedarwood Summary​

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Ease of Lathering: 9
The soap itself was pretty easy to lather. What I have heard regarding Mike's is true - they are thirsty soaps. It seemed to lather much better when allowed to bask in a few drops of warm water while showering.

Scent: 7.5
The scent was strong but natural, striking a harmonious balance between the Pine and Cedarwood. The blended at times into a woodsy aroma with a smoky twist. The scent was probably even a little too strong for my tastes, but those who are lovers of these scents would undoubtedly appreciate the strength of the scent. Despite the strength of the scent while lathering and shaving it doesn't seem to last particularly long on the skin or interfere with the application of aftershaves or colognes.

Lubrication: 9
I was very pleased with the slickness of the lather. It had plenty of slickness evident even after rinsing between passes.

Density - Cushion - Protection: 9
After I began giving the soap a little pre-soak before lathering it performed very well in this category. The lather turned out to provide plenty of cushioning and protection.

Skincare - 9
The ingredients of this soap certainly read like a list of the most popular and effective skin care products on the market. My skin was always left feeling soft and hydrated after each shave indicating the quality array of ingredients pleasing to the skin.

Price - 10
With refill bars between $8-$9 you can't go wrong!

Overall - 8.87

This would have scored over 9 easily, but as I continued to use the soap, the scent was just a little overpowering for me while lathering and shaving. If a strong combination of Pine & Cedarwood are your thing, I would highly recommend this soap!

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Beginning Monday...Mike's Hungarian Lavender!

 

Tour De Mike's​

Hungarian Lavender​

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Conclusion Day 1:

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Wow...This scent is amazing! This is a flowery and herbaceous blend with a hint of camphor, which balances quite nice with the other notes. The scent packs plenty of punch, powerful while lathering and shaving, but doesn't interfere with after shaves or colognes. I am a lover of Lavender scents and this will be a serious contender in the next competition (Lavender Fields). As you can see in the picture, I deviated from my rules slightly since I actually purchased this in a tin. The sample will be used for a PIF or something else. It seems to me that the soap performed even even better when lathering with the tin verses a sample in the OS mug. The lather was very rich and creamy with plenty of dense cushioning and super slickness. A great soap to be sure. The next (2) days of this review will have to wait for a while as I need to fly to Vancouver to see my father who is sick in the hospital. Have a great week all!

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Tour De Mike's​

Hungarian Lavender​

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Conclusion Day 2:

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Well after traveling for a week this morning's shave was truly a great experience! The scent of this Lavender is a real treat. I have tried several Lavender scents and this is certainly one of my favorites. It has just the right amount of camphor to balance with the flowery notes creating a straight forward and clean, yet powerful scent. The soap creates a thick, creamy lather almost effortlessly from the tin. The more I try this soap as it was intended to be used in either the tin or bar form the more impressed I am with the results. The density and cushion of the lather created with this soap is truly right up there with some of the best. Tomorrow will be the final day of this scent in the Tour De Mike's, but it will be hard to move on. I sure am glad I purchased a full tin of this soap! Summary and scoring for this soap will be posted sometime tomorrow.

 

Tour De Mike's​

Hungarian Lavender​

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Conclusion Day 3:

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Once again a truly amazing experience. Lavender's are among my favorite scents and this one is right up there at the top of the list. This variety has such a great clean flowery scent that mixes beautifully with the camphor which can be quite present in Lavender EO's. This soap is a breeze to lather in the wide-mouth tin. The lather it produces has plenty of slickness and makes a top grade in the protection category. Sad to move on from this soap, but I imagine this excellent soap will find a solid place in my rotation for some time. It will also be re-visited when I test all my Lavender soaps in the Lavender Fields competition.

 

Tour De Mike's​

Hungarian Lavender Summary​

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Summary and Scoring: ​

Ease of Lathering: 9.5
The soap is extremely easy to lather, particularly in the wide mouth tin. As I mentioned before, what I have heard regarding Mike's is true - they are thirsty soaps. It seemed to lather much better when allowed to bask in a few drops of warm water while showering.

Scent: 9.75
The scent was truly blissful. Imagine walking through rolling fields of Lavender in Hungary on a crisp clear summer morning while droplets of dew still cling to the blossoms. This Lavender is a has a strong, but clean and crisp scent. The scent is both flowery and camphorous without being sweet or smelling like a medicine cabinet. The Hungarian EO strikes a very natural tone without even a hint of any artificial scent to be found. Like the other of Mike's soaps I have tried, the scent is healthy while lathering and shaving but doesn't seem to last particularly long on the skin or interfere with the application of aftershaves or colognes.

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Lubrication: 9
I have found the lather produced by Mike's to be sufficiently slick. They have plenty of slickness evident even after rinsing between passes.

Density - Cushion - Protection: 9.5 (Edit) Correct Now...
The lather created by this soap from the wide-mouth tin is super dense. It provides plenty of cushioning and protection for a superior shave. I have found that when lathering this soap from the tin it creates a dense and cushioning lather right up there with the likes of Tabac and MWF.

Skincare - 9
The ingredients of this soap certainly read like a list of the most popular and effective skin care products on the market. My skin was always left feeling soft and hydrated after each shave indicating the quality array of ingredients pleasing to the skin.

Price - 10
With refill bars between $8-$9 you can't go wrong!

Overall - 9.44 What an excellent soap! If you are a fan of Lavender soaps I would call this a must try. Even if you are indifferent or not opposed to Lavender it would be worth trying a sample. I highly recommend this soap!

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Beginning Monday...Mike's Barber Shop!

 

Wow! I thought I was reading a Cigar Aficionado review of a beautiful torpedo. Great job.

 

Tour De Mike's​

Barber Shop​

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Conclusion Day 1:

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Another winner here from Mike's Natural Soaps. The scent is somewhat of a mystery to me though. I would describe it as a classic and complex moderate strength masculine scent. I won't tell you it reminds me of days gone by stepping into the corner barber shop, because I don't believe I have ever set foot in a classic barber shop. For me the scent was not as "in your face" as the Pine & Cedarwood or even the Hungarian Lavender, but this could easily be due to the fact that it is a more complex FO rather than EO mix. The scent did seem to last a little longer on the skin than some of the others though and it pairs most excellently with Floid Blue AS. Due to its complexity, I decided to look up the description on the website, which calls it "a complex, potent, manly scent consisting of bergamot, basil, oakmoss, and patchouli." I would be lying if I told you I can pick up on any of those scents except maybe a hint of bergamot. I'm not sure I would call it very potent either except for its ability to linger on the skin longer than some of his other scents. Suffice to say, to me the scent is a classic and complex moderate strength masculine scent that I very much enjoyed!

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Tour De Mike's​

Barber Shop​

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Conclusion Day 2:

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Really more of the same here today. It is really hard to pick out any individual scents in this pleasurable mixture. The individual scents themselves blend so well into a harmonious whole that the shaver is left more with the impressions of their sum total rather than individual top or base notes. As stated before it is a classic no matter what era you are from. It is a very pleasant, complex, masculine scent. I believe that this scent would be enjoyed by those who visited the classic barber shops 50-80 years ago or a young (relatively) guy of 35 like me, or even the college students I serve in ministry. At first I was baffled by the potency mike spoke of in his description, because to me, this doesn't have that in your face punch. I certainly wouldn't describe the strength as overpowering or distracting. I believe the potency comes in its ability to l-i-n-g-e-r on the face long after the morning shave is over. As a side-note, I can now procure the same lather from the sample in the OS mug as from the tin, just takes a little longer loading time. Another soap I will be sad to see come to an end, but I obtained a new stick of this from our own Ryan Bales that will allow me to continue the adventures with this great soap!

 

Thanks man! I'm really enjoying the process myself!

 

Excellent work, Chris! I am thoroughly enjoying (vicarious pleasure!) reading through your experiences.
You realize of course that the end result from all your posted research is a potentially-massive 'run on' Mike's Natural soaps! He's already swamped by demand.
This is what happens when the word gets out about a quality product at a fair price.

Good stuff! Keep it up!

 

Thanks Kevin...Yeah...hadn't really thought about that! Good thing it's only being posted here for now!

 

Tour De Mike's​

Barber Shop​

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Conclusion Day 3:

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Another excellent shave with Mike's Barber Shop. Mike's Natural Barber Shop is just a great clean, classic masculine scent. It is the kind of scent you would want to go before you when entering the boardroom or any other room for that matter. It exudes a confident humility that lets others know you are there without being extravagant or obtrusive. It is a complex scent with great balance and unity that leaves one with the impression of the combined result rather than any singular dominant note. An excellent, slick, dense and easy to lather winner. Just try it...You will be glad you did! Up next...Mike's Natural Peppermint & Rosemary!