The B&M soaps I've reviewed were the old "white label" base so today I shaved with B&M Diamond made with the new glissant base just for reference. Definitely a bit better by comparison. Tomorrow on to a new soap.
Thanks @Norseman. I agree with you. It can be hard to truly assess a soap from one shave, much from a small pinch of soap pressed into the bottom of a shave bowl.
My next soap is Stirling. Full disclosure - I have more Stirling soap in my cabinet that any other soap, by far. Why? 1. It whips up a great, thick lather. 2. It can handle lots of water, and can be made crazy slick. Residual slickness is fantastic as well to the point that you could probably make another pass without re-lathering (although I wouldn't recommend it). 3. Most of the scents, although not too complex are strong and excellent. For example, this morning I shaved with Orange Chill, and the whole bathroom smelled like a fresh orange. Stirling is a keeper for me. Keepers For My Den Stirling - great lather, unbeatable slickness, and great scent strength. Scents are often not complex, but most are outstanding. Barrister and Mann - unique, complex scents and rich, thick lather. Some scents can be polarizing. Honorable Mentions Midnight and Two - nice scents...although they could be a bit stronger, good lather... although it could be a bit thicker, good slickness when watered down, great face feel and moisturizing properties. Didn't Make My Cut (YMMV) Mike's Natural - a good, solid soap choice. I pick up an off scent in the base, which is not objectionable, but very distracting to me with some scents. Martin De Candre - a solid, well respected soap, but nothing jumps out as being really outstanding to me. Also a bit pricey. I Coloniali Mango - great scent, but discontinued, too expensive, and I had issues with lathering properly. Wet Shave Obsession - Zaro - Another solid soap choice. Good thick lather, good overall performance, but a bit drying post shave feel. The scent doesn't resemble Fougere at all to me, and smells just like caramel. Ironically, I really like the caramel smell. (The soap is currently unobtanium.)
I appreciate people who can write a good review. My reviews tend to come down to statements such as: "It's good stuff", "I really like it", or "it smells really nice". I need to try and write some with a thesaurus and some wine and craft beer reviews at hand for reference. Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk
Hmmm...Today I shaved with RazoRock Puros. The nose here is a particularly refined tobacco on the front palate, graced with subtle hints of vanilla to soften the edges. The initial note lingers throughout the day, releasing a warm and pleasing aura of masculinity that radiates off of the skin and entices those around you with rugged yet refined airs. This soap pairs well with foie gras and finer cognacs.
This was a recent scent description I posted in the 2017 SE thread on Stirling "The Lounge" Its like sitting in a smokey lounge next to a beautiful woman who's wearing a sweet, slightly tangy perfume.
Today's blinding glimpse of the obvious is that when you review a bunch of soaps, you think about the soap you are using more than you normally would. The funny thing about doing this with numerous soaps in succession is that you learn things you don't expect. For example, today I shaved with one of the soaps in my den that I fully expected to be a "given" among my "keepers". I have four tubs in my den, and it is a well respected soap that hit me as fantastic when I first used it, When shaving with it today, I'm tempted to put it in the honorable mention category. I'm going to hold off reviewing the soap until after I shave with some more soaps in the pass around, and then revisit it as I may have just had an off day.
I once described Laphroaig 10 as tasting like a Band-Aid caught fire and extinguished with Listerine. This was a 5 star review, BTW...
Haha, that's an amazing description! I really could almost taste it as I read it. Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk
Today I shaved again with the mystery soap I last reviewed. It's Catie's Bubbles. I was much more careful dialing in my lather today and it did not disappoint. Rich and creamy with more than adequate slickness and cushion, and nice face feel afterward. Would I rank it better than Stirling or B&M for their unique strengths? No, but depending on the scent, it's certainly good enough to have a spot in the den. Today's selection of waterlyptus (not in the box) is one of my all time favorites. It's not complex at all, with straightforward delivery of what it promises: watermelon, eucalyptus, and peppermint. Last shave was Piment De La Vie, which is a scent I don't enjoy as much. It's a little more complex but doesn't make me say "I can't wait to use that one again" (i.e. comeback sauce). When the pass around box with Caties gets here I will have to do some sniffing to find the best scents and make some trades. With the right scent Catie's is a keeper, but on performance alone I can't say that it outshines many of the soaps that didn't make the cut (admittedly all very good soaps). KEEPERS Stirling - great lather, unbeatable slickness, and great scent strength. Scents are often not complex, but most are outstanding. Barrister and Mann - unique, complex scents and rich, thick lather. Some scents can be polarizing. Catie's Bubbles - Given the right scent, the performance is solid enough to be a keeper. HONORABLE MENTIONS Midnight and Two - nice scents...although they could be a bit stronger, good lather... although it could be a bit thicker, good slickness when watered down, great face feel and moisturizing properties. MISSED THE CUT (YMMV) Mike's Natural - a good, solid soap choice. I pick up an off scent in the base, which is not objectionable, but very distracting to me with some scents. Martin De Candre - a solid, well respected soap, but nothing jumps out as being really outstanding to me. Also a bit pricey. I Coloniali Mango - great scent, but discontinued, too expensive, and I had issues with lathering properly from the sample. Wet Shave Obsession - Zaro - Good solid soap choice with thick lather, good overall performance, but a bit drying post shave feel. The scent smells like caramel, not Fougere to me, which ironically, was what I liked most.
