Provence Sante is a small, family owned soap maker in the lavender field region of southern France. They are world renowned for their sophisticated and complex scents. PS makes triple milled, vegetable and shea butter based soaps that are rich lathering and fragrant, however they are for another discussion. This week we will cover their two aftershave lotions: Green Tea and Verlaine. The main ingredients are witch hazel, vegetable glycerin, shea butter and water. The Green Tea has a lightly caffeinated, tea leaf fragrance. Verlaine has a slightly sweeter herbal aroma. Both fragrances are “summer-breeze” light, lasting for only a few hours. They are available at Shaving Essentials, Details For Men and Baudelaire Soaps, Inc to name a few. Price ranges from $15 to $20 + s/h. Thanks to Dom for sending me samples of both. After one use of the Green Tea I liked it so much I ordered a full bottle. They have such a lovely, light, understated fragrance that it’s hard not to close your eyes and daydream a day at the beach. I would describe both as having a sweet herbal, airy aroma. The Green Tea is reminiscent of a steeped teabag left to sit whereas the Verlaine is sweeter and more floral. Additionally there is a soapy undertone adding to their clean, fresh aromas. For those that don’t like the burn these come highly recommended as there is no alcohol in either therefore no burn. The shea butter and vegetable glycerin ensure plenty of hydrating, moist protection that lasts throughout the day. My only complaint is the wonderful fragrances don’t last longer. Provence Sante AS’s don’t get the air time as do many others around the forums. Don’t let that prevent you from trying one or both. These have easily earned their place near the top of my favorites category. When you’re in the mood for something a little different than the standard AS, these fit the bill. How do we feel about PS?
I received a sample from Shaving Essentials. The smell was comforting and familiar. I plan on ordering a bottle very soon.
I tried a sample that Dom sent me this morning. Feel: I didn't realize that this had no alcohol in it but I am not surprised finding that out now. Very very gentle there was no burn at all. I put some more on just to make sure I had enough the first time due to the fact that their wasn't any burn at all. Scent: I couldn't detect anything that I would consider caffeinated or green tea like in its scent. However, I found the scent to be very light and pleasant. The scent lasted a decent while. I could still catch from time to time at least 3 hours after I shaved.
Hmmm. Interesting Justin. I don't know the precise scent of GREEN tea but it did smell like that faint odor a used teabag gives off...I call that scent caffeinated. I like it. As for staying power, I did detect the faintest of odor past the two or three hour mark but far from strong. Of course it reacts differently for each of us. Good stuff though right?
I have a sample of the PS s/c. Maybe I'll try it tomorrow and if I like the scent I'll check out the A/S....
OK... thats it! I was trying to figure out what it does smell like. used tea-bag.... that defines it well, although it doesn't sound that appealing. OK, I guess I get it now.
I was wondering where that other sample I had went. The shave cream is good stuff, I may pick a tube up when I finish one of my creams, which will be in a year or 3.
nope, mine came from Shaving Essentials. It's in a little packet from Provence Sante, about the size of a wet nap...
I know. I debated long and hard about the phrase "used tea bag" which I did not include in the OP. That does sound unappealing. But if you think about it, it's not a bad thing at all. It's the odor of steeped herbs (tea) which I really like. So anybody reading this don't get all freaked about this stuff smelling like some 3 day old, funky gym sock. Not by a long shot.
It's entirely possible I sent you a sample of the Verlaine instead of the Green Tea. I should have wrote which I sent on the vial.
The Provence Sante aftershave splashes are quite exceptional products. Both the Green Tea and the Verlaine are very non-traditional, but smell quite nice nonetheless. I originally preferred the green tea, but after using both and realizing that green tea doesn't dry down nicely on my skin, I tend to prefer the Verlaine. Anyway... on to my comments about the products. These splashes are the least drying of any I've tried and do not burn when applied to the face. Why, you ask? There's no alcohol. The splash is water and witch hazel based and is packed with yummy goodness. You've got glycerin and shea butter, which aid in the moisturizing department. If your face is dry, this is an excellent splash. One surprising thing about it is that even though it's full of glycerin and shea butter, it isn't sticky or greasy. If you use too much, your hands will glisten a little, but my face doesn't ever feel tacky or greasy after applying an appropriate amount of this. I haven't used it in a while (scent is too light for me in the cold), but the Verlaine is one of my favorite aftershave splashes in the warmer months. This isn't only a result of its smell, but also, a result of the fact that it soothes, moisturizes, and basically does a great job on the face after a shave. This stuff gets two thumbs up from me.
