In praise of Stirling Soaps...

Here's something I wrote in a different thread about my take on some Stirling scents:

Over the past 2 months or so I've almost exclusively used Stirling Soaps and I've been through quite a few scents so far. Let me know if anyone has any questions about any of these: Spice, Ozark Mountain, Coniferous, Scots Pine, Tea Tree, Bay Rum, Ben Franklin, Glastonbury, Gin & Tonic, Sharp Dressed Man, Executive Man, Barbershop, Margaritas in the Arctic, Vanilla Sandalwood, Tuscany, Pig Trail (bath bar), Naked & Smooth (unscented), and Unscented Beeswax.

I have sensitive skin and unfortunately all of the fragrance oil scents either burned or tingled while using them, so I am limited on which scented shave soaps I can get away with. However, all of the essential oil formulas worked perfectly and give me zero irritation, surprisingly this also includes Bay Rum (which I absolutely hated at first but it has evolved into one of my favorite scents).

I also find the aftershave balms and splashes to be fantastic, the splashes in particular because their scents are more "pure" due to not having the soap to contend with the scent. Stirling splashes are one of the few alcohol based aftershaves I can use because of all the healing qualities in the formula, they don't dry out my skin. My absolute favorite scent is the Stirling Spice aftershave splash, it's a dead match to vintage Shulton Old Spice aftershave. However, I don't like the Spice bath bar and the shave soap is nice, but not exactly the same scent (and it also burns my face). Executive Man AS is also very nice as a cologne-type scent, it is my wife's favorite and she jokingly told me she would "punch me in the face if she caught me trying to wear it to work" haha. Maybe she wasn't joking, but it definitely has "that affect" on her.

My favorite soap of the EO scents that I have is probably Ben Franklin. It's another one I did not care for when I first got it; it is complex but once you get it "figured out" it is actually a very intriguing scent that I can't help but take a whiff of every time I see the jar. I will probably primarily use Bay Rum throughout the cold months, it is very heavy on the cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove, and it reminds me a lot of Christmas time. For those of you who like refreshingly tart and citrusy scents, I can't recommend Gin & Tonic highly enough. The juniper berry gives it a very tart top note, almost like fresh cranberries if you've ever eaten those, and then it's followed by the lime and lemon citrus bottom notes. This is a perfect summer scent and the description on the Stirling website of being "the most refreshing soap in the world" is probably true.

Honorable mention of the scents I liked but couldn't use due to the FO are barbershop, MITA, and Ozark Mountain. Glastonbury is also one of my favorites, but I think it is more of an "acquired taste" kind of scent.

 

Every time I shave with Stirling, I'm amazed at the performance. For me, it loads super easy, gives me oodles of lather, is slick and cushioning, and the scent lasts all day. 6 hours later, I still get the faintest whiff of it, long after I stop smelling my cologne

 

Youngunn let me try "Margaritas in the Artic" which was awesome. I just placed an order for about 12 samples. Hope to have an update soon.

 

I have a bunch, and really like most. Ones that stand out (IMO) in the scent department are :
Executive Man, Nag Champa, Tuscany and Barbershop.
I find that they all perform the same.

 

I have used most of them over the past few years. The three I keep in my rotation are: Margaritas in the Arctic, Ozark Mountain, and Executive Man.

Like Norcalnewb, I mostly use the Scots Pine Sheep bath soap with an occasional switch to mix things up.

 

I just received a sample of their barbershop.....so I will give it a go.

 

I love Ozark Mountain

 

I just finished my Saturday morning shave using bergamot and lavender. Another winner. I still have a couple of pucks I haven't tried yet: Bonaparte and black cherry. Of course they both smell awesome.

 

Executive Man

 

Glacial Lemon Chill is my favorite. I love the menthol and the scent! Really nice!

 

I LOVE all the Stirling soaps I have, especially the Glacials!

 

So far I have tried the MITA and Cocoa Forest. Love them both equally and they both perform exceptionally well.

 

Never tried the Cocoa Forest but the MITA to me is a delight!

 

I love the MITA so much I will never be without it again if I can help it. @crackstar you are the one who inspired me to order it. Thank you for your great reviews! I have a sample of Ozark Mountain that I will try this coming week and I will post up on it in the SOTD forum.

 

I'm so happy you enjoy it. That soap is hard not to love! In fact I find Rod's soaps in general are hard not to love!

 

I agree, may I suggest giving the Cocoa Forest a try. The smell is outstanding. There is some cocoa but to me more a smell of pine and clean earth. Kind of like the smell of the woods after a rain storm. It's lovely. Sterling's samples are also very generous. Their performance is superb IMHO.

 

Glastonbury is nice too

 

I've only tried 6 so far, but I would go with SDM, Executive Man, and Barbershop.

 

12? Lol going all in man, you're gonna have more stuff than me before long.

 

I have sharp dressed man, but it's getting old and lost its scent, Margaritas in the Arctic, which I love and Ozark Mountains which is interesting.