I just received my yearly bonus from last year and I'm thinking about buying myself a treat. I want to get a top shelf soap and aftershave, preferably from the same maker. I've tried Martin de Cadre Fougere and love it, right now it's what I'm leaning towards, and would pair it up with an aftershave from Chatillon Lux. What I'm wondering is if the Nuavia Verde is a better soap. I would also have to find a matching AS for this soap as well, also likely Chatillon Lux. Is there anything else out there I should be looking at? One requirement I have of the aftershave is that it has a strong scent that lasts a long time. Your help is appreciated.
One I would suggest is soap from Klar as they are milled five times and should last a very long time. A little pricey, $25-$30, but I think well worth it.
I want to say that I'm not 100% sold on using Chatillon Lux for the aftershave. It is possibly the best I've ever used but I am open to suggestions on another brand.
I always lean towards barrister and mann or Stirling in a situation like this (of course, Stirling is so cheap that you could get 2 sets and still feel good about it). Another option could be Mickey Lee Soap works or Dr. Jon's vol. 2. Both of these are incredibly high in quality as well.
Klar Seifen is very good soap and does last a long time. Also comes in a number of good scents. I don’t know that I would consider it a "treat" on the level of MdC or Nuavia though. One you might consider if you like creams at all is Castle Forbes. They make matching aftershave balm for all of their creams. The only one I have tried myself is their Lavender - I bought a sample of both the cream and the balm from Maggards. Lovely stuff. I just couldn't spend the price for a full tub and bottle though (plus their Canadian dealer wouldn't ship the balm in winter due to concerns over freezing temperatures during delivery affecting the quality). I know @Keithmax has a tub, because he whips himself up a hot scuttle full as a treat every now and then and mentions it on the 30DC threads. You might ask him for an honest opinion of it. There's also always TOBS. Been around forever and makes great creams or soaps, and you can match them with everything else too. If you like sandalwood, for example, you can get yourself not just a nice cream or soap, but an aftershave and cologne to match. Plus a deodorant, a talcum powder, a preshave oil if you use it, a body and hair shampoo, a bath and shower gel, and a handsoap... I have only ever used their creams, but I had Avocado and liked it so much, I refilled with Avocado plus Lavender and Sandalwood. I think they are fantastic, and someday when I want to treat myself to a total spa, I will probably buy all the matching stuff for one of them.
Thank you for the suggestions. I already have lots of Stirling and B&M. I have 1 Dr Jon's set and a few samples of Mickey Lee that I do like. I think I missed out on the Dr Jon's 13 but I was interested in that one. I'm also considering Saponificio Varesino Cosmo as an option however I can't seem to find how long the scent lasts
SV is phenomenal, but doesn't last as long as some. How about Catie's bubbles? Uncle Jon's? Jabonman?
I have Uncle Jon's Silk Road and love it, I'm thinking about trying his Gravity. I have never tried Jabonman, have to check it out. I'm placing an order for Catie's Bubbles very soon for one particular reason. I recently got scammed along with a bunch of other people on a Facebook forum, someone sold a bunch of stuff to multiple people and never had the items. One item I was really looking forward to was a tub of CB Vetiver which is no longer produced. Today I got a message from the owner Chris saying he made up a small batch of this soap for the 3 of us that "purchased" this soap and will be sending it out free of charge because he felt bad about what happened. He had nothing to do with the scam yet he is doing this. He got a customer for life today.
Wow! Talk about a stand-up business owner! Thanks for sharing that story. I have never tried Caties Bubbles; it just got put on the list.
Veg and a case of Arko. There are no treats beyond this...just gimmicks. Carry on. Kidding...though Veg would outlast anything by you buy.
I guess the money I save buying the Veg can go towards a hazmat suit. It will all even out in the end.
Honestly, I've not found a AS or cologne that has more staying power than Pinaud stuff. FWIW. Have you done Tabac?
That's awesome, their performance is up there with L&L,B&M, wholly kaw, etc. There is an L&L limited splash and soap on DFS - depending on the scent profile and if it fits your preferences it would be my pick. Alternatively, wholly kaw is doing their fougere in the new donkey milk formula on Reddit, I've heard nothing but good things about it and should easily pair with a chatillon lux AS. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I ordered the TSD version and I wasn't a huge fan of the scent, too floral for me. I like my Pinauds, especially the Special Reserve, pretty good staying power I just get more with Stirling, B&M, Fine and Chiseled Face.
I'm so tempted by that Wholly Kaw, I don't have a Fougere that I really like and I want to try a donkey soap.
