Since we're doing "Arko April" over in the 30 day thread (or at least some of us are) I am curious to know how Arko compares to La Toja. I know some have used both and I've been tempted to try the La Toja. Also the Speik stick. Just curious as to the differences, preferences etc.
It might be me, it might be my water but LaToja doesn't even come close. Arko works so well anyone would be happy with it on first try.
It is you, or your water, La Toja is the closest soap i have ever found to KMF when lathered correctly. I use the shave stick and my lather is akin to KMF. Brilliant, yogurty, creamy, slick lather.
Arko for the easy win! Hugh lather under any circumstance and a very cushy shave. I tried LaToja a while back.. the lather was nothing special and the scent was really off putting (even compared to Arko!).
That's what makes this one of those highly subjective YMMV things. Dozens of members here find Arko to smell like citronela. I think it smells like a soap bar myself. As for your impressions on La Toja, your doing something hellafide wrong!
I completely understand why people end up with Arko being the one and only soap. As long as you give it enough water, the lather is great, and the price is pretty unbeatable. I just find it a bit drying to me, especially in the winter. I do often have a little puck of it along when I travel in the summer. People complain about the scent, but I enjoy it. It reminds me of my gramma's laundry room when I was a kid. Speick is an awesome performer, but the smell reminds me a little bit of Desitin and changing diapers. YMMV. I have not tried LaToja. It is sitting in my Amazon "to buy later" cart, I am just trying to back off a bit on buying soaps, and it isn't that high up on my list. Can LaToja users describe the scent? Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
La Toja provides a simple, masculine scent and nothing more, like a light cologne maybe. A little earthy?
I think La Toja smells like Barber talc carried by a salt breeze. It's quite pleasant. La Toja is also a top performer in terms of ease and lather.
I have both in stick form and use both. I think they are very close in performance. I will shave today with Arko on one side and La Toja on the other. I will use 2 brushes as to not "cross contaminate the test......Stay tuned.
Trying to describe how something smells is difficult. All the subtleties that go into a fragrance -- ingredients that have exotic names like patchouli or ambergris. I know what lavender and sandalwood smell like (approximately), but frankincense, or neroli, or oakmoss -- I'm clueless. I know there is a very eloquent language of scent, but it is a language I'm not fluent in -- I wish I knew more. I am a scent floozy myself -- I like my fragrances strong and vivid, but they don't have to be complex or profound to get a smile out of me. I think Brut and Old Spice smell fantastic, but I'm completely at a loss trying to describe them -- I can tell you what associations those scents might have for me, but a phrase like "old time barbershop", or "Grandma's purse" (unless we're related) is essentially meaningless. I remember inquiring of a merchant what scent a certain shaving soap had -- he told me, "Sort of like Spring." I give up!
I'm with you on this one. Arko smells like Ivory soap. The uproar baffles me, unlike the Veg, which I get.
I love Arko but given the choice between the two; I'd choose LaToja. I like the scent of both and I get great lather from both. IMHO, LaToja wins due to post shave, as it isn't as drying. I just ordered a tube of the LaToja shave cream.
