Everytime I come here I end up ordering another soap... this site is bad for my relationship! (Her: Why do you need ANOTHER shaving soap? Me: It's not so much that I NEED it, but you've got more than one purse in that closet right there, and shaving soaps are so much cheaper!) I'm going to pull the trigger on one of these, just not sure which one yet... Has anyone tried the Barbershop scent, or have any idea when it'll be in stock again? ETA: Just tried to order and I can't get the website to add a soap to my cart. I'm using a brand new computer so maybe I'm doing wrong. Anyone else having a problem ordering?
Some of the soaps show out of stock but Lime isn't so I tested that one. It let me add it to the PayPal cart without any problem.
I tried the Orange/Cedarwood/Black Pepper sample today. The soap needed than I usually use and my first lather with it was too thin. I redid it with less water and got a nice thick lather. The lather was very slick and provided a nice shave. The scent was orangey at first and then mellowed as the other scents appeared--very pleasant.
Hey TJM- when you add it to cart it is a popup. So maybe you have pop-ups blocked on your computer? My birthday is wednesday, someone wanted a birthday idea and I told them one of these soaps. I told them the orange one.
I got my Barbershop scent today , Reminds me of MMF on skincare , easier to lather and great scent , very happy with this product
Well.... I got my samples of Mike's today! Only 3 days! (YMMV). Can't wait to try all 7 of them. SWMBO got the mail today and said "You are always getting shave stuff!" Then I opened the envelope and she ripped it out of my hand and started voting on which "flavors" she liked and didn't like. Well, tomorrow I'll start my 7 day Mike's soap sample series!
Congrats Bob! I'm confident that you'll like Mike's soaps. Would you mind trying to describe his barbershop scent if you picked that one up?
I ordered Barbershop today. I'm stoked for it to show up. I figure it will get here by the end of the week.
Well, day one.... Barbershop scent. Not really on track to be my favorite. (I know, most people really like it) To me it doesn't remind me of the barber shops I frequented growing up on the "Left Coast" in the 50's and 60's. (My barber shop scent is more like Pinaud's Clubman Classic) It has kind of a light musk scent... not my cup of tea. As far as the skin feel, my first impression is not MWF as a few have described it. After the shave my skin did feel smooth and soft. To me it feels a little astringent but, I'm willing to continue the journey.
My frame of reference is not expansive. Since beginning wet shaving about 6 months ago, I have tried C.O. Bigelow (cream), Art of Shaving (cream), Williams Mug (soap) and now Mike's. I received my shipment of Mike's Pine & Cedarwood tin of shaving soap on Saturday. I shaved on Sunday (yesterday). Wow. There are a lot of secondary characteristics of shaving soaps and creams that matter to me (ease of lather, scent, "durability" of lather, cost) and one primary characteristic that matters to me. The primary characteristic is how it lubricates. That in turn affects the quality of my shave. This stuff knocked it out of the park on all around. It was comfotable and slick and the shave was fantastic. It also lathered well*, smelled great and is not cost prohibitive. I know a lot of you guys embrace wet shaving as a hobby and maintain amazing and impressive inventories of razors, blades, brushes, creams, soaps, etc. I don't see myself going down that path. I really just wanted to find the best shave and be happy with it. I found it. Sure, I might see something that will pique my interest in the future and buy it, but I just don't see things getting better than yesterday's shave. Besides, if I want to mix it up, I can just work my way through all of Mike's scents. Yeah, that's the ticket. That's what I am going to do! That should keep me entertained well into 2013. *Side note - Williams lathers for more easily for me. Based on reviews I have read, that seems to be a bit of an anomaly.
Day two... Orange, Cedarwood, & Black Pepper This scent is very pleasant orange that develops into a complex blend of cedar and pepper of all things. I am still confused... I don't feel the slickness that others are talking about but my face is feeling very hydrated and smooth. I found out that my wife had increased the hot water temp. I think that is what has skewed my lather making ability with this soap and probably the slickness factor.
Day 3 - Rose & Cedarwood Very nice rose scent then a warming finish of cedarwood. Not slated to be my favorite scent but nice. The wife really likes it so she will probably confiscate it from me. Lather- The last 2 trys I have not been successful in creating the rich lather that people are talking about. Normally, I don't have a problem creating lather. Today I figured out what my roadblock to good lather was. I'm stingy! I have 1 oz. samples. I was not putting enough product on my brush. Not to say that 1 oz. samples are too small for sampling, just my stinginess kept me from really applying enough product to my brush. Now, I have been able to create the rich lather others have been raving about.
Excellent! Mike's soap really does produce a nice lather. I used his Orange/Cedar/Pepper this morning for a splendidly sublime shave.
I've been using Barbershop now for a few weeks and love it. I purchased the bar form and trimmed it with a knife so that it would fit into an old spice mug. While showering I wet the top of the puck and soak the brush (bristles only) ( Semogue 1250, 1800, 1460, 1305). After a couple of shakes and gently squeeze to give me a fairly dry brush, I load the brush well and then swirl on my face. A few dips of the brush into a basin of water moistens the lather until it hits a sweet, slick, rich lather.
Just so you guys know, I don't like. Someone was going to buy me one for my birthday and the scent is now sold out haha! I guess I just wait and hope they are back in stock soon.
You guys caught me at a weak moment, must be the bourbon LOL, just ordered Mikes, and three samples om Mystic. Will see how they are.