Arko-I am fine with the scent, it just doesn't have the post shave feel that I like. It leaves me too dry sometimes. That being said, the four sticks I have left are going to take me well into 2019 or so, so this isn't an "I'll never use Arko again because it's smelly" kind of thing. There's just too many other great soaps and creams out there-Mystic Water for example.
Amen all day about the GFT. Acquired a puck of the coconut scent soap last Christmas. Tried desperately to get it to be even 5% useful to no avail. It's still sitting in the closet collecting dust. Even the trash can doesn't deserve this catastrophe.
Arko and Fume - for some reason these two Turkish soaps cause my face to burn. To bad cuz I like the scents/performance of them.
Williams, Even when I really work at it and get the lather to cooperate my face feels angry after the shave. The vintage formula (before Combe tampered with it) was great. Col. Conk Santa Fe Cedar. Same reason, which was surprise because my first soap was Col. Conk Bay Rum and I liked it. Marvy. Big bubbly mess. I'm trying to reduce the number of soaps I use, so there are some I actually like that I probably won't buy again. I'd like to use just Cella and an artisan soap or two for a change of pace.
Van Der Hagen. Lathers fine but leaves my face feeling pretty dry compared to my other soaps and the smell is not nearly as good as my other soaps either.
This is an odd thread.. Maybe odd isn't the correct word. Definitely a lot of cases of YMMV. I see a lot of major brands that I see getting a lot of love and recommendations in the SOTD yet are listed multiple times in multiple "never again" posts. While I have not tried them all, I have had excellent lather/results from Crabtree & Evelyn and WSP. Two of my favorite soaps at the moment. C.O. Bigelow's is very similar to C&E to me and also a favorite. Ones I will add to the list of never again, due to lack of and disappearing lather are... Sweedish Sea Salt "shave soap" Lightfoot's Pine "shave soap" Captain's Choice I understand people's lack of love for Williams and VDH, but I have no problem with them. But I do know there is better out there.
Soaps: VDH- I can't get the lather to where I want it. Col. Conk- that soap is just terrible. TOOBS- the soap's lather is lackluster, much like the previous two. Yeti Snot- again, the lather sucks. I lathered it up and it immediately dissipated. I rinsed my brush out and re-lathered with Palmolive Menthol. HTGAM/Phoenix/whatever the name of that company is now- the whole company is a sham and the lather sucks. Proraso soap- I really love the blue cream in the tube, but I can't stand the soap. The lather is too airy, lacks slickness, cushion, and skincare. Cella- something in it irritates my skin which is a shame because I love how it lathers up. Creams: Proraso Green- that cream irritates my skin so badly and the menthol is nothing to brag about compared to Ingram, Lea Menthol, and Palmolive Menthol. La Toja- it has no slickness and irritates my skin. Apis Ice Rain- the lathering properties are non existent.
All of my favorite brands Any particular reason why you are getting away from these labels? Just curious
Yes all of these burned my face. PAA is owned by a disreputable person who will never see one dime from me.
Okay I will jump on the Williams band wagon as well. But two soaps I am really on the fence about are the La Toja Stick and the Spieck Shave Stick. Others rave about them, but to me they are just "meh". Neither of those two sticks are terrible, just not WOW. In the "artisan" line. I am disappointed that my face is irritated by most of the Chiseled Face products. It is an amazingly slick and luxurious soap, but based SOLELY on the skin irritation, I probably will have to pass on future purchases.
MWF, the stuff won't lather when using San Diego tap water and I'm too lazy to buy bottled water for lathering. If I move I'll try it again.
Interesting thing I observed so far. Dr Harris ( soap) makes the list a lot & I agree. However the DR Harris cremes are outstanding IMO. Not as good as CF but very good.
On the flip side, I use that sea salt soap as my bath soap and use it all the time. Very nice bath soap, but a soap that should not be used to shave with.
Trumpers and Crabtree and Evelyn were terrible performers, wouldn't produce a stable lather at all. Cella, burned my face.
