What he said!
Boy, are we enablers or what?!?
Boy, are we enablers or what?!?
Stirling Syndicate
- Thread starter pipskicks
- Start date
Their Fougere is just called Fougere and there's some in the box (box two that I believe Ken has now). It smells nice but doesn't stand out to me as a must have scent or anything that I'd need to replace once I ran out. I'd definitely use it if I bought some but it's just not a stand out scent for me like for example MdC Fougere is. Maybe Ken can give it a smell and share his thoughts as well if he hasn't sent the box yet.
Here's an example, Ken just had the box and likely smelled all of the scents probably without looking at the names and separated them into ones he wanted to try and ones he didn't (that's what I did). So I'm guessing he smelled the Fougere and it didn't pick it as a must try like he chose the MdC Fougere. It's nice and you'd enjoy it if you bought it but it's pretty neutral and lightly scented.
I already have an 8 oz tub of The Captain or it would be on my soaps to buy list along with the Captain's Choice Lime (which I was really impressed and surprised by).
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Exactly. If I wasn't sufficiently impressed during the sniff test to put a soap in the "must try it" pile, then it's not worth my time. It might be perfectly acceptable, but I'm looking for the exceptional here.
If you really want fougere, there's no substitute for MdC. It's actually a much nicer scent than their original, but I'm a well-known floral hater… lol
If you really want fougere, there's no substitute for MdC. It's actually a much nicer scent than their original, but I'm a well-known floral hater… lol
Do me a favor and try to post the list again whenever a box changes hands. It helps keep this organized and I don't have to hunt through the thread for the list.
0. dfoulk
1. Corsair66 (helping to moderate this)- in possession of Box 2
2. mbkintner - in possession of Box 1
3. TheVez2
4. Floyd923
5. BJ Rose
6. bjhubb
7. mrlandpirate
8. tclobaugh (helping to moderate this)
9. Horvy
10. dangerousdon
11. JMurphy
12. TheDude82
13. ashcampbell
14. dgreene120
15. Domzals1
16. Calhoun1
17. Jcan88
18. RustyHammer
0. dfoulk
1. Corsair66 (helping to moderate this)- in possession of Box 2
2. mbkintner - in possession of Box 1
3. TheVez2
4. Floyd923
5. BJ Rose
6. bjhubb
7. mrlandpirate
8. tclobaugh (helping to moderate this)
9. Horvy
10. dangerousdon
11. JMurphy
12. TheDude82
13. ashcampbell
14. dgreene120
15. Domzals1
16. Calhoun1
17. Jcan88
18. RustyHammer
OK, I just did a direct sniff comparison between the Tiki Fougere and the MdC. The MdC smells great: it's got a powerful, pure fougere aroma. The Tiki version is weaker and it's got something else in there - I'm guessing lavender. I'm definitely not a fan.
YMMV, of course…
YMMV, of course…
That's the beauty of this, it's a search for the exceptional and there's actually a lot of exceptional choices in these boxes. It's just so cool to get to smell so many soaps like this. It's like you're absolutely certain that you're going to love what you choose to buy after trying this passaround.
Exactly. It's an incredible opportunity to sniff through the entire range (or nearly so in some cases) of so many makers' products. All of the Soap Commanders, all of the WSPs, many of the Tikis, etc. Absolutely invaluable.
I'm not sure that "earthy" is what I want, and I don't know what vetiver is (though a google search after seeing it on this forum a few times lets me know it has something to do with grass and fertilizer, not a combination of smells I could imagine wanting to put on my face). Further, "Port-Au-Prince" doesn't conjure up a mental image of luxurious facial care.
My mind's nose makes me think that this stuff smells like decaying lawn clippings in a crumbling bar with dust covered floors where poor folks swig silver rum. If you want me to try it, you've got to do a better job selling it.
The Tiki one is pretty neutral to me with a faint smell that I'm not sure what it is. Fougere can mean just about anything so it's up to the maker to present their take on it.
The Tiki one isn't offensive to me at all but it's not anything like the MdC Fougere which is a strong clean fresh fern scent that smells absolutely amazing. MdC makes the best Fougere soap in my opinion. Dr Harris Arlington is a nice take on the scent as well but the soap performance is about average as far as I'm concerned (some will disagree with me).
It's more of a neutral scent. At first I was thinking similar to Barrister & Mann Seville but in smelling them side by side Seville is much bolder and more of a barbershop style scent. The scent is about as strong as RazoRock XXX to give you a idea of it's strength. Their web site says: a modern take on the traditional French classic, and contains a herbaceous, green, floral top note with woodsy base I'm getting a very faint scent of the green, with a little floral and not too much woodsy at all. I might like it a lot more if the scent were stronger. I don't dislike it at all as it is but for me this one is just nice. It doesn't do anything terribly wrong scent wise but it doesn't wow me either. It's a safe bet for someone who's not into the bolder scents.
Interesting thoughts; thanks for sharing them.
I agree completely that MdC Fougere has a strong, fresh fern scent. That's exactly what comes to mind when I think "fougere". Arlington, though, never puts me in mind of fern, but of citrus blossoms. It's a regular part of my rotation, but I think of it more in the bergamot & neroli family than fougere.
Barbershop scents are a whole other thing. To me, that's a label that can mean just about anything. I'm not sure I could even say what it's "supposed" to smell like. It almost seems as though it's a catchall for soapmakers who wind up with a scent that doesn't fall under any other obvious category. Don't throw it out and start over, call it Barbershop - someone will buy it!
One of the things I love most about these passarounds is the opportunity to compare impressions with other knowledgeable scent palates. We're all coming at this from different experiences and with different nasal receptors. Over time, I sure that we each find that our tastes align with those of certain other reviewers such that their opinions can be increasingly relied upon to indicate how we might feel about a particular soap.
What a great community!!
I agree completely that MdC Fougere has a strong, fresh fern scent. That's exactly what comes to mind when I think "fougere". Arlington, though, never puts me in mind of fern, but of citrus blossoms. It's a regular part of my rotation, but I think of it more in the bergamot & neroli family than fougere.
Barbershop scents are a whole other thing. To me, that's a label that can mean just about anything. I'm not sure I could even say what it's "supposed" to smell like. It almost seems as though it's a catchall for soapmakers who wind up with a scent that doesn't fall under any other obvious category. Don't throw it out and start over, call it Barbershop - someone will buy it!
One of the things I love most about these passarounds is the opportunity to compare impressions with other knowledgeable scent palates. We're all coming at this from different experiences and with different nasal receptors. Over time, I sure that we each find that our tastes align with those of certain other reviewers such that their opinions can be increasingly relied upon to indicate how we might feel about a particular soap.
What a great community!!
So, I haven't been paying much attention to this thread. I don't really want to read any reviews and bias my own opinions. I just want to try everything cold and make up my own mind about them. But I'm on deck for the 1st box, so I ask....
How do you guys, who have had the box, recommend using the samples? I don't want to be greedy, but I also want to ensure I've got enough product to get an accurate lather assessment. I load off a puck and use a lot of product, so I'm not sure how to go about using the samples in the most effective way.
How do you guys, who have had the box, recommend using the samples? I don't want to be greedy, but I also want to ensure I've got enough product to get an accurate lather assessment. I load off a puck and use a lot of product, so I'm not sure how to go about using the samples in the most effective way.
If you like an outdoor scent with hints of wood and campfire, with a lot of pine floating across the top, then Ozark would be a good fit. I thought my wife would hate it, but she likes it a lot. She says its very subtle and smells nice. Winner!
I like to use a plastic salsa bowl and remove some of the sample to spread into the bowl with my thumb. I spread it as thin as I can in the bowl and up the sides a little. The bowls are two for $1 at the dollar store. Once the brush hits it the soap seems to just explode in lather this way. It's really easy to get a great lather like this and I thought about including a bowl in each box right after I sent them off. Oh well, maybe something I'll do for the next round.
As far as the samples go some of the manufacturers sent me full tubs for some of the soaps so I'll be refilling those that I have more of after each round. Everything is in a box in my closet away from my shave den so that I'm not tempted to use any of the soaps. I've asked that all containers stay in the box so if it's empty when you get it at least you'll be able to smell the particular scent and maybe try another from the same manufacturer to gauge performance.
I do appreciate you being considerate but do use enough soap to be able to tell if you really like the soap or not. I'd think that users aren't all going to choose the same samples and there's a lot of soap in that box.
If we start running low on a particular soap that I don't have more of maybe I can talk someone into adding some to the sample container if they have any. Also, if you guys take a few minutes to let the vendors know that you're buying the soap because of this passaround maybe I can talk them into replacing the empty samples as well. Most of the online orders have a comments box. Just add something letting them know you're buying the soap because you tried it or read about it in this passaround box. It's advertisement for them and I suspect they may continue doing it but likely only if they know it's helping them sell soap. If they don't know that this is helping them sell soap then they are way less likely to donate a second time.
Well, there's lemongrass!
I very much enjoy the P-a-P scent, and I have both the soap and AS splash. I'd advise anyone to get a sample, though, as strong opinions exist on both sides of the issue.
I'm not sure that "earthy" is what I want, and I don't know what vetiver is (though a google search after seeing it on this forum a few times lets me know it has something to do with grass and fertilizer, not a combination of smells I could imagine wanting to put on my face). Further, "Port-Au-Prince" doesn't conjure up a mental image of luxurious facial care.
My mind's nose makes me think that this stuff smells like decaying lawn clippings in a crumbling bar with dust covered floors where poor folks swig silver rum. If you want me to try it, you've got to do a better job selling it.
I'm also not sure about the vetiver either,even after going out and finding vetiver colognes to smell. Definite grassy-earthy smell without the fertilizer though. I can't say I even understand it but it has grown on me. The "spa-quality French green clay" however is what sold me when I sampled it. I get good performance even when I don't build a perfect lather and my face feels amazing afterwards. Like I had a spa treatment.
I'd suggest a sample but there are none and Rod informed me that the PaP is going to become seasonal.Also loving the Executive man even though the scent is not really my style, the Sharp Dressed Man is great and I can't wait to try my sample of Bergamot-Lavender, the smell is very nice.
I'm not sure that "earthy" is what I want, and I don't know what vetiver is (though a google search after seeing it on this forum a few times lets me know it has something to do with grass and fertilizer, not a combination of smells I could imagine wanting to put on my face). Further, "Port-Au-Prince" doesn't conjure up a mental image of luxurious facial care.
My mind's nose makes me think that this stuff smells like decaying lawn clippings in a crumbling bar with dust covered floors where poor folks swig silver rum. If you want me to try it, you've got to do a better job selling it.
Not sure where you get the fertilizer portion, but I can certainly say that I didn't think I would be using PaP much when I first smelled it. But I had to try it, and it worked so well I kept using it every week or so; and eventually my nose gave in and I started enjoying it
Not sure where you get the fertilizer portion, but I can certainly say that I didn't think I would be using PaP much when I first smelled it. But I had to try it, and it worked so well I kept using it every week or so; and eventually my nose gave in and I started enjoying it
I'm sorry I was thinking of mulch: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chrysopogon_zizanioides#Crop_protection_and_pest_repellent
It has been a couple of weeks since I did the google search.
Thanks everyone for the Tiki Fougere thoughts. I recently had a sample of MdC Fougere from Garry and it was love at first lather. The scent is as good as it gets. I found the performance to be excellent also. I had started another thread awhile back trying to find a slightly more wallet friendly Fougere. Tiki wasn't mention in that thread so I was curious as to what you gentlemen thought of it.
I haven't tried DR Harris Arlington but I had a sample of the Windsor. I liked the scent but I found the performance to be just ok. I would rate it behind Strop Shoppe SE, Tiki, Catie's Bubbles, Haslinger, and a few others to be honest.
I haven't tried DR Harris Arlington but I had a sample of the Windsor. I liked the scent but I found the performance to be just ok. I would rate it behind Strop Shoppe SE, Tiki, Catie's Bubbles, Haslinger, and a few others to be honest.
OK - here's a new question about Stirling. I was looking at their list of AS splashes a few days ago and now when I've come back I see that several are no longer listed. The one that I was most interested in was the Black Pepper Lime. That appears to have disappeared in both the AS and the soap categories. Did they recently cull their line?
