I picked up this soap at Merz Apothecary (Smallflower) here in Chicago. I must say, it is one of the finest bar soaps I have come across. The special lady had picked up one of their "Creme" scented bars a few weeks prior, which I really liked. It had a classic soapy smell and contained powdered milk, which gave the soap great moisturizing properties. While the sandalwood bar lacks the powdered milk, it is still noticeably more moisturizing than your average bar. The scent is also a real winner.



Price: $6.50/bar. Not cheap, but you could do much worse. For the quality and longevity of the bar, it is a good price. 9/10



Quality: This soap is very similar to the Claus Porto line in terms of its price/quality ratio, and may even come from the same company. The all-vegetable bars are obviously milled and manufactured to a very high standard, as is to be expected from Portuguese bath products. I appreciate high craftsmanship in any product, and this has it in spades. 10/10



Latherability: The lather from this soap is truly wonderful. Slick, creamy, and decadent. This is the kind of lather that reminds me why I like nice soaps. It really puts me in a good mood for the day. It also takes very little soap to create mountains of it, which adds to its longevity. 10/10



Moisturizing: Simply put, this is one of the most moisturizing bar soaps I have ever used. It rinses clean like all bar soaps do, but it leaves my skin incredibly soft after bathing. The "Creme" scented bar might edge out the Sandalwood in this department by an inch, but only an inch. 9/10



Scent: This is a soft, subdued sandalwood. It lacks the musky spice and staying power of the Mysore bars, but is more pleasant to use in my opinion. It is a very calming scent that layers well with Taylor Rose shaving cream. If you like the Pre de Provence sandalwood bar, this is similar but better. 9/10



Efficacy: 10/10



Packaging: Modern, Art-Deco paper packaging. Simple, yet distinctive. No complaints here. 10/10



This seems to be a less-talked about soap, which is unfortunate. If you like to pamper yourself in the shower, this is the ticket. The Creme, Nectar and Port Pear scents are also wonderful, if Sandalwood isn't your thing.

------------------------------
Hunter