Stopped by NM yesterday to check out what's available. After I refused to look at the AOS, I was shown shown ADP and Perricone. Since the latter appeared to have sold out, I decided to try the ADP. The scent was what really drew me - very barbershop, imo. As barbershop as it can get.



Cheap it is not (comparatively) - as it cost $55 for 125g. Obviously, there are creams that are half (or less than half) the price, and still perform great.



Packaging is very nice - I have to give it to ADP. You won't be ashamed to put it on your shelf and it's a pleasure to look, hold, open, etc.















Cream consistency is very very thick. Unlike regular creams at all. Lathers great, though. I did need to work a bit (=add water) to get the ratio right but was rewarded with great lather fairly quickly. A bean-sized amount overwhelmed the brush.







Applied several lathers - seemed that it's not extremely moisturizing for my skin



Cheers

Ivo

I got some of this as a sample in a small plastic pod, from the Department Store.



They don't issue samples, but were kind enough to give me a small amount, enough for about 5 shaves in a small pod.



It's a very soft cream, and from the smell of the base material, I would guess it's made by Valobra. Because of this, it's a high quality cream.



The shave quality is very high, and the smell is just superb. I love it.

I don't find it drying at all, but it does give me the exact same shaveing sensation that the Valobra shave soap gives me



I must say that I have ultra sensitive skin, and so most of the high end soaps irritate my skin badly. This one is very good.



The Acqua Di Parma scent is just hipnotising...........lovely.



One of my favorites, and I am going to buy a tub, even though it's quite expensive. Just one of those luxuries I say!



Enjoy

First off I must say that probably the reason this shave cream doesn't have that many reviews is that the astronomical price of $55 + for this cream is not a sensible purchase, and in turn you could purchase nearly five quality creams or soaps for that amount. Now with that said, through the advents of great sites such as eBay, one can get this incredible cream for more in the $20 - $40 range with some patience and luck. That is what I did and am darn glad. This stuff has an incredible scent, ADP Colonia but with a great Italian barbershop kick to it. It is a thick cream, like the Italian creams tend to be, so I found giving it the treatment that one B&B member suggested in that putting it in your shave bowl w/ some warm water and let it sit to soften it up, then pour out the water and whip up yourself a bowl of heavenly goodness. Surprisingly after testing numerous creams over the last couple years, this is my Grand Prize winner. The scent, the quality shave, the great straight out of the barbershop feel, I was in much denial, but continually get incredible results from this cream. Try it....you just might like it!

A great product! I completely agree with Skeptic's ratings and review, except I don't have sensitive skin. The reviews were good, and the packaging is very nice so I ordered a tub (gasp!). I'm glad I did. The results, scent, and packaging made it worth it..... well, pretty much - :-0

I bought some of this awhile ago, as I adore the cologne. I haven't shaved with it yet as I want to save it for my better occassions. I agree, the tub is very elegant. Hopefully soon, I'll be able to post a review.

------------------------------
Robert
----------
Futur/GEM G-bar/'59 Fatboy/Merkur Slant
Bolanzo/Big Ben Blue/Trig Silver Edge/Treet single
Proraso Red, Nancy Boy (duh) and 50+ others
and counting...
----------
"It is absurd to divide people into good and bad. People are either charming or tedious." -- Oscar Wilde

one word of advice, and i´ve wasted cream learning this, and its an expencive cream to waste, treat it like a soap, moist brush, swirl it around scraping the top of the cream untill the bristles are loaded, and then use that to lather,

------------------------------
A man who has died with no regret is a man who is either a fool or a psychopath,

There are things you can not apologize for, the ability to carry the consequences for your actions is the mark of a true man,

This is only my 3rd cream since switching from soap and is an excellent choice, i had been having a lot of problems with creams as to getting any sort of lather so i received a sample of aos lemon oil and was instantly converted so i purchased a tube.

Now my wife wants to kill me for buying this cream but is worth every penny, i only need a baked bean sized amount which is good enough for 3 passes

I have marked down the packaging due to only buying a tube and a tube is a tube what can you say about it, though the jar is on my christmas wish list

This is by far the best cream that money can buy. Beats the pants off all British stuff than you can find.



The scent is about 60% barbershop and 40% cologne based on their original Colonia scent that dates back to 1916.



The packaging is second to none. Nobody beats the quality of presentation when it comes to Italian made luxury products.



Lathers like a soap rather than a cream, and should be treated as such when working up a lather.



Shaves great, exhibiting shave properties of both a fine cream, and a fine triple milled soap.



It contains in addition to glycerine, almond oil, wheat protein, and lemon balm. In my experience, it leaves the face more hydrated that the usual creams that I've tried.



Use the AdP aftershave splash or balm for a great finish. The balm is ever so slightly alcohol based to disinfect.



As for the price, since you treat it as a soap rather than a cream, the tub will last a very long time. I wouldn't be surprised if it lasts twice as long as my T&H tubs. This would put the cost on equal grounds! Hows that for creative accounting.

Expensive yes, but absolutely top notch.

I have a confirmation email that Aqua di Parma shave cream is not in fact produced by Valobra. See below:



Egregio Dottor Maltese,



ci permettiamo segnalarLe che la ditta Valobra non produce e non ha mai prodotto crema soffice da barba per "Acqua di Parma". Tanto per Sua corretta informazione, e restiamo comunque a Sua disposizione per ogni ulteriore chiarimento.



Cordiali saluti,



VALOBRA - Genova (Italy)

Tel: +39 010 581171

Fax: + 39 010 5702191

Seriously, the only negative about Acqua di Parma is the price.



The overall quality is absolutely top notch, from start to finish this is as good as it gets.



The scent, as many have said, is totally unique, and I can definitely understand the "barbershop" description; its fantastic!



I recently converted to face lathering (thanks to my rooney 2/1 finest) and I find that it lathers quite easily, and doesn't take much water to completely fill the brush with enough rich, thick, creamy lather for 3 full passes, and some touch-up. On the topic of lather, the lather from this stuff is totally unbeatable, nothing else that I've tried produces such an amazing lather.



As for efficacy, it gives me my best shaves, pretty much regardless of what blade I use.



As for moisturizing ability, it leaves my skin nice, soft and supply. I follow it with the Acqua di Parma aftershave splash, and my face (which is quite oily) is never dry.



Packaging, ah, it doesn't get any better than this, a true class act!



All in all, this is my favorite shaving cream and AdP is shaping up to be my favorite brand of shaving product, and I just may have to buy their aftershave balm once my TGR balm is spent.

I think this is one of the best creams out there. The scent is unbeatable and the lather is thick and dense. I use it like a soap as this is a very thick cream. You pretty much follow the same instructions for the Castle Forbes creams.



Overall I would give Castle Forbes a slight edge over this cream because of the higher price. You can get a castle Forbes for about $27 + shipping from UK but this sucker is impossible to get discounted. I paid $58 for it.



The packaging is in another league. better than anything else out there. If you are an ADP scent fan, then this is the ultimate cream but the price/performance is high.

I'm surprised this cream hasn't had enough noise made about it as other creams have.



Dense like a soap, this is not the sort of cream that will run out after so many months of frequent use. Hence why it shouldn't be seen as an 'expensive' cream, but rather, potential purchasers should measure cost in terms of shaves per tub as well.



Overall, I would say that its moisturising, scent, latherability and efficacy properties rate this above any other British cream and especially higher than the over-rated Castle Forbes range.



Its scent is not the sort you'd categorise easily - it's not floral, has elements of the superb 'Colonia' scent, but as has been mentioned 'barber shop' just about sums it up.



Packaging wise - all I'll say is that this is the sort of box a man wants to be opening on Christmas day or Valentine's day as a gift from his girl, as with most Acqua di Parma products!

This cream is awesome. The only down side is the price but I agree with the above post that it lasts a long while. I use mine like a soap. This cream makes the best lather in the world!

So, line by line:



Price; When you reach a certain price level, you are paying more for the cachet of the brand than actual performance. It seems that once you reach the $20-$25 price point, you are not going to find creams that actually perform much better. They may well be presented better, and this is certainly the case with AdP. The dark amber jar with silvered lid is just a work of art. And the box is too. But there isn't a cream on the face of the planet that is actually worth this much money. It may be worth it to you subjectively and that's fine. But in actual fact, it just isn't.



Quality; No argument here. This stuff is absolutely top notch. So are creams for less, but that does NOT take away from the superb quality of this cream.



Scent; For me, this is where the wheels fall off. I am a long way from rich, but I am a long way from poor too. I can easily afford this cream and would gladly, IF I liked the scent. I am the only one so far that doesn't. But I really, REALLY don't. To me it doesn't smell old timey or barbershoppy. It just smells bad.



Latherability; Wow. Amazing. I used my spiffy new Shavemac, just swirled the wet bristles on the top of the cream ONCE and face lathered. I immediately had enough thick, dense lather for an easy three passes and lots left to rinse out of the brush. You need VERY little cream to get awesome lather, and this offsets to some extent the cost of the cream. This jar will last you a LONG time! In that sense it may not be a stupid financial decision. Lesser creams demand more usage to get you to the same point that AdP does with seemingly almost no cream on your brush at all. You may go through twice as much Trumpers, for instance, for the same results. So maybe the price is not so bad.



Efficacy; Oh yeah. Great lubrication and slide. Makes shaving pleasant. If you like the scent. Your razor glides serenely over and through the lather, taking the stubble away with no drama or discomfort. Absolutely wonderful performance.



Moisturizing; My face feels GOOD. I sometimes end up with tight skin. Not with this stuff. You won't need a moisturizer after and AdP shave.



Packaging; Beautiful. Just pure sexy awesomenosity. The jar is gorgeous and just says hey, this here is the stuff you WISH you could use because if you do every babe you pass will drag you behind the nearest opaque (or even translucent) object and have her way with you. Even the packaging is pretty. You will be happy to have this jar out on the countertop.



So, is it worth the money? Maybe. Does it work? Sure does! Should you buy it? That's up to you.

------------------------------
"Would you mind not shooting at the thermonuclear weapons? "