What's new

Figaro, Il Barbiere di Siviglia.

Marco

B&B's Man in Italy
Figaro, The Barber of Seville.
This is title of a famous Italian opera, written by the great Gioacchino Rossini, set in Seville (Spain) and first performed in 1816 in Rome.
However Figaro is also the name of a magnificent Italian shaving cream.
It is a classic, Almond scented product, as used by Italian Master Barbers for over a century.
But my friends believe it or not, I have ignored this outstanding cream completely, and have started using it only two weeks ago.
It was there, on the shelf of every supermarket or local store I was going in, just beside Proraso.
As Proraso it comes in a nice plastic bowl and as Proraso it is sold at the ridiculous price of € 1.50!
So, I thought, why not give it a try?
My only regret now is that I should have started using Figaro a lot of time before...
This product is AMAZING!!!
As I crack opened the lid, I closed my eyes and gave a full sniff to the top of the cream and perceived an intense scent of Almond, or, for connoisseurs, of "amaretto".
This fragrance, if you like Almond scented creams, is wonderful.
Just wonderful.
Now how to describe the product itself?
Is it a hard cream or a soft soap?
Having essentially the same density as Castle Forbes creams, I do consider Figaro as a concentrated shaving cream, even if many others do consider it as a soft shaving soap.
Anyhow I don't want to debate any longer on this point, being a more philosophical subject than a real matter.
Figaro lathers up beautifully and easily in tons of slick, thick and rich lather.
Containing a good proportion of glycerine, palm oil and jojoba wax, it is extremely moisturizing and protective, even for the most sensitive skins.
I shaved four times with Figaro and always got a great shave.
To be honest, I fell in love with this Italian marvel since my very first shave.
There are also many similarities with another fantastic Italian shaving cream: Cella.
Both share a strong Almond scent, both are Italian, both are barbershop products, both are manufactured with very high quality standards and, finally, both give a superb shave.
So, if you like Cella, I'm sure you'll like Figaro as well.
VIVA L'ITALIA!
 
Last edited:
Ciao Marco!

I have touted Figaro, although not nearly so well as you have herein. Part of my regular rotation of soaps and creams.
 
I just shaved with this for the first time today. It reminds me of Cella, but Figaro smells better. Cella smells like dirty socks to me. Figaro smells a lot like Trumpers Almond cream. Good stuff.
 
I beg to differ with Marko.

I believe that it is a very good soap/cream and rate it as a second tier soap -in the same class as Proraso.

Figaro like Proraso lathers very easily and is almost fool proof in that it delivers a lovely lather that even a first time user would be proud of.
For those that find the scent of Proraso a little pedestrian, the Figaro almond scent is quite nice.
This soap can be bought for around $8.00 ( excl.shipping ) from the Shoebox Shaveshop so it is quite a bargain.

How does it compare to the big three Italians ? ( Valobra, P160, Cella. )
Quite simply, it doesn't. Like it's stabelmate Proraso, it is completely outclassed while still being a very good soap/cream that is excellent value for money.

The big 3 are at the highest tier of shave soap/creams and have very little competition.

(YMMV).
 

Luc

"To Wiki or Not To Wiki, That's The Question".
Staff member
Awesome post Marco! You are now pushing me on getting some of that cream!
 
Are you talking about Proraso cream or soap here? I'm looking towards buying some Proraso, but can't decide if I should choose soap or cream.

They are marketed as soaps however.....

Personally I think they are neither cream nor soap but rather a cross between the two. They perhaps deserve they're own classification........"CROAP".

In reality they are either a soft "cream like" soap...... or they are a firm "soap like" cream.

Is the cup half empty or half full ?
 
Are you talking about Proraso cream or soap here? I'm looking towards buying some Proraso, but can't decide if I should choose soap or cream.

I'd go with the soft soap that Proraso makes for Omega. You'll save a couple bucks, the black packaging is much more appealing on a bathrom counter, and I think the soap is nicer to work with.
 

Marco

B&B's Man in Italy
Since I am of Italian heritage, now I will have to try some Italian soaps and creams.:thumbup:

Jim, have you ever heard of P.160?
I have contacted most specilized shops in Rome, but this Italian product
seems "out of stock" almost everywhere here.
 
Jim, have you ever heard of P.160?
I have contacted most specilized shops in Rome, but this Italian product
seems "out of stock" almost everywhere here.

hi Marco,

My contacts in Italy tell me that P.160 is being discontinued (no longer produced). P.160 was a tallow-based formula and it's my favorite soap/cream in my rotation. I'm going to try my hardest to make sure P.160 does not disappear; I will update further when I return from Italy, late summer. It would be a real shame to lose this product, at least in my opinion.
 

Marco

B&B's Man in Italy
hi Marco,

My contacts in Italy tell me that P.160 is being discontinued (no longer produced). P.160 was a tallow-based formula and it's my favorite soap/cream in my rotation. I'm going to try my hardest to make sure P.160 does not disappear; I will update further when I return from Italy, late summer. It would be a real shame to lose this product, at least in my opinion.

Hi Joe,

P.160 is going to be discontinued?
The last authorized retailer I phoned yesterday told me he was waiting for a new stock of both types (tipo duro and tipo morbido), but he didn't say anything about the stop in the production.
Are you sure regarding that?
And, if so, is P.160 going to be replaced with a similar product?
 
Hi Joe,

P.160 is going to be discontinued?
The last authorized retailer I phoned yesterday told me he was waiting for a new stock of both types (tipo duro and tipo morbido), but he didn't say anything about the stop in the production.
Are you sure regarding that?
And, if so, is P.160 going to be replaced with a similar product?

Hi Marco,

I will definitely pass on further information once I receive it.

The information I have comes right from the company.
 

Marco

B&B's Man in Italy
Hi Marco,

I will definitely pass on further information once I receive it.

The information I have comes right from the company.

Thank you Joe,

Please keep me updated as soon as you'll have further details.
 
Top Bottom