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Santa Maria Novella Crema Da Barba review

OldSaw

The wife's investment
As I am somewhat technically challenged and not always up on forum protocols I am starting this thread as a link for discussing the review I wrote on Santa Maria Novella Crema Da Barba.

Here is the review and now I will edit a link back to this thread in the review. Is that the way I am supposed to do it?

Thanks,
 
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OldSaw

The wife's investment
Since you did not provide a thread for comments, I'll comment here. My understanding is that this is Proraso, marketed under a different name. Normally, I would not post in a review like this, but I would hate for others to overpay for Proraso.

Randy

As far as Proraso in a different wrapper goes, that is why I included a picture of the ingredients. They are different and I currently have both. I can also tell the difference in the shave. I've tried really hard to like Proraso but to no avail. As I said in my review I was afraid this might be the same but it is much better.
 

OldSaw

The wife's investment
This is the box that the SMN came in.
View attachment 7640


Here is the Proraso that I have.
View attachment 7639


Here is a side by side comparison of the ingredients of the two products.
View attachment 7638


As anyone can see there is a difference in the ingredients. I am no expert at manufacturing this stuff but it is clearly different than the Proraso. Of course some of the ingredients are the same. Most of these products share some common ingredients. But to suggest that SNM is nothing more than Proraso in a pricier tub is a stretch. In fact it would probably be more correct to say that Proraso is a cheaper imitation of the SNM since SNM has been around much longer. It would stand to reason that the later product is the counterfeit.
 
Dennis,

Thanks for the comparison. I have been told by a couple of "old timers" that they were the same.

Randy
 

OldSaw

The wife's investment
Dennis,

Thanks for the comparison. I have been told by a couple of "old timers" that they were the same.

Randy

No problem. Like I said, I was also concerned that it may just be Proraso at a higher price.

I also tried comparing the two last night while shaving and I can definitely tell the difference.
 
As a new Santa Maria Novella shop opened its doors in my hometown, I bought a tub of shave cream as well as a bottle of Cologna Russa (marvelous).
It is correct that the smell reminded me of Proraso, but the cream/soap was definitively not Proraso! First of all, the color of the cream is completely snow white, contrary to the tub of Proraso which is more "butterish".
The cream or rather soap is softer than the soap in the Proraso tub and although the ingredients are almost identical (like the other shave creams on the market), it contains Lanolin.
It is without doubt my best shave cream, and... I have some to compare to.
The tube contains 250 ml and is filled to the rim.
You can see here how the SMN shave cream is packed in the factory:http://www.lafcony.com/smn/about.htm
 
Quite honestly, I think the tub it comes in looks like it belongs on the shelf of my neighborhood 99 Cents Only store.

At 52 bucks, I'd expect more.
 
Quite honestly, I think the tub it come in looks like it belongs on the shelf of my neighborhood 99 Cents Only store.

At 52 bucks, I'd expect more.

Not sure why I can't access the review, but for $52US :w00t: what I would expect can not be printed in a publicly available web site... :biggrin:
 
Picked up a tub at their LA store a few weeks ago. As for the price if you compare the amount of cream versus a TH, or TOB it adds up. The comment made on the packaging, I understand your point but does it really matter as long as it seals the cream well? As for the shave this cream is absolutely the best, with Cella Sapone as a close second, and I shave with an array of creams, Musgo, Proraso, TH, TOB, Kiehls, Trumpers. BTW this jar is huge using it daily it will last you well over a year. The only drawback is its scent, which is hard to describe, no fragrance just the ingredients in it I suppose. This review was made using a brush for those who are wondering, with a little Proraso pre-cream prior to it.
 

OldSaw

The wife's investment
Picked up a tub at their LA store a few weeks ago. As for the price if you compare the amount of cream versus a TH, or TOB it adds up. The comment made on the packaging, I understand your point but does it really matter as long as it seals the cream well? As for the shave this cream is absolutely the best, with Cella Sapone as a close second, and I shave with an array of creams, Musgo, Proraso, TH, TOB, Kiehls, Trumpers. BTW this jar is huge using it daily it will last you well over a year. The only drawback is its scent, which is hard to describe, no fragrance just the ingredients in it I suppose. This review was made using a brush for those who are wondering, with a little Proraso pre-cream prior to it.

I read your post in the reviews. There aren't many of us SMN users around, as the price is pretty steep. I would really like to get another SMN pre-shave cream but it is also about $50 and doesn't last nearly as long as the shave cream.
 
SMN's shave cream is one of my favorites. On one hand, yes, it is expensive and quite similar to (but not the same as) Proraso. On the other, it is perhaps the best shave cream I have come across, nulli secundus. Per container it is expensive at 52.00 USD. Per shave? I will have to let you know when I am done. As it stands, I have had perhaps 20 shaves out of it and barely touched the surface.
 
I've been using a small tube of this that I got from my wife. I quite like it, and I'm thinking about ordering a tub. Is there only one scent? The one that I have seems to have a note of lavender to it, along with eucalyptus, menthol and some others (maybe something citrus?). I'd like to get the same kind--am I safe to order it?
 
Pardon the mildly necrotic thread bump, but I recently got around to shaving with the sample that I obtained from the master enabler (aka Handy). :)

While I can definitely see why some folks are comparing it to Proraso, I'm reasonably certain that I've never been able to get lather this good out of either the Proraso cream or soap. The mentholated feel is similar, but the quality of the shave seemed better. I'll have to do more testing, possibly side-by-side to confirm (or disabuse) this notion.

Given the density of the cream and the amount included in each tub, the price seems more than reasonable. Many shaving creams are sold in 100 ml tubes or tubs--this cream is $21 per 100 ml, and will outlast most other creams due to the consistency.

I'll post here again once I've made it through the sample and done some comparisons.
 
The father in law bought me some for my birthday, I am his first son, and he loves me. I have it headed out here. I used it a great deal while on leave, and want to do a side by side comp in my soap and creams thread linked in my sig, because of the Proraso controversy. I used it and decided that I would likely PIF my Proraso due to the liklihood of never again using it, well not very seriously. It is such a wonderful experience to use the SMN. I expect it here in the next few days, and I will be doing a side by side.
 
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They had this at Merz Apothecary in Chicago and didn't recall seeing any reviews on it. I'd be interested to hear what others think about it and/or maybe a little more of a description instead of just, "wow". :tongue:
 
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