AoS Sandalwood v. QCS Mysore Sandalwood

[daverasi]

I currently have a tub of the AoS sandalwood...I really have no complaints other than I have the matching soap and might like a bit of variety. I am a HUGE fan of QCS creams and have samples of the lavender and lime and full sizes of the GIT and Vetiver.

I am considering posting the Sandalwood tub on BST and investing in a tub of the custom made Mysore Sandalwood.

Has anyone tried both? I know that both are great performers (slight edge to QCS IMO) but how do the scents compare?

[stevodevo]

I would also like to know this...

[Evbo]

Sandalwood freak that I am, I have both scents.

While I like AoS's sandalwood cream very much -- and it does smell good! -- to my nose, QCS's product is much more true to the dark, creamy, woody scent of real sandalwood EO. (Efficacy-wise, I also think it's a better performer than AoS's cream. But I'm normally a soap guy so take my recommendation with a grain of salt.) So if you're looking for a cream that smells like real sandalwood, look no further than QCS.

[tehtimmeh]

I'm not a freak like Evan, but I have both as well.. Both are very good and must have products. If I were forced to only choose one, I'd have to agree with Evan and give the nod to QCS on both scent and performance. You cannot go wrong.

One thing you should know if you already don't, is that you must treat the QCS creams like a soap. Load directly from the container swirling your brush on top of the cream as it is very hard and dense.

I must also note that the AoS sandalwood soap is a much, much better performer than their cream IMO.

[daverasi]

Thanks for responding! It took a few weeks but I finially got some great answers! I am a huge fan of QCS creams and have their version of GIT and Vetiver. As I mentioned in the OP, I have AoS Sandalwood - nothing wrong with it I just knew i preferred the performance of QCS products but wanted to double check with B&B before making the switch (you'll see my used tub of AoS sandalwood and some other goodies on BST soon).

Of course I could keep both but I am really trying to thin the supply of products...plus I still have a puck of AoS sandalwood which is a great performer as Tim mentioned above.

[Vulcanus]

As someone who is looking to purchase a sandalwood cream, what brand is this QCS? Where can one find it?

[dmachine]

QCS stands for Queen Charlotte Soaps. QCS is a vendor here at B&B. You can find them in the vendor corner or at www.queencharlottesoaps.com

[Evbo]

I'm not a freak like Evan

I take exception to that statement. You are, in fact, an FLM*. Possibly freakier.







*Freak Like Me

[ruebis]

The QCS is Phenomenal stuff. I have a good many, maybe 10?, and the Mysore is absolutely amazing stuff. Also quite a fan of their Rose and Key Lime.

[Angry__Panda]

What is the difference between sandalwood and mysore sandalwood?

[JCinPA]

Thanks for responding! It took a few weeks but I finially got some great answers!

I actually think that's a good thing! Not many people had tried both products, apparently. I have the AOS sandalwood cream now, and my QCS is in the mail. I will post a side/side comparison thread soon.

I get irritated when someone asks a question like yours, however, and you get fifteen responses saying, "I don't have product A but I have product B and it's JAWESOME!"

I mean I admire their enthusiasm, but it is of no help to the OP. I'm glad you waited a bit and folks who had actually tried both chimed in. As will I when the QCS comes.

"What's your favorite threads" are fair game for any response, but for "How does product A compare to product B" threads, I wish folks would exhibit just a little more restraint.

[/rant]

Sorry for the ...

[Evbo]

What is the difference between sandalwood and mysore sandalwood?

"Mysore" is the name of the location in India where, traditionally, the best sandalwood has come from. The latin name is Santalum Album. Endangered species that it is, it's also farmed in Sri Lanka, Australia, Fiji, and probably a bunch of other places that I don't know about.

There are also many different species of sandalwood. All of them have different scent profiles. So "sandalwood" is a somewhat of a generic term (kind of like "wine"). But again, some of the best Santalum Album comes from Mysore. I don't know for a fact that the sandalwood QCS uses in its cream is, in fact, actual sandalwood EO distilled from trees grown in Mysore or even if he uses actual Santalum Album to scent his cream. He might use a blend of different sandalwood EOs. Only Matt (the owner) can tell you that, and I'm sure he's keeping mum.

My opinion? His cream smells great. 'Nuff said.

[Captain Coconut]

I can't help but read the above as "Santana Album", which makes me smile.
I just thought you'd all like to know.

Back to the original topic, I've decided I can't live without a QCS cream or two, and the Mysore Sandalwood will definitely be one of those three or four.

[Angry__Panda]

"Mysore" is the name of the location in India where, traditionally, the best sandalwood has come from. The latin name is Santalum Album. Endangered species that it is, it's also farmed in Sri Lanka, Australia, Fiji, and probably a bunch of other places that I don't know about.

There are also many different species of sandalwood. All of them have different scent profiles. So "sandalwood" is a somewhat of a generic term (kind of like "wine"). But again, some of the best Santalum Album comes from Mysore. I don't know for a fact that the sandalwood QCS uses in its cream is, in fact, actual sandalwood EO distilled from trees grown in Mysore or even if he uses actual Santalum Album to scent his cream. He might use a blend of different sandalwood EOs. Only Matt (the owner) can tell you that, and I'm sure he's keeping mum.

My opinion? His cream smells great. 'Nuff said.

So is Mysore what they use in Cyril Salter's cream with the dreadful spicy aroma that comes with it? I really like GFT and TOBS sandalwood (and prefer TOBS actually) does the QCS smell similar to that? I guess I just don't want to get it and then have it smell more Indian if that makes sense? Let me give you an example real fast; so when I first started I got some TOBS and I loved the sandalwood, so I ran around town to smaller ethnic grocery stores, one Indian grocery that I came across had soap (in a red square package) called Mysore sandalwood. When I took a whiff it smelled VERY strongly of more of an Indian incense...Hard to explain, but a lot of the stores I went into they had incense burning and this is what the soap smelled of (this store had no incense burning either heh). Just curious if it is more like that or more like what I have come to believe sandalwood smells like (GFT and TOBS)?

[Price]

I guess I just don't want to get it and then have it smell more Indian if that makes sense?

The answer is obvious, young Padwan. Buy the QCS. If the scent doesn't agree with you, it'll probably last about 5 minutes on the BST.

[The Chandos]

Sandalwood freak that I am, I have both scents.

While I like AoS's sandalwood cream very much -- and it does smell good! -- to my nose, QCS's product is much more true to the dark, creamy, woody scent of real sandalwood EO. (Efficacy-wise, I also think it's a better performer than AoS's cream. But I'm normally a soap guy so take my recommendation with a grain of salt.) So if you're looking for a cream that smells like real sandalwood, look no further than QCS.

+1 on this all the way. The title of the OP might have read "Blank" vs. QCS Mysore Sandalwood and I would still have the same response. I tried half a dozen sandalwood creams before I finally found QCS and it delivered everything I wanted. It is my go-to SC period, I love the smell, I love the performance. QCS creams are more like croaps, too, which I prefer. I find it easier to spoon a smidgen into my scuttle and add water to whip it up, which it does nicely, like a cumulus thunderhead on a hot summer day!

So is Mysore what they use in Cyril Salter's cream with the dreadful spicy aroma that comes with it? I really like GFT and TOBS sandalwood (and prefer TOBS actually) does the QCS smell similar to that? I guess I just don't want to get it and then have it smell more Indian if that makes sense? Let me give you an example real fast; so when I first started I got some TOBS and I loved the sandalwood, so I ran around town to smaller ethnic grocery stores, one Indian grocery that I came across had soap (in a red square package) called Mysore sandalwood. When I took a whiff it smelled VERY strongly of more of an Indian incense...Hard to explain, but a lot of the stores I went into they had incense burning and this is what the soap smelled of (this store had no incense burning either heh). Just curious if it is more like that or more like what I have come to believe sandalwood smells like (GFT and TOBS)?

I tried the Salters version, too, and I agree, there seemed to be some added "Indian spices" or something that really overpowered the sandalwood notes. It was in fact my least favorite sandalwood cream I tried. Interestingly, Matthew has commented that he does not make the mysore sandalwood soaps because the sandalwood essential oil he uses reacts differently in his soaps than it does in his creams. I have no idea why. But that has some hint as why the sandalwood soaps at the grocery smell more like incense. Also, because the supply of good mysore sandalwood is diminishing, my guess is that soap manufacturers are turning to other "sources" (ie, ingredients) for their "sandalwood." That said, I think Salters is trying to make up for the "mysore" by making it "Indian" and that can be interpreted many way, including the addition of "spices."

[Evbo]

So is Mysore what they use in Cyril Salter's cream with the dreadful spicy aroma that comes with it? I really like GFT and TOBS sandalwood (and prefer TOBS actually) does the QCS smell similar to that? I guess I just don't want to get it and then have it smell more Indian if that makes sense? Let me give you an example real fast; so when I first started I got some TOBS and I loved the sandalwood, so I ran around town to smaller ethnic grocery stores, one Indian grocery that I came across had soap (in a red square package) called Mysore sandalwood. When I took a whiff it smelled VERY strongly of more of an Indian incense...Hard to explain, but a lot of the stores I went into they had incense burning and this is what the soap smelled of (this store had no incense burning either heh). Just curious if it is more like that or more like what I have come to believe sandalwood smells like (GFT and TOBS)?

I have never smelled Salter's, Trumper's or TOBS's sandalwood. However, I'm 99.99999% sure that all of those products use a synthetic sandalwood scent. Since it's an endangered species, real sandalwood EO is *very* expensive. It's why Matt charges $25 for a tub of his sandalwood cream. It's also why 99.99999% of all sandalwood-scented products out there are scented artificially (and rose-scented products too, come to that).

Re the sandalwood soap you smelled along with the incense...I don't know. I haven't smelled the mysore sandalwood soap you mention but (assuming we're talking about the same soap) there's been a lot of chatter here about how it's scented using real, government-controlled sandalwood and therefore about how great & realistic it smells. So will the QCS cream smell more like this? Maybe. Only one way to find out!!

[Angry__Panda]

The answer is obvious, young Padwan. Buy the QCS. If the scent doesn't agree with you, it'll probably last about 5 minutes on the BST.

Just buying samples, just hard to choose only 5 lol. But I got them, we'll see what it smells like when it is delivered ;) . Even though I suppose I knew someone would chime in with the "obvious" choice heh ;) .

Thanks for the help guys I appreciate it. I'll let you know how it compares to the other sandalwood scents as soon as it shows up.

[The Chandos]

I found this B&B review for Vulfix sandalwood shaving cream and immediately thought of Salters' Indian Sandalwood shaving cream. This review might as well have been for Salters as I experienced it, especially the consistency and the smell - "fresh-baked ginger/cinnamin cookie" (not so much the container, although it's funny that the OP pokes fun at Salter's containers too).

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthr...ng-Cream-(pics)

So, my question is whether they both (Salters and Vulfix) originate from the same manufacturer?

[gaj90027]

I found this B&B review for Vulfix sandalwood shaving cream and immediately thought of Salters' Indian Sandalwood shaving cream. This review might as well have been for Salters as I experienced it, especially the consistency and the smell - "fresh-baked ginger/cinnamin cookie" (not so much the container, although it's funny that the OP pokes fun at Salter's containers too).

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthr...ng-Cream-(pics)

So, my question is whether they both (Salters and Vulfix) originate from the same manufacturer?

I'm not sure if the Salters and Vulfix are made by the same manufacturer but I did own both of their Sandalwood creams at the same time and could not tell the difference in scent, consistency or performance. The scent was interesting and pleasant but not something I would want to shave with very often and not what I would consider Sandalwood scented at all. The performance was top notch though as are all the Salter and Vulfix creams I have tried.