I got my package from Mike, in the mail today! I'm posting my "Early Review" here, because it seems appropriate. I shaved with the Barber Shop and smelled...and almost ate the other scents (Lavandin-Eucalyptus, O/CW/BP, and Peppermint-Rosemary).
First things first - the scents are by far the most wonderful I've smelled in a shave soap! The only soap that holds a candle to them, to me is Proraso (weird, I know, but it illicits fond memories and a feeling of being in a classic European barber shop). I think I'm one of the lucky few to have either gotten a haircut, shave or buzz in almost every country I've visited. Ok, back to the fun stuff.
Barber Shop: the scent is sweet, yet masculine. To me, it's reminiscent of Sienna, but with something a little bit less in your face about it. To me, the patchouli really stands out, while the bergamot rounds it all out. Beautiful, almost intoxicating stuff.
Lavandin-Eucalyptus: this one smells like AOS Lavender and Proraso made a beautiful love child. Depending on the "sniff", you either notice the warm, soothing scent of lavender, or the cool, slighty medicinal (in a good way) quality of the eucalyptus. To me, I detect a nice almost spicy faint hint of camphor. All in all, it's the nicest lavender scented soap I've smelled.
Peppermint-Rosemary: it smells like a blend that I'd love to use to season a nice rack of lamb...oh wait...I have.... It's herbaceous, slightly woody and bright. Once again, A+!
Orange/Cedarwood and Black Pepper: all I have to say is, "wow"!!! It smells more of satsuma than I expected, and I am pretty sure I detect a touch of distant campfire mixed in there somewhere. This one will be my next soap purchase. Hands down.
On to the performance/lathering. I used it to shave with an aggressive Shark blade, in my Aristocrat Jr, on my first attempt lathering it. Arrogance, or excitement, I'm not sure, but it wasn't what I had hoped on my initial pass. I scrapped it, switched to my Wee Scot, took a good wet brush to the tin and loaded my brush for about 45 seconds. I then took it to my face and built a rich, creamy lather. In use, it reminded of MWF, and QCS, but was slightly denser. To me, this is great, as I like a thick and slick lather, rather than a fluffy or light one.
To play around, I kept adding water and mixed some up in my mug. With this combo, I got a glistening cloud of lather, but one that was far less airy than many soaps. One of my favourite soaps is Cade, which to me is light, and soft. Well, Mike's seems like it's going to be right next to Proraso, on the podium, with Cade, La Toja or MWF. However, the feel of it couldn't be any more different than Cade.
I often find adjectives are the best way to sum up an experience. Here are some that come to mind:
Dense
Silky
Exotic
Local
Gorgeous.
First things first - the scents are by far the most wonderful I've smelled in a shave soap! The only soap that holds a candle to them, to me is Proraso (weird, I know, but it illicits fond memories and a feeling of being in a classic European barber shop). I think I'm one of the lucky few to have either gotten a haircut, shave or buzz in almost every country I've visited. Ok, back to the fun stuff.
Barber Shop: the scent is sweet, yet masculine. To me, it's reminiscent of Sienna, but with something a little bit less in your face about it. To me, the patchouli really stands out, while the bergamot rounds it all out. Beautiful, almost intoxicating stuff.
Lavandin-Eucalyptus: this one smells like AOS Lavender and Proraso made a beautiful love child. Depending on the "sniff", you either notice the warm, soothing scent of lavender, or the cool, slighty medicinal (in a good way) quality of the eucalyptus. To me, I detect a nice almost spicy faint hint of camphor. All in all, it's the nicest lavender scented soap I've smelled.
Peppermint-Rosemary: it smells like a blend that I'd love to use to season a nice rack of lamb...oh wait...I have.... It's herbaceous, slightly woody and bright. Once again, A+!
Orange/Cedarwood and Black Pepper: all I have to say is, "wow"!!! It smells more of satsuma than I expected, and I am pretty sure I detect a touch of distant campfire mixed in there somewhere. This one will be my next soap purchase. Hands down.
On to the performance/lathering. I used it to shave with an aggressive Shark blade, in my Aristocrat Jr, on my first attempt lathering it. Arrogance, or excitement, I'm not sure, but it wasn't what I had hoped on my initial pass. I scrapped it, switched to my Wee Scot, took a good wet brush to the tin and loaded my brush for about 45 seconds. I then took it to my face and built a rich, creamy lather. In use, it reminded of MWF, and QCS, but was slightly denser. To me, this is great, as I like a thick and slick lather, rather than a fluffy or light one.
To play around, I kept adding water and mixed some up in my mug. With this combo, I got a glistening cloud of lather, but one that was far less airy than many soaps. One of my favourite soaps is Cade, which to me is light, and soft. Well, Mike's seems like it's going to be right next to Proraso, on the podium, with Cade, La Toja or MWF. However, the feel of it couldn't be any more different than Cade.
I often find adjectives are the best way to sum up an experience. Here are some that come to mind:
Dense
Silky
Exotic
Local
Gorgeous.