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Reviews of BlueBell Artisan Soap Brought to you by RMS

What is this? Well Over at the Rocky Mountain Shavers http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/489287-Rocky-Mountain-Shavers-(RMS) we are conducting a passaround where we are featuring a Rocky Mountain Artisan BlueBell. Here you will be able to read some reviews on the soap, and hopefully head over the RMS and join us if you meet the ranks. All reviews will be posted here about this great artisan and there great product. Hope you can all follow along: Here is some info from the RMS about the company:



Casey sent two full tubs for this passaround, and two samples for the sample passaround.

I hope you follow along, and if you have any questions don't hesitate to reach out to me or an RMS member.

The next post will be the first review of the soap
 
Here is the arsenal used today:

Razor: Muhle R41
Blade: Astra SP (1)
Soap/cream: BlueBell Spice Rack
Brush: Rudy Vey B&B 2016
Aftershave1: Thayer's witch hazel cucumber
Aftershave2: Aqua Velva Musk


I chose this razor, blade, and brush because these are my favorites. This way I would know that any opinion I have would mean that is strictly from the soap. In other words I am trying to lower my variables.

I am going to rate the soap on the following out of 10.

Glide: 9/10
Cushion: 8/10
Latherability: 8/10
Lather Stability: 9/10
Residual Slickness: 8/10
Scent Strength: 7/10
Scent Likeness: 10/10

Here are the ingredients:

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Glide: So in terms of glide this to me is how well the razor glides during the pass while removing lather/stubble. This soap delivers! A similar soap in terms of glide for me would be Soap Commander or La Toja

Cushion: This to me is does this lather require me to have to use pressure in order to get the shave I want. The lower the # the more cushion required. So with that being said a similar soap would be Stirling or TOBS Creams

Latherability: This to me is how easy was the soap to lather? I did a 15 second load and I was able to add plenty of water to get to the lather to where I wanted it without losing the lather. In this regard I would say it is similar to Fine Soaps

Lather Stability: This to me is how stable was the lather throughout my shave? Did it hold up? This is similar to Barrister and Mann

Scent Strength: How strong was the scent? So for comparison sake a Razorock soap from me receives a 5/10. Stirling soap tend to receive a 7/10. Fine Platinum receives a 10/10.

Scent Likeness: Do I like the scent. So on the website this scent is described as: Their own proprietary blend. A spicy base and middle notes underscore sweet top notes to create an olfactory experience unlike any other. Yup that works! Wow this scent is unique and amazing! It really is top notch. The best way I can describe it is if you can remember in the fall your mother baking a spice cake and you walk into the kitchen and you smell the batter that is this. Wow it is good!

Alright a couple other things I want to talk about that are very important to me:

Container: The container is a very thick plastic tub, at first I confused it with glass. They leave room to load the soap which is very important to me.
Label: The labels are waterproof and look so good.

Alright let's get to some pics:

First this is after building the lather on my face:

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This is what was left after doing three passes:

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And here is the arsenal:

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I got a BBS today and am in heaven! Hope you all have a great day!
 
Great review, It seems like all of us are using the exact same ingredients in our veggie soaps LOL I guess it comes down to the value proposition and scent at this point. Scent has always been more important to me that other members here so it is nice to hear that the scent strength is good and the spiciness here is exceptional. Thanks for the great review!
 
Today's SOTD

Razor: Muhle R41
Blade: Astra SP (2)
Soap/cream: BlueBell Peppermint
Brush: Razorock 24mm Synthetic
Aftershave1: Thayer's witch hazel cucumber
Aftershave2: Fine Platinum

Had another great shave today with the Peppermint. I am not going to change any of my ratings from my previous review. I feel that they are pretty spot on. Sometimes there is a concern that a fragrance could effect the formula. That is not the case here.

So here is my review on the scent alone.

The strength is a tad bit lower on the peppermint compared to spice rack. I would probably give it a 6.5/10. Which is perfect for me on a scent like this. Peppermint is not my ideal scent, but every now and then I like to use these types of soaps, because the scent will not interact with aftershave or an EDP, so for me this is a win!

The scent is very pleasing and grading it against other peppermint soaps I would give this a 9/10. It is very nice and refreshing and true to peppermint. It also gives a nice cool feeling. The only way I would give a peppermint soap a 10/10 is if they can make it smell like a sweet peppermint, you know those types of candy canes i'm talking about. I haven't found one yet... but this is very nice.

I am working with Runnin_ute on logistics but I think we are going to meet up and I will give him the box on Friday. This means I will get one more shave tomorrow, with Spice Rack and I am wanting to bowl lather it and see just how much water it can take on. I personally think this soap will hold a LOT of water. So stay tuned for tomorrow!

Here are the pics of the line up and a lather shot.






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Third and final review from me. The BlueBell soaps should hopefully be in possession of the next RMS member either tomorrow or Saturday.

Today was my last shave with BlueBell for NOW! I have a busy August with so many passarounds that I am participating in but I can guarantee that I will at least be buying three pucks! Here is today's SOTD:

Razor: Muhle R41
Blade: Astra SP (3)
Soap/cream: BlueBell Spice Rack
Brush: Maggards 24mm Synthetic
Aftershave1: Thayer's witch hazel cucumber
Aftershave2: Clubman Special Reserve

So today I decided to lather in my Capt. Choice Bowl. I wanted to see just how much water this soap could take on. I might have added a bit too much, but for future reviewers, don't be afraid to add water this soap can handle it. I just wanted to find the breaking point. You will see in my lather pic that it is a little airy and thin, I attribute this to me not the soap. I think you can look back at the previous two shaves and see just how good this soap is, and how great the lather is as well. I wouldn't change any of my ratings, I am sticking to them.

So for those of you that also participate in the sample soap passaround, Casey at BlueBell also sent me two samples to be added to that passaround. I did not shave with them and they are being added to Box 1. The scents he sent are Barbershop and Limewood. Here are my opinions on those two scents.

Barbershop: This is not your typical Barbershop scent. I know that every vendor has a different interpretation on what Barbershop is, and BlueBell in my opinion has very nice scent on there hands here. Imagine a mixture of Mickey Lee's Kraken and Stirling's Barbershop. This is a very fresh smelling Barbershop that has a great scent! It is on my to buy list.

Lime Wood: Now I love Lime scents! And I also enjoy a good woodsy soap, so when I saw this on the site I was definitely intrigued and was very hopeful it would be included. So this is definitely harder to describe but I'll do my best. The strongest wood scent is definitely Cedar. But the lime shines through and is the predominant scent, but the cedar really tames it down. I also sense a hint of Patchouli. This is a complex scent in my opinion, not as complex as Spice Rack. But this soap will definitely need to be in my rotation for the fall.

Here are the pics: Hope you all have a great day!


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Thanks for going farther with the water. It's still holding some shape, but does look a bit bubbly. I prefer my lathers on the wetter side, and some soaps I have found if I take it right to the edge, the extra water from rinsing my face on subsequent passes causes them to break down. It's good to hear this soap has a wide window in this regard. :thumbup1:
I've almost got enough in my Ibotta account for a shaving purchase. I will hold out until I get to try this. :001_smile
 
Today's (Sunday, August 7) shave.....

Two day growth, didn't shave yesterday due to a time issue.
Razor: M1 (1967) Black Handle Super Speed
Blade: Gillette SIlver Blue (#17)
Brush: B & B Essential boar
Soap: Bluebell Peppermint
After Shave: Nivea Replenishing Post Shave Balm

Prepared the brush a little different, by letting it sit in a sink full of warm/hot water. Usually I just give it a good soak while in the shower and didn't do that as much today. Little bit of water in the container and whipped up a very nice lather. Love the scent of this. And not just the scent, but the way it makes my face feel. Not sure how to describe it. Cool, maybe? Today required a couple of full passes, but it was easy to get enough lather for that second pass. Still got DFS or better. I picked the Nivea, because its scent is very mild and wouldn't overpower/fight with something stronger.

I'll give it a couple more try's - my other razor (a D1 1958 Flare Tip Super Speed) has a slightly newer Astra SP in it. Maybe I should have tried that one for today, but didn't. I'll give it a couple of tries more before trying the Spice Rack. Just sniffing the open container, I like the scent of the Peppermint better - by a long shot. That was before using either one.

Would I purchase some of the Peppermint? Yes. One shave convinced me of that.

Used it again this morning (Monday, August 8)

Changes:
Razor: D1 (1958) Flare Tip Super Speed
Blade: Astra SP (10)
After Shave: Gillette after shave gel

Every bit as good today as yesterday except for I tried hurrying or something and nicked myself under the chin. I expect to probably try the Spice Rack tomorrow.
 
Today's (Sunday, August 7) shave.....

Two day growth, didn't shave yesterday due to a time issue.
Razor: M1 (1967) Black Handle Super Speed
Blade: Gillette SIlver Blue (#17)
Brush: B & B Essential boar
Soap: Bluebell Peppermint
After Shave: Nivea Replenishing Post Shave Balm

Prepared the brush a little different, by letting it sit in a sink full of warm/hot water. Usually I just give it a good soak while in the shower and didn't do that as much today. Little bit of water in the container and whipped up a very nice lather. Love the scent of this. And not just the scent, but the way it makes my face feel. Not sure how to describe it. Cool, maybe? Today required a couple of full passes, but it was easy to get enough lather for that second pass. Still got DFS or better. I picked the Nivea, because its scent is very mild and wouldn't overpower/fight with something stronger.

I'll give it a couple more try's - my other razor (a D1 1958 Flare Tip Super Speed) has a slightly newer Astra SP in it. Maybe I should have tried that one for today, but didn't. I'll give it a couple of tries more before trying the Spice Rack. Just sniffing the open container, I like the scent of the Peppermint better - by a long shot. That was before using either one.

Would I purchase some of the Peppermint? Yes. One shave convinced me of that.

Used it again this morning (Monday, August 8)

Changes:
Razor: D1 (1958) Flare Tip Super Speed
Blade: Astra SP (10)
After Shave: Gillette after shave gel

Every bit as good today as yesterday except for I tried hurrying or something and nicked myself under the chin. I expect to probably try the Spice Rack tomorrow.
Another good review. Curious to see what you think of Spice Rack

This message brought to you by Chad's phone.... most likely with typos
 
Today's shave.....

Razor: M1 (1967) Black Handle Super Speed
Blade: Gillette SIlver Blue (#18)
Brush: B & B Essential boar
Soap: Bluebell Spice Rack
After Shave: Neutrogena Triple Protect Face Lotion

Prepared the brush by doing my normal of soaking good while in the shower. Same razor and blade as Sunday. Little bit of water in the container and whipped up a very nice lather. Not a big fan of this scent, although it wasn't as overpowering as I feared it might be. One pass plus touch up - of course I shaved yesterday with the Peppermint. More than close enough. If not DFS, it was awfully close.

May or may not give it another whirl... haven't decided. I liked the Peppermint so much better. But that is just me. Others might like this more.



 
8/20/2016 - BlueBell Spice Rack shave #1

Participating in this passaround is a fun experience so far. Thanks for the opportunity, Chad.

Razor: Fatip Piccolo
Blade: Voskhod
Brush: Omega S-Brush Pro S10049
AS: Walmart Witch Hazel & Old Spice Classic (modern version)

Packaging: Two words came instantly to my mind when I viewed the packaging firsthand. Simple and Classy. I guess I am not a fan of the ornate labels with art all over them. I like that BlueBell has a simple and readable label that is usable across their product line. The jar is good quality and feels durable. The lid is easy to get on and off. I am very pleased with the look of the product

Scent: I was not sure at first how to place the scent. It bears some resemblance to Old Spice, but it is definitely its own thing. Chad compared it to spice cake batter, and I can see why he did. Out of the jar it is a strong scent that took a bit of getting used to. In the lather bowl it did mellow out a bit and became more pleasant and harmonious. However, spice cake isn't my thing so this is probably not a scent that I would buy for myself. If you like spicy and unique scents, you will probably really like this one.

Lathering: The soap is firm but not hard. Loading the brush was not difficult, but I didn't feel like I was picking up much soap. I am a 3017er, so I like to load heavily. After the first load I squeezed the brush into my bowl and loaded a second time. The lather built slowly but did get nicely creamy without much hassle. After the first pass I felt that the lather wasn't quite right, so I squeezed out the brush and completely rinsed it, then loaded a bit more product and added more water. I made the lather a bit too watery for the second pass. However, it was still shave-worthy.

Shave Performance: I only had time for two passes today, but I am not sure I would have attempted a third pass even with the time. For the first pass the lather was decently thick and applied easily. When I put razor to face for the WTG pass, I found it to have good slickness, but I thought the cushion was lacking. The razor glided over my face without problem, but I could definitely feel the blade on every stroke. Not only did I get the "knife buttering toast" sound but I could really feel the blade mowing down my whiskers. After trying to improve the lather for the second pass, I lathered up again for XTG. On the second pass the slickness was very much improved, but there was still very little cushion. The second pass lather was perhaps the slickest lather I have had in almost six months of wet shaving. I hope that on future shaves I can dial it in a bit and get more cushion out of this soap.

Post-shave Feel: I seriously thought about foregoing aftershave. The post-shave feel was great. With all the blade feel during the shave I thought I might leave myself with irritation, but when the shave was complete there was none. I noticed residual slickness even after I rinsed my face. The Witch Hazel took care of that leaving my skin feeling soft and smooth. I decided that I should use some AS in order to determine if there were any areas that were going to become irritated. I chose Old Spice because that was perhaps the only AS that I have which would pair with the soap. It gave me no burn beyond the initial alcohol burn. The great face-feel lasted all day.

Overall: This is a good product. The scent is not for me, but is strong, unique, and well crafted. It left my face feeling great after the shave, but the performance during the shave was a bit lacking. I don't like feeling the blade that much. I hope that I can coax a little more cushion out of it on future shaves, but even if I can't this is a product that I would be happy using in the future.
 
8/20/2016 - BlueBell Spice Rack shave #1

Participating in this passaround is a fun experience so far. Thanks for the opportunity, Chad.

Razor: Fatip Piccolo
Blade: Voskhod
Brush: Omega S-Brush Pro S10049
AS: Walmart Witch Hazel & Old Spice Classic (modern version)

Packaging: Two words came instantly to my mind when I viewed the packaging firsthand. Simple and Classy. I guess I am not a fan of the ornate labels with art all over them. I like that BlueBell has a simple and readable label that is usable across their product line. The jar is good quality and feels durable. The lid is easy to get on and off. I am very pleased with the look of the product

Scent: I was not sure at first how to place the scent. It bears some resemblance to Old Spice, but it is definitely its own thing. Chad compared it to spice cake batter, and I can see why he did. Out of the jar it is a strong scent that took a bit of getting used to. In the lather bowl it did mellow out a bit and became more pleasant and harmonious. However, spice cake isn't my thing so this is probably not a scent that I would buy for myself. If you like spicy and unique scents, you will probably really like this one.

Lathering: The soap is firm but not hard. Loading the brush was not difficult, but I didn't feel like I was picking up much soap. I am a 3017er, so I like to load heavily. After the first load I squeezed the brush into my bowl and loaded a second time. The lather built slowly but did get nicely creamy without much hassle. After the first pass I felt that the lather wasn't quite right, so I squeezed out the brush and completely rinsed it, then loaded a bit more product and added more water. I made the lather a bit too watery for the second pass. However, it was still shave-worthy.

Shave Performance: I only had time for two passes today, but I am not sure I would have attempted a third pass even with the time. For the first pass the lather was decently thick and applied easily. When I put razor to face for the WTG pass, I found it to have good slickness, but I thought the cushion was lacking. The razor glided over my face without problem, but I could definitely feel the blade on every stroke. Not only did I get the "knife buttering toast" sound but I could really feel the blade mowing down my whiskers. After trying to improve the lather for the second pass, I lathered up again for XTG. On the second pass the slickness was very much improved, but there was still very little cushion. The second pass lather was perhaps the slickest lather I have had in almost six months of wet shaving. I hope that on future shaves I can dial it in a bit and get more cushion out of this soap.

Post-shave Feel: I seriously thought about foregoing aftershave. The post-shave feel was great. With all the blade feel during the shave I thought I might leave myself with irritation, but when the shave was complete there was none. I noticed residual slickness even after I rinsed my face. The Witch Hazel took care of that leaving my skin feeling soft and smooth. I decided that I should use some AS in order to determine if there were any areas that were going to become irritated. I chose Old Spice because that was perhaps the only AS that I have which would pair with the soap. It gave me no burn beyond the initial alcohol burn. The great face-feel lasted all day.

Overall: This is a good product. The scent is not for me, but is strong, unique, and well crafted. It left my face feeling great after the shave, but the performance during the shave was a bit lacking. I don't like feeling the blade that much. I hope that I can coax a little more cushion out of it on future shaves, but even if I can't this is a product that I would be happy using in the future.
Superb review! Great job.

This message brought to you by Chad's phone.... most likely with typos
 
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