Penhaligon's Opus 1870

Yes, this is expensive and yes, you must love the scent of Opus 1870 to enjoy this. It is a peppery, musky scent with no citrus. That is great in my book. This gives equal or better lather of any of the creams I have tried, including all of the high end creams. Used with the matching balm is it very moisturizing. I like the squeeze tube packaging because it is easy to squeeze the little bit of cream that you need onto the brush...you do not need a lot. Of course the price is sky high, maybe softened by the little bit you need for each shave. But, when all is said and done, this cream makes your morning shave feel and smell absolutely luxurious. I am using it once per week so that I do not diminish the luxury feeling.
Larry

Introduction: Penhaligon's shaving creams are supposed to be some of the best. Opus 1870 is one of Penhaligon's colognes that they remade as a shaving cream. Penhalgon's Opus 1870 cologne smells woodsy, to me similar to cedar. Let's see how the cream fares.

Price: $39.99 is a lot for a cream. In my opinion, Penhaligon's Opus 1870 is overpriced. $30 would have been more appropriate.

Lather: What do you expect? If you pay $39.99 for a cream, you get great lather. I got rich, creamy lather with barely any effort.

Scent: It smells just like the cologne. I enjoy the woodsy, cedar-like smell. The scent seems to fade after a while, though.

Shave: I shaved with my straight and got a decent shave. Had I used the Merkur HD, I'm sure I would have BBS right now.

Moisturizing properties: It could be better. My face feels only slightly moist.

Packaging: It comes in a box. The tube looks nice. Sadly, the tube is plastic. I would expect better for $39.99.

Final thoughts: I enjoyed the cream. Would I ever buy it again? Probably not. The price is borderline outrageous, in my opinion. I mean, seriously, for $40 there is a lot of other stuff out there. It is a good cream, though.

Where to purchase: The best place to purchase Penhaligon's Opus 1870 is VintageBladesLLC.com. For $39.99 you get 150 mL/5 oz. of shaving cream in a tube. If you purchase items for $100 or more, VintageBladesLLC.com gives free shipping.

This cream is a must for those who enjoy Opus 1870 EdT. The quality of the cream is top notch--thick, meringue-like lather explodes from the brush in seconds. The scent is incredible, very very similar to the EdT with tones of deep, musky pepper/cedar/clove. Only a small amount is needed for wonderful lather, and I had fun experimenting with how much water the cream could hold (it's a lot!!). I've used this cream with both a straight and a DE and it performed marvellously for each. Wonderful glide, minimal irritation, skin felt great afterwards. Throw on a little Opus 1870 ASB and some EdT after for a real treat!

I just completed my second shave with Penhaligon's Opus 1870, this one with a straight. Wow. This cream makes the richest lather I've seen so far. Thick, creamy and a delight to behold in the bowl, brush, and face. I take my time and enjoy my straight shaves and noticed a bit of drying by the time I came to my neck, but nothing more than many other creams.
I didn't rate the price or packaging, I purchased on ebay in a package deal including the EDT and ASB. I didn't see the original packaging, but then it is what is inside that counts. As received, the cream comes in a plastic squeeze tube with a lift up cap. The hole is small so you can control the amount of cream easily, a good thing considering the retail price.
A first class shave cream that I will hoard away for those special shaves.

Man o' Manischewitz. These Penhaligon's creams sure are something. The price borders on the brutal, no matter how hard I attempt to justify it, but they deliver an all encompassing experience that makes seeking them out worthwhile.
The Opus 1870 is based on one of their classic scents, and translates very well into a cream, something not always the case with cologne based creams. If you enjoy the scent, you'll love the cream.

Price- But honey, it's ten dollars cheaper than the Blenhein Bouquet tub. Honest!

Quality- From the scent to the box to the bag it comes in, it oozes class. Should have "no riffraff" printed on the label.

Scent- A manly, enduring standard. Dark and forboding, it's a Dick Cheney of a scent. As with all cologne based creams, make sure you enjoy the cologne first.

Latherability- No issues. Whips up exactly as you would expect.

Efficacy- At once both slick and cushioning; absolutely top notch.

Moisturizing properties- It's no eShave, but it's as good as most of its high end competition.

Packaging- Available only in a 150g tube, but it's elegant and understated.


Along with Coates and D. R. Harris, the Penhaligon creams are among my very favorites, and are in the very top tier of shaving products.