I have just finished a tub of Massacre of the Innocents shave soap from Declaration Grooming (DG)(Declaration Grooming | Handcrafted Wetshaving Products - https://www.declarationgrooming.com/). I also have the matching aftershave using the full menthol dosage.
As most know this is DG’s Milksteak base that they have been using since 2019 or so. The performance is stellar in all respects. I do two or three passes every day, no problems. With less slick or protective soaps I can sometimes get a mild burn, but I do not have sensitive skin. I shave high on my face, up to the top of the cheek bones and above the ears on a slant where a sideburn might be for others – I’m fairly bald and the hair on the side is kept USMC short. I shave all the way, deeply down my neck and once or twice a week even go broader to the very top of my neckline, all the way around my neck nearing the collar bone, ensuring a comprehensively clean, well-shaved neck. On my last pass, I buff large parts of my neck against the grain. DG soap is perfect for extensive shaving – even areas I shave every day combined with areas I hit less frequently it is perfectly protective – a nice cushion- and provides a thoroughly pleasant shaving experience. DG is perfect for me, I use a scuttle every day, love warm lather, to load my brush but I am a face latherer. The DG soap is thirsty, so I enjoy adding water and lathering my face. If you adequately hydrate the lather to begin with, the shave is pleasant and easy, leaving a nice protective layer on your face.
The scent from Massacre of the Innocents is the clone of Herod by Parfums de Marly. To my nose, it is a perfect clone. If there are any differences to be noted, they are marginal at best. This was my first encounter with this scent, but I enjoy it so much, as does my wife, that I actually bought some of the originator EDP. The Herod EDP is a great scent in all respects. The scent from the tub is medium and is the same while lathering, it is definitely present but not overwhelming. I know Massacre has a reputation as a strong, masculine scent but I would say not overly so. I highly recommend DG soaps and absolutely recommend the Massacre of the Innocents scent.
Per Declaration Grooming:
Top notes: cinnamon and pepper wood. Heart: osmanthus, tobacco leaf, labdanum and incense. Base: vanilla, cedar, vetiver, patchouli, iso e super, cypriol and musk.
Ingredients: Stearic Acid, Water, Castor Oil, Potassium Hydroxide, Vegetable Glycerin, Bison Tallow, Mango Butter, Avocado Oil, Shea Butter, Sodium Hydroxide, Lanolin, Bentonite Clay, Yogurt, Buttermilk, Egg Whites, Coconut Milk, Goat's Milk, Tocopheryl Acetate, Maltodextrin, Milk Protein, Salix Alba L. (White Willow) Bark Extract, Arctium lappa (Burdock) Root Extract, Hippophae Rhamnoides (Sea Buckthorn) Fruit Extract, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Extract, Silk Amino Acids
As most know this is DG’s Milksteak base that they have been using since 2019 or so. The performance is stellar in all respects. I do two or three passes every day, no problems. With less slick or protective soaps I can sometimes get a mild burn, but I do not have sensitive skin. I shave high on my face, up to the top of the cheek bones and above the ears on a slant where a sideburn might be for others – I’m fairly bald and the hair on the side is kept USMC short. I shave all the way, deeply down my neck and once or twice a week even go broader to the very top of my neckline, all the way around my neck nearing the collar bone, ensuring a comprehensively clean, well-shaved neck. On my last pass, I buff large parts of my neck against the grain. DG soap is perfect for extensive shaving – even areas I shave every day combined with areas I hit less frequently it is perfectly protective – a nice cushion- and provides a thoroughly pleasant shaving experience. DG is perfect for me, I use a scuttle every day, love warm lather, to load my brush but I am a face latherer. The DG soap is thirsty, so I enjoy adding water and lathering my face. If you adequately hydrate the lather to begin with, the shave is pleasant and easy, leaving a nice protective layer on your face.
The scent from Massacre of the Innocents is the clone of Herod by Parfums de Marly. To my nose, it is a perfect clone. If there are any differences to be noted, they are marginal at best. This was my first encounter with this scent, but I enjoy it so much, as does my wife, that I actually bought some of the originator EDP. The Herod EDP is a great scent in all respects. The scent from the tub is medium and is the same while lathering, it is definitely present but not overwhelming. I know Massacre has a reputation as a strong, masculine scent but I would say not overly so. I highly recommend DG soaps and absolutely recommend the Massacre of the Innocents scent.
Per Declaration Grooming:
Top notes: cinnamon and pepper wood. Heart: osmanthus, tobacco leaf, labdanum and incense. Base: vanilla, cedar, vetiver, patchouli, iso e super, cypriol and musk.
Ingredients: Stearic Acid, Water, Castor Oil, Potassium Hydroxide, Vegetable Glycerin, Bison Tallow, Mango Butter, Avocado Oil, Shea Butter, Sodium Hydroxide, Lanolin, Bentonite Clay, Yogurt, Buttermilk, Egg Whites, Coconut Milk, Goat's Milk, Tocopheryl Acetate, Maltodextrin, Milk Protein, Salix Alba L. (White Willow) Bark Extract, Arctium lappa (Burdock) Root Extract, Hippophae Rhamnoides (Sea Buckthorn) Fruit Extract, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Extract, Silk Amino Acids
