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Following some seasonal piffing, there's a bit of this stuff in circulation, so I thought it was time for a review.
I'll start the ball rolling here, but I'm looking for others to come along and chip in their thoughts.
First, I should say that I've now had a chance to play with it a bit (using it with different brushes/razors, varying the water ratio, trying direct face lathering etc) and it's my considered opinion that this is really fantastic stuff: it's like all shaving soaps should be - the platonic ideal.
I especially appreciated the following features:
¶ it's soft -- not a cream so you don't pick up too much on the brush, but at least as soft as Cella or P160. In many ways it is the perfect consistency for bowl lathering.
¶ it's utterly non allergenic/irritant (unlike some of the almond-scented or coconut-based soaps/creams, many of which give me at least a tingle and sometimes a rash)
¶ it producing oodles of rich creamy lather with lots of slip and lubrication, and seems quite forgiving of water:soap ratio variances.
¶ a lovely fragrance, almost pure lavender with a hint of mint - a mild, clean, fresh smell which is strong enough to be pleasant while in use but leaves little trace afterwards, thus clearing the way for subsequent products
¶ and finally it has an absolutely neutral effect on the skin (neither drying nor moisturising, again, leaving the field clear for alum, balm etc.)
Do I like it? No. I love it.
Thanks to my piffer for the kind gift; Martin de Candre is, in short, simple but utterly wonderful -- it is the epitome, apex and apotheosis of all a shaving soap should be.
9/10 (loses half a mark for price and availability respectively)
I'll start the ball rolling here, but I'm looking for others to come along and chip in their thoughts.
First, I should say that I've now had a chance to play with it a bit (using it with different brushes/razors, varying the water ratio, trying direct face lathering etc) and it's my considered opinion that this is really fantastic stuff: it's like all shaving soaps should be - the platonic ideal.
I especially appreciated the following features:
¶ it's soft -- not a cream so you don't pick up too much on the brush, but at least as soft as Cella or P160. In many ways it is the perfect consistency for bowl lathering.
¶ it's utterly non allergenic/irritant (unlike some of the almond-scented or coconut-based soaps/creams, many of which give me at least a tingle and sometimes a rash)
¶ it producing oodles of rich creamy lather with lots of slip and lubrication, and seems quite forgiving of water:soap ratio variances.
¶ a lovely fragrance, almost pure lavender with a hint of mint - a mild, clean, fresh smell which is strong enough to be pleasant while in use but leaves little trace afterwards, thus clearing the way for subsequent products
¶ and finally it has an absolutely neutral effect on the skin (neither drying nor moisturising, again, leaving the field clear for alum, balm etc.)
Do I like it? No. I love it.
Thanks to my piffer for the kind gift; Martin de Candre is, in short, simple but utterly wonderful -- it is the epitome, apex and apotheosis of all a shaving soap should be.
9/10 (loses half a mark for price and availability respectively)