Product Review: Alsatian Soaps "Knitters Hands" and "Harry & Louise" Lotion Bar

This product has put this song in my head for the past two weeks so in order to get the full multi-sensory experience of this blog entry please click play before reading on!:

I first discovered these wonderful hand lotion bars from Alsatian Soaps when I was out at a party with my good friend Aoibhe Ní (for anyone into crotchet and crafts please check out her blog here: http://www.aoibheni.com/blog.htm). Now Aoibhe is somewhat of a mini-celebrity in the world of crochet, being published multiple times, flow to London to teach etc. so when she opened her handbag that night and took out her "project bag" I gave a peak over to see her pulling out a tube of something to rub on her hands. Barbers and crocheters share a similar problem of having dry hands, and trying to keep them properly moisturized can be a pain. I have worked through countless hand creams trying to find "the one" so, not recognising this one at all, I asked her what it was. Aoibhe raved about this product and kindly gave me a tube to try. So, after going through the whole tube and pretty much exclusively using it for over 6 weeks, several times each day... well, as the song says: 
"Is this love, that I'm feeling? It this the lotion that I've been searching for?"
(yeah sing along in your head, or out loud, you know you want to!)


So a bit about the company. I contacted Kathy at Alsatian Soaps to tell her I would like to write a review of her lotion bar having used up the one Aoibhe gave me and was eager to try the other scents. She's a lovely, very helpful woman and, when I asked is she could send me out sample discs of the scents to review, and so I could plan my next order, she kindly send me out this haul!

It contained 5 Knitters Hands lotion bars in tubes (one of each scent available) and two of her Harry & Louise lotion bars in re-usable tins. I should noted that my love of the product had already been formed before receiving these and, as always, I keep my reviews unbiased and as my personal opinion.
It was the Knitters Hands tube that won my heart originally and I find it so handy to be able to pop it into my bag and just bring it everywhere with me, I can put it on my hands without having to handle the bar itself so I can close it back up again before rubbing it into my skin. However, as Kathy pointed out (being an environmentally conciousness lady that she is) most people will bin the tube once the product has run out. This is why she developed the Harry & Louise range. They are the same product in gorgeously shaped pucks (you can see the celtic heart one I have in the photo above) and they are packaged in reusable tins which you can buy refills for.
But stop the press! I'm a traditional wet shaver, and what's the one thing I see being asked about time and time again in shaving forums? It's how to store your shaving soap sticks! Well once you are finished the Knitters Hands tube it is the PERFECT size to mill or shape a shaving stick into (44ml/1.5 oz) and voila! No more popping the stick into an old pill bottle or something. You can easily clean these out and they come with a lid and everything so they are perfect for your travel shave bag too! 


So back onto the review. Regardless of if you buy the puck or the tube, the results are just fantastic. Rub a little on your hands and the heat of your skin will do the trick to melt this and just rub it into your skin. At first it feels a bit oily and greasy but this doesn't stay at all, it rubs in well and actually leaves your hands feeling protected and like they have a good barrier on then with no residue (the last thing I want it to grease up my clippers or scissors). My hands are softer and better protected than they have been in a long time and I finally found a bar that's not too creamy/thick/oily/etc. It has great hydration power without having to be caked on. A little will go a long way. With fantastic natural ingredients like beeswax, shea butter, cocoa seed butter and natural oils this product is just perfection.
They come in a variety of fragrances, including fragrance free, and can be bought for $9 a tube, or $10 a puck in a tin (with $7 refills) from http://www.alsatiansoaps.com/index.html
Here is a short review of all of the scents I was sent, however more are available on the website, including the intriguing peppermint and eucalyptus mint!
Aloe: This is my favourite. It's a fresh, juicy, plant-like smell. Would suit either gender well.
Apricot: Perhaps it was just the one I got but this was the least fragranced out of the lot in my opinion. Just a hint of apricot. A subtle scent of fresh fruit. 
Apricot Freesia: This reminds me of those candy peach rings you can buy. However it's not sickly sweet, it's more peach-like then apricot to my nose.
Sandalwood Vanilla: Sandalwood take dominance in this scent with just the lightest addition of vanilla to prevent it from being too heavy as an overall frangrance.
Tahitian Vanilla: A nice warm vanilla with a sweetness to it. Like vanilla mixed with milky candy and just a hint of a floral undertone. 
Verbena: Lovely, light and musky. Nothing too heavy, with a warm, fresh, slightly spicey scent. This scent works very well with body heat and really comes to life when applied.


Now it's time to get back to my air-guitar!
- BE

Irish Shaving Soaps Review 5/5: SunRose Garden

A little bit about SunRose Garden:
The beautifully named SunRose Garden was set up by Natasha & Martin in County Wexford. Their background is in complimentary healing therapies and they are dedicated to using natural, active ingredients in their handmade products, and use as many locally sources components as possible. Their website offers a idea range of products including a face care range and gift packs. Their online shop ships worldwide and accepts all major credit cards.

Presentation:
With a lovely warm colour to both the bar and packaging, this is the only product in this review series that uses "open" packaging (ie. the product is not fully wrapped). While this is more environmentally friendly, as it minimises packaging waste, it also means that some people like myself will want to wrap it in something else for storage in between uses so that it doesn't dry out too much. On the website the "Clean Shave" bar is shown as being a round puck made in a floral mould. I'm unsure as to the reason behind this difference in presentation to what I received, however the bar is slightly soft and very malleable and so will easily fit in a shaving mug regardless of the shape. It is a good 100grams and the open-wrap presentation adds to that handmade feel in my opinion. This is not a slice cut off a larger block, this is an individual hand-crafted single bar which is a nice touch and feels more personal.


Ingredients:
Olive oil, coconut oil, palm oil, rapeseed oil, avocado oil, castor oil, cocoa butter, shea butter, neem oil, green clay, spring water, glycerine, essentail oils of bergamot, sandalwood, juniper and lavender.
I like the addition of the neem oil in this product as is is known for its antiseptic properties and thus is very good for the skin in small amount like this.


Scent:
When I looked at the list of essential oils used in the soap I though "that's an unusual combination" and I was right... the result is a wonderfully unusual scent. It's the type of scent that I keep on going back to and having another sniff of trying to pick out notes and work out the breakdown of the blend. It is light but the hints of sandalwood at a touch of a musk. It is fresh but neither distinctly floral nor fruity. It is lovely, addictive and my favourite out of all of those reviewed. It doesn't increase too much upon lathering nor does it linger on the skin but I am sitting here with it in my shaving mug beside me and I just can't get enough!


Lather & Shave:
You can not use too little water with this product. Martin, the maker, suggests rubbing it directly onto the skin and he's right. It will not create a usable lather in a bowl and it is very difficult to load onto your brush. The lather is thin and bubbly (more like a bath soap) but despite that it gives quite a good, moisturizing shave. There is no cushion to it so thick haired, sensitive skin types may not find it softening enough, however it has a nice glide and my skin is lovely and soft afterwards. A bit more work to use compared to a lot of soaps though.


Cost:
€4.00 per puck from http://www.sunrosegarden.com/products/Clean-Shave.html

Summary:
It gets the highest marks for its scent and consistency (nice, soft and easy to mold into your container) yet is lacking in cushion and lather durability. It's the type of soap that can hook you with its scent and that you'll put the extra effort into to get a shave out of it for that reason alone.


- BE


This is the last entry into this set of reviews - I hope you enjoyed them all and let me know if I missed any!

Irish Shaving Soaps Review 4/5: The Handmade Soap Company

A little bit about The Handmade Soap Company:
Having previously talked about this company at length I'll keep this slightly shorter, but please do look at my entry about them here: Handmade Soap Company Blog Post
Having been inspired by the cottage industries they saw in Australia, Donagh Quigley and Gemma McGowan set up the Handmade Soap Company in 2009. They use only natural ingredients and have won many awards for their company over the last couple of years. Their online shop ships globally and accepts PayPal.

Presentation:
Wrapped in lovely little boxes with beautiful, simplistic detail and design this packaging is my favourite out of the soaps reviewed here. They are also the only company to offer a 'his' and 'hers' version of their shaving soaps which is great for couples' gift options. I love the cut out details on the lids giving a sneaky peak into the contents and the bars themselves are a generous 110grams each.
The 'hers' is a lemon coloured bar while the 'his' is a more grey/light brown shade.


Ingredients:
Now this is where these guys really get brownie points. Yes, they use all natural ingredients but also, by providing a 'his' and 'hers' version they are also providing a vegan-friendly version in the 'hers' soap to offer an alternative to the tallow based 'his'! The 'hers' also is fairly unisex in scent so it gives an extra option to the gents out there!
Hers Ingredients: Coconut oil, sustainable palm oil, olive oil, aloe vera, water, sodium hydroxide, essential oils of lavender, juniper, lemongrass and howood.
His Ingredients: Castor oil, beef tallow, cocoa butter, shea butter, avocado oil, coconut oil, glycerin, stearic acid, sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, aqua, essential oils of lime, basil and sweet orange 10001. 
Now here's the confusing part: despite what the ingredients label on the 'his' version says, the box itself says "essential oils of vetiver, wintergreen, juniper and sweet orange" and I have to say, given the overpowering scent of vetiver off the bar, I'm inclined to agree with the box, not the label.


Scent:
As I mentioned above, the 'hers' scent is unisex but personally I find the 'his' to be a strongly male scent in terms of appeal. 
The 'hers' is lovely and sweet, very juicy and becomes more enhanced while lathering and leaves just a whisper of a scent of the skin. The lemongrass keeps the scent fresh and fruity but is tempered from being sickly by the other notes.
The 'his' scent is unmistakably vetiver. Now unfortunately this is a scent that I really can't stomach too well. It's heavy and woodsy and very much a selected taste (though those who love it think it's amazing!). Like the 'hers' this scent also increases upon lathering and stays a little on the skin afterwards.


Lather & Shave:
Both soaps require just a tiny amount of water to get a usable lather. They are easily turned into an unusable  bubbly soap lather with too much water so just wet your brush, gently squeeze and add a drop or two extra as is needed. Again these don't bowl-lather well as it will disappear quickly but if you lather bit-by-bit on your skin you can get a decent shave out of them.
His: This lather is just slightly above a body soap lather. It's thin and bubbly and unfortunately a little sticky in terms of residue. My razor needed a thorough clean after using this. The shave is fine and there was no skipping but also no cushion or thickness to the lather. 
Hers: This one is a real surprise. Again the lather is thin and must be done bit-by-bit but the shave is very nice and probably left my skin the smoothest and most moisturised out of all the products reviewed. Add to that the inviting scent and you get a product that, while it doesn't look great, performs well. 
Neither lathers will help soften thick beards and the cushion isn't there to support heavy growth either in my opinion. 


Cost:
€4.50 for the "Hers" puck and €6.95 for the "His" puck from http://www.thehandmadesoapcompany.ie/catalog/index.php?cPath=2

Summary:
The "her" provides a wonderful scent, as well as the being surprisingly moisturisating despite it's lack of tallow. The 'his' was disappointing I'm afraid, however I have been told that the formulation has recently changed and it is in constant development to improve it's performance.


- BE


Click Here For Part Five: SunRose Garden

Irish Shaving Soaps Review 3/5: Dr. K. Soap Company

A little bit about Dr. K. Soap Company:
Set up in Cork by "Dr. K" this company strives to use only pure, natural ingredients. They contain no animal products nor are they tested on animals. As well as making shaving soaps, Dr. K. makes many other products such as lip balm and body butter and the website also carries a variety of accessories. Their online store accepts PayPal and ships worldwide.

Presentation:
Wrapped in paper with a sticker on top I'm instantly reminded of cupcakes when I see these 70 gram pucks! The label is pretty and informative and the soap is in the shape of a cupcake bottom (ie. the lower half of a muffin). They are the perfect size to pop into any shaving mug. I recieved one lime scented one and one peppermint scented one.


Ingredients:
These are SLS free. The ingredients below are for the peppermint version. The lime version is very similar and can be seen in the picture.
Sodium/Potassium shea butterate, sodium/potassium castorate, sodium/potassium palmate, sodium/potassium stearate, sodium/potassium cocoa butterate, sodium/potassium cocoate, vegetable glycerin, bentonite clay, sucrose, peppermint Oil (or lime peel oil as in the picture above), limonene, linalool.


Scent:
I adore the scent of lime so for the purposes of testing the product that is the soap I opened and used. That being said I can smell the peppermint one clearly through the wrapper and is smells minty (d'uh), fresh and slightly sweet. 
The lime scent is was initially strong when taken out of the wrapper but has become more subtle since first being opened. It is pleasant, natural, light and fresh. It doesn't have that lovely explosion of juiciness when lathering that I like, nor does it leave much of a scent on the skin unfortunately. However on the plus side this means that the levels of essential oil in it is probably not too high which would mean that it is unlikely to cause a reaction on sensitive skin.


Lather & Shave:
In a nutshell this is the best Irish shaving soap I tested. It forms a lather closest to what I would describe as a "proper" shaving soap lather. With that being said it is by no means perfect, but it is thick and has a moderate level of cushion and protection to it and leaves my skin beautifully moisturised. It lathers best on the skin rather than in the bowl as it doesn't load very well. It will load a little and this small amount will provide a small amount of good lather. However I found had had to reload, lather, reload, lather etc. for best results. It doesn't need much water at all and it is easy to whip up. It gives a nice glide to the shave and I will definitely use it again.


Cost:
€4.95 per puck from http://drksoap.com/handmade-soap/shaving-soap-lime/

Summary:
This is the all-round best performer in this set of reviews. Good scent, good lather, good shave. While I personally find the website gives it more of a "large company" rather than "small handmade artisan company" feel to the overall product I wouldn't hold this against them at all as it is easy to navigate and their prices are very reasonable. I would use this again and though it doesn't hit my top ten shaving soaps ever, it is nice to find a solid home-grown product I'm happy to use.


- BE


Click Here For Part Four: The Handmade Soap Company

Irish Shaving Soaps Review 2/5: Crobally Irish Soaps

A little bit about Crobally Irish Soaps:
Based in a small town in County Wexford, this family-run company makes soaps and skincare products using honey from their own bees and as many locally sources ingredients as possible. As an interesting addition they also run training days on soap making and pre-safety assessment training. Their online shop accepts PayPal and ships worldwide. 

Presentation:
The owner sent me a sample product and explained that the packaging that I have is not 100% identical to that of the actual product. Having said that, they are the only company in this series who provide their soap in a jar and so I don't have to find a shaving mug for the soap. Simple but effective, this resealable jar does the job. No bells or whistles but it has all you need without having to liberate another mug from the kitchen cabinet! The full sized product contains a minimum of 60 grams of soap per jar.


Ingredients:
The ingredients are not listed on the website but the owner has told me that the soap is 70% aloe vera based and 2% essential oils (in this case pine, sandalwood and patchouli oils). 


Scent:
BAM! sums it up pretty well. From the minute you open this jar you are hit with all three notes full on. While I could definitely recognise all three, my untrained nose couldn't make out the most prominent one, though I'm inclined to say it is the patchouli. Once you being to create the lather the scents really burst out strongly and it leaves a subtler scent on the skin afterwards. If you are a fan of strong scents and these take your fancy you won't be disappointed. They are not to my personal taste but that's just preference.


Lather & Shave:
For a handmade product this is best summed up as being a 'middle of the road' lather. It's not quite sure if it just wants to be a frothy, bubbly body soap lather or a thick, cushioned shaving soap one. It's somewhere in between. It really benefits from skin lathering rather than in the bowl and the trick is to use very little water. Just a rinse and squeeze of the brush and then a few drops on the skin. While the lather produced can't really be described as thick, it does paint on reasonable well and while there is very little cushion it did give good glide and left my skin lightly scented, nicely moisturised and ridiculously soft.


Cost:
Sold in a pack with their moisturising cream for €12.50 (€17.50 if you would like it in a set with a brush). Available at http://www.croballyirishsoaps.com/page4.htm


Summary:
Not my first choice but not a bad performer either. If you like these scents then you'll be very happy with the strength of them however personally they were not to my liking. People with essential oil sensitivities may find this too strong however.


- BE


Click Here For Part Three: Dr. K. Soap Company

Irish Shaving Soaps Review 1/5: The Burren Perfumery

A little bit about The Burren Perfumery:
Named after the awe-inspiring karst landscape in County Clare, this lovely perfumery (and herb garden and tea shop!) is currently run by the couple Sadie Chowen and Edward Biggs. All of their products are handmade using only natural ingredients most of which are herbs and flowers native to the area. They ship worldwide and offer a 10% discount of first orders.

Presentation:
Pretty as a picture and wrapped in handmade paper (some with tiny pressed flowers embedded in it) these soap blocks are 100grams in weight. The delicate and simple, clean presentation is lovely and each one feels like a small hand-wrapped gift. Inside of the outer paper is an inner lining of a light wax paper surrounding the opaque cream-coloured soap. The square shape means some pairing might have to be done to get it to fit into a shaving mug but the soap is easy to cut.


Ingredients:
Saponified Olive, Palm and Coconut Oils, Calendula Oil, Irish Spring Water.
(Bonus points to this soap for being very natural with no hard-to-pronounce stuff!). Also it doesn't contain tallow so it is vegan-friendly.


Scent:
This only comes in an unscented version so it's great for people with sensitive skin or allergies.


Lather & Shave:
Unfortunately this is where the product falls short. In brief, it lathers like a body soap, not a shaving soap. The clue to this is in the ingredients as it is so heavily oil-based. A foamy, bubbly lather can be produced but it has very little staying power and no thickness or cushion to it. Only a tiny amount of water is needed to get a lather on this (wet brush, gently squeeze brush, and rub on soap). The brush does not really "load" with product and lather is formed straight away.
With all that having been said, if you don't mind lathering your face bit by bit, there is a decent shave to be had provided you don't have very coarse hair. This lather does not soften the hair so thick beards won't have enough cushion, but it is very moisturising and your skin feels wonderful and soft afterwards. 


Cost:
€6.50 per bar from http://www.burrenperfumery.com/. 


Summary:
I love the ingredients and the look of this, but I think I would much prefer their standard body soaps and I imagine this soap could double as one quite easily. If you have a light beard and want a nice one-for-everything soap (maybe for travelling) then this could be a real winner, and those who are sensitive to fragrances will be attracted to this also.


- BE


Click Here For Part Two: Crobally Irish Soaps

The HUGE Irish-Made Shaving Soaps Review!

DRUM ROLL PLEASE!!!

Here it is folks! What you've all been waiting for and never even knew it... I've been working behind the scenes on this one for a while and finally I'm writing up the results! It all began a couple of months ago when I once again got asked the familiar question by a reader: "Do you know of any good shaving soaps made in Ireland?". After finding my usual reply of: "I haven't tried any, I'm very sorry" just far to lame for a blogger of my global fame (ok, so my mum thinks I'm cool - that counts, right?) I thought "Enough of this Barber Eile, let's see what's out there!"
A few e-mail conversations later with some awesome Irish soap makers, a few excited days waiting by the post box for little packages to pop through, and here it is...a review of the main 5 Irish-Made Shaving Soaps available (I'm open to expanding this if I've missed any!).

I'm going to post each review as a separate entry so as to make the products more searchable in this blog. In the interest of fairness I will review them in alphabetical order by company name. 
They are:

• The Burren Perfumery - http://www.burrenperfumery.com/ (Click For Review)
• Crobally Irish Soaps - http://www.croballyirishsoaps.com/  (Click For Review)
• Dr. K Soap Company - http://drksoap.com/  (Click For Review)
• The Handmade Soap Company - http://www.thehandmadesoapcompany.ie/  (Click For Review)
• SunRose Garden - http://www.sunrosegarden.com/  (Click For Review)

Each review will be broken down into sections: Presentation, Ingredients, Scent, Lather & Shave, and Cost. I used my Gillette Super Adjustable DE razor loaded with a Shark blade and set to 4, and my Men-U brush for every shave for consistency. 
So without further ado let us begin!
Click here for The Burren Perfumery Shaving Soap Review!


*please note that all products were received as a free sample for review, each supplier was informed that an unbiased review, without their edit, would be published in the interest of honesty and fairness*

Product Review: The Handmade Soap Company Hand Cream

As mentioned in my last post ( click this writing to be magically transported to the last post! ) I recently got a bunch of gorgeous producst from an Irish artisan company called The Handmade Soap Company.
Upon arrival, one of the first things I took out of the box of goodies was their hand cream:

(I've used it daily since I got it hence some is missing in this photo!) 

My mum was with me when I first opened this and I was at risk of never getting it back from her for review as she fell in love with it at first touch and smell! However, I personally wanted to give it a long run in order to give a more rounded review of it. Being a barber I use hand cream several times a day to keep my hands hydrated, so this cream as been my daily go-to for the last two weeks or so. I put a spoonful into a small 7gram jar I keep in my handbag and I keep the regular size jar (which is a good sized 50ml I should add) beside my bed.

The jar itself comes in a pretty box and I love the Handmade Soap Company packaging as I've mentioned previously. On the lid it says 'with aloe vera gel and golden jojoba oil', however this cream smells just like refreshing lemon sherbet! Here's a photo of the ingredients list and I'm guessing it's the lemon myrtle that gives it this scent. 

So, despite smelling delicious and fresh (there is nothing artificial about this lemon scent thankfully, as faux-lemon reminds me of kitchen cleaner), how does this perform? Well I'm (possibly unsurprisingly) very picky about my hand creams and own several. 

I like something with a bit of thickness to it, hence I like a cream over a lotion

I like a cream that doesn't leave oil or reside on my skin (thus marking anything I touch like my phone etc.)

I like a cream that I can feel has moisturised my skin and stays moisturised

Luckily, after extensive testing - this cream does all of that! Now I genuinely did want to nit pick about this cream and thought there would be at least a few things to grumble about but I can find very few. It rubs in quickly and you can feel the hydration for ages yet there is no clammy or oily reside. There is a slight lingering scent but nothing overpowering and it complements my natural body heat wonderfully (which is good as I've previously used a lemon balm on my hands that made my boyfriend gag as he said it combined with my body heat to become repulsive!). The texture is similar to a thick, smooth, mousse. You can see the indentations in the first photo of where I've taken some. You only need a pea sized amount for the whole hands and I can see this tub lasting a long time.

The price point of €11.95 does seem a little steep, however it will last ages and is handmade. It might be too much for some people, however as I use a cream so often, having a good one is important to me so I do think I would buy this having now tried it. (It would be too much for an unknown gamble). 

The only other downfall for me is that it's not slightly waterproof. However were it, that would make it a different type of hand product; a balm or butter rather than a cream, and as a cream I have to say it's virtually faultless. For something thicker during work (where my hands get wet and dry frequently) I will still use a heavy balm, but for morning and night time use this one will be putting all the others back in the drawer and taking proud place on my bedside locker! (You can find the product online here!)

- BE

The Handmade Soap Company (Ireland)

A few of weeks ago I was in the other branch of the barbers I work in and my boss was showing me some new products from a company called The Handmade Soap Company (HSC for short on here!). I had a quick look but then didn't think too much about them as I was busy in work. However, a couple of days afterwards I got a private message on the Badger & Blade Shaving Forum from a member who recognised my username as he had been talking to my boss only a few days before, and low and behold it was a very nice gentleman from  the HSC called Dave! We had a few messages back and forth and, to cut a long story short, he was interested in my blog having had a look at it, and asked me if I would like to review some of their products on here!
Now, I clearly explained that all products I review get a fair, honest and unbiased review regardless of if I pay for them, get them as a sample or a gift etc. Dave was cool with all of that and asked me what I would like. What a question to present to a girl of limited means with a healthy (?!) addiction to shaving products and soaps!
A few days later this wonderful lot landed on my doorstep! Dave had sent me my entire wish list (despite me saying for him to just pick and choose a few from it that he'd like a review on).

Before I was sent these I had seen these products around Dublin in a few places and remarked on how pretty and professional I think the packaging is. It looks clean, unique, eye catching and has a real feel of an artisan product to it.

So here's a summary of what I got. I'll be giving each product a fair test-run before reviewing so expect to see some reviews over the next month or two. 

- Hand Cream (with aloe vera and jojoba)

- After Shave Soothing Cream (with essential oils of lime, basil and sweet orange)

- Body Butter (with aloe vera, sweet almond and shea butter)

- Grandma Quigley's Body Soap (with clove, nutmeg, cinnamon and pine!)

- Shaving Soap For Him (tallow based)

- Shaving Soap For Her (vegetable based)

Upon opening the box there was an immediate wonderful blend of smells. Each item was taken out in turn and given a sniff and look at by myself and my mum who was there at the time. I can't wait to dive into these further!

During our conversing I had asked Dave many questions about the company and products and he happily answered everything I wanted to know. Everything is made using natural ingredients (I can look at the list and know what everything is which is a huge plus in my book!) and you can read more about the makers and who is The Handmade Soap Company (a couple living in Co. Meath) here: The Maker's Story

I love getting gifts but I promise you my readers that I will not let generosity get in the way of honest reviewing. However I can tell you so far that my dealings with the company have been friendly, quick and personal. If all of their customer service is this good then they are off to a great start! Review-time soon!

- BE

Product Review: American Crew Moisturising Shave Cream

I think I'm overdue a product review! This time it's a product from a globally recognised brand and it's surprisingly my first time trying them out!
At Christmas my boss bought a load of American Crew gift sets so in his January sale I decided to pick up a set containing a couple of shampoos, their grooming cream (one word review: stiiiiiiicky!) and of course, a shaving cream. They have two different creams for shaving that we stock but I chose the "moisturising shave cream with a herbal formula for normal to coarse beard types".

(photo from American Crew Website)

This cream is non-lathering which is disappointing, but, having had success with non-lathering creams in the past (Cremo), I decided to keep an open mind. My first impression was that the cream goes on very thinly and quite transparently so it's difficult to see where I have already shaved (the legs are a large surface area so it can be hard to keep track) so I was relying on touch as well as visuals to ensure I didn't miss a spot. Also, as it's non-lathering I felt like I was using quite a bit to cover my whole legs. You don't put a pea sized amount in a brush and it suddenly bursts into bowls full of lather. Nope, a pea-sized amount will spread over a fairly small amount of skin.

As for the scent. I really wasn't sold on it at all. Hard to place or describe, the words "artificial" and "herbal" spring to mind. Not the worst I'd smelt (I've gotten shaving soaps that actually made me retch so much I couldn't use them at all!) but also nothing I'd like lingering on my skin. Looking at the back of the tube as to a gain a clue to the scent I see it contains aloe juice, bark extracts, clove, peppermint, avocado, and sweet almond oils, and also a fragrance with no detail given other than "parfum". When I open the tube and sniff it smells quite pleasant but out of the tube it turned a little to artificial for my liking and I wasn't anything I savoured which was disappointing as their peppermint shampoo smells lovely. However the main downside to this product has to be how badly it clogged up my razor. I have never seem a stickier, more resistant, residue left on my razor after shaving. I had to give my razor a full thorough clean before its next use instead of the lazy rinse and dry I normally am fine doing.

Performance wise it does the job. Nice and slick and not drying at all. Its a good, functional cream... but something to be enjoyed as part of shaving zen? It just didn't do it for me and for the price I feel it wouldn't last nearly long enough. Ya win some ya lose some...

- BE

Product Review: Dr. Rubin's Lip Balm

It's been a good while since I reviewed a product but this one, or rather this company, just jumped out at me for their wonderful customer service so I had to give them a bit of a shout out. Sorry for the long into but here's the story:
Before Christmas I was online browsing around on the "Old School Barbershop" facebook group. One of the vendors, Dr. Rubin's, put up a post saying they had an offer on so I went over to their website ( http://www.drrubinspomade.com/ ) to have a look at the pommade and other products they stock. Now I didn't spend long on it as I use Chrome as my browser and found there to be a few glitches (scrolling issues and page links not working - they seem to all be fixed now) so I though I would inform them about these issues. I commented on their initial facebook post and they replied almost instantly apologising and saying they were working on it and would I like a free sample of their lip balm for the inconvenience?! Now THAT is customer service.
I should note that they didn't know about my blog or anything, nor did they ask for me to review the product. My review and opinions are purely my own, but in the interest of honesty I feel I should mention the product I received was free.


Now for customer service they get five stars, and imagine my surprise when a package arrived in the mail shortly afterwards with a FULL SIZED lip balm in it for me! Not a sample size at all but a full tin:

You can see some of the ingredients list there too... all good stuff - beeswax, sweet almond oil, coconut oil. The texture and colour itself is similar to most vaseline/petroleum jelly based balms... a cloudy white colour with a slick texture. Now a lot of the time I can put lip balms into one of two categories: sticky or drying. So many products out there either dry out my lips over time, or make my lips tacky and sticky, but I am very happy to say this balm does neither. It's smooth and slick and you only need a little each time as it spreads out well. Its got a lovely mint-coconut scent and works well by itself or over lipstick to add a shine.
Personally I like quite a thick balm with heavy hydration and staying power, and to date have only found one that I use every single night (and I've tried a lot - I'm a former lip-balm-junkie of sorts!) so the only downside of this one for me is that it's not a touch more hydrating. But, considering how little you have to use, reapplication isn't a problem as this tin will last a long time. 
In conclusion: Not ideal for quenching your lips overnight but a perfect everyday style balm. It doesn't tint your lips so can go over anything and the scent isn't feminine so it's a very unisex product. Good Stuff!
- BE

Product Review: Men-U Synthetic Shaving Brush

It's been a little while since I reviewed anything so I though I'd give a review of the Men-U Synthetic Shaving Brushes, which are the type of brush we use in my barbershop (it's spelt with an umlaut over the 'U' but I can't figure out how to do that on my keyboard!).

(image from Men-U website: http://www.men-uusa.com)

The first mayor 'pro' of this brush is it's low price. They retail on the Men-U website for only $20 including a free mini-shave-cream and stand. Which is incredibly good value for what you are getting. The next big plus is the fact that it is synthetic. Some people dislike shaving brushes as they don't like the use of animal hair (more commonly boar or badger, though occasionally horse) but these are a fantastic synthetic alternative. It won't retain water to the same degree as animal hair but I yet to find that a problem as I don't have to soak these before use, just a quick run under the stream and it's good to go. The fact that it's synthetic also means you can clean them. In work we soak everything we use in Barbacide after each shave and these little brushes clean up well. 

Which brings me nicely onto the 'cons'. These are a small knot brush. Now I normally prefer a larger knot for my personal use as my legs have a large surface area but I find that this brush splays quite easily and covers as much as a large brush would as a result. Which, in turn, leads us onto the fact that there is little backbone to the brush. The bristles bend quite a bit and splay out, yet it returns to it's normal knot shape once dry. Some people may find it doesn't "scrub" the bristles enough for their liking as it's so floppy but again, both having used one personally and also on my client's faces, I have to say I personally don't mind. Shaving your own face though I can see how it wouldn't give as much application control as an animal-hair brush.

In terms of lather generation I find it does a fine job. Whips up lather as quickly as my good badger brushes and, while I notice the softness of the bristle quite a bit, I found I got used to it quickly.

It comes in a variety of colours too and overall I think it's a great starter brush, travel brush, or an everyday brush for someone who is looking for a synthetic option.

- BE

Product Review: Almon Loos World Famous Knock-Out Shaving Soap

I recently received this product to review from the man himself, Almon Loos after a chat on Facebook about a mini-documentary I saw on him. (You can read more about what else I got in my blog entry here: Almon Loos Rockabilly Barber.) And while I did receive it for free, I was under no obligation to give it a good review, or to even post anything positive about it at all. These are my conditions for all of my reviews. I'm honest in my blogging because really what would be the point otherwise?

(I used this soap with my GBar SE Razor and Badger Brush)

Firstly, this product has to get some sort of brownie points for having the longest title of any product I've reviewed to date! Almon Loos World Famous Knock Out Shaving Soap! Phew! Secondly, props have to be given to Almon for his home-made feel to the product. He makes this stuff by hand and, while the packaging is unlikely to win any awards for innovative design, I like it. He uses simple aluminium trays for the soap which give you the handy option of either using the soap straight in the tray given, or to take the puck out and pop it in your regular shaving mug. If, like me, you use it in the tray, then the lack of replaceable lid can be a little annoying but I was lucky enough to remove it's initial plastic cover carefully enough that I can just pop it back on after each use. In fact, while writing this, it just occurred to me to simply pop the paper lid back on and just bend the edges of the tray around it - much like you would with take-away food! Wow sometimes my own genius amazes me!
Okay so onto the product itself. The first thing I noticed was it's lack of scent. It was a little disappointing but I should have expected this as Almon markets it as being suitable for use on all skin types, and I have to agree that I doubt anyone with hypo-allergenic skin would have a problem with this. The ingredients of the soap are all recognisable and described well, so the lack of fragrance makes sense. Still, as a personal preference I like a scent, but ya can't have everything.
Now I have to be honest, upon opening the soap and looking at it I figured it'd perform just like a regular melt-and-pour glycerin soap, as I think I've been biased towards soft soaps as of late. But boy was I wrong!
I whirled my brush on this puck for a few seconds, not even sure if the lather was loading properly, but once I put the brush to my skin this stuff lathered epically. Thick, slick and plentiful. In fact it's one of the only lathers I've found that, while leg lathering, built up a huge amount of lather in the brush also! Normally the lather will just form on my skin and the brush remains a bit soapy - but with this I had a full brush of lather too. And lots of it. A few swirls on the puck gave a tons of lather and it was lovely, white and smooth. I liked it so much I made up a batch in a bowl so I could post a few pictures on here for you!:

I call this one "El Diablo" because of it's horns and it's rockabilly maker.

As you can see it has nice self-supporting peaks and the lather was thick and cushioned like a meringue. I had a lovely smooth shave and tried the soap with a couple of different brushes and it performed well with both. I reckon the puck is big enough to last a good long time and this will be in my regular rotation for sure. You can find it for sale here: Knock Out Soap ... Rock'n'Roll!
- BE

Product Review: Dr. Harris Lavender Shave Stick

Time for a product review!
I received this lovely shave stick as part of a gift trade on Badger & Blade and have to admit that I was reluctant to give it a go for a while. I'm not normally a fan of lavender scents but once I opened this and gave it a smell I realised it was a nice fresh smell, not the old-granny scent I was expecting!

(image from Dr Harris Website )

Now I have used Dr. Harris products before in this Shave Of The Week entry but only briefly commented on the soap. Despite my hesitancy toward lavender, I was hoping the scent would grow once lathered so that I could decide just how much I liked it however the scent faded very quickly in the lather and didn't linger on my skin at all afterwards. On smelling the soap itself though the scent is sweet, floral and quite light. I expected more of a musk and heaviness but don't find that at all. The soap goes on fairly clear onto my skin so it's hard to tell if I've applied any, also I used to be a big fan of shave stick but have gone off them quite a bit as rubbing a hard soap on my soft skin just isn't as nice and just going straight to a brush loaded with soap/cream. I could just load the brush from the stick, or put the stick in the tub, but that kind of defeats it's purpose as a shave stick! Despite not being able to see the soap on my skin, one I put my brush to it it lathered up fine. Not the explosion of lather I get some some other soaps, nor the cushion, but it gave a nice smooth shave. Not stunning but not terrible either. Not moisturizing but not drying either. Something I think I'd use again if it was to hand - but maybe just I'm getting too picky in my "old-age"!

- BE

Product Review: Nancy Boy Replenishing Shave Cream

A long over-due review of this product that's been tickling my fancy as of late. In fact it's so good it's the only thing I've used in a nearly a month!

(image taken from the Nancy Boy Website)

Firstly there's one thing that most people comment on before they even open a tub of this stuff and that is the name and the branding. Personally I tend not to care what a product comes in (though I would possibly explode with excitement if a product came in steampunk packaging), or what name is on it, but some guys are put off this product straight off the bat by the name. It doesn't roar of manliness, raw meat and bear wrestling. All I can say to that is it's their loss. This stuff is amazing. 

The company don't spend money on advertising, they rely on making a product good enough that people recommend it. They don't plough money into fancy packaging either, instead putting profits into ingredients and research. And they don't pack it full of cheap chemicals, this stuff has ingredients you can understand. I also have to mention that I love the fact that they say on their website what people like and don't like about the product! Finally a company that isn't full of "oh all of our products are amazing for everyone"!

The scent of this cream is cucumber but it's fresh and light. The cucumber smells a touch... odd... but it's light enough that the scent doesn't grow with the lather and it doesn't remain on the skin.

As for performance - I'm not normally a gal who likes creams but the Nancy Boy boys have gotten this product perfect. I drip and swirl my brush just once and I have enough cream on my brush to do both my full legs, underarms, and more! The lather explodes, and even though they say on the website that "The cream won't radically build up in volume like a gel, but it will lather up a bit and spread" I found the opposite to be true - try lathering your product with a shaving brush guys! Lots of thick, luscious lather produced very quickly and evenly.

Now here's something I don't mention too often in my reviews - but, quite often when shaving my lather will have become a bit watered down on my second leg. I shave in the shower so my second leg stays wet adding more water to the product as I go, so sometimes I have to re-load my brush or, more commonly, I just use the weaker lather. But with Nancy Boy shave cream my lather was thick right to the end! I'm harping on a bit and it sounds like I'm sponsored by them or something but I got given this cream, along with some others, in a gift exchange on Badger & Blade  so this is an unbiased review. 

So I've had many a lovely shave with this and the icing on the cake is it is one of the most moisturising products I've used to date. I definitely have a new favourite. Now at $18 a tub and whatever shipping would be, it's not the easiest on the pocket, so I'll for those reasons I'll leave this out of my regular rotation for a while (as hard as that will be, fingers crossed I win the lottery!). But I know each time I reach for it I'm gonna be happy. Now if only they did some nicer scents! (I have a sample of their signature scent and it's a bit menthol-y. Make a lime scent!).

 - BE

Product Review: KD Creations Black Raspberry Vanilla Shave Cream

And the product reviews are back now too! Oh I can hear the uproar of joy from the crowds already!
So for the last week I've been using a shave cream by KD Creations, a small artisan soap maker (very thick cream I might add) that I got as part of a present exchange/Kris Kindle type thing we did on B&B a while back. I got a good few things I'd never tried before so more things to review which my bank balance is happy about.

Mmmmm... Black raspberry vanilla. Sounds tasty huh? It's got tallow as it's second listed ingredient which always makes me happy as I find tallow-based  shaving products are generally very good. This is a very thick cream yet I find I have to reload my brush a couple of times when doing my legs. I can see me working through this tub faster than other shaving creams/soft soaps I own (though considering I have enough products to last me until I'm old and grey this is not a bad thing!). It takes a good bit more water to lather up than other things I used, however it lathers really easily once you have this figured out and it's nice thick and slick lather. Provides good cushion and while not moisturising, it's not drying either.
The scent is yummy. Probably a bit too sweet and feminine for most. It smells like a milkshake made from tangy raspberries and black forest gateaux. It's quite strong once lathered too and even leaves a mild scent on my skin - omnomnom... I seem to really like edible scents!
- BE
P.S. I can't find a website for KD Creations to link to - sorry.

Champagne & Strawberries Celebratory Shave

WOO-HOO!
I finished up college and I am now a trained and qualified barber! I move back to Dublin at the end of the most and the tough search for a barbering job begins. I really, really hope I can get something very soon. I'll also be taking a short course in hot towel shaving so I'm looking forward to that a lot! I had my final assessment on Thursday and I passed it with a distinction which is GREAT as my tutors and the external City & Guilds examiner were really putting me under the microscope. I thought I would be incredibly nervous, and I was waiting around and setting up, but once I started to wash Michael's hair I relaxed and let my training take over and I have to say I gave him the best haircut I've given him to date - and he has pretty tricky hair (receding hairline, very square neckline with all the hair growing to the left there, double crown, wiry sideburns, side parting with a large wave on top... ). My tutor even said she couldn't have done a better job herself so I was very cuffed. 


I didn't have much time to celebrate as I finished up at about 1pm and was due in work for 5pm that night. I went home and relaxed and yes, I even had a celebratory shave! I had yet to try my custom made Queen Charlotte Strawberry Shaving Cream so I though I'd open it up. Now the whole idea for this custom scent had come from an idea I had had a long time ago when I wanted to have a "Champagne and Strawberry" themed shave combining my Champagne Lady Gillette DE razor and a strawberry soap or cream. So I figured what better time to finally give this combo a whirl?

(the rose is from my boyfriend...nawww)

I used my favourite brush (PenWork's Pine Wood Handle Badger Brush), My Champagne Lady Gillette, My custom Strawberry Soap, and a medical Personna DE blade. It was a really nice shave. I won't go into too much of a review here as I've talked about these products and companies before. The blade I had never used before and found it really great. Nice and mild in my LadyG and seemed to just glide over my skin. Not too sharp and never caught or dulled. The lather was lovely and thick, I would have liked the scent to be a bit stronger but you can't get Strawberry EO so it's a FO scent. Still nice though.

I think I'll have to treat myself to this little taste of luxury more often!

-BE

Product Review: Molton Brown Supershave Olibanum

Hello All!
I'm doing this product review after only one use of this product as I really amn't keen on it at all. Normally I'd give my products about 3 full leg shaves to test out but I gave this one a half leg shave and gave up. Maybe I'm doing something wrong but I'm using it according to the directions on the back... it's Molton Brown's Supershave Olibanum (brushless, non-lathering shaving cream):

(image taken from company website)

I don't have a huge amount of experience using brushless shave creams. I like Cremo which I find very easy to use, and the cream I use on my clients' necks in college is brushless and is also lovely. The problem I found with the Molton Brown stuff is that when you rub it on it doesn't lather at all; in fact goes thinner and very translucent so I can't see when it is at all, nor can I see what parts I've shaved and where I might have missed. I can't see it so my mind feels like it's not there. I ended up using quite a bit just to feel like I was putting some on, and at the price this retails for I could see this being impractical. It doesn't seem moisturizing and while my razor glided over my skin, I couldn't feel the cushioning. I see on their website that they also sell a "conditioning" version of this cream - does this mean the one I have doesn't really condition? 

Also I really dislike the smell. It's not that it smells too manly or too much like cologne, but rather it smells very chemically and synthetic. Again this was another reason why I cut my shave short. As with all of my reviews, some people may love this stuff, this is just my opinion. Later Gators!

- BE

Product Review: Williams Mug Shaving Soap

Ah Williams. I was requested by a friend to use this and to share my findings as this is a product that (playfully) divides the shaving community on B&B. Some people love it, some people hate it. So how did I find it...?

Well I figured to give it a good run I'd have a 'Week of Williams'. This means getting 3 full leg shaves out of it which is usually a good indicator of it's performance. Firstly some people claim that lathering Williams is like banging your head against a brick wall (only wetter) but personally I found it very easy to lather. Getting an amazing lather- no. But to get a good workable lather - yes. A 10 second swirl-and-twist load on the soap with a damp brush and then straight to the leg for a quick building lather. Here's a picture of some bowl lather I made to show you all (I'm so good to ya!):

Admittedly the lather was not very thick or cushioned (it's a bit 'foamy' for my liking) but surprisingly my shaves were some of the closest I've had, so clearly it did the job regardless. (I was using my SE Gem GBar if anyone is curious. A bit more about this razor is found here ). I would imagine this lather may not be great for coarse facial hair as it's not very thick but it did the job for me. Where it did lack however was in the moisturising category. Each time I used it it dried my skin out a little and so I had to apply some cocoa butter cream to them. 
So while its not way up there amongst my favourites I think Williams gets too tough a rap. It's very usable and for those of you who claim it's un-latherable... work on those skills!


-BE


P.S. Sorry I didn't have a review product last week but I was test running a shaving soap for a new soapmaker and couldn't post my reviews publicly. Top secret workings! Oh lah lah!

Product Review: Queen Charlotte Rice Flower & Shea Shaving Soap

Some of you may recognise this from my last post, and I was really excited to try it out when it arrived. 

I picked this scent based on one of the scents of the Queen Charlotte bath soaps and really had no idea what it would smell like until it arrived. When I opened the tub a faint and light smell hit me. Not nearly as strong as I would have guessed, like a very delicate fresh floral scent which I guess is the rice flower' though on the website it says it's a mixture of lily and hyacinth which I can definitely see. It's slightly similar to light baby powder. 
The first time I lathered it up I actually smiled as the scent really exploded. People talk about this happening a lot but I had never had it happen to such an extreme before. I could properly smell the notes in it and it was lovely and strong but not overpowering. It's not sweet at all though and not a heavy must either. It lathered easily and thickly and provided good cushion. As with all of my Queen Charlotte soaps, I constantly find these to be top performers. They take literally no effort to get a great lather from and the scents aren't synthetic at all. 
I took a photo of the lather is gives, though I'm not used to bowl lathering as I tend to lather on skin. None the less I call this one the "Jimmy Neutron". See if you can spot the difference!

- BE