Shaving soap & aftershave reviews

All reviews are links to instagram reviews.
Here you will only find a minimal summary on the soaps and/or Splashes/Balms/Creams.
For more info, thoughts on both soap and shave, and videos...
click on the link, the review will open in a new window.

Products are in Alphabetical order by manufacturer

All soaps reviewed with same tech: Safety Razor used: Focus Tritoc Concave (a medium agressive razor). Brush, 3 € "No name" synthetic from Flying Tiger shop; soaked 30 sec, gentle squezed post soak.

Soaps in big cans lathered/loaded in can. Samples lathered in a Scuttle by DsCosmetic.

Ps. Artisans can change their bases, both in soap and aftershave products. So look at the date of the review on instagram. I will mention if recipe is changed (if I know of it during the addittion of the review here)

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

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AA Shaving

Wapiti (soap & splash)

Overall impression, soap: 7,5/10

Overall impression, splash: 7,5/10

Notes: Calone, clearwood, Cedarwood, sage, applewood, Blackwood, Ho wood, geosmin.

Base, soap: Beef tallow

Base, splash: Witch Hazel

Abbate Y La Mantia

Crumiro. Splash.

Overall score: 8,5

Notes: Traditional Italian Krumiri biscuit.

Base: NB! Old base, recipe has been renewed post review.

Base (old): Alcohol

Areffa Soaps

Octoberfest. Soap & Splash

NB. This soap is too soft to lather in can, had to use scuttle.

Overall score, soap: 9,5/10

Overall score, splash: 9/10

Notes soap & splash:
Aroma: fruity
Top note: pineapple
Heart note: strawberry, raspberry, apple
Final note: malt liquor

Base, soap: Beer, shea butter, kaolin clay.

Base, Splash; alcohol & Witch hazel

Ariana & Evans

Asian Pear. Soap & lotion.

Overall score 10/10 Soap

Overall score, splash 7,5/10

Notes: bergamot, pear, dried fruits, tobacco, tonka bean, coffee, jasmine, sandalwood, cedar wood.

Base, Soap: Kaizen (has been changed to Kaizen 2e after review)

Base, Lotion: Alcohol & Aloe vera juice.

London. Aftershave & Skinfood

Should smell like tea...but smells like Gin & tonic to me.

Overall score: 8/10

Notes: Tea & Lemongrass

Base: Alcohol & aloe vera juice

Strawberry fields. Lotion.

Overall score: 3,75/10

Notes: Top notes of fresh strawberries, melting into a heart of soft flowers and a hint of rum, which in turn diffuses into woody base notes of cedar, sandalwood and a touch of patchouli

Base: Alcohol & Aloe vera juice.

Turkish Coffee. Soap & Splash.

Overall score 9/10

Scent notes: Bergamot, Arabic Coffee, Fig, Cedarwood, Cardamon, Australian Sandalwood

Base: Kaizen

Which one's pink? Splash.

Overall score: 6/10

Strong scent. Lingers long.

Notes: Pink pepper, pink grapefruit, tangerine, lavender, cinnamon, pink rose, myrrh, black currant, sandalwood, Haitian vetiver, amber, patchouli, musk and vanilla.

Base: Alcohol & Aloe Bardensis leaf juice.

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Barrister & Mann

Mûir(e) Wood. Soap (sample)

Overall score: 9/10

Notes: Crepuscular gloom of the woods at dusk, all purples and greens and blues.

Blackberry, Balsam fir, Oakmoss and vetiver, Mossiness and wood.
Base: Shea butter, Glycern, Coconut milk

Black ship Grooming

Siren's song. Soap (sample).

Overall score: 8,5/10

Notes: Lavender, Ylang Ylang, Fir, Patchouli, and bergamot.

Base: Coconut oil, shea butter, glycerin.

Christmas Cannons. Soap.

Overall score: 8/10

Notes: Fresh fallen snow, juniper, snow-covered pine and cranberries simmering on the hearth. winter berries and ozone

Base: argan oil, lanolin, sunflower oil

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Catie's Bubbles

Irish coffee. Soap (travel size)

Overall score: 8,5/10

Notes: sweetned, fresh brewed coffee and irish whiskey.

Base: Coconut oil, shea butter, jojoba oil.

Chiseled face

Sherlock. Soap.

Great for tobacco scent lovers.

Overall score: 7/10

Notes: Tobacco, toasted caramel, black pepper, moist dirt, finished with a touch of leather, moss, mandarin, honey and rose.

Base: Tallow, Aloe vera juice, coconut oil

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Declaration Grooming

The Shore. Soap & Splash.

Overall score, soap: 8/10

Overall score, splash: 5,5/10

Notes: Saltwater, shore, sand.

Base, soap: Milksteak

Base, splash: Wtch hazel & alcohol.

After the rain. Soap & Splash

Overall score, soap: 6/10

Overall score, splash: 6/10

Notes: wet pine, muted lavender, cedar, and white pepper.

Base, soap: Milksteak

Base, splash: Alcohol

Derby international LLC

Arko shaving soap

Overall score: 5,5/10

Smells like urinal cakes

Notes: Powdery citrus scent

Base: Tallow

Dick Johnson

Rosted liqorice Shave soap super mousse (travel size)

Overall score: 7,5/10

Notes: Roasted liqorice

Base: Parkii butter, Ricin seed oil, coconut milk

God Spray (moisturizer)

Overall impression: 7/10

Notes: Orange flower water, birch, cornflower, bourbon, vanilla

Base: Orange flower water, water, glycerin, hyaluronic acid

Dr Jon's. NB! They closed shop April 2023...so might be impossible to get.

Lemongrass & Geranium. Soap.

Overall score: 9/10

Notes: Lemon & Geranium.

Base: Vegan

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E & S Rasage

Moana. Aftershave

Strongly reminds of many sunscreen scents. Packs a punch

Overall score: 7,5/10

Notes: Top notes: Coconut, Orange blossom and Bergamot.
Heart Notes: White Flowers, Rose, Jasmine, Iris.
Base notes: Vanilla, balsamic, woody sandalwood, mu

Hags

Overall score: 4,5

Very strong scent, almost too much so.

Notes: Top: Oregano, Pepper, Bergamot
Middle: Incense, Opoponax, Amber, Labdanum
Base: Leather, Agarwood (Oud), Sandalwood, Patchouli

Base: Alcohol

Oblivion. Splash

Overall score: 4,5/10

Top notes: Sea Notes, Grapefruit, Mandarin Orange
Heart notes: Bay Leaf and Jasmine
Base notes: Ambergris, Guaiac Wood, Oakmoss, Patchouli

Base: Alcohol

Resurrection. Soap & splash.

Overall score, soap: 9/10

Overall score, splash: 8,5/10

Notes:

Top notes: Grapefruit and Mandarin Orange
Heart notes: Sea water and Juniper
Base notes: Musk and Amberwood

Base, soap: Guiness (no longer available w. this base)

Base, splash; alcohol & aloe Bardensis Leaf juice

House of Mammoth

Hygge. Soap (sample)

Overall score: 7,5/10

Notes: sweet orange, bergamot, fir, juniper, oakmoss, amber, frankincense, musk, and castoreum

Base: Old V1 base, replaced with V2 base post review.

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King C Gillette

Transparent shaving gel with white tea.

Overall score: 4/10

Notes: White tea. "kinda barbershop"

Base: Not mentioned

Kepkinh

Dragon's blood (sample)

Overall score: 8/10

NOTES (these are guesses by me, no official info found)
Floral, fresh cotton, cinnamon

Base: Mountain tea, fresh Buffalo milk, extra virgin Olive oil

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Macduff's Soap Company

Candy Cane (soap & splash)

Quite cooling due to peppermint.

Overall score, soap: 8/10

Overall score, splash: 7/10

Notes: Peppermint, Eucalyptus Dives, Blue Malle Eucalyptus, Musk, Vanilla, Benzoin, Tonka Bean, Cocoa

Base, Soap: Goat milk.

Base, splash: Aloe vera, Witch hazel, eucalyptus essential oils.

Michael & Elena Artisans (closed shop, so hard to get)

Indigo Night. Soap & splash

Overall impression, soap: 9,5/10

Overall impression, splash: 7/10

Notes: Amaretto

Base, soap: tallow

Base, splash: alcohol

Moon Soaps

Trade Winds, soap & balm

Super mild scent, so a good choice whe scent needs to be mild

Overall impression, soap: 7/10

Overall impression, splash: 6,5/10

Notes: Caribbean Bay Leaf, warm Tobacco, Cedarwood, a touch of Bergamot, and a zap of Key Lime

Base, soap: Tropical tallow

Base, splash: Grapeseed oil, squalane oil, orchid extract, buckthorn oil

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Noble Otter

Orbit. Soap (sample)

Overall score 8/10

A cooling soap that chills the skin.

Notes: Bergamot, Eucalyptus, Atlas Cedarwood, Rose, Sandalwood, Vetiver, Frozen Space

Base: Beef Tallow.

Nordic Shaving Company

Birch. Soap. (Travel size can)

Overall score: 7,5

Notes: Birch tree

Base: Glycerin & Shea butter

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Phoenix Artesan Accoutrements

John Frum. Aftershave & Cologne

Packs a punch and lasts long. Avoid if you hate musk.

Overall score, splash: 6,5

Notes: Sicilian Cedrat, Black Pepper, Sea Salt, Ambergris, Royal Hawaiian Sandalwood, Kava Kava, White Musk & Animalic Musk.

Base: Alcohol

Pinnacle Studios

Male. Soap & Splash

Overall score, soap: 9/10

Overall score, splash: 8/10

Notes: A spoof of "le Male" by Gaultier.

Base: Old base, replaced by PGA base post review.

Base, splash: Alcohol

Once upon a time. Soap & Splash

Overall impression, soap: 7,5/10

Overall impression, splash: 7/10

Notes: Dupe on Costume National Scent Intense

Base, soap: Old base, replaced with PGA base post review.

Base, splash: Alcohol

Virgin Islands. Soap. (Sample)

Overall impression: 7/10

Notes: homage to Paul Greens Creed Virgin Island water

Base: Old base, replaced with PGA base post review.

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RazoRock

Black Bay. Splash

Overall score: 6,75/10

Notes: A natural bay laurel scent

Base: Alcohol

Irish Fern, Soap & Splash

Overal score, soap: 7,5/10

Overall score, splash: 6,5

Notes: Dupe of Irish Country side Creed Green

Base, soap: Tallow, Shea Butter, Argan Oil, Aloe Vera and Lanolin

Base, splash: alcohol

Mudder Focker. Soap & splash.

Splash has a really strong scent, packs a punch!

Overall score, soap: 7,5/10

Overall score, splash: 7/10

Notes: Top Notes: Bergamot, Anise, Pineapple
Heart Notes: Jasmine, Violet
Base Notes: Amber, Musk, Sandalwood, Vanilla, Hay,

Tonka Bean, Patchouli, Thuja

Base, soap: Thermal mud, coconut oil, tallow acid

Base, splash: alcohol

The Plague doctor. Soap.

Overall score: 8/10

Notes: Top Notes: Peony
Heart Notes: Musk
Base Notes: Vetiver, White Cedar, Patchouli

Base: Alcohol

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Saponifico Varesiono

Opuntia a.k.a. Icus Indica. Soap

Overall score: 8/10

Notes: Top note: bergamot, pineapple, blackcurrant.
Body note: birch, rose, jasmine.
Base note: white moss, oak moss, patchouli, vetiver.

Base: Ficus-Indica (prickly Pear), Coconut, Rapeseed,

Sunflower oil, shea butter.

Smoking Monster

Bonfire leather. Soap

Overall score: 7,5/10

Notes: Wood smoke, Leather, wood.

Base: Beef Tallow

Southern Witchcrafts

Samhain. Soap (sample)

Overall impression: 7/10

Notes: bourbon, tobacco, pumpkin, sandalwood, nutmeg, oud, incense, amber, vanilla, hazelnut, charred wood, musk

Base: Shea butter, coconut oil

Stirling soap Co.

Boat drinks. Soap (sample)

Overall score: 8/10

Notes: Banana, Coconut, Rum, Frangipani, and Tangerine

Base: Tallow

Tea Tree. Soap (sample)

Overall score: 9/10

Notes: Tea tree oil

Base: Tallow, glycerin, lanolin, shea butter

Electric sheep. Aftershave

Strong Citronella, smells like mosquito repellent candles.

Overall score: 7/10

Notes: lemon, citronella, and eucalyptus essential oils

Base: Alcohol

Sudsy Soapery

Pumpkin Spice. Soap

Overal score: 3/5

Smells more like wet earth, pumpkin, not so much.

Notes: pumpkin, cinnamon, clove and nutmeg

Base: Tripple butter super cream.

Summer break soaps

Woodshop. Soap.

Overall impression: 8,5/10

Notes: Coffee, Bourbon, Cedar, Pine, Plywood, Motor oil.

Base: Beef tallow, coconut milk

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Topher's

Tabac and leather. Soap (sample)

Overall score: 9/10

Notes: tobacco and leather, tonka bean and oud wood

Base: Shea butter, lard, coconut oil.

Manscaping Butter (post-shave care, sample)

Overall score: 8/10

Notes: light cologne fragrance blend

Base: Shea butter

Twa Burs soaps

Dark roasted coffee. Soap (sample)

Overall score: 8/10

Notes: Dark roasted coffee

Base: Unknown, but vegetable based glycerine mentioned

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Wickhams soap Co.

Irish Fern, soap sample

Overall score: 8/10

Notes: Top notes: Lemon, Geranium, Rosemary and Lavender
Heart notes: Clover and Cedar
Base notes: Patchouli, Sandalwood , Oakmoss and Tonka Bean

Base: Cocoa butter

Wholly Kaw

King of Oud. Soap (sample)

Overall score: 7,5/10

Notes: Top Notes: Bergamot, Lemon, Clary Sage, Rose, Aldehydes and Pink Pepper. Middle notes: Angelica, Rosewood, Galbanum
Base notes: Agarwood or Oud, Sandalwood, Vetiver, Patchouli and Amber

Base: Donkey milk, beef tallow, lanolin. (Also vegan option available).

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Zingari Man

Navigator (Recovery Splash)

Overall score: 9/10

Notes: Amber, Marine, Musk, Ozone, Water, Bergamot.

Base: Witch hazel

The Master. Soap & recovery splash.

Think; "Barber shop Noir"

Overall score, soap: 7/10

Overall score, splash: 7,5/10

Notes: Top: Citrus, vanilla, tarragon
Mid: Woods, amber, jasmine, coriander, holy basil, geranium, sweet bay
Base: vanilla, musk, ambrette, sandalwood, patchouli