Martin de Candre Fougere Shave Soap

Attachment 146542
Attachment 146543

Martin de Candre Savon à raser en Edition Limitée Fougère
(Martin de Candre Fougère Shave Soap Limited Edition)

Producer: Savonnerie Artisanale Martin de Candre - Fontevraud-l'Abbaye, France

Type: Shave Soap.

INCI (List of Ingredients): Stearic Acid, Aqua, Coconut Acid, Potassium Hydroxide, Glycerin, Aroma "Fougère"

Excellent ingredients, no chemical or synthetic elements, including the "Fougère" aroma declared by the producer to be made of natural essential oils, Score: 10

Pakage: Heavy glass jar with an aluminum screw cap, maybe too heavy when you hold it in your hands and load the brush, Score: 9

Quantity: 200g (7oz)

Smell: Classic "Eau de Cologne" aroma, with strong hints of bergamot and citrus fruits, sweet with a spicy touch, Score: 9

Lather: Easily makes an incredible huge and abundant quantity of lather with just few swirls of the brush. I literally counted eight light swirls of the brush on the soap and this was enough to make a quantity of lather more than enough for my usual three passes. The lather is of excellent quality, very tiny bubbles, excellent water retention, creamy and slick. It however needs progressive adding of water drops in order to develop a consistent and luxurious lather, Score: 10

Shaving: Wonderful sensation on the skin, creamy and very slick, the razor slides easily and comfortably, with an excellent moisturizing effect, no signs of skin irritations. At the end of the pass I however noticed minor and small spots of slightly dried lather. Very effective and velvety smooth, Score: 10

Conclusion: An excellent shave soap, certainly of superior quality, amazing for the very small quantity needed to get a rich and luxurious lather. Literally few swirls on the soap with a moderately soak brush give a rich and creamy lather with a very good water retention. One of the very best shave soap I have ever tried, although quite expensive - but you really need a microscopic quantity - this certainly is a must for every wet shaver. No skin irritation, leaving a smooth skin with a pleasing fresh and clean sensation. This soap is a great example of how quality can make a difference in soap making: with just 6 (six!) ingredients - five if we do not consider the aroma - they made a truly superior soap; a result not achieved by other soaps and creams having a quite long list of ingredients and a mediocre performance, Score: 9

i too prefer the fougere to their regular scented...both are good though.....just curious though...what soap do you give a 10 overall score?

About the only soap I can think of that best's MDC (and not by much) is Xpec.

I have both the Fougere and the Regular Scented MdC…although I haven't tried X-Pec as of yet, I can say, that there is not a soap or cream out there that compares in my view :)

I was able to sample the scent of MdC's fougere courtesy of Catrentshaving. Indeed the smell is like the breath of a heavenly angel kissing you in the morning, but I think I will wait until my full size jar of the original is gone until I order the fougere - which at this rate will be another 5 years lol

I feel your pain, Ryan.

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Originally Posted by Baxxer

I feel your pain, Ryan.

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Well I keep telling myself I'm going to use up some soaps/creams before I buy anymore but that never happens! 5+ years into this game and I still haven't used up a single damned product yet...

You know you guys are not making it any easier to resist sending in an order.

Bob

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Originally Posted by BobH

You know you guys are not making it any easier to resist sending in an order.

Bob

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I know I'm not helping, but you wouldn't regret it. It really is THAT good!

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Originally Posted by jmsodpc

i too prefer the fougere to their regular scented...both are good though.....just curious though...what soap do you give a 10 overall score?

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I also love the smell of classic MdC, but I guess this is why I love lavender. Lavender is one of my favorite smell: I find it to be very Mediterranean and it is a smell I grew up with.
What soap do I give an overall 10 score? That's a very hard question to answer, however, I guess P.160 is pretty close to that: unfortunately it is out of production and I am lucky enough to still have a tiny chunk of it.
In my opinion, MdC is very close to P.160: it is a very good shave soap.

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Originally Posted by thebigspendur

About the only soap I can think of that best's MDC (and not by much) is Xpec.

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I also have Xpec and I will review it sooner or later. It is a good soap for sure but, in my opinion, MdC is better.

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Originally Posted by Ryan82

I was able to sample the scent of MdC's fougere courtesy of Catrentshaving. Indeed the smell is like the breath of a heavenly angel kissing you in the morning, but I think I will wait until my full size jar of the original is gone until I order the fougere - which at this rate will be another 5 years lol

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What a description you used for MdC fougère aroma! I guess you love Eau de Cologne smell! However, I too like Fougère smell and find it to be a sort of "my grandmother's touch" as she used to put a couple of drops of Eau de Cologne in her handkerchiefs as well as in ours. :-)

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Originally Posted by Ryan82

Well I keep telling myself I'm going to use up some soaps/creams before I buy anymore but that never happens! 5+ years into this game and I still haven't used up a single damned product yet...

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Yep, I know what you mean. I guess we all here know what you mean. Same for me: I have about thirty different soaps and creams (not to mention after shaves) and keep on telling I am not going to buy anything more. Well, I am sure you know how the story goes on: you keep on buying new soaps, creams, after shaves, pre-post shaves, razors, hones, strops... :)

Razorguy,

Good show on your review. I consider Martin de Candre celestial.

By the way, gentlemen, Xpec is not a soap; it's a cream. Either way, it, too, is celestial.

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Originally Posted by Obie

Razorguy,

Good show on your review. I consider Martin de Candre celestial.

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Thank you, Obie!

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Originally Posted by Obie

By the way, gentlemen, Xpec is not a soap; it's a cream. Either way, it, too, is celestial.

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Yes, you are absolutely right, it is a cream.

Many thanks to the OP for this superb review - succinct and to the point.I really like the original MdC and have it in the wooden bowl. I haven't tried the Fougere, but I have noticed a lot of noise over it (and not just on SRP!) lately. Maybe it's time I started to look for a sample... not that I need another soap or cream, just that I'm curious.I have to say though, no one does it quite like MdC. Not even those guys at XPEC (and yes, I've tried it!).

I broke down and ordered some original sent MdC from Jason's Shaving. Just got it in the mail this am and shaved with it! Wooow, this stuff is the best shaving cream I have used so far. It really does leave your face baby smooth with a glide my Cella and Coates and Arko does not have. Cannot beat Arko for the $ though. One dip of the brush and you can get three passes easy. This is the cat's a__ as far as a quality shave cream/soap. I am sold on this! My third lather was just to let it stay on. I did not rinse with cold water as usual,I used a towel to dry face as per instructions. I wish they made aftershave lotion! I do not mind paying more for a great quality product. I do hope it last for the $ though !
MHW

razorguy, thanks for the great review, I was wondering if you know if you have hard or soft water? Hard water tends to make soaps/creams harder to work with.

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Originally Posted by phenox

razorguy, thanks for the great review, I was wondering if you know if you have hard or soft water? Hard water tends to make soaps/creams harder to work with.

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I have am blessed with soft H2O! I agree hard water does require more work to lather!
MHW

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Originally Posted by phenox

razorguy, thanks for the great review, I was wondering if you know if you have hard or soft water? Hard water tends to make soaps/creams harder to work with.

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The city where I live, or better to say, where I spend most of my time, has an average water hardness of 28°f, corresponding to 280mg/l, in other words, a water considered to have a medium hardness.
While it is true hard water favors the formation of soap scums, therefore preventing the production of lather, most of the time a soap hard to mount is the consequence of an improper technique as well as quantity of soap used.

I finally got to try MdC. I was approached for a sample trade of Los Angeles SS. I received samples of both the Regular and the Fougère scents. I used the Regular yesterday and today. As advertised, it almost lathers before the brush touches it. I face lathered and bowl lathered. Both worked great, although I give the edge to face lathering with it. The Regular scent is terrific, and along with the Slim and Personna Med Prep, I got two excellent shaves. I will use the Fougère for the next few shaves. I finished up with Clubman.

Is it wrong that my favorite MdC is the unscented :p ?

Though I have not yet tried the Fougere...it's next on the list...

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Originally Posted by entropy1049

Is it wrong that my favorite MdC is the unscented :p ?

Though I have not yet tried the Fougere...it's next on the list...

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Same here! Got to get some! :)

My favorite Martin De Candre is the classic scented. I guess it is because I have a "Mediterranean soul" and love lavender scent... :)

I used the sample of the Fougère today. Great scent as advertised. Great lather. Great shave. This was my Birthday Shave today and I decided to stick with the "French" since I was using MdC. I pulled out my Plisson Grey Badger brush and finished up with Pinaud Clubman.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...ps79a8b653.jpg

MDC is awesome ! My TOP SHELF ! Attachment 160807

i'm going to shave tonight with some Fougere MdC....always nice to use it.

Happy birthday Lince!!!! Nice way to start it. Tc

Acqua di Parma has taken Top spot on my Top Shelf !

is acqua di parma another almond scented cream?

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Originally Posted by jmsodpc

is acqua di parma another almond scented cream?

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Light Lemon, Pomegranate and Basil ! ;-)

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Originally Posted by jmsodpc

is acqua di parma another almond scented cream?

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It's supposedly not made any more so move fast

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Originally Posted by Stretch10

It's supposedly not made any more so move fast

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it seems to be sold in department stores though

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Originally Posted by jmsodpc

is acqua di parma another almond scented cream?

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If you think MDC is concentrated wait till you see this stuff

Aqua Di Parma Collezione Barbiere Shaving Cream See Details | eBay

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Originally Posted by jmsodpc

it seems to be sold in department stores though

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Bro, I think it's AWESOME ! It's better than MDC IMO

Where can one purchase the MDC

I have only tried the "unscented" (which really isn't unscented at all, it has a great subtle smell of lavender), but it is so great I don't know if I want to try either of the others...