The Obie Memorial First Tier Soaps and Creams Thread.

[Maryland998]

Yikes! Didn't even make it from the sink to shower. My shave soaps that don't make grade. All wind up as bath soap. Straight to the trash is about as bad as it gets. Only one way to go for the new year for you. Up . Ken.

[Steve56]

Happy 2018 to SRP!

The first shave of 2018 was stellar, and somewhat of a fortuitous circumstance. I don't do 'super lathers' as they're usually made to overcome one soaps's deficiencies, so why not just use the good one to shave with and the lesser one in the shower? I have blended creams for fragrance's sake, like Musgo lavender and oakmoss for an ersatz fougere, but never because one soap was a poor one.

Anyway, I had a bit of ABC left in my lather bowl from yesterday and didn't want to rise it out because it's pricey stuff, so I glopped some AdP on top of it and lathered away with a super dense and white Simpsons 58. The lather might be better than either by itself, but of course there was no deficiency in either soap to knock the lather quality down. The lather was very rich and creamy, did not dissipate or dry whatsoever, and was just surprisingly good, even considering the quality of both soaps.

A King Pelican 14 had the honor of scraping this superb lather off of my unworthy face.

Cheers, Steve

[Midway]

I started 2018 with a beautiful shave using Oleo Soapworks Northerly Island my favorite Brucke straight and a wonderful M&F brush in natural horn. Truly a great way to start the New Year.

[SemperFi]

PannaCrema NuÃvia Nera Impressions

Bottom Line Up Front:

The soap's performance is excellent. If you're not a citrus fan or a fan of bitter citrus scents, give this soap a pass. Both the soap’s heart and base notes are subdued in comparison to the bold and bitter citrus-dominated top note. If you enjoy masculine florals (heart notes) and tonka/vanilla (dominating base notes) scents, then this soap may be a good fit. For the first few shaves I recommend trying the soap without a scented aftershave or EdC finish to give the soap’s scents a chance to fully open post shave. Also, a strong aftershave or EdC may overpower the soap's far subtler heart and base notes.

Details:

Three shaves in and Nera is a solid performer in terms of its ability to lather and also produce a nice, thick lather. Its aftershave moisturizing properties are excellent as well, and my skin feels great, even during a typically cold and dry Colorado winter. PC's assertion that the soap will serve as a full-on aftershave wasn’t quite there for me. I had a touch of razor burn after my first shave, and the soap wasn't much help but, in fairness, I think that is far too much to ask for from any soap or cream.

The scent’s top notes are citrus dominated during the shave, though some heart notes popped in and out during my 2nd passes. The bergamot in the top notes is both bold and on the bitter side—nothing cloying here. The scent’s heart and base notes didn’t emerge until about 10 minutes after my shaves. The heart notes, which, as expected, are far subtler than the top, are solid, masculine florals with a hint of spice. The heart notes gradually slide into the soap's amber/musk base. The scent’s tonka bean and vanilla base notes take over, complimenting each other well, and dominate with a soothing blend that is bolder than the heart.

This soap's scent is definitely complex and its craftmanship is more aligned with traditional perfumes and EdCs than most simpler crafted soap or cream scents. I suggest trying an unscented aftershave or balm with the soap to give its scent a chance to fully finish opening after the shave. Also, a balm should do the trick for any burn or etc. (Lab Series is a reasonably priced and solid, unscented balm that I like when I don't want an aftershave to clash with a finish EdC or etc.). I think a robust-scented aftershave or finish will overpower the subtler heart and base notes of this scent--both are definitely more subdued than the top note’s dominating bitter citrus.

[Obie]

Good review, Jay. Thanks for taking the time.

[SemperFi]

Thanks, Obie!

[Srdjan]

We did a group buy on another forum.... meaning we split a single jar between the 9 of us.

Thanks for the impressions @SemperFi, I'll check back in when my sample arrives.

[thebigspendur]

Great review.

Just to second what he said if you don't like citrus stay way clear of this soap. Otherwise it's a top tier product all the way. Of course if you like Citrus then you'll love this.

I'd be curious if someone with sensitive skin tries it and how it works for them.

[Phrank]

Interesting, after many months of sitting on a shelf, I tried once again the highly rated Floris 89 Shaving Soap, it's the new non-tallow version, and something occurred to me so I thought I'd throw it out there.

The soap performed the same, much like the frustrating LPL line....thin lather, not the robust, creamy MdC type lather, but a thin, dissipating lather.

I did three passes, and one thing that struck me, much like the LPL as well, was that the glide on the soap is superb, the scent superb, and the shave was excellent, no irritation, super hydrated skin, and the blade skated over the skin. Face still essentially feels smooth as silk, no complaints.

Perhaps I'm stating the obvious here, but given the different nature of different soaps and how they are manufactured, am I being biased in my expectations of how a soap should perform?

Must a soap always be bursting in the scuttle like a bowl of whipped cream to pass the litmus test?

Strange, I don't like soap thinning out on the face, but the silky smooth glide remained, same as it does with the LPL soaps, so I wonder if it's just the nature of the beast with soaps manufactured differently?

Or of course, the soaps just kinda blow in a total sucks kinda way, and just don't perform the way they should.....I'm not gobsmacked, I'm stumped....

Thoughts on this intriguing and vitally important issue? Is it Memo worthy?

[evnpar]

I'm not a fan of the current Floris No. 89 soap, although I do enjoy the older tallow version, as well as their current No. 89 cream. Your experience with it reminds me of my experience with the current version (V3) of Santa Maria Novella. It's very slick and is great for straight razor shaving, leaves your face feeling hydrated and irritation free, has a light Tobacco Toscano scent with a little menthol, but doesn't produce a voluminous lather.