Thread: PannaCrema NuÃvia Nera Just Released

You guys are KILLING me!

I've had the Blue for some time and have tried the red and green. It's basically a pure coconut oil soap like MdC with some added oils/butters. It lathers very much like MdC and the post shave is consistent with a soap that has added stuff. The scents are of course, completely different from MdC in both type and strength.

If you are a MdC fan and like the Nuavia scents and strength, you should like the soap.

Cheers, Steve

The big difference is Nuavia scent lingers long after the shave is finished so choice of aftershave becomes more important.

Originally Posted by SemperFi

Michael, you can always count on Phrank and me for support during tempting times like these...buy it man, buy it!

Support? You mean enabling! I'm trying to justify, even to myself, if I really need a SEVENTH NuÃvia-three used, three brand-new in the boxes!

And still, I'm tempted. I'm afraid there's no cure.

Originally Posted by thebigspendur

The big difference is Nuavia scent lingers long after the shave is finished so choice of aftershave becomes more important.

Agree with this 100% I've found le 3eme homme de caron to go very well with the Blu, and Acqua di Parma goes well enough for me with the Rossa.

The Verde is a bit lighter, more in the Acqua di Gio direction, and as a result the Versace Pour Homme goes nicely with it.

Aww, Michael, enabler sounds so harsh...but it's true! Wow, 2 jars of the Blu, Rossa, and Verde will be great company for your 2 new jars of Nera!

Spot on with what you and Nelson shared about PC's scent longevity--they stay with one for a while. Thanks for posting finish suggestions for PC's scents--looking forward to your finish enablement recommendation for the Nera!

Cheers!

It may very well be Eau De Divorce, Jay!

Originally Posted by MichaelPz

It may very well be Eau De Divorce, Jay!

Oh, then you definitely need to get 2 jars of Nera, Michael--then at least you'll have 1 left after the 50/50 divorce property split!

I have the Nera and it appears (to me) to have an awfully strong citrus note to it which really overwhelms anything else in it.

Two shaves in and Nera is a solid performer in terms of lathering and producing a nice, thick lather. Likewise, its after-shave moisturizing properties are very solid as well--my skin feels great, even during this cold and dry winter. It's not quite there in PC's claim that the soap will serve as a full-on aftershave. Had a touch of razor burn after my first shave with the soap and the soap wasn't much help in this dept. However, in fairness, I think a soap or cream also being able to knock out burn is a bit too much to ask.

On to the scent. As Nelson said above, its citrus note really dominates. The bergamot gives it a more bitter citrus top note, and that bold citrus note dominates during the shave, though some heart notes popped in and out during my 2nd pass. About 10 minutes after finishing both my 1st and 2nd shaves, the heart notes, which are much more subtle, began coming through. The flowery scent of the heart isn't cloying or etc., it's solid without being too much--masculine if you will. The heart note then slides gradually into the soap's amber/musk base. Here the soap's tonka bean and vanilla take over and compliment each other well with a soothing blend that is bolder than the heart notes.

This soap's scent is definitely more aligned with perfumes and complex colognes, so I suggest trying an unscented aftershave/balm with the soap to give its scent a chance to open up after the shave. Also, the balm should do the trick for any burn or etc. (Lab Series is a very 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 more robustly scented balm or finish will overpower the subtler heart and base notes of this scent--they both definitely are more subdued than the citrus top note.

I did a test lather (2 applications) w/o shaving earlier this evening to see what the soap's scent would do. In this test, only the citrus scent came through and dominated, even during the dry down. Near the end of the soap's longevity, which is about 1.5 - 2 hrs, the base just very faintly began coming through. These results were very different than my two post-shave experiences with the soap's scent. Not sure on this test and I will shave the soap a few more times, but my initial hunch as of now is the soap may need to be on the face for a longer time--i.e., a 3-pass shave duration--for it work in and thus allow the soap's scent to open fully through its range of notes.

Final thoughts for now, the soap's performance is excellent. If you're not a citrus fan or a fan of bitter citrus scents, give the soap a pass. The heart and base of the soap is subdued but nice if you enjoy more masculine floral and tonka/vanilla scents. I also suggest not using a scented balm or finish for the first times with the soap, as they may overpower the soap's heart and base notes. I'm still not sure with regard to my test lather...will shave the soap a few more times to see if I consistently get similar scent results as I experienced with my two shaves.