Thread: Oleo’s Rougere

It all started way back in the day when some vendor threw in a sample of someone’s Rose cream. I opened it, sniffed it and loved it, but thought, WAY to feminine for me. I put it in my cabinet, and there it sat for some time until I went on an urban vacation and needed to pack lightly. I grabbed one of my samples and went.

So there I was in a nice(ish) hotel in KS City Kansas, about to go out for a nice dinner, looking down at my shaving gear realizing I had grabbed the Rose, kind of disappointed. But I had to shave.

The Rose smelt so regal in that marbled out bathroom. The scent had nothing to compete with - it smelled just like my youth when I ran amongst the roses in the rose farms my friends dads owned in Jamaica. I was in nostalgia heaven!

Then my wife came in... it was all over. She loved it too. Moreover, she convinced me it wasn’t a feminine scent. So it stands to reason that at all times, I generally have a rose scented something in my den. Enter the Oleo Rougere.



Now this stuff isn’t only rose scented, it’s got duck fat! Must try!!

Scent notes: Rose, Geranium, Oud, Lavender, Patchouli, Oakmoss, Coumarin, Tonka, Vetiver

Ingredients. Canard Base: Stearic Acid, Water, Kokum Butter, Potassium Hydroxide, Palm Kernel Oil, Duck Fat, Sodium Hydroxide, Castor Oil, Glycerin, Jojoba Oil, Fragrance & Sodium Lactate


This is going to be another of my week long reviews where I use the soap for a week, updating as I go. I’ll tell you upfront, I’m in love with this stuff - but maybe not the whole brand. More to come after today’s shave. Stand by.

I think i’ll pass on a week long review of this product. I already know I love it, and today’s shave just reaffirmed that love.

After lathering up the soap, I still maintain a hayish or grassy scent mixing in with the oud and rose. The lather is without a doubt both cushioning and viscous. I went two passes with an insanely awesome blade brought about by mixing CrOx on my Black. Then just to see, I did a third pass with my DE to ensure my neck got the closest shave too... it was awesome, there was NO sting from my Alum block after the shave. This stuff works! And smells great to boot!

Now, the splash afterwards is always a blast! A blast of cold! The menthol is seriously amped in the splash. A lovely, lovely thing in the summer. A little much today being fall. The balm is just a lovely finish. Both have an awesome rose/oud scent. Spectacular!

The thing is, I thought after using the Rougere, that I’d probably replace my entire soap collection with Oleo products. I love that they have a splash and balm for each soap. I’m a huge fan of layering all 3 on every shave(soap, splash, balm). But that wasn’t the case. I bought another three-some of awesome, but was burned. Literally.

The new soap burned my upper lip pretty badly. I’ll probably never try another Oleo product, but I will replace the Rougere. It’s a fantastic product. This is a great tallow soap.

Ah, my friend,

This is a good review. Thanks for taking the time. With a knee operation that presented some complications, and with possibly another knee operation coming up in couple months or so, I am a wee bit out of sorts. So it's good to see my friends leading the charge on quality shave products.

Oleo still is. Right now I am out of Oleo soaps. Perhaps Rougere should be next on my purchase. I love the rose scent and have tried many soaps and creams with that scent. Of course, some have been more natural than others. I expect nothing but the best from Oleo.

It’s a very interesting take on rose Obie. I’m sure that mixing in oud is what makes it more complex. The splash and balm are still complex, but the rose shines through more in them. Though complex, it’s still a fun scent - masculine, and a great product all round.

Evidently my nose cannot distinguish a rose scent from cherry, so I think I will revisit the Oleo Rougere sample today and see if I cannot give a more accurate scent description. Very complex and difficult to pin down I found.

I don't care for floral scents whatsoever -- rose or lavender to name two -- and yet this Rougere does not in any way turn me off. When David detected a rose/hay scent in our 2018 Mystery Soap thread, I was a bit stunned. It will be interesting to see what my nose "sees" today now knowing the label's complex, aromatic makeup:

Rose, Geranium, Oud, Lavender, Patchouli, Oakmoss, Coumarin, Tonka, Vetiver

Originally Posted by Speedster

Evidently my nose cannot distinguish a rose scent from cherry, so I think I will revisit the Oleo Rougere sample today and see if I cannot give a more accurate scent description. Very complex and difficult to pin down I found.

I don't care for floral scents whatsoever -- rose or lavender to name two -- and yet this Rougere does not in any way turn me off. When David detected a rose/hay scent in our 2018 Mystery Soap thread, I was a bit stunned. It will be interesting to see what my nose "sees" today now knowing the label's complex, aromatic makeup:

Rose, Geranium, Oud, Lavender, Patchouli, Oakmoss, Coumarin, Tonka, Vetiver

I am genuinely interested to hear your take after today's shave Mark. Generally speaking, I haven't known scent to be as subjective as other things, but maybe it is more so than we can imagine. Of course today you will be searching out the rose, so I'd be surprised if it doesn't at least pop out a little.

Again, I look forward to hearing your input.

I sniffed the Rougere sample yesterday from the container, David, and detected the rose notes (not overpowering but definitely there) but my recall of the lathered up scent was quite different...a bit sweeter, almost candied. It will be interesting to see how my take compares to the previous one now that I know their scent cues from the label.

I do believe the mind is easily "tricked" or prejudiced based upon expectations (i.e., marketing bs) similar to the placebo effect.

Absolutely love this stuff and the complex scent isn't nearly rosy (or, as David puts it, feminine) enough to turn me away. Let's call it a rose-based fougere, so unsurprising the lather confounds my olfactory senses. No problem achieving a 2-pass BBS shave using yet another razor.

Much less skin tightness post-shave but still noticeable. This time around, I used the splash David sent after my Trumper's skin food. Whoa, boy, menthol blast galore! I get why he enjoys this feeling as my face felt minty fresh for a good 30 minutes afterwards. lol And, I can definitely detect the rose more in their accompanying splash. I'm guessing I would also enjoy the matching Rougere balm.

Thanks for allowing me to sample some Oleo Rougere, lobeless!

Originally Posted by Speedster

Absolutely love this stuff and the complex scent isn't nearly rosy (or, as David puts it, feminine) enough to turn me away. Let's call it a rose-based fougere, so unsurprising the lather confounds my olfactory senses. No problem achieving a 2-pass BBS shave using yet another razor.

Much less skin tightness post-shave but still noticeable. This time around, I used the splash David sent after my Trumper's skin food. Whoa, boy, menthol blast galore! I get why he enjoys this feeling as my face felt minty fresh for a good 30 minutes afterwards. lol And, I can definitely detect the rose more in their accompanying splash. I'm guessing I would also enjoy the matching Rougere balm.

Thanks for allowing me to sample some Oleo Rougere, lobeless!

You’re welcome brother.

Hi David.. I was going to make a comment on your friends dad's "Jamaican Rose Farm".. and whether that was rose you were smelling .. Anyway I have used a couple of Oleo soaps with Excursion the last im going through now... I really like the ones ive used
and plan on getting another scent soon. Im not a real big fan of floral scents but i have not found Oleo to give off a heavy scent on the ones i have used.. So with the very nice review and my experience withthe company im confident i will enjoy this one also.. Thanks David.. Scott W
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