Thread: Queen Charlotte soap

It's funny, because a lot of things I'm hearing, happened to me with Al's "The Bomb".
I must say, Al was more than helpful and patient with me. I've probably used 100 different soaps and creams, and it seems to me that most Artisan shave creams require very little water, and a very large bowl or scuttle. I don't know why. Sometimes with Al's, A damp brush is enough for, I may add a demitase spoon of water to hydrate to lather, that's it...

Sorry, to hijack kinda/sorta...but it reminds me of issues I had with The Bomb...

Well, I finally received my sample last night. Briar. I gave it a shot this morning.
My first impression of the fragrance was a strong cherry smell, almost like the old Charms lolly pops...Once you whip this stuff up, it quickly opens up to a more complex aroma, I could then smell the pipe aspect of it...

This will not be a formal review, as I only received a sample.

The other comments helped me a great deal, and I was dead on. This stuff is very similar to Al's "The Bomb". It's Hydrophobic....afraid of water...

The cream is very dense, again, like earlier versions of the bomb. It is denser than Castle Forbes.

I used my Dirty Bird Pottery scuttle and a Rooney, a very dense brush...
This is sold as a soap, and I have seen them this consistency before. Xpec, which looks like a cream, is also sold as a soap.

I used about an almond size dollop, maybe a bit less, 2/3rd...give or take.
I smeared it in the bottom of my scuttle and allowed the heat to melt it.
I began whipping it up until I had proto lather...Which quickly turned to foam, and then the magic happens...

I did not add any water....just the damp Rooney. I mashed the brush pretty hard into the scuttle to get the lather...within 1 min, I got what you see in the pics, rich, dense lather...

I can't stress enough, how this reminds me of the bomb..Since I have so much experience with Al's products, I had no trouble with this stuff at all.

I agree about the cushion, it is lacking, but like many creams, This stuff gets thicker as it sits, By third pass, the consistency had thickened up considerably.

When I applied it to my face, I deliberately let it sit while I walked around, stropped my razor, etc...it remained, and unchanged...

Also, It did not disappate in my bowl. it remained, for 3 passes (5-10 mins?)...FWIW, My scuttle holds two cups of water, that I microwave for 2 mins in an 1100w microwave....

It's acts like a soap on your face, but a tad thicker...I think when we say it lacks cushion, we're saying that because we think of it as a cream, This is sold as a soap, and that's exactly how it looks on your face...

I'm pressed for time, and need to go to work, if I think of anything else, I will update...

BTW, I would definitely buy this product, I'll probaby do the sample pack of five first to check out the other fragrances...
Remember, when you use this, start with a damp brush only. Many times, there are small variences between the scents due to the EO's used...Some may need more hydration than others.

I found them great! The scents are wonderfu. The lather is easy to make, lasts throughout my shave, and performs on par with Colleen's soaps. Never fear Colleen, your soaps are the ones for me. But Al's creams are truly wonderful...

Update:

The more you use this stuff, the better it gets. I used it again today, this time with a Simpson brush, added minimal water, great lather...good cushion, I just ordered a 3 sample pack....

I got a sample of Sandalwood. Good lather on its own, but better when used with a soap like MWF. I'm going to have to buy the full size tub.

Originally Posted by superbleu

I got a sample of the Cedarwood-Lemongrass from a PIF Matt earlier.

I used a half an almond sized dollop to face lather. This was enough for 2 passes. Lather built up quickly and had a nice consistency.

Shave quality was excellent, on par with some of the best (closest) shaving creams and soaps I have tried.
Skin felt good afterwards, no tightness, drying, or raw feeling.

Scent is more like Castle Forbes cedar/sandalwood than Charles Tyrwhitt lemon and cedar.

Great product, Definitely one of the best Artisan shave products I have tried.

I picked up some QCS Cedarwood Lemongrass as well. The lather is amazing, with good cushion and phenomenal slickness. The scent? All I can say is it explodes in your nostrils, and while you're not sure what note is in there that is so attractive to the olfactories, something in it just draws you into the aroma. It really is an overpowering yet extremely pleasing scent!