The Shaving Cadre
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Mystic May
- Thread starter Spider
- Start date
remfan170
Jr. Shave Member
May 7, 2026 (Mystic May Every Other Day)
• Bowl: Doug Smith Pottery – Ceramic Shave Bowl
• Brush: Semogue – 1500 (Boar)
• Razor: Ern – Model 421; 11/16, Full Hollow, Square Point
• Soap: Mystic Water – Oatmeal Stout
• Aftershave: Floïd – The Genuine After Shave
• Balm: Bundubeard – Reijger Aftershave Balm
• Fragrance: Olympic Orchids – Olympic Amber
Michelle at Mystic Water offers a few dozen scents of shave soap. This month, I’ve been trying to share the variety of types of scent she offers. She has some of the classics (e.g. Bay Rum, Barbershop) that seem to be constructed from commercially available fragrance oils. She also excels at building simple essential oil soaps, (e.g. eucalyptus and spearmint, prospect creek peppermint) florals, (e.g. Lily of the Valley, Gardenia), and evocative blends (e.g. Egyptian Dragon, Cuppa Joe).
Today, however, I want to focus on one of the most exciting parts of her lineup: her own personal creations that are unique in the shaving world. Most important is that these soaps are inspired by her memories, yet they take us to places we want to go again. We all know just how big a role nostalgia plays wetshaving world. Some of Michelle’s soaps take us where we want to go back again by recreating a specific moment or place in time. Today’s shave soap, Oatmeal Stout, takes me back somewhere I want to go by amalgamating a lot of moments from a weekly ritual I had many years ago with my buddy Mark.
When I saw the name, I thought—probably like you did—of beer. I became nostalgic for the weekly ritual that my buddy Mark and I had years ago, where we would go to our local, very classy bar/restaurant and have dinner and drinks. We would usually start with a “Sam Smith” (Samuel Smith Oatmeal Stout). We would change up throughout the night: I’d find a hazy witbier to put an orange peel in and he would move on to a porter. Mark is a Texan, so lots of wings and Tobasco. I tended to shift around a bit, but I remember a lot of burgers. Our favorite part was that each time, the chef would make a special bread pudding with a different flavor. Sometimes it was a seasonal fruit, sometimes it was a spice, it was always delicious with a light vanilla custard. All those flavors of the table, disparate scents just came together over the course of the evening. Good conversation. Kindred spirits.
Oatmeal stout carries all those scents from those tables and evenings in one soap. As Michelle puts it: It is “A dark brown soap made with Guinness stout and scented with a smooth beer fragrance that is blended with creamy oatmeal, orange peel, butterscotch, farm-fresh milk, almond and vanilla. It doesn't smell like actual beer but it is a warm, comforting scent.” Gorgeous scent, a hug in a shave…I miss my friend. Life, as it tends to, took us in different directions. I owe him a visit…Excuse me, I have a phone call to make.
Have an awesome day, friends!
• Bowl: Doug Smith Pottery – Ceramic Shave Bowl
• Brush: Semogue – 1500 (Boar)
• Razor: Ern – Model 421; 11/16, Full Hollow, Square Point
• Soap: Mystic Water – Oatmeal Stout
• Aftershave: Floïd – The Genuine After Shave
• Balm: Bundubeard – Reijger Aftershave Balm
• Fragrance: Olympic Orchids – Olympic Amber
Michelle at Mystic Water offers a few dozen scents of shave soap. This month, I’ve been trying to share the variety of types of scent she offers. She has some of the classics (e.g. Bay Rum, Barbershop) that seem to be constructed from commercially available fragrance oils. She also excels at building simple essential oil soaps, (e.g. eucalyptus and spearmint, prospect creek peppermint) florals, (e.g. Lily of the Valley, Gardenia), and evocative blends (e.g. Egyptian Dragon, Cuppa Joe).
Today, however, I want to focus on one of the most exciting parts of her lineup: her own personal creations that are unique in the shaving world. Most important is that these soaps are inspired by her memories, yet they take us to places we want to go again. We all know just how big a role nostalgia plays wetshaving world. Some of Michelle’s soaps take us where we want to go back again by recreating a specific moment or place in time. Today’s shave soap, Oatmeal Stout, takes me back somewhere I want to go by amalgamating a lot of moments from a weekly ritual I had many years ago with my buddy Mark.
When I saw the name, I thought—probably like you did—of beer. I became nostalgic for the weekly ritual that my buddy Mark and I had years ago, where we would go to our local, very classy bar/restaurant and have dinner and drinks. We would usually start with a “Sam Smith” (Samuel Smith Oatmeal Stout). We would change up throughout the night: I’d find a hazy witbier to put an orange peel in and he would move on to a porter. Mark is a Texan, so lots of wings and Tobasco. I tended to shift around a bit, but I remember a lot of burgers. Our favorite part was that each time, the chef would make a special bread pudding with a different flavor. Sometimes it was a seasonal fruit, sometimes it was a spice, it was always delicious with a light vanilla custard. All those flavors of the table, disparate scents just came together over the course of the evening. Good conversation. Kindred spirits.
Oatmeal stout carries all those scents from those tables and evenings in one soap. As Michelle puts it: It is “A dark brown soap made with Guinness stout and scented with a smooth beer fragrance that is blended with creamy oatmeal, orange peel, butterscotch, farm-fresh milk, almond and vanilla. It doesn't smell like actual beer but it is a warm, comforting scent.” Gorgeous scent, a hug in a shave…I miss my friend. Life, as it tends to, took us in different directions. I owe him a visit…Excuse me, I have a phone call to make.
Have an awesome day, friends!
I agree, Rosalimon is such a great scent. I didn't know if I was going to like the rose, but it works so well with the lemon.
If you like this you should try CBL Soap's Roasted Oatmeal Stout.
remfan170
Jr. Shave Member
Ah me too, it was such a "long shot," but oh my goodness did it work out perfectly! I saw CBL's Roasted Oatmeal Stout was available again! This is an exciting time for me. I just learned about CBL last year and have only gotten his Russian Tea, but it is easily one of my faves. His aftershave/balm formula...I don't even use balm when I use it most of the time. I also saw he has this new one called Dragon's Pub which seems kinda similar in terms of ingredients to Roasted Oatmeal Stout. What are they like? Have you tried the Dragon's Pub also? I'm really excited to see him have more scents that appeal to me. I want to get more CBL in my den. Thanks again for doing Mystic May...I'm having a blast and am so excited to have found TSC.
Yes, I'm a CBL superfan. I have nearly every scent he's ever made. Dragon's pub is really good. His Roasted Oatmeal Stout and Dragon's Blood are two of my all time favorite scents. Dragon's Pub is a marriage of the two. Slightly incensey with the creaminess of the oatmeal stout on top.
remfan170
Jr. Shave Member
Whoa! I've never seen that one! Sounds awesome!
remfan170
Jr. Shave Member
ah! that sounds really nice. I'll give Roasted Oatmeal Stout a shot at some point.
The two scents go together as well as the duo in Rosalimone.
remfan170
Jr. Shave Member
May 9, 2026 (Mystic May Every Other Day)
• Bowl: Doug Smith Pottery – Ceramic Shave Bowl
• Brush: Semogue – 1470 (Boar)
• Razor: Muhle – R41 (Black)
• Blade: Tatra – Platinum
• Soap: Mystic Water – Jeff’s Lavender
• Aftershave: Catie’s Bubbles – Sunset Before and Aftershave
• Balm: Stirling – Unscented Post Shave Balm
• Fragrance: Spearhead Seaforth! – Roman Spice EDT
Michelle Burns of Mystic Water possesses some of the best traits that many artisans in our community have. One trait that I want to highlight today is her willingness to listen to customers and to even go as far as making specific scents and preparations that they might like. Michelle openly admits to her first foray into shave soap making was not particularly good. But, lots of testing and research led to her making her truly outstanding base. Part of her research involves speaking to her many customers at the farmers’ markets in and around Washington, D.C. where she sells her products and to folks on the forums and through emails.
The story of Jeff’s Lavender is a very touching one. You can see Jeff (yes, there’s really a Jeff) write about it here. She worked closely with his particular skin sensitivities and his love of lavender. This is a wonderful lavender scent built from Bulgarian lavender essential oil, French lavender essential oil, and a lavender absolute. The result is something that is not too floral and not too Earthy.
I have my fingers crossed as I have been trying to work with (read: politely beg) Michelle to create a soap that I think we could use in the wetshaving world. I asked Michelle to consider making a soap that is solely scented with spearmint essential oil. Mama Bear soaps does make one, but I have not tried it and it is glycerin based. Stirling’s glacial spearmint is gorgeous, but there is so much added menthol that it covers up the scent of the spearmint (same with glacial wintergreen). Shout out to Rod Lovan, he did forewarn me about that. The Sudsy Soapery’s Fresh contains peppermint and spearmint essential oil.
My mother would always send me outside in the morning to pick mint from her garden for our breakfast tea and I grew up to grow several kinds of mint myself. I love mint in all of its forms that I have tried. Especially, spearmint. And, sometimes, I want that scent without the face-freezing feeling. But, in the wetshaving world, mint often means menthol, and lots of it. Whereas peppermint essential oil has about 30-40% menthol content, spearmint has less than 1%. Then, there are the added menthols and synthetic coolants out there. To me, it is rather jarring to have menthol (or that sensation) in the absence of mint. But, that is what Osage Rub is. Let’s hope that Michelle considers…or that I break down and finally make an order from Mama Bear…or both.
There are other soaps that she has created for specific customers that I will be using this month. But, if you are into lavender, as many of us are, give Jeff’s Lavender a try. It is even different (though I think just as good as, and similar in spirit to,) my beloved Mike’s Natural Hungarian Lavender.
Have an awesome day, friends!
• Bowl: Doug Smith Pottery – Ceramic Shave Bowl
• Brush: Semogue – 1470 (Boar)
• Razor: Muhle – R41 (Black)
• Blade: Tatra – Platinum
• Soap: Mystic Water – Jeff’s Lavender
• Aftershave: Catie’s Bubbles – Sunset Before and Aftershave
• Balm: Stirling – Unscented Post Shave Balm
• Fragrance: Spearhead Seaforth! – Roman Spice EDT
Michelle Burns of Mystic Water possesses some of the best traits that many artisans in our community have. One trait that I want to highlight today is her willingness to listen to customers and to even go as far as making specific scents and preparations that they might like. Michelle openly admits to her first foray into shave soap making was not particularly good. But, lots of testing and research led to her making her truly outstanding base. Part of her research involves speaking to her many customers at the farmers’ markets in and around Washington, D.C. where she sells her products and to folks on the forums and through emails.
The story of Jeff’s Lavender is a very touching one. You can see Jeff (yes, there’s really a Jeff) write about it here. She worked closely with his particular skin sensitivities and his love of lavender. This is a wonderful lavender scent built from Bulgarian lavender essential oil, French lavender essential oil, and a lavender absolute. The result is something that is not too floral and not too Earthy.
I have my fingers crossed as I have been trying to work with (read: politely beg) Michelle to create a soap that I think we could use in the wetshaving world. I asked Michelle to consider making a soap that is solely scented with spearmint essential oil. Mama Bear soaps does make one, but I have not tried it and it is glycerin based. Stirling’s glacial spearmint is gorgeous, but there is so much added menthol that it covers up the scent of the spearmint (same with glacial wintergreen). Shout out to Rod Lovan, he did forewarn me about that. The Sudsy Soapery’s Fresh contains peppermint and spearmint essential oil.
My mother would always send me outside in the morning to pick mint from her garden for our breakfast tea and I grew up to grow several kinds of mint myself. I love mint in all of its forms that I have tried. Especially, spearmint. And, sometimes, I want that scent without the face-freezing feeling. But, in the wetshaving world, mint often means menthol, and lots of it. Whereas peppermint essential oil has about 30-40% menthol content, spearmint has less than 1%. Then, there are the added menthols and synthetic coolants out there. To me, it is rather jarring to have menthol (or that sensation) in the absence of mint. But, that is what Osage Rub is. Let’s hope that Michelle considers…or that I break down and finally make an order from Mama Bear…or both.
There are other soaps that she has created for specific customers that I will be using this month. But, if you are into lavender, as many of us are, give Jeff’s Lavender a try. It is even different (though I think just as good as, and similar in spirit to,) my beloved Mike’s Natural Hungarian Lavender.
Have an awesome day, friends!
remfan170
Jr. Shave Member
May 11, 2026 (Mystic May Every Other Day)
• Brush: Semogue – 2000 (Boar)
• Razor: Muhle – R41 (Black)
• Blade: Barbero – Platinum
• Soap: Mystic Water – Brown Windsor
• Aftershave: Lucky Tiger – After Shave and Face Tonic
• Balm: Stirling – Unscented Post Shave Balm
• Fragrance: Mystic Water – Brown Windsor Perfume Oil
TL; DR: A follow up to yesterday's discussion of Strike Gold Soaps's Lewis and Clark scent, I discuss the actual scent that Lewis and Clark used (Brown Windsor) and review Mystic Water's Brown Windsor Shave Soap.
Yesterday, I explored (or ranted about, if you like) the historically anachronistic fragrance choices of Strike Gold Soaps’s after using their Lewis and Clark shave soap. This soap features scent notes of “citrus, cypress, Texas cedarwood, mahogany, wood smoke, and patchouli.” Not things I particularly care for, and I can easily see where I came up with the description of “rain-soaked rotting wood in a desert.” While Strike Gold’s goal was to create a soap that would conjure up the rugged outdoors, their take is kind of odd as these things don’t represent or exist in the terrain that Lewis and Clark (and Sacajawea, for that matter) were traversing.
It occurred to me yesterday evening that I not only was aware of what actual scent Lewis and Clark used, but also had it in my shave soap and fragrance collection. Allow me to present that fragrance to you: Brown Windsor. And, there is only one artisan that makes a shave soap of this scent: Michelle Burns of Mystic Water.
As I have gotten to know Michelle a bit better, I have learned some of the stories that inspired her to become a soapmaker. One was of a particular scent that was popular in the Colonial Era and inspired her to recreate some historical scents: Bayberry. “As a child, at a Revolutionary War museum,” Michelle wrote, “I purchased a ball of bayberry soap and treasured it for years. Somehow the idea of pioneer crafts made an impression on me and I developed a passion for ‘forgotten’ skills. Bayberry is a native American plant that produces a berry with a fragrant, herbal/spicy waxy coating. Boiling the berries, cooling and skimming the liquid provided a wax that was used to scent beeswax candles and soap in the Colonial era…It's hard to describe but it's one of those scents that is evocative of the past and associated with special occasions and holidays.” These experiences no doubt inspired her to make her excellent Bayberry soap (not available as a shave soap, unfortunately) and to recreate a Brown Windsor scented soap.
Brown Windsor is a historical scent from England that was especially popular in Europe during the 1700s and early 1800s. Napoleon, Queen Victoria, Lewis and Clark, and even Winston Churchill used it extensively. As Michelle writes: “Brown Windsor is scented with an intriguing blend of essential oils: herbaceous and floral lavender, sweet and spicy caraway seed oil, the fruity citrus of Bergamot and petitgrain, with warm notes of cinnamon leaf, cardamom and clove.”
Of the few soapmakers in the US who produce Brown Windsor as a bath soap, each used a historical recipe that is the same as Michelle’s blend. The result is a well-rounded, balanced, and complex scent that surprisingly works as well in warm weather as it does in cold. Unlike Florida Water, it is a bit more mature and has greater longevity. There is a greater freshness to it. The clove is not detectable as clove (much the way black pepper in a larger dish gives a warming sensation more so than a flavoring). The petitgrain forms a nice fresh base for the herbs, limited citrus, and spices to become one. Despite being a historical scent, it blends well with today’s scents and does not smell out of place in a modern context.
Michelle creates the essential blend herself and makes a fantastic shave soap, of course. I enjoyed it so much that I even had her make me a perfume oil roll on. At $9.20, these represent the best value in perfumery. She is generous with the oils and I get six or more hours of longevity easily with a single swipe. I can also carry it easily in my pocket if I felt I needed more, but again, I don’t really. As always, I recommend her products (especially Brown Windsor) with the highest enthusiasm. Remember, her sample policy (3 samples for $4 and $5 shipping).
We have some amazing artisans in our community on the cutting edge of scents (and brush or razor making, etc). And, I should say, I do not mean to be disparaging or negative about Strike Gold Soaps. They are creating interesting and good products. But, as a historian, it warms my heart to know that these authentic recipes of the past are being preserved. I did say so much of this hobby was about nostalgia, but I am noticing that the majority of us are really acting like historians in this hobby. We are preserving the past, telling stories, and keeping/updating the past.
Have an awesome day, friends!
• Brush: Semogue – 2000 (Boar)
• Razor: Muhle – R41 (Black)
• Blade: Barbero – Platinum
• Soap: Mystic Water – Brown Windsor
• Aftershave: Lucky Tiger – After Shave and Face Tonic
• Balm: Stirling – Unscented Post Shave Balm
• Fragrance: Mystic Water – Brown Windsor Perfume Oil
TL; DR: A follow up to yesterday's discussion of Strike Gold Soaps's Lewis and Clark scent, I discuss the actual scent that Lewis and Clark used (Brown Windsor) and review Mystic Water's Brown Windsor Shave Soap.
Yesterday, I explored (or ranted about, if you like) the historically anachronistic fragrance choices of Strike Gold Soaps’s after using their Lewis and Clark shave soap. This soap features scent notes of “citrus, cypress, Texas cedarwood, mahogany, wood smoke, and patchouli.” Not things I particularly care for, and I can easily see where I came up with the description of “rain-soaked rotting wood in a desert.” While Strike Gold’s goal was to create a soap that would conjure up the rugged outdoors, their take is kind of odd as these things don’t represent or exist in the terrain that Lewis and Clark (and Sacajawea, for that matter) were traversing.
It occurred to me yesterday evening that I not only was aware of what actual scent Lewis and Clark used, but also had it in my shave soap and fragrance collection. Allow me to present that fragrance to you: Brown Windsor. And, there is only one artisan that makes a shave soap of this scent: Michelle Burns of Mystic Water.
As I have gotten to know Michelle a bit better, I have learned some of the stories that inspired her to become a soapmaker. One was of a particular scent that was popular in the Colonial Era and inspired her to recreate some historical scents: Bayberry. “As a child, at a Revolutionary War museum,” Michelle wrote, “I purchased a ball of bayberry soap and treasured it for years. Somehow the idea of pioneer crafts made an impression on me and I developed a passion for ‘forgotten’ skills. Bayberry is a native American plant that produces a berry with a fragrant, herbal/spicy waxy coating. Boiling the berries, cooling and skimming the liquid provided a wax that was used to scent beeswax candles and soap in the Colonial era…It's hard to describe but it's one of those scents that is evocative of the past and associated with special occasions and holidays.” These experiences no doubt inspired her to make her excellent Bayberry soap (not available as a shave soap, unfortunately) and to recreate a Brown Windsor scented soap.
Brown Windsor is a historical scent from England that was especially popular in Europe during the 1700s and early 1800s. Napoleon, Queen Victoria, Lewis and Clark, and even Winston Churchill used it extensively. As Michelle writes: “Brown Windsor is scented with an intriguing blend of essential oils: herbaceous and floral lavender, sweet and spicy caraway seed oil, the fruity citrus of Bergamot and petitgrain, with warm notes of cinnamon leaf, cardamom and clove.”
Of the few soapmakers in the US who produce Brown Windsor as a bath soap, each used a historical recipe that is the same as Michelle’s blend. The result is a well-rounded, balanced, and complex scent that surprisingly works as well in warm weather as it does in cold. Unlike Florida Water, it is a bit more mature and has greater longevity. There is a greater freshness to it. The clove is not detectable as clove (much the way black pepper in a larger dish gives a warming sensation more so than a flavoring). The petitgrain forms a nice fresh base for the herbs, limited citrus, and spices to become one. Despite being a historical scent, it blends well with today’s scents and does not smell out of place in a modern context.
Michelle creates the essential blend herself and makes a fantastic shave soap, of course. I enjoyed it so much that I even had her make me a perfume oil roll on. At $9.20, these represent the best value in perfumery. She is generous with the oils and I get six or more hours of longevity easily with a single swipe. I can also carry it easily in my pocket if I felt I needed more, but again, I don’t really. As always, I recommend her products (especially Brown Windsor) with the highest enthusiasm. Remember, her sample policy (3 samples for $4 and $5 shipping).
We have some amazing artisans in our community on the cutting edge of scents (and brush or razor making, etc). And, I should say, I do not mean to be disparaging or negative about Strike Gold Soaps. They are creating interesting and good products. But, as a historian, it warms my heart to know that these authentic recipes of the past are being preserved. I did say so much of this hobby was about nostalgia, but I am noticing that the majority of us are really acting like historians in this hobby. We are preserving the past, telling stories, and keeping/updating the past.
Have an awesome day, friends!
remfan170
Jr. Shave Member
yep...here is a pic of her aftershave and roll on so you can see size, ingredients, etc. The aftershave base is outstanding and well-scented. and the perfume oils are very potent and give me 6-7 hours of longevity easily. both are in good quality glass. please let me know if i can answer any questions, but she is very responsive to emails
remfan170
Jr. Shave Member
May 13, 2026 (Mystic May Every Other Day)
• Bowl: Doug Smith Pottery – Ceramic Shave Bowl
• Brush: Semogue – 1500 (Boar)
• Razor: Ern – Model 421; 11/16, Full Hollow, Square Point
• Soap: Mystic Water – Maestrale
• Aftershave: Floïd – The Genuine After Shave
• Balm: Bundubeard – Reijger Aftershave Balm
• Fragrance: Olympic Orchids – Olympic Amber
Yesterday, I wrote about Gentleman’s Nod’s Musashi transporting me to different places that I have been before. Today, I was transported to somewhere I have never been before by Mystic Water’s Maestrale. As I have written before, Michelle has lived in Sardinia, Italy. And she notes that “‘Maestrale’ is the name of the bracing wind that brings fresh, clear weather to the island of Sardinia, where spike lavender, rosemary and peppermint grow wild.” And, that is the bracing, cooling, herbal essential oil blend in this soap.
Spike lavender (some may know it as Portuguese lavender) has more of a camphor, herbal, stimulating effect. In fact, lavandin, is a natural hybrid of spike lavender and English lavender. This gives you a sense of how strong spike lavender can be. Michelle, as usual, blends the peppermint, rosemary, and spike lavender in a balanced and thoughtful way. This is bracing and cooling for those hot summer days when the heat is bearing down on you. Like a blast of sea spray, it cleanses and reinvigorates. This is not shave soap as perfumery. This is shave soap as aromatherapy. However, when we think of aromatherapy, we tend to think of relaxing and calming. But, that is not all we need. This is to wake us up. This is to cut through and clarify. This is that cup of coffee. And, it’s one thing when it’s the menthol making your face tingle. It’s quite another when the essential oils are in the air working on your sinuses and mind. This soap, like all of Michelle’s soaps, does something to me and a lot for me.
Have an awesome day, friends!
• Bowl: Doug Smith Pottery – Ceramic Shave Bowl
• Brush: Semogue – 1500 (Boar)
• Razor: Ern – Model 421; 11/16, Full Hollow, Square Point
• Soap: Mystic Water – Maestrale
• Aftershave: Floïd – The Genuine After Shave
• Balm: Bundubeard – Reijger Aftershave Balm
• Fragrance: Olympic Orchids – Olympic Amber
Yesterday, I wrote about Gentleman’s Nod’s Musashi transporting me to different places that I have been before. Today, I was transported to somewhere I have never been before by Mystic Water’s Maestrale. As I have written before, Michelle has lived in Sardinia, Italy. And she notes that “‘Maestrale’ is the name of the bracing wind that brings fresh, clear weather to the island of Sardinia, where spike lavender, rosemary and peppermint grow wild.” And, that is the bracing, cooling, herbal essential oil blend in this soap.
Spike lavender (some may know it as Portuguese lavender) has more of a camphor, herbal, stimulating effect. In fact, lavandin, is a natural hybrid of spike lavender and English lavender. This gives you a sense of how strong spike lavender can be. Michelle, as usual, blends the peppermint, rosemary, and spike lavender in a balanced and thoughtful way. This is bracing and cooling for those hot summer days when the heat is bearing down on you. Like a blast of sea spray, it cleanses and reinvigorates. This is not shave soap as perfumery. This is shave soap as aromatherapy. However, when we think of aromatherapy, we tend to think of relaxing and calming. But, that is not all we need. This is to wake us up. This is to cut through and clarify. This is that cup of coffee. And, it’s one thing when it’s the menthol making your face tingle. It’s quite another when the essential oils are in the air working on your sinuses and mind. This soap, like all of Michelle’s soaps, does something to me and a lot for me.
Have an awesome day, friends!