This review could not have happened if not for the generosity of @Scuttlesoap and The Razor Company. A gift card won during the August 2021 Bingo game led to this purchase, so I first have to say thanks!
I have never tried an Abbate Y La Manta (AYLM) soap before. They are an Italian “House of Saffron” based in Grosseto, Tuscany that makes all sorts of grooming and cosmetic products. Prior to 2021 they outsourced their soap production to Tcheon Fung Sing (another Italian soap maker based in Torino). Starting in 2021 they began to produce their soaps themselves with a new formula in house (confusingly called the original formula on the packaging).
I opted to try their Laureato scent. It is based around the Bay Leaf note, which sounded unique. Also, my wife’s name is based on the Bay leaf tree, so it felt like a good blind buy.
It is a vegetarian soap made with (you guessed it) saffron (Crocus sativus) and organic Argan oil.
Ingredients are:
Coconut oil, Aqua, Stearic acid, Shea butter, Palmitic acid, Potassium hydroxide, Glyceryl stearate, Parfum, Sorbitol, Argan kernel oil, glycerin, sodium hydroxide, lactic acid, lauryl glucoside, Saffron stigma extract, cinnamal, eugenol, linalool.
The soap comes boxed in an attractive package with a tin with large opening.
Upon opening the tin and seeing the soap, I thought it would be very soft like a cream, but instead it was semi-firm like candle wax.
I scooped out a small amount to bowl lather. I was warned in advance that the lather can become airy and unusable if you start with a dripping wet brush. So I started damp and added a few drops of water at a time to get a nice creamy lather.
The scent was light, and slightly herbaceous with something slightly sweet in the background. Very pleasant for someone like me who enjoys a scent to be present but not overwhelming during the shave and quickly disappearing once the lather is washed off.
Ease of latherability: 3/5
Scent: 4/5
Cushion: 4.5/5
Slickness: 4/5
Residual slickness: 2/5
The lather felt light on my face, but was actually very cushioning and more slick than I expected. Not much residual slickness, but I’m ok with that. Post-shave my face felt good. Skin felt plump and well protected. I’m overall happy with this blind buy and see myself continuing to use this soap regularly because of the nice, light, any-season scent and nice face feel.
I have never tried an Abbate Y La Manta (AYLM) soap before. They are an Italian “House of Saffron” based in Grosseto, Tuscany that makes all sorts of grooming and cosmetic products. Prior to 2021 they outsourced their soap production to Tcheon Fung Sing (another Italian soap maker based in Torino). Starting in 2021 they began to produce their soaps themselves with a new formula in house (confusingly called the original formula on the packaging).
I opted to try their Laureato scent. It is based around the Bay Leaf note, which sounded unique. Also, my wife’s name is based on the Bay leaf tree, so it felt like a good blind buy.
It is a vegetarian soap made with (you guessed it) saffron (Crocus sativus) and organic Argan oil.
Ingredients are:
Coconut oil, Aqua, Stearic acid, Shea butter, Palmitic acid, Potassium hydroxide, Glyceryl stearate, Parfum, Sorbitol, Argan kernel oil, glycerin, sodium hydroxide, lactic acid, lauryl glucoside, Saffron stigma extract, cinnamal, eugenol, linalool.
The soap comes boxed in an attractive package with a tin with large opening.
Upon opening the tin and seeing the soap, I thought it would be very soft like a cream, but instead it was semi-firm like candle wax.
I scooped out a small amount to bowl lather. I was warned in advance that the lather can become airy and unusable if you start with a dripping wet brush. So I started damp and added a few drops of water at a time to get a nice creamy lather.
The scent was light, and slightly herbaceous with something slightly sweet in the background. Very pleasant for someone like me who enjoys a scent to be present but not overwhelming during the shave and quickly disappearing once the lather is washed off.
Ease of latherability: 3/5
Scent: 4/5
Cushion: 4.5/5
Slickness: 4/5
Residual slickness: 2/5
The lather felt light on my face, but was actually very cushioning and more slick than I expected. Not much residual slickness, but I’m ok with that. Post-shave my face felt good. Skin felt plump and well protected. I’m overall happy with this blind buy and see myself continuing to use this soap regularly because of the nice, light, any-season scent and nice face feel.
