I’ve got a pretty checkered history with Barrister & Mann soap scents. There are a couple that I absolutely love, such as Adagio and Le Grand Chypre, but there are others such as Eventide and Night Music that have just not done anything for me. This is not saying anything against the performance of the glissant base, which is above average for me. It’s fairly easy to lather, has excellent cushion, moisturizing properties and stability, and very good slickness during the shave. It’s only average on residual slickness for me, but that’s honestly the only spot where it falls a little short. So suffice to say, the base has been a very good performer. But it’s hard to get excited about a soap when some of the previously released scents have been such a let-down.
This June 2018 release, along with Tuesday, I was really not in the market for when it came out. My previous experience with B&M using strawberry as a scent note was not favorable at all, (Night Music), and my skepticism was pretty high. It wasn’t until I watched and read a couple of reviews online about this soap that my interest became piqued. Every reviewer noted that the scent profile reminded them of the strawberry candies I used to eat as a child. After looking at the scent notes, I realized that Will at B&M had kept it simple with this one, limiting the FO/EO combinations to just three:
The notes, as listed are: Strawberry, Basil, Black Pepper
That’s it. Just three notes, so the possibility of the scent getting bogged down and muddy was very low. With that in mind I made the purchase, hoping that this would be more like Adagio than Eventide. Packaging is nice and clean, in a sturdy PET container with a waterproof top label, and a bottom label with the ingredient list. Smelling the soap out of the tub, it really did remind me of those strawberry candies, and unbeknownst to me, a smile appeared on my face. Will tried to replicate the scent of homemade strawberry jam, but came up with something better, in my opinion. Of course, this could all change once lathered. Strength of scent out of the tub was about a 3/5 and stayed there through the lathering process. Any more and it threatened to get a little on the cloying side. Because it, to my nose, mimics a strawberry candy, there’s no getting around the fact that this is a gourmand scent. But if you remember eating the strawberry candies as a kid, and have good memories surrounding that, this will definitely trigger some nostalgia…as stated elsewhere, this is absolutely a “smile” scent.
For those not familiar with the glissant base, here are the ingredients:
Potassium Stearate, Aqua, Glycerin, Sodium Stearate, Potassium Tallowate, Sodium Tallowate, Potassium Ricinoleate, Potassium Shea Butterate, Sodium Ricinoleate, Coconut Milk, Sodium Shea Butterate, Fragrance, Carthamus tinctorius hybrid (Hybrid Safflower) Seed Oil, Potassium Palm Kernelate, Allantoin, Lanolin, Sodium Palm Kernelate, Sodium Citrate, Tocopherol Acetate, Hydrolyzed Silk Protein
Performance, as noted above is above average. The glissant base is a known quantity to me, and it rarely disappoints when used. I know not to expect certain things when I use it. For those who have not yet gotten the chance to try it out, the water band is generous enough without being obnoxiously large. Since I take it nice and slow when building, hitting that perfect spot is rarely a problem. The scent does evolve a bit once lathered, the strawberry always there, but the scent notes of basil and black pepper become a little more prominent, taking the sweet edge off of the strawberry. Now, instead of a strawberry candy, you really get the feeling of a strawberry compote or as Will intended, a jam of sorts. Quite clever, and well done. Again, it’s very much on the gourmand side of the house, so if you don’t like those type of scents, then this is not something that you will want to own, or at least try a sample before purchasing. After all is said and done, here is how the soap scores. As per the norm, I don’t include scent preference, nor strength of scent as those are too subjective.
Lathering: 8/10
Cushion: 10/10
Slickness: 9/10
Moisturizing: 10/10
Residual Slickness: 7/10
Stability: 5/5
Total: 49/55
Comparable soap bases from a performance standpoint:
Wild West Shaving Company (50.5/55)
Saponificio Varesino Beta 4.3 (50/55)
Mystic Water (49.5/55)
Fine Accoutrements (49/55)
Soapy Science (49/55)
Wholly Kaw tallow (49/55)
Oleo Soapworks Canard base (48.5/55)
Stirling Soaps (48/55)
Conclusion: B&M is batting about .500 with me in regards to scents. I’ve got some that are phenomenal, and others that I wish I would have stayed away from. But I will say, when they get it right, it’s pretty sensational. The scent on the soap doesn’t last too much longer after the shave. The aftershave will give a good solid hour of longevity, and goes a little more into the basil and black pepper side of the house to keep from being too cloying. If you like gourmand scents, or just a scent that ticks the nostalgia box from those strawberry candies, then this would be a good soap to look at. Price point is a little on the higher side of the house, with it coming in at about $4.75 per oz., a price point that is slightly better than Wholly Kaw ~$5.50 - $6.50 oz), but more than Noble Otter’s ~$4 per oz and A&E’s price point of $4.50 for non-members and $3.50 for members. All in all this soap was, for me, a worthwhile purchase. It’s one that will put a smile on my face anytime I go to use it; I get transported back to times as a child and unless those are traumatic, that’s generally a very good thing.
https://youtu.be/ZHPNpeoyEnM
This June 2018 release, along with Tuesday, I was really not in the market for when it came out. My previous experience with B&M using strawberry as a scent note was not favorable at all, (Night Music), and my skepticism was pretty high. It wasn’t until I watched and read a couple of reviews online about this soap that my interest became piqued. Every reviewer noted that the scent profile reminded them of the strawberry candies I used to eat as a child. After looking at the scent notes, I realized that Will at B&M had kept it simple with this one, limiting the FO/EO combinations to just three:
The notes, as listed are: Strawberry, Basil, Black Pepper
That’s it. Just three notes, so the possibility of the scent getting bogged down and muddy was very low. With that in mind I made the purchase, hoping that this would be more like Adagio than Eventide. Packaging is nice and clean, in a sturdy PET container with a waterproof top label, and a bottom label with the ingredient list. Smelling the soap out of the tub, it really did remind me of those strawberry candies, and unbeknownst to me, a smile appeared on my face. Will tried to replicate the scent of homemade strawberry jam, but came up with something better, in my opinion. Of course, this could all change once lathered. Strength of scent out of the tub was about a 3/5 and stayed there through the lathering process. Any more and it threatened to get a little on the cloying side. Because it, to my nose, mimics a strawberry candy, there’s no getting around the fact that this is a gourmand scent. But if you remember eating the strawberry candies as a kid, and have good memories surrounding that, this will definitely trigger some nostalgia…as stated elsewhere, this is absolutely a “smile” scent.
For those not familiar with the glissant base, here are the ingredients:
Potassium Stearate, Aqua, Glycerin, Sodium Stearate, Potassium Tallowate, Sodium Tallowate, Potassium Ricinoleate, Potassium Shea Butterate, Sodium Ricinoleate, Coconut Milk, Sodium Shea Butterate, Fragrance, Carthamus tinctorius hybrid (Hybrid Safflower) Seed Oil, Potassium Palm Kernelate, Allantoin, Lanolin, Sodium Palm Kernelate, Sodium Citrate, Tocopherol Acetate, Hydrolyzed Silk Protein
Performance, as noted above is above average. The glissant base is a known quantity to me, and it rarely disappoints when used. I know not to expect certain things when I use it. For those who have not yet gotten the chance to try it out, the water band is generous enough without being obnoxiously large. Since I take it nice and slow when building, hitting that perfect spot is rarely a problem. The scent does evolve a bit once lathered, the strawberry always there, but the scent notes of basil and black pepper become a little more prominent, taking the sweet edge off of the strawberry. Now, instead of a strawberry candy, you really get the feeling of a strawberry compote or as Will intended, a jam of sorts. Quite clever, and well done. Again, it’s very much on the gourmand side of the house, so if you don’t like those type of scents, then this is not something that you will want to own, or at least try a sample before purchasing. After all is said and done, here is how the soap scores. As per the norm, I don’t include scent preference, nor strength of scent as those are too subjective.
Lathering: 8/10
Cushion: 10/10
Slickness: 9/10
Moisturizing: 10/10
Residual Slickness: 7/10
Stability: 5/5
Total: 49/55
Comparable soap bases from a performance standpoint:
Wild West Shaving Company (50.5/55)
Saponificio Varesino Beta 4.3 (50/55)
Mystic Water (49.5/55)
Fine Accoutrements (49/55)
Soapy Science (49/55)
Wholly Kaw tallow (49/55)
Oleo Soapworks Canard base (48.5/55)
Stirling Soaps (48/55)
Conclusion: B&M is batting about .500 with me in regards to scents. I’ve got some that are phenomenal, and others that I wish I would have stayed away from. But I will say, when they get it right, it’s pretty sensational. The scent on the soap doesn’t last too much longer after the shave. The aftershave will give a good solid hour of longevity, and goes a little more into the basil and black pepper side of the house to keep from being too cloying. If you like gourmand scents, or just a scent that ticks the nostalgia box from those strawberry candies, then this would be a good soap to look at. Price point is a little on the higher side of the house, with it coming in at about $4.75 per oz., a price point that is slightly better than Wholly Kaw ~$5.50 - $6.50 oz), but more than Noble Otter’s ~$4 per oz and A&E’s price point of $4.50 for non-members and $3.50 for members. All in all this soap was, for me, a worthwhile purchase. It’s one that will put a smile on my face anytime I go to use it; I get transported back to times as a child and unless those are traumatic, that’s generally a very good thing.
https://youtu.be/ZHPNpeoyEnM
