About the artisan from the website: I'm Mohammad, I make awesome shaving soaps and men's grooming products. I live in the Bay Area, CA. I like to cook & eat. I enjoy road cycling. I drink equal amounts of coffee and tea.
Packaging: The packaging on this soap has a simple elegance to it. The label on top simply states the name of the scent in golden letters on a black background. The side label states the name of the base before listing the ingredients. The name of the soap is also displayed on the side label, which is a nice touch for those that stack their tubs. The pour of the soap is also very nice, clean, and smooth. I’ve seen a few other artisan soaps with a similar pour and I think it adds a nice touch.
Scent: The scent notes are Bergamot, Maté Absolute, Artemesia (Wormwood), Mint, Osmanthus, Jasmine Sambac and Musk. Off the tub and once lathered, I mostly get the Artemisia (wormwood), musk, and the bergamot. The scent strength is fairly strong, close to a six or seven and remains that strong. The scent also lingers for quit some time after the shave. As a night shaver, I have been able to catch whiffs of the scent the following morning.
Performance: The first time I used this soap, I scooped some out and placed it into a lather bowl. I slowly added water to build the lather, and eventually slightly overhydrated the soap as I did not see a lot of volume building. I posted my SOTD photos in some Facebook groups and Mohammed reached out to me via Instagram messages. He asked me about the lathering process I took and provided some suggestions on how to get the best out of this base. He also stated his soaps are high density, low structure (don’t expect a Santa Claus beard type lather).
I’ve subsequently loaded off the tub with a damp brush for 20 seconds and built a face lather. The result was an absolutely wonderful, low structure, high density lather that is extremely slick. I was able to use a shavette for every shave with this soap and had zero irritation or weepers. I’m sure that as I continue to get familiar with the soap and how it looks once dialed in for a face lather, I’ll be able to bowl lather this soap without issue as well.
Post Shave: Post shave of this base is absolutely top shelf. I have not used any post shave products (not even witch hazel) with this soap and have never had an issue. My skin always feels extremely hydrated, smooth, irritation free. It feels like I have used a high-end balm after using this soap for a shave. This honestly has one of the best post shave feel of any soap I have ever tried.
Price: The cost of the soap is on the high end at $32.00 for four ounces, which equals $8 an ounce. That makes this one of the most expensive soaps in my den.
Final thoughts: The soap is expensive, but works extremely well. The slickness is absolutely wonderful, the residual slickness is insanely good (I could feel the slickness on my hands when I was cleaning my face post shave). The post shave feel is one of the best, if not the best of any soap that I’ve used. It is also one of the most expensive soaps I’ve ever used. I love how the soap performs and feels on my face, the scent is fantastic. At the price per ounce being as high as it is, it’s something you need to ask yourself if the cost is worth it. I do really enjoy the soap and would pick it up again, but replacing it would not be at the top of my list.
JBT