Arrival of a highly praised soap, Barrister & Mann Hallows LE

So, this is one of the most known B&M soaps. It's the Hallows soap! It's an autumn seasonal scent with so many fans. I had to buy it this year. A good friend recommended me this soap too.

The story behind the purchase. It was available on October but sold out very quickly. I didn't want to spend more money that month and had decided to pass on it. But, while I was browsing on Maggards site, I saw available 2 of them. Well, that was a sign I thought. I immediately purchased one of the two remaining soaps. The last one sold within the next few seconds. I thought it was a mistake or something else and sent a message to the customer service of the online shop to confirm my order. Within two minutes, they replied to me saying that they found 5 of them and offered them on their site. I can't believe my luck sometimes. This year was amazing regarding my purchases. I was fortunate enough to acquire some of the best products available, thanks to some gentlemen that share their knowledge and experiences with the members of some of the biggest online shaving forums, or fora, whatever you prefer.

I made the mistake and chose the new way of international shipping that this vendor is offering since October I think. Biggest mistake ever. The soap was delivered to me 4 weeks later than the purchase day. The tracking number wasn't working and I was almost sure that my package was lost. Fortunately, the package arrived today, but it was opened, it wasn't sealed like the previous times, someone opened it to check what was inside. On top of that, the soap was inside a very small cardboard box without bubble wrapping. Just the soap and a business card of the vendor. If it was a tin, it would have arrived dented, be sure for that. I am not going to send an email to the vendor regarding this matter, but I now know two things. It's better to spend $7-8 more on shipping costs to be sure that your soap will eventually arrive and that I will never buy a tin from Maggards Razors. A friend from Denmark( Hi, Claus!) reported that he recently received dented tins and plastic soap containers with broken lids. He sent a message to the vendor and he replied to him that the bubble wrapping would have not prevented such conditions. This is the most ridiculous answer I've ever heard from a vendor's mouth. It's just silly. I've sent dozens of packages to the States and all arrived safely because I had used a lot of bubble wrapping to fill the package. Otherwise, it's sure that problems will come up. It's a huge risk not to use bubble wrapping or other material to wrap the goods.

Enough talking, here are some photos of this highly praised soap:

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It's the new Glissant formula. Many gentlemen think that this formula is significantly better than the previous one. We'll see.

Scent description from Barrister & Mann site:

”Taking inspiration from the swamps of Boston, we combined vetiver, oakmoss, black pepper, cocoa, labdanum, and cedar to produce a deep, cold scent suited to the chilly, bitter days of late October. Gloomy, rich, and perversely elegant, Hallows is a reminder of why men once feared the dark.”

I like the scent. I'm not a huge fan of it, I generally prefer less complex scents but this one is pleasant. I mostly get vetiver and moss, in that order. I haven't used it yet, so maybe things will change. It's a dark and complex scent for sure.

I'm not a big fan of the label either, it's a skull xray, but I think I can live with that.

I made the mistake and chose the new way of international shipping that this vendor is offering since October I think. Biggest mistake ever. The soap was delivered to me 4 weeks later than the purchase day. The tracking number wasn't working and I was almost sure that my package was lost. Fortunately, the package arrived today, but it was opened, it wasn't sealed like the previous times, someone opened it to check what was inside. On top of that, the soap was inside a very small cardboard box without bubble wrapping. Just the soap and a business card of the vendor. If it was a tin, it would have arrived dented, be sure for that. I am not going to send an email to the vendor regarding this matter, but I now know two things. It's better to spend $7-8 more on shipping costs to be sure that your soap will eventually arrive and that I will never buy a tin from Maggards Razors. A friend from Denmark( Hi, Claus!) reported that he recently received dented tins and plastic soap containers with broken lids. He sent a message to the vendor and he replied to him that the bubble wrapping would have not prevented such conditions. This is the most ridiculous answer I've ever heard from a vendor's mouth. It's just silly. I've sent dozens of packages to the States and all arrived safely because I had used a lot of bubble wrapping to fill the package. Otherwise, it's sure that problems will come up. It's a huge risk not to use bubble wrapping or other material to wrap the goods.

I would be weary of blaming a vendor for how they ship tins. In my opinion, soapmakers that use tins should try to switch over to plastic. I've gotten dented tins from everywhere. They are prone to denting. Can you imagine what your particular package went through traveling from the United States to you? Who knows? Thats why tins are a pain in the butt. You can dent a tin yourself, just by dropping it on the sink or even by piling something on top of the tin, or dropping something else on the tin. I would never blame a dented tin on a shaving shop. If one orders a tin, they know going in that the tin could be dented. Even Cold River Soap Works (some of the best tins out there) are capable of being dented. Again, this is not something I would blame on a shaving shop.

I enjoyed your review and look forward to your thoughts on the performance and scent. Barrister and Mann performance to me is always top notch, but the Hallows scent never sounded like something that appealed to me. Unfortunately, this soap is one of those that is so popular, samples of it could not be sent out like some of his others so I've never tried Hallows. I look forward to your shave with it.

I made the mistake and chose the new way of international shipping that this vendor is offering since October I think. Biggest mistake ever. The soap was delivered to me 4 weeks later than the purchase day. The tracking number wasn't working and I was almost sure that my package was lost. Fortunately, the package arrived today, but it was opened, it wasn't sealed like the previous times, someone opened it to check what was inside. On top of that, the soap was inside a very small cardboard box without bubble wrapping. Just the soap and a business card of the vendor. If it was a tin, it would have arrived dented, be sure for that. I am not going to send an email to the vendor regarding this matter, but I now know two things. It's better to spend $7-8 more on shipping costs to be sure that your soap will eventually arrive and that I will never buy a tin from Maggards Razors. A friend from Denmark( Hi, Claus!) reported that he recently received dented tins and plastic soap containers with broken lids. He sent a message to the vendor and he replied to him that the bubble wrapping would have not prevented such conditions. This is the most ridiculous answer I've ever heard from a vendor's mouth. It's just silly. I've sent dozens of packages to the States and all arrived safely because I had used a lot of bubble wrapping to fill the package. Otherwise, it's sure that problems will come up. It's a huge risk not to use bubble wrapping or other material to wrap the goods.

I would be weary of blaming a vendor for how they ship tins. In my opinion, soapmakers that use tins should try to switch over to plastic. I've gotten dented tins from everywhere. They are prone to denting. Can you imagine what your particular package went through traveling from the United States to you? Who knows? Thats why tins are a pain in the butt. You can dent a tin yourself, just by dropping it on the sink or even by piling something on top of the tin, or dropping something else on the tin. I would never blame a dented tin on a shaving shop. If one orders a tin, they know going in that the tin could be dented. Even Cold River Soap Works (some of the best tins out there) are capable of being dented. Again, this is not something I would blame on a shaving shop.

I enjoyed your review and look forward to your thoughts on the performance and scent. Barrister and Mann performance to me is always top notch, but the Hallows scent never sounded like something that appealed to me. Unfortunately, this soap is one of those that is so popular, samples of it could not be sent out like some of his others so I've never tried Hallows. I look forward to your shave with it.

Thank you very much, my friend! I agree that B&M soaps are great performers, but I'm not a huge fan of all their scents I've tried. They're more complex than I usually prefer. Also, most of the times, I really can't understand what the scent it's like from the description on Will's site. Living in Europe the shipping costs most of the times are very expensive, so there is always a possibility that you may don't like the scent.

I agree that you can't put any blame on vendors because some artisans are using tins, but it's unacceptable that some of them, fortunately the minority, don't use any material to wrap the products we order. Like you said, no one knows what a package goes through travelling overseas. Wrapping is so inexpensive and prevents such unpleasant conditions. There wasn't even a piece of newspaper, nothing, just the soap in a very small cardboard box and a business card.

I made the mistake and chose the new way of international shipping that this vendor is offering since October I think. Biggest mistake ever. The soap was delivered to me 4 weeks later than the purchase day. The tracking number wasn't working and I was almost sure that my package was lost. Fortunately, the package arrived today, but it was opened, it wasn't sealed like the previous times, someone opened it to check what was inside. On top of that, the soap was inside a very small cardboard box without bubble wrapping. Just the soap and a business card of the vendor. If it was a tin, it would have arrived dented, be sure for that. I am not going to send an email to the vendor regarding this matter, but I now know two things. It's better to spend $7-8 more on shipping costs to be sure that your soap will eventually arrive and that I will never buy a tin from Maggards Razors. A friend from Denmark( Hi, Claus!) reported that he recently received dented tins and plastic soap containers with broken lids. He sent a message to the vendor and he replied to him that the bubble wrapping would have not prevented such conditions. This is the most ridiculous answer I've ever heard from a vendor's mouth. It's just silly. I've sent dozens of packages to the States and all arrived safely because I had used a lot of bubble wrapping to fill the package. Otherwise, it's sure that problems will come up. It's a huge risk not to use bubble wrapping or other material to wrap the goods.

I would be weary of blaming a vendor for how they ship tins. In my opinion, soapmakers that use tins should try to switch over to plastic. I've gotten dented tins from everywhere. They are prone to denting. Can you imagine what your particular package went through traveling from the United States to you? Who knows? Thats why tins are a pain in the butt. You can dent a tin yourself, just by dropping it on the sink or even by piling something on top of the tin, or dropping something else on the tin. I would never blame a dented tin on a shaving shop. If one orders a tin, they know going in that the tin could be dented. Even Cold River Soap Works (some of the best tins out there) are capable of being dented. Again, this is not something I would blame on a shaving shop.

I enjoyed your review and look forward to your thoughts on the performance and scent. Barrister and Mann performance to me is always top notch, but the Hallows scent never sounded like something that appealed to me. Unfortunately, this soap is one of those that is so popular, samples of it could not be sent out like some of his others so I've never tried Hallows. I look forward to your shave with it.

Thank you very much, my friend! I agree that B&M soaps are great performers, but I'm not a huge fan of all their scents I've tried. They're more complex than I usually prefer. Also, most of the times, I really can't understand what the scent it's like from the description on Will's site. Living in Europe the shipping costs most of the times are very expensive, so there is always a possibility that you may don't like the scent.

I agree that you can't put any blame on vendors because some artisans are using tins, but it's unacceptable that some of them, fortunately the minority, don't use any material to wrap the products we order. Like you said, no one knows what a package goes through travelling overseas. Wrapping is so inexpensive and prevents such unpleasant conditions. There wasn't even a piece of newspaper, nothing, just the soap in a very small cardboard box and a business card.

Yeah with Barrister and Mann, many love all of the scents but for me, I like trying them out if at all possible. I actually gambled recently on Dickens and First Snow and LOVED them both. Its not something I normally do with Barrister and Mann but it worked out for me.

Nick, you know what might actually be helpful? Why don't you email Maggard and tell them about your experience. Make a suggestion to them, that if they ship internationally, it would be helpful to try a different type of packing material. Make a special note to them about tins as well, since tins are most definitely prone to getting dinged up and dented through not only shipping, but just rough handling. They might actually appreciate some proper and objective feedback. Especially since they just went live with their international shipping rates.

I tried this soap today and had a great shave. I loaded my LASSC BBS-1 razor with a new Feather blade and then started making lather with the great Semogue 830, which is my favorite Semogue boar brush. The protection during the shave was excellent, so was the post shave feeling. It lathers easily and faster than the previous B&M base. I did less swirls on the surface of the soap than when I use the previous base and it was enough. In addition, I think it takes less water. I can't describe the scent very well, but I like it. I'd like to mention that I'm not a fan of vetiver scents, but this one differs a lot from the others I've tried. It's very complex. The moss note is also potent. The packaging is made of quality plastic and it's quite different than the previous B&M containers. I need more shaves to write a more detailed review, but my first impressions are very good.

I tried this soap today and had a great shave. I loaded my LASSC BBS-1 razor with a new Feather blade and then started making lather with the great Semogue 830, which is my favorite Semogue boar brush. The protection during the shave was excellent, so was the post shave feeling. It lathers easily and faster than the previous B&M base. I did less swirls on the surface of the soap than when I use the previous base and it was enough. In addition, I think it takes less water. I can't describe the scent very well, but I like it. I'd like to mention that I'm not a fan of vetiver scents, but this one differs a lot from the others I've tried. It's very complex. The moss note is also potent. The packaging is made of quality plastic and it's quite different than the previous B&M containers. I need more shaves to write a more detailed review, but my first impressions are very good.

Man I'm happy to hear how much you enjoyed the performance of the new Barrister and Mann formula. This is great news. Very nice review of everything covered here Nick, you have a nice take on it.

I tried this soap today and had a great shave. I loaded my LASSC BBS-1 razor with a new Feather blade and then started making lather with the great Semogue 830, which is my favorite Semogue boar brush. The protection during the shave was excellent, so was the post shave feeling. It lathers easily and faster than the previous B&M base. I did less swirls on the surface of the soap than when I use the previous base and it was enough. In addition, I think it takes less water. I can't describe the scent very well, but I like it. I'd like to mention that I'm not a fan of vetiver scents, but this one differs a lot from the others I've tried. It's very complex. The moss note is also potent. The packaging is made of quality plastic and it's quite different than the previous B&M containers. I need more shaves to write a more detailed review, but my first impressions are very good.

Man I'm happy to hear how much you enjoyed the performance of the new Barrister and Mann formula. This is great news. Very nice review of everything hear Nick, you have a nice take on it.

Thanks a lot, my friend! It's a very nice soap. The problem with the soaps that have complex scents is that you don't know what to expect. To be honest, I've tried about 8-9 B&M soaps, full soaps and samples, but only a few scents were to my liking. At this moment I have only 4 of them.


We exchanged a few emails with Will the last couple of days and he was patient enough to answer every question I had and listen to my concerns. I appreciate that and I thank him for one more time. I am sure he does that with every wet shaver that has questions, no exceptions. Wet shaving is a gentlemen's hobby, indeed.

Nick I have just as many of the Latha line of soaps as I do his luxury line. The Latha soaps have less complex scents so they are more up my alley.

I have five from his luxury line I believe and those were fouunf by trial and error just like you did. Believe it or not, I got a ton of help and guidance from Will himself about his scents. He also helped by providing guidance about my fragrance allergies and helped me nail down some possible points of irritation. Will has always answered every single question I've asked him.

Anyways I'm glad you're digging some Barrister and Mann. I will admit I do believe that the Glissant is more luxurious than his former formula and I'm very happy to have Dickens, first snow, Seville and Cologne Russe in his Glissant formula.

Latha Limon is my favorite B&M soap overall. I also have a matching lotion, the Myrsol Agua de Limon. Great summer combo.