So I have been using the serum for a few days, not enough time to say anything definitive, but still some things to say. I
did manage to get the Sandalo serum ordered today so that's exciting, sorry to everybody still waiting!
The one thing I am realising right away is that shaving, applying splash and then serum is not great for me, it's just too much stuff all at once. What I did today was come home and wash my face and apply the serum damp, perfect! It feels like it absorbed better and my face is soft, but not oily. I used to shave at this time of day so this is a nice alternative and will speed up my morning routine.
The scent is not strong at all, but when I put it on after shaving, it is still noticeable for a couple hours. I don't like the idea of having a different aftershave scent and this one playing tug of war hence I ordered the Sandalo since that should play nice with a lot of stuff! Since I am throwing stuff at the wall, the switch to evening application was triggered by the scent mismatch, but resulted in me finding a better routine overall. I will say that I am not smelling the serum even when rubbing my face now so I think that is further indication of good absorption.?
As for the cream, I have only used it once and will be again tomorrow. This stuff is great, but it's more like a croap to me, it's the texture. I am sure there is some reason or ingredient that makes it a cream, but I don't particularly care other than for comparison purposes. The one big surprise is how little product is necessary per shave, even running a little down the drain at the end. I measured exactly 1g into my bowl, just for science, and had plenty left in there. I added 0.6g to the bowl for tomorrow so that should make it 0.8g per shave. The cream is
very slick and takes more water than the average cream. The residual slickness is there if you have a spray bottle, but splashing water on your face is going to rinse it off. This is a great compromise for me as I find some soaps with great residual slickness to be nearly impossible to rinse off. The S base is more resistant, but sits differently on the face than the cream. There is some drying, but only on areas that have been shaved. The residual film is still there, as mentioned above, though. I think this is
the perfect soap form for me as it preserves the scent according to Frank and I see no downsides. I really like my older S base soap as well so I will look forward to what he comes up with in that one, in the future.
Lastly, I want to say what an unexpected value these products are. The skin beneficial ingredients can't easily be priced as the benefit is obtained over time. But the actual products, the cream, splash and serum, I am measuring enough cream for 150 shaves and enough of the other two for at least 300 each! With my second serum inbound, I don't think I can justify having any more this year as the scent is quickly relegated to background. I will continue to stock up on the splashes including Sandalo, if I can, as I can never get enough! When the frenzy slows down, as mentioned previously, I will probably place a custom order of Fresco cream for summer and put the Bergamotto away till Fall. I have the splash inbound to sample.
Oh, I almost forgot, the Bergamotto splash has an unusually strong tingle to it! I am assuming it's the citrus, but I don't get that with the Melange de Agrumes. No flash of redness, so all good, love it.
