(This post was last modified: 03-15-2018, 04:47 PM by stesa.)
Preview: Grooming Dept Incense & Rose
Incense & Rose has been a long time coming. Originally stipulated for launch in December 2017, Mohammad postponed its launch. Till now. It has been recently made available at Top of The Chain and will soon be making its way to West Coast Shaving.
According to Mohammad, Incense & Rose is his longest cured soap. That being said, the soap is still quite soft. Performance-wise, it does what a Grooming Dept soap is supposed to do: provide superior slickness and an unparalleled post-shave. In fact, I routinely use the leftover lather as a first level, rinse-off, facial moisturizer, or as a hair conditioner.
Off the puck, Incense & Rose opens with a rose that has an almost boozy quality to it. I liken it to a fine wine which has a sweet smell that draws you in. I can smell the incense behind it, but it is definitely rose-forward.
However, one would be remised to dismiss this as a simple scent. And no wonder, most soaps sing the same song throughout. For Incense & Rose though, while the rose and incense accords do linger throughout the entire shave, rinsing away the lather is where the magic happens.
The rose and incense notes retreat to reveal a exquisite clean musk: courtesy of Mohammad’s addition of civet and castoreum to the scent pyramid. One is left with clean scent with a touch of rose in the post-shave. Overall, Incense & Rose is not a rose with abandonment. It is a masterfully restrained rose that has been designed by Mohammad for the gentleman. Truly a gentleman’s rose, always there, but never intrusive.
Excellent.
Disclaimer: I was sent this tub in a trade with Mohammad, in exchange for decants from my fragrance collection.