(This post was last modified: 02-17-2021, 11:56 AM by RayClem.)
For those of you who have struggled obtaining Grooming Dept soaps directly from the Grooming Dept web site, a number of soaps are now available from various vendors. I recently obtained two of the soaps for Valentine's Day.
The new, improved Mallard formula was released in the Amore scent and was only available through West Coast Shaving. I was anxious to try the new formula as I had participated in the development testing, but had not tested the final formulation. Neither the scent, nor the soap disappointed. The Amore scent is described as "a scent of love with ripe red fruits, musk, vanilla, and a hint of tobacco and woody notes. This is perfect for a special night out with notes of raspberry, plum, and apple. The masculine notes of tobacco, musk, and woods provide some depth. A hint of warming vanilla rounds it out." The scents are well-blended into a wonderful accord that both my wife and I approve.
The performance of the new Mallard formulation meets all the criteria I consider important to an elite soap: ease of loading, ease of lathering, superb primary and residual slickness, superb cushion/protection, and superb post shave conditioning. I shaved last night before bedtime. I got a near BBS shave with zero irritation, even though my coarse beard had two-day's growth and my skin is sensitive. It has been eight hours since the shave and the post shave conditioning and moisturizing is just as apparent this morning as it was shortly after the shave. I anticipate that this feeling will persist for many more hours.
I also obtained Kairos Lavender, but have not yet used i. I know the performance will be superb based on previous shaves with other Kairos soaps. If you have tried lavender scented soaps in the past, but found them to be too pungent, too camphorous, the you might like Mohammad's version of Lavender. It uses very high quality lavender oils which produce a lovely, mellow floral scent without being pungent. I much prefer it to the two other lavender soaps in my collection. I am looking forward to my shave.
There are a number of artisan soapmakers who make elite soap formulations. However, Mohammad of Grooming Dept is one of the few who is able to produce several such soaps. I consider Nai (vegan formula), Kairos, Lamb Tallow and the new Mallard formulas to be among the very best shaving soaps available in the marketplace. Even the new Fortis formula, while sold as a affordable alternative to the premium luxury shaving soaps is excellent in its own right. Its only shortcoming is that the post shave conditioning does not last as long as the more expensive soaps.
If you have never tried Grooming Dept soaps, now is a good time to obtain one as they are more readily available than ever. If you have used other Grooming Dept soaps and love them as much as I do, be sure to pick up a tub of Mallard Amore while they are still available. You will get a great shave and might even enhance your love life.
Quick update: As I anticipated, the post shave feel of Mallard continued for 24 hours before fading. That put Mallard in my list of very best soaps whose post shave lasts more than 16 hours, but the ohly ones that last for a full 24 hours are from Grooming Dept. That makes Mohammad my favorite artisan.,
![[Image: PJRt3Ia.jpg]](https://i.imgur.com/PJRt3Ia.jpg)
