Stinkers

I know it might be in bad taste to talk negatively about a soap or cream, and a lot of it is subjective I know, so please don't get offended if your favorite soap ends up on this list. It's just my personal take, and I'm as flawed as the next guy.

1. Barberry Shave Co. Ascent Soap -- My wife bought me the wonderful aftershave as an X-mas gift, so I decided to buy the matching soap. It was a no go. It lathered very easily, but had no slickness or protection. Into the shower it goes.

2. LEA cream -- I tried adding varying amounts of water. It got on my face easily, but offered no slickness.

3. Mystic Waters -- This soap had the opposite problem as the above. It was very slick and very protective...to the point where it gummed up my razor. The lather disappeared 30 seconds after applying it to my face. The puck was very full of moisture, it seemed to lather in clumps.

4. Arko -- I don't even mind the scent. This one lathered and worked well for me for a couple of weeks, but then started to irritate my skin. After the third week in a row of using this soap, my cheeks were dried out and red.

Mystic waters? Now I'm triggered, lol. But on a more serious note, did you try the more recent formulation? I had some problems with getting good lather with the older version, but the new ones performs very well for me. Plenty of slickness and more stable lather.

As for me, I know everyone loves the old AoS sandalwood, but neither scent nor performance impressed me.

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Mystic waters? Now I'm triggered, lol. But on a more serious note, did you try the more recent formulation? I had some problems with getting good lather with the older version, but the new ones performs very well for me. Plenty of slickness and more stable lather.

I tried the earlier versions. Haven't tried them since. I will have to check them out again. Thanks for the heads up.

Mystic waters? Now I'm triggered, lol. But on a more serious note, did you try the more recent formulation? I had some problems with getting good lather with the older version, but the new ones performs very well for me. Plenty of slickness and more stable lather.

I tried the earlier versions. Haven't tried them since. I will have to check them out again. Thanks for the heads up.

Seems to make more of a difference for those of us with hard water.

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I don't think it is a bad idea to present criticism of soaps and other shaving related items. Matter of fact, I wish people would come out more with their critical views of products after a fair amount of usage. I can't see how more information can hurt.

And about being hurt, you mentioned one of the soap makers, which after an year of trying a lot of artisan soaps, is my favorite, and I am not hurt by your criticism at all .

Now to the list:

0. Fuzzy Face soap: I tried english rose: lather is okay at best, not great. Scent strength is 4x of what it should be, IMO.

1. K Shave Worx: I have only tried a few generously sized samples: I always felt the lather lacks slickness, even though it looks wonderful. Even after adding more water than I would like to add, the slickness wasn't there. And the post shave feel is.. well pretty bad, even after using a good balm I could feel the dryness. And one sample burned my face.

2. Cade Rich Soap : I tried 7 straight days to make it work as my wife bought this for me and I can't put it up for sale. The post shave was close to terrible. I don't mind the almost non existent scent. May be after a break, I will figure that out.

3. Stirling: Let me start by saying this: the performance of this soap is on par with the best out here in US artisan market. And I can't remember a day in last few months when i haven't used one of their products: be it shea butter, balm, bath soap, body lotion. It is the scent I am not happy with. I tried 7 samples so far I think, and sniffed quite a few over at pasteurs, I only love one, and can live with 2 others.

4. CRSW: I tried 4 SELECT V2 soaps, while the cushion is extremely good (I get superb shaves with DE with this soap), the lack of slickness is something I keep in mind when it comes to straight razor shaving. The scents are wonderful though.

5. B&M Leviathan: I have nothing but love for B&M. But this is one scent I have to poke fun at . If this was the only soap in market, i would grow a beard . What a monster .

6. Mike's: My second/third favorite artisan: I am yet to find a scent I absolutely love.

7. L&L: if you are smelling L&L at a store, you take off few lids, there is no way to figure out which one goes where. Also, a little bit expensive considering the softness. But best looking lather, IMO. Performance is great too.

8. Finally, Mystic waters: My favorite soap, now. often times, I wish there was a Mystic Water cream because it takes some effort to lather this thing. But I still use these at least 2/3 times a week.

Mystic waters? Now I'm triggered, lol. But on a more serious note, did you try the more recent formulation? I had some problems with getting good lather with the older version, but the new ones performs very well for me. Plenty of slickness and more stable lather.

I tried the earlier versions. Haven't tried them since. I will have to check them out again. Thanks for the heads up.

New version is much easier to lather, still not straight forward like other options in the Market. But, IMO, the effort is totally worth it.

For me it was...

K Shave Worx - The soap I used lit my face up, something tht has never happened before and I have over 100
Cella - Oh the scent, couldn't stand it
PAA - I have a couple that after only a little over a year seem to be turning bad. Pretty sure this is V.2 of his soaps but still a little disappointing as I really do like PAA soaps

K Shave Worx - The soap I used lit my face up, something tht has never happened before and I have over 100

Interesting, happened to me with two of their soaps, one re-branded as SFWS. My guess is they use too much fragrance.

K Shave Worx - The soap I used lit my face up, something tht has never happened before and I have over 100

Interesting, happened to me with two of their soaps, one re-branded as SFWS. My guess is they use too much fragrance.

I got faceburn from their Major Wood variety (only one I've tried).

Couldn't get Dr Jon's to lather, though I'm curious about the new formula.

K Shave Worx - The soap I used lit my face up, something tht has never happened before and I have over 100

Interesting, happened to me with two of their soaps, one re-branded as SFWS. My guess is they use too much fragrance.

I got faceburn from their Major Wood variety (only one I've tried).

Couldn't get Dr Jon's to lather, though I'm curious about the new formula.

New Formula is very nice, easy to lather. I have been using it for the last few days.