I think I've discovered the ultimate barbershop scent. I shave with various soaps every day, rarely using the same one on consecutive days. As part of my shaving process, I will use a fine, Japanese cotton washcloth to rinse/wipe off the soap after the final pass with the razor - I'll rinse out the washcloth pretty well, wipe down the skin and repeat then rinse the washcloth again and hang it to dry. I'll usually go a week or so before changing out the washcloth. By the third or fourth day, despite the rinsing, the washcloth has absorbed the scents of several different soaps and I've found that this "moose juice" of shaving soap scents can be quite pleasant and to me, smells like what I consider to be the ideal barbershop scent. A little masculine, very complex and likely impossible to replicate in a soap. Its just part of the experience and I enjoy it.
As an aside, if you haven't tried adding a fine Japanese cotton washcloth or towels to your shave den yet, I highly recommend it. Compared tot he standard cotton terrycloth washcloths we all know and use, the Japanese cotton is incredibly soft and luxurious. I've picked some up over time on Fendrihan usually when they've been discounted as they can be a bit pricey. But its not like you need dozens of them and if you're looking for a really nice gift for the shaving guy who has (almost) everything, a complete Japanese cotton towel set would likely be appreciated.
As an aside, if you haven't tried adding a fine Japanese cotton washcloth or towels to your shave den yet, I highly recommend it. Compared tot he standard cotton terrycloth washcloths we all know and use, the Japanese cotton is incredibly soft and luxurious. I've picked some up over time on Fendrihan usually when they've been discounted as they can be a bit pricey. But its not like you need dozens of them and if you're looking for a really nice gift for the shaving guy who has (almost) everything, a complete Japanese cotton towel set would likely be appreciated.