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Clay Face
Honolulu, Hawaii
Stella Alpina (Saponificio Varesino) citrus, eucalyptus, musk
If you are lucky enough to have a fresh tree in your home at this time of year, you owe yourself the pleasure of whipping up a bowl of Stella Alpina while you sit under evergreen boughs. The soap’s bergamot and mandarin orange notes, along with its eucalyptus, create a wonderful festive accord when they mix with the balsam of the tree. It’s Christmas at Chamonix.
Today’s lather was far denser and more protective than yesterday’s. What did I do differently? I followed the artisan’s lathering instructions scrupulously, even to the point of using a badger brush, something I haven’t touched in nearly ten months. Blooming the soap with a thin veil of hot water loosened the surface and helped with loading, while using the bloom water as the only juice in the mix gave me a rich, protective lather. The result: no burns today and no tenderness, just a smooth, sleek finish that rivals most clay and tallow soaps. It’s taken a few tries, but I’m beginning to see why Saponificio Varesino is held in such high esteem.
If you are lucky enough to have a fresh tree in your home at this time of year, you owe yourself the pleasure of whipping up a bowl of Stella Alpina while you sit under evergreen boughs. The soap’s bergamot and mandarin orange notes, along with its eucalyptus, create a wonderful festive accord when they mix with the balsam of the tree. It’s Christmas at Chamonix.
Today’s lather was far denser and more protective than yesterday’s. What did I do differently? I followed the artisan’s lathering instructions scrupulously, even to the point of using a badger brush, something I haven’t touched in nearly ten months. Blooming the soap with a thin veil of hot water loosened the surface and helped with loading, while using the bloom water as the only juice in the mix gave me a rich, protective lather. The result: no burns today and no tenderness, just a smooth, sleek finish that rivals most clay and tallow soaps. It’s taken a few tries, but I’m beginning to see why Saponificio Varesino is held in such high esteem.
Member
Las Vegas, NV, USA
Finished my sample of Mystic Water Soap Oak Pass (also known as Raspberry Lemon). I have both WindsorCitrus and wyze0ne to thank for this sample, and it was a great one, indeed. The more I used it, the more I grew fond of the scent. And the performance, especially on this last use (as I loaded the living daylights out of the remaining soap) … nice, very nice. 
Whenever I go to shave, I assume there’s someone else on the planet shaving, so I say “I’m gonna go shave, too.”
– Mitch Hedberg
– Mitch Hedberg
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