What soap/cream did you use today?

XPEC Unscented shaving cream (v.1) with a few drops of Pacifica Sandalwood perfume

B&M - Arctique

Oh, that one's chilly. Arctique is the only pot of soap I've sold because it was too cold. The buyer was a nice guy from Novosibirsk in Russia ... Siberia. I guess they know how to appreciate the cold.

Murphy & McNeil Claddagh

Traditionnel v. (Le Père Lucien) lemon, rosemary, thyme, lavender, eucalyptus

It’s the romantic side of this hobby that keeps me interested in wet shaving. I’m not talking about chocolate and roses, of course. What I have in mind is the way a good shave spurs your imagination, giving you a chance to be in touch with times past and places far distant. I pick up my safety razor and I’m transported back in time a hundred years to my grandfather’s day when water was heated in a copper boiler on the side of the coal stove. I pick up a well made soap and its fragrance takes me half way around the globe.

Today’s trip was to a sun-drenched herb garden in southern France. LPL's Traditionnel reminds me of nothing so much as fresh rosemary just coming into bloom on a bright slope in Provence. In fact, it’s everything I expected LPL’s Fresh Rosemary soap to be. (I tried that soap a month or two ago but was disappointed by its slushy lavender note). Traditionnel is much more spirited with a rich wood note that my earlier version of the soap didn’t have. I may even smell cade, the species of juniper that covers much of the the Mediterranean littoral with its heavy smoky scent. If this isn’t my favorite soap, it’s very close to it, and LPL’s recent addition of Shea butter has only made Traditionnel more friendly and magnificent.

Coates Cream - Rose

This cream is an amazing performer. It lathers easily, and is slick and protective. The post shave feel is good, without drying.

The only thing I wasn't over the moon about is the scent. It is a synthetic rose smell, which isnt quite in my wheelhouse.

I've always wanted to know how Wet Shaving Products shaving cream compared to their Formula T soap. I took a recent opportunity to pick up both a soap and cream in the same scent, RoyalFougere. First off the scent is a pretty fabulous fougere. It's not in the vein of perfume or a more traditional fougere that has lavender on top giving a sweet floral accord but more akin to a mix of scents from plants in a garden. This one has basil on top (well maybe in the middle) has the sharpness of oak moss but adds Amber, musk, and some sort of wood. I'd put this one into,an aromatic fougere category and is similar to Caties Bubbles Tonsorial if you know that one. This is called a cream but it's not like TOBS or Trumpers, this is pretty firm and I loaded in the tub adding dribblets of water as I went. It yields a medium structure lather that seems not too thirsty. The shave was just fine as the cream offered sufficient protection. Slickness, at least on this first go was very acceptable but not as slick as the soap. Scent is an 8/10 and lingers for a few hours. The scent gets more rounded as it dries down.

Coates Cream - Rose

This cream is an amazing performer. It lathers easily, and is slick and protective. The post shave feel is good, without drying.

The only thing I wasn't over the moon about is the scent. It is a synthetic rose smell,  which isnt quite in my wheelhouse.

Great assessment. I too don't care for the Rose scent. Performance is as good as it gets.