I used Proraso Sandalwood in the red plastic tub this morning and it smells fantastic.
I loaded an Omega Syntex for 30 seconds, then bowl lathered with 2 tablespoons of hot water in a hot shaving mug with a medium damp brush.
It produced a very nice lather, but slightly on the foamy side, not a full cream cheese lather that I have seen people accomplish with Proraso but that is with a badger or boar brush.
So next time I will load the brush longer, as Syntex takes a bit more patience.
I made up for the weaker lather by painting more before shaving, so it still worked.
Note with this soap, your skin drinks the slickness quick so it isn't forgiving in multiple cleanup passes as you work across your face, so a triple pass might be the best way to go for bbs, using the last face lather only to clean up missed hairs before you rinse.
I only did a double pass shave, one WTG, second ATG, for an irritation free shave. I missed an ATG on a small patch below my right sideburn runway, but WTG got it anyway so I don't mind, as this was a fast shave.
Don't baby these tubs as this is a firm "Croapa" (creamed Italian soap) that doesn't seem to use very fast. Just leave the tub open after you load the brush directly in the tub to allow the surface to air dry.
I say this because with softer creams like Taylor of Old Bond Street Sandalwood in the tub people like to take out a glob with their finger and place it in the center of the brush and close the tub right away.
These tubs are durable and you just use them and enjoy them, and the product holds up very well. Just load the brush in the tub and don't baby it.
I'd rate this soap a 10/10 for scent. Enjoy the smell as much as you want and don't feel bad as it isn't an artificial aroma, it is actually Sandalwood essential oils that are used in the product. You are actually smelling real Sandalwood, as stated on the ingredients on the bottom of the tub.
This is a thirsty soap, so don't worry about adding slightly too much hot water in your prep. I would like it to be slightly slicker, but this soap smells so nice you'd probably want to enjoy slapping a third lather on your face for a quick cleanup pass to enjoy the scent a bit longer.
I have medium sensitive skin, with a medium beard, and I only rinsed my face with ice cold tap water before drying, and to enjoy the sandalwood smell, I omit using and aftershave balm that would wreck that, and my skin isn't dry.
Bowl lather if you don't plan on using aftershave moisturizer to smell the sandalwood when the shave is complete. Face lathering for 2-3 passes may require you use aftershave balm, so keep this in mind.
About 2 hours after the shave, the Sandalwood scent is still pleasantly noticeable and in now way overbearing. Every 8 minutes or so, a sandalwood aroma passes you nose, and is a very calming scent. So they nailed it IMO.
If I was to only own one soap, that I had to pay for, at 10$ a tub this is the shaving soap I'd choose. It just smells that amazing.
I loaded an Omega Syntex for 30 seconds, then bowl lathered with 2 tablespoons of hot water in a hot shaving mug with a medium damp brush.
It produced a very nice lather, but slightly on the foamy side, not a full cream cheese lather that I have seen people accomplish with Proraso but that is with a badger or boar brush.
So next time I will load the brush longer, as Syntex takes a bit more patience.
I made up for the weaker lather by painting more before shaving, so it still worked.
Note with this soap, your skin drinks the slickness quick so it isn't forgiving in multiple cleanup passes as you work across your face, so a triple pass might be the best way to go for bbs, using the last face lather only to clean up missed hairs before you rinse.
I only did a double pass shave, one WTG, second ATG, for an irritation free shave. I missed an ATG on a small patch below my right sideburn runway, but WTG got it anyway so I don't mind, as this was a fast shave.
Don't baby these tubs as this is a firm "Croapa" (creamed Italian soap) that doesn't seem to use very fast. Just leave the tub open after you load the brush directly in the tub to allow the surface to air dry.
I say this because with softer creams like Taylor of Old Bond Street Sandalwood in the tub people like to take out a glob with their finger and place it in the center of the brush and close the tub right away.
These tubs are durable and you just use them and enjoy them, and the product holds up very well. Just load the brush in the tub and don't baby it.
I'd rate this soap a 10/10 for scent. Enjoy the smell as much as you want and don't feel bad as it isn't an artificial aroma, it is actually Sandalwood essential oils that are used in the product. You are actually smelling real Sandalwood, as stated on the ingredients on the bottom of the tub.
This is a thirsty soap, so don't worry about adding slightly too much hot water in your prep. I would like it to be slightly slicker, but this soap smells so nice you'd probably want to enjoy slapping a third lather on your face for a quick cleanup pass to enjoy the scent a bit longer.
I have medium sensitive skin, with a medium beard, and I only rinsed my face with ice cold tap water before drying, and to enjoy the sandalwood smell, I omit using and aftershave balm that would wreck that, and my skin isn't dry.
Bowl lather if you don't plan on using aftershave moisturizer to smell the sandalwood when the shave is complete. Face lathering for 2-3 passes may require you use aftershave balm, so keep this in mind.
About 2 hours after the shave, the Sandalwood scent is still pleasantly noticeable and in now way overbearing. Every 8 minutes or so, a sandalwood aroma passes you nose, and is a very calming scent. So they nailed it IMO.
If I was to only own one soap, that I had to pay for, at 10$ a tub this is the shaving soap I'd choose. It just smells that amazing.