If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you’ll know that last summer I ran a razor blade experiment testing ten different razor blades over the course of ten weeks. One of the key components to this experiment was trying to keep all the other variables constant. To that effort, I used the same face wash, shaving soap, shaving brush, and post-shave. Needless to say, after ten weeks, I grew a little tired of those products. In fact, I haven’t used my Proraso shaving soap since. Now, thanks to Dapper Dragon, I might never use it again.
Dapper Dragon Arctic Wyrm Shaving Soap Review
Arctic Wyrm is a peppermint and rosemary scented shaving shaving soap, that too me is heavier on the peppermint than the rosemary. Additionally, Dapper Dragon has layered menthol for a mild cooling effect. I found the fragrance, including the menthol, to be very well balanced while not overpowering. But it still packed that menthol punch I love. I enjoyed the fragrance of Dapper Dragon’s Arctic Wyrm, but the real standouts are the lather and performance. I’m always a sucker for a tallow shaving soap.
Arctic Wyrm builds easily into a thick, creamy lather that rivals some of my other favorite soaps. I was surprised by how quickly I was able to whip up a full three-pass quantity of lather using both of my Semogue brushes (the 1305 and the 620) and my favorite synthetic brush. Shaving with this soap was a real breeze too. The lather is quite slick and protective. This is one of those soaps where I felt like I was doing almost no work, but the result was a smooth shave without nicks or weepers. Every time.
Simplicity is the key here. Arctic Wyrm is not some crazy concoction of scents and ingredients. It’s a straight-up cooling mint with a touch of herbaceousness. But sometimes simple is all you need or want. I have plenty of days when I don’t want to be bothered with scents. I want a simple shaving soap, a mild aftershave, and a cologne that does all the fragrance work. This is the soap for those days. And don’t be fooled by my use of the word “simple” to describe this soap. This is a great shaving soap where performance takes center stage.
Regards,