In the traditional wet shaving world there is a lot of discussion around stylish Italian, luxurious British, and artisan American grooming products. Japanese-made shaving gear usually follows closely behind, especially in the hardware discussion. However, there are some neglected products from a particular geographic area which, I think, deserve a seat at that table. I’m talking about The Iberian Peninsula, specifically Spain and Portugal. If you’d like a little more background on some of these products, go back and read my reviews of the La Toja shave stick, the Floid “Vigoroso” aftershave, and two Semogue brushes (the 1305 and the 620). On the whole, this region of Europe provides some fantastic wet shaving products at prices extremely competitive with the rest of the world’s. Today’s review is no exception.
Musgo Real has been producing quality men’s shaving products in Portugal for over a century, although I would be willing to bet that they are much less known than most other manufacturers that have been operating for that same amount of time. To put this in perspective, Claus Porto (the parent company of Musgo Real) was founded at roughly the same as Penhaligon’s and Geo. F. Trumper, but I assume you’re more familiar with those other two companies. A company with this much history has to be doing something right.
Fragrance
Musgo Real calls this their “classic” fragrance, and I can’t think of a better word to describe it. This shaving cream is scented with vetiver and patchouli, but falls on the grassier side of those notes. Sometimes when I think of vetiver and patchouli, especially patchouli, my mind drifts to thoughts of dark woods and deep smoky scents. But the notes in this shaving cream are more refreshing than that. It’s a perfect all-year gentleman’s fragrance.
Lathering
Musgo Real’s “Classic Scent” shaving cream is one of the more dense shaving creams I’ve used. Because of this density, a little goes a long, long way. I typically use about a pea-sized drop placed right into my brush. With most creams I use an almond-sized drop. I know this is a minor difference, but over the lifetime of shaving, it can save you some money. However, with this density, I found the water needed to be different (more) than most other creams. I wouldn’t mark this as a negative against the cream, but it is something of note for readers, to be sure. Once built, this lather is exceptionally thick and provides for a full three passes and more.
Performance
I love the slickness of this shaving cream. I think it’s one of the slickest I’ve used, even if the cushion is a little light. I found the best performance with Musgo Real’s shaving cream came when it was paired with a milder razor and a sharper blade. I had my best results using my Edwin Jagger DE89 and either a Kai or Feather blade. I would also caution that with the scales tipped towards glide over cushion, a light hand is a huge advantage in delivering a BBS shave.
Post Shave
With glycerin and lanolin included in its ingredients, this shaving cream delivers one of the best post shave feels I have experienced in a shaving cream. Twelve hours later my face still feels moisturized and protected. Sure, there’s a little stubble by that point, but I can feel that my skin underneath is still supple and hydrated.
Musgo Real’s “Classic Scent” shaving cream is a highly recommended product. It features a grassy, clean scent, incredible glide, and wonderful post shave qualities. I definitely suggest grabbing a tube today.
