At this point in the year, it seems like summer is winding down. Back to school commercials are running, baseball players are tearfully retiring, and Brett Favre is jokingly (maybe?) offering his services as quarterback. In truth, we are actually only about half way through the warm weather. I typically use bay rums in the summer, so I figured this was a perfect time to review the Sudsy Soapery “Citrus & Bay” shaving soap. The Sudsy Soapery is relatively new to me, but somehow two of their soaps have already found their way into my shave den. (I plan on reviewing the “Twice Mint” shaving soap this fall, BTW.)
Fragrance
Quite obviously, this shaving soap sports a fragrance that is a pleasant mix of citrus and bay leaves. I initially guessed that the citrus was a blend of orange and lemon, but I discovered that the oil used is actually grapefruit. The bay portion of the fragrance is very smooth. I would describe it as a “green” bay scent, like fresh bay leaves. Overall, the fragrance of this shaving soap just a hair light for me, but not disappointing by any means. I know I tend to prefer overpowering scents, and this fragrance strength is more than enough for most people.
Lathering
This is one of the easiest soaps I’ve every lathered. Both Loading my brush and building my lather were a breeze with this shaving soap. This soap also seems to suck up water making it hard to overbuild lather. The more water you add, the more lather you receive in return. I found this soap to work best with badger and high loft boar brushes due to the clay in the recipe. Shorter, firmer brushes seemed to pick up a little too much soap from the tin.
Performance
This soap is a unique performer. I think it functions more like a cream than a soap. The cushion of Sudsy Soapery’s soap is unbelievable. The soap was remarkably slick too, but it was the comfortable cushion that really stood out to me.
Post shave
Again I blame the clays in the recipe, the post shave feel when using this soap is amazing. My skin had a softness that I usually only get when using a mask and moisturizer. This is one of the best post shave soaps I’ve ever used.
On the whole, I really enjoyed shaving with the Sudsy Soapery “Citrus & Bay” Shaving Soap. I found it paired quite well with the Captain’s Choice “Lime” aftershave and Penhaligon’s “Bayolea” EDT. I definitely recommend this soap
Regards,