filobiblic
Facepeeler Extraordinare
State Convenor - NSW
Group Buy Caporegime
2017 Sabbatical Fail
2016 Sabbatical Fail
2015 Sabbatical Fail
- Joined
- Apr 29, 2014
- Location
- Sydney
A very full review of Dr Jon's Handcrafted Shave Soaps.
Back in the last few days of 2014 I bought four soaps directly from the soap maker: Classic, Hex, Big Green Monster and Anne Bonny. They took their time to arrive (no thanks to Customs) and had a few dings in the tins.
Since then there are now more soaps available including: Hydra, Savannah Sunrise, Black label, Gold label, Aphrodite and Propaganda (only available from Shaver Revolution directly). Hydra ready has an almost cult-like following.
INGREDIENTS
As provided in their website:
PACKAGING
Spectacular packaging. The artwork looks fantastic and adds character to the soaps. It gives each one a distinctive look and gives Dr Jon's an edge in a crowded artisan market. Tins get damaged more easily but look very nice.
SCENTS
The scents are nice and strong. A little different to the standard scent profiles (e.g. Dr Jon's Bay rum has tea along with lime) which is nice.
See below under each soap for my thoughts on each soap.
PERFORMANCE
The soap itself is very soft. So it's easy to load more than you want. But performance is great. Thick and creamy. Plenty of protection and glide. The lather thins a little if over-hydrated but still maintains slickness.
I'd class it as being in the middle of the top tier artisan soaps.
POST-SHAVE
The post-shave is excellent also. A lovely face feel with just a faint reminder of scent in your face.
LEGEND OF ANNE BONNY
The description from their website:
My take on the Scent:
A very nice Bay Rum scent indeed. Rich and full with a little zing from the citrus. The tea mixes with the bay rum nicely. This is a quality Bay Rum soap.
CLASSIC
From the website:
My take on the Scent:
I can pick up the woody cedar, the citrus and lastly some florals. It's quite a pleasing 'barbershop' scent.
BIG GREEN MONSTER
The description of their scent:
My take on the Scent: Peppermint, Sweet Basil and Lime
The peppermint and lime come across quite strong but the sweet basil is more background. I can't make it out as readily but there is definitely that herbal note in the scent. It's a great scent for summer. Perhaps a little less 'zing' than Mike's Peppermint and Rosemary or Simpson's Peppermint and Rosemary, although not much in it.
HEX
The description from their website:
My take on the Scent:
It's meant to have cedar, cinnamon, orange, and black pepper. The balance is off so the cedar (similar to sandalwood) overpowers the rest of the scents. Post-shave I could smell a little of the other scents (especially the orange and cinnamon).
Of the four soaps, I personally don't like Hex as much. But I think if you like the Red Proraso then you'd love the Hex.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Pros:
- packaging with retro labels are top quality and earn shelf space
- the soap scents are mostly along traditional lines but with a little difference that makes some zing
Cons:
- I personally find the soft soap is difficult to load. Very soft soap is difficult to judge how much is loaded. I tend to either load too much or too little. Due to the soft nature of the soap, I can see it disappearing more quickly than most soaps.
- It's not like Occams which a tiny bit will explode into rich lather. But it's no slouch either. When loaded with the right amount of product it will reward with a creamy lather.
Edit: Photos 3, 4, 6 & 8 are from Dr Jon's website and are not my own. All the rest are taken by myself.
Back in the last few days of 2014 I bought four soaps directly from the soap maker: Classic, Hex, Big Green Monster and Anne Bonny. They took their time to arrive (no thanks to Customs) and had a few dings in the tins.
Since then there are now more soaps available including: Hydra, Savannah Sunrise, Black label, Gold label, Aphrodite and Propaganda (only available from Shaver Revolution directly). Hydra ready has an almost cult-like following.
INGREDIENTS
As provided in their website:
PACKAGING
Spectacular packaging. The artwork looks fantastic and adds character to the soaps. It gives each one a distinctive look and gives Dr Jon's an edge in a crowded artisan market. Tins get damaged more easily but look very nice.
SCENTS
The scents are nice and strong. A little different to the standard scent profiles (e.g. Dr Jon's Bay rum has tea along with lime) which is nice.
See below under each soap for my thoughts on each soap.
PERFORMANCE
The soap itself is very soft. So it's easy to load more than you want. But performance is great. Thick and creamy. Plenty of protection and glide. The lather thins a little if over-hydrated but still maintains slickness.
I'd class it as being in the middle of the top tier artisan soaps.
POST-SHAVE
The post-shave is excellent also. A lovely face feel with just a faint reminder of scent in your face.
LEGEND OF ANNE BONNY
The description from their website:
My take on the Scent:
A very nice Bay Rum scent indeed. Rich and full with a little zing from the citrus. The tea mixes with the bay rum nicely. This is a quality Bay Rum soap.
CLASSIC
From the website:
My take on the Scent:
I can pick up the woody cedar, the citrus and lastly some florals. It's quite a pleasing 'barbershop' scent.
BIG GREEN MONSTER
The description of their scent:
My take on the Scent: Peppermint, Sweet Basil and Lime
The peppermint and lime come across quite strong but the sweet basil is more background. I can't make it out as readily but there is definitely that herbal note in the scent. It's a great scent for summer. Perhaps a little less 'zing' than Mike's Peppermint and Rosemary or Simpson's Peppermint and Rosemary, although not much in it.
HEX
The description from their website:
My take on the Scent:
It's meant to have cedar, cinnamon, orange, and black pepper. The balance is off so the cedar (similar to sandalwood) overpowers the rest of the scents. Post-shave I could smell a little of the other scents (especially the orange and cinnamon).
Of the four soaps, I personally don't like Hex as much. But I think if you like the Red Proraso then you'd love the Hex.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Pros:
- packaging with retro labels are top quality and earn shelf space
- the soap scents are mostly along traditional lines but with a little difference that makes some zing
Cons:
- I personally find the soft soap is difficult to load. Very soft soap is difficult to judge how much is loaded. I tend to either load too much or too little. Due to the soft nature of the soap, I can see it disappearing more quickly than most soaps.
- It's not like Occams which a tiny bit will explode into rich lather. But it's no slouch either. When loaded with the right amount of product it will reward with a creamy lather.
Edit: Photos 3, 4, 6 & 8 are from Dr Jon's website and are not my own. All the rest are taken by myself.
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