Declaration Grooming Artisan Shaving Soap Samples, Milksteak Base

Good

Great classic scent of Hermes

Not what you may expect.

As a long time straight razor shaver and a fan of very high quality lathers, I had a shave with this soap and I even made a review of it on my channel (active date 12/22/21) and although it is a slick lather it is by far the easiest soap to over water. It holds a very minor amount of water. It’s annoying how terrible this soap is with its ability to hold a water. I’m using about 1/2 the amount of water per lather to get a lather that’s 2x as thin as a normal lather. At $24 a tub I can’t believe it’s that bad. Yes it’s slick.. but so is every other shave soap on the market. on a separate note it smells like Coca Cola syrup… neither good nor bad just interesting and I didn’t mind it. I may try another type of soap and see if it’s the same, as for now though I can get behind the premium price tag. Every mid level and priced soap performs as well if not better than this soap. I’m just a little surprised.

Customer review

I got the After the Rain version, their second most popular scent. The smell is nice. Dignified, not too strong, smells like a forest. Their most popular variety, Darkfall, was out of stock. I'm not sure if I would buy another sample or a full size jar. The lather quality is above average, but I don't think it justifies the middle tier price point that it commands. At $22 for a 4 oz. tub, it is over $5 per ounce. I can see the appeal of domination over farm animals and using them for as much as possible as being a selling point for people that are into that sort of thing as a way to reassure their masculinity. I'm neutral about it. It can use animal ingredients or not, just whatever works best. Still, the emphasis on subjugating animals, like the cow skull on the front of every label and the emphasis on scent might mask a lack of attention to face feel, post shave quality or lather quality. Imagine if that was a human skull, do you think it would sell as well, or would it be morbid?

Customer review

Since I began shaving with top notch supplies, every soap I have used came in a solid "puck" form. L&L Grooming Company's soaps however are soft. To me they are comparable to the "tubbed" creams I use which are made by a 200+ year old British purveyor. That being said though, I realize that the definition of soap may be subjective from manufacturer to manufacturer. With these I transferred an almond nut sized dollop of product into my shaving bowl and quickly whipped up an impressive lather. Regardless of consistency, L&L's soaps are the best soaps or creams I have ever used. Thank you buffalo tallow? I have never used a product that left my skin as soft or well nourished as these. They also contributed to extremely close shaves. At the time of purchase I was able to buy 4 scents... Bandwagon, After the Rain, Trismegistus, and Cuir et Épices. All eclectic, unique, or one could say wonderfully uncommon. Each tends to linger for awhile post shave but not obnoxiously. Be aware that these samples come in tins the size of lip balm containers but they offer plenty of shaves and will undoubtedly lead to your becoming a lifelong patron. Can't wait to try L&L's vast array of other scents including their seasonal varieties.