In 2007 Mäurer & Wirtz acquired Sir Irisch Moos (along with 4711, Tosca, and Extase) from Proctor and Gamble.   The Mäurer & Wirtz website goes on to describe the scent of Irisch Moos as:

A powerful and very masculine scent which opens with a top note of lemon, orange, rosemary, coriander and green foliage. Lavender and spicy notes, including sandalwood, geranium and carnation, are fused harmoniously in the polished heart note. Distinctive ingredients, such as patchouli, moss and tonka bean, bring out the masculine character of this scent.

That’s a lot of stuff blended together and I can’t say that any one note stands out to me.  Comments on basenotes.com suggest that Irisch Moos was the inspiration to Irish Spring soap and I get a hint of that connection.    Aromatic is a word that seems to go along with Irisch Moos and seems apt.  

Irisch Moos Aftershave

While I can’t precisely describe the scent, I can say that I find it appealing and having a masculine scent.  Unlike my experience with Lilac Vegetal, Irisch Moos is one that smells similar in the bottle as it does on me.  The aroma also lingers around a lot longer than some of the other aftershaves that I’ve tried and I don’t think that’s a bad thing.  I really like it; moreover, my wife likes it on me.  

Irisch Moos has the bracing sting I’ve come to expect and enjoy from an aftershave splash.  It doesn’t leave my face feeling oily or that there’s some sort of residue coating me.  Though, it is an aftershave splash so, I do feel a little dried out if I don’t moisturize afterwards.  

Completing my Shave of the Day with Sir Irisch Moos

The negative is that it is a bit pricy for a non-artisan brand and I can’t get it locally.  As of this writing, the 100 ml bottle that I have goes for around 25 to 40 dollars depending on where you shop.  Compared to (as of this writing) 3.4 oz of Proraso Green for around 14.00 USD or 12.5 oz of Pinaud Clubman for around 17.00 USD on Amazon.

Depending on where you shop, a 3.4 fl oz bottle like this can run from around $25 to $40.

For the price, I may opt to replenish one of my staples like Fine Accoutrements or Captain’s Choice.  But overall, this is a very enjoyable aftershave.  I get the satisfying and bracing sting that I like in my aftershaves; and I find the scent lasting and enjoyable – what I pretty much look for in after shave performance.

Proraso is a brand that I was first introduced to when a former boss gave the team small Christmas gifts one year.  This was a long time ago.  A time when I was exclusively using a Mach 3 cartridge razor; MySpace was emerging in popularity; and Harry’s Razors wasn’t even a thing.  I received the Proraso Green Preshave cream in my little gift bag. Back then, I had no idea what this brand was and I didn’t know what a preshave cream was.  I was still using canned foam.

Proraso Green Shave Soap in a Tub in one of my Shaves of the Day

When I first tried it, I knew immediately knew that I liked the cooling sensation and the scent.   That was my introduction to Proraso.  Since then I’ve had the chance to use and become a fan of the different varieties of scents and products that they offer.  The Proraso White Shaving Soap remains one of my favorite scents. 

The Proraso Green Shave Soap is a very soft soap; widely considered a croap

This Proraso soap is a very soft soap with an off-white in color and it smells like soap with a mild eucalyptus scent.  If you take a eucalyptus and blend it with a mild aroma of an Arko shave stick – that’s what it reminds me of.  That’s not a bad thing; I like the scent.  The Proraso green shaving soap doesn’t require a ton of water to get a thick protective lather.  It applies easily; washes off easily; the already mild scent doesn’t linger; it doesn’t leave my face or head feeling dried out; and because of the menthol I get a cooling tingle when applied. All in all, it always contributes to a great shave experience.

I find Proraso shave soaps easy to lather.

As I wrote previously, Proraso scents are something that I’ll always associate with wet shaving.  Perhaps because I was first exposed to one of their products at a time when I was just using canned dollar store foam or perhaps it’s because the company has been around since the early 1900s. But the Proraso shaving soaps in a tub are a staple in the shave den.  Proraso is becoming more widely available, from my local grocery store to Amazon to a number of shave stores across the Internet.  The accessibility to this classic line has never been greater.

Proraso products at my local grocery store!

I remember when the complementary hotel shampoo would dry out your hair (not that I have that concern any more) or the body lotion was so perfumy and would actually dry out your hands.  Body wash wasn’t even part of the mix.   Many hotels over the years have gotten much better over the years and I’ve come to expect better smelling and performing products.  For the most part they are.  I’ve only seen complementary shaving cream a few times and I wasn’t sure what to expect.  But, I hate to say it, my expectations were low.  

Shave of the day with the Sheraton Le Grand Bain Shave Cream

One instance was when we at a Sheraton.  I was surprised to see they had a tube of shaving cream on the counter.  The 20 ml tube read: le grand bain Citron + Vetiver.  Hmm … sounds intriguing.
I dispensed small amount of cream onto my brush. First impression was that I liked the scent.  The citron and vetiver combination made for a fresh, masculine, citrus combination.  It was rather tame.  The scent wasn’t so overpowering where it just lingered in the air.  I needed to force a little air out of the tube to smell it.  Next, I noticed the cream had a glossy white appearance; it reminded me of the Derby shave creams in a tube.  

Dispensing some Le Grand Bain cream onto my brush.

I started to lather.  To my surprise it started to develop that familiar, smooth, lather that other well performing shave creams yield.  After applying I waited a few moments just to see if it would thin.  I was pleased that it did not.  

I used my fairly aggressive Muhle R102 razor with a Dorco ST300 blade.  I found that the lather of the le grand bain shave cream had a nice slickness and did a good job protecting my skin.  It effortlessly washed away; didn’t leave me feeling like my face was dried out; or that I was in a cologne showroom.  All in all, a pleasant experience.  

Happy that I got a nice lather with this shave cream

Surprisingly, this delightful shaving cream isn’t available on the Sheraton Store site.  Though numerous listings on Walmart.com and eBay for it.  Personally, I wouldn’t pay the prices that some sellers are asking.  I could only hope that the Sheraton Store will start listing it (at a reasonable price of course) for wet shavers to try.  I suppose, until then, I guess I have an excuse to lean towards staying at a Sheraton.

A number of reviews have been written about the Pinaud Clubman Lilac Vegetal.  Many of these echo the same thing:  it is a popular aftershave fragrance but people seem to either love it or hate it.  A while ago I tried it  one time, didn’t like it, and put it away.  I fell into the “hate it” camp.  After some time, I decided to give it a try again.  This time I would give it a chance.  I would power through that initial unpleasantness, try it for a week, and see if the scent grows on me.  I figured this is popular for a reason.  Unfortunately, I didn’t change my mind.

Lilac Vegetal 6 oz bottle.  Also available in a 1.7 oz bottle and 12.5 oz bottle.

I remember Lilac Vegetal being mentioned in the 1979 movie The Jerk.   So, I knew it had to be around since the late 1970s.  After a little Googling and Bing-ing, I discovered that Vegetal Lilac has been around since the late 1870s.  It was initially made with ingredients such as ambergris and lilac; but is now being produced from artificial ingredients due to difficulties in procuring these natural ingredients^[1]. 

Lilac Vegetal Makes an appearance in "The Jerk"

My Positives:

• Scent doesn’t linger and is not extremely powerful:  My wife says she has to be very close to smell it.
• The bracing sting feeling of an aftershave splash was satisfying.
• Doesn’t leave my face feeling oily or that there’s some sort of residue coating me.
• Fairly inexpensive.
• Available from many places.  Can find it in many grocery stores and on Amazon.

My Negatives:

• Did not find scent appealing:  Some say it smells like cat pee.  For me, it immediately reminded me of some sort of public restroom disinfectant.
• Smells different in the bottle than after applied:  This is likely due to body chemistry but this was a downside for me.  Even though wife isn’t a fan of this scent, she actually liked the smell better from the bottle than on me.
• Scent came back when exercising: As I started to sweat, that distinct Lilac Vegetal aroma started to appear. Same thing happens when I wear the traditional Clubman. But with Lilac Vegetal, it wasn’t appealing.
  

One of my Shaves of the Day with Lilac Vegetal

At the end of the day, the weight of negatives supersedes the positives.   I could see why someone would like this, especially if their body chemistry mixes well with it.  For me, I can’t say that I’m in the Fan-of-Lilac-Vegetal camp.

References:

[1] Schneider, Daniel B. (1997, Feb 16) "F.Y.I."  nytimes.com.  Accessed Dec 18, 2021

Parker Shaving’s Sandalwood Sheabutter shave soap is one that I’ve used off and on for quite some time but just getting around to doing a review.   Admittedly it’s not one that I use often.  That is not due to performance or smell.  I just really like the travel sized container and tend to reserve it for when I have to fly as it doesn’t take up a heck of a lot of space in my dopp.  Though, I may reach for it on occasion while at home.

Parker Shave Soap on a trip with me to Hawaii

The label notes Sandalwood Sheabutter.  However, this doesn’t smell like other sandalwood fragrances I have previously smelled.   I can’t pinpoint what the fragrance is.  But, the soap smells sweet and almost floral.  My wife’s first impressions were of lilac, lily of the valley, and cut grass.  It is not an appalling scent by any stretch; just not what I would necessarily reach for if I was in a mood for an all sandalwood themed shave.

One of my Shave Of the Day photos ... I think this was in Florida

While I haven’t taken it to a wide range of places, I’ve used the soap in California, Hawaii, Florida, New York, and Pennsylvania.  Each time, I found the soap pretty easy to lather.  I also found to be slick, protective, and the scent washed away during that post shave rinse.  All of this made for a positive shave experience both at home and away.

I easily get a slick, protective lather with this soap.

Parker Safety Razor’s Sandalwood Sheabutter Luxury Shave Bar is available in a 100 gram bar as well as the travel sized 50 gram container.   It looks like the clear travel container that I use may no longer be available.  I will have to say that I do like the black container that is pictured on many other sites.   I am torn which I prefer. 

A home SOTD with the Parker Shave Soap