Domain Change - We have moved to https://paste-and-cut.com as our new domain.
If you are using shortcuts or bookmarks for the old paste-and-cut.com.au domain, you need to update these or they will cease working from the 25th January, 2025. Please check the notice post for more details on this change to the forum.
I kept the empty tub, and still sniff it from time to time when I'm alone. 
2 reviews in one week, my cup runneth overBUNDUBEARD – AFTERNOON TEA (MUTTON TALLOW BASE)
First Look - A colorful sketch of two women enjoying a cup of tea in what looks like a vineyard. They seem to be sharing a light-hearted moment and this cover makes me happy with its positive vibe every time I glance at it. I’m a fan of cartoons and caricatures, so this image set on an aluminum base with the brand and soap's name surrounding it is definitely one that I like.
Side note – Bundubeard owner and artisan Jaco Grobler comes from the construction industry where he ran his own company with a team of employees under him. Tired of the stress and the pressure that comes with running a construction business and with a leaning towards working with his own hands on something he was passionate about, Bundubeard/Boendoebaard was born. The aim of the company was to use the finest locally sourced ingredients to create affordable shaving software and other related products for South Africans so that they could have the best at the most affordable price, while saving thousands of rands by adopting classic wet shaving.
First Whiff – On opening the container, the fragrance of Afternoon Tea was a googly for me, if you are a cricket fan you would get that. I picked up a faint tea like note hidden underneath a light floral but powdery front with a subtle wine scent, a second whiff had a homemade cookie or biscuit like note to it. So, I went back to the look at the artisan’s word on the fragrance and then it hit me, this was actually pure genius. He describes the scent of it as two friends sipping tea in a relaxed mood at an open table in Cape Winelands (known for producing some of the country’s finest wines) with freshly baked delicious goodies on offer. Jaco created this soap for the fairer sex, it even has a matching aftershave leg balm titled Bundubabe ‘Afternoon Tea.’ This soap would definitely appeal to women but it would charm wet shaving males as well. While it is mid strength, the fragrance stands apart from the regular musk, tobacco, floral, candy sweet, fruity or leather focussed alternatives. Bundubeard set out to create a unique experience with this one and like me if you love cookies and biscuits dunked in a lightly floral or Rooibos tea, you will enjoy your shaves with it.
First Lather – This is roughly a 6.3 ounce pour in a brownish croap consistency. Scooping a teaspoon of it into my Hendrix Classics & Co bowl, I swirled my damp badger Brush in it for a minute before setting it aside to rest and absorb the water for thirty seconds. I followed this up with two cycles of adding a tablespoon of water and thirty seconds of brush rotations each time. It was amazing to see the lather build up in the bowl akin to whipping up heavy double cream, that’s exactly what it looked like. I lifted the brush out of the bowl with the lather and it felt like those good old Dairy Queen Ice creams that can be turned over without dripping or falling out of the cone. Post shave I even let the lather stay on the brush for an hour but it didn’t break down, maintaining its smooth and rich appearance. This is one of finest lathers I have seen any soap produce.
First Performance – I’m a fan of Mutton tallow and find that it works way better than it’s bovine counterpart in terms of slickness and post shave feel for me. I’m a bigger fan of minimal ingredients and Afternoon Tea consists of just Mutton tallow, H20, Sodium Hydroxide, Potassium Hydroxide, Stearic Acid, Castor oil, Kalahari Melon oil, Virgin cold pressed Coconut oil off the tree, fragrance oils and essential oils. I had high expectations of this soap and I wasn’t disappointed. While applying the lather on my face, I could just tell that this soap was a skin nourishing product, my face felt good even before the first pass. My first pass with the Greencult 1.0 and a Wizamet Super Iridium blade was a breeze while mowing down a five day growth. The cushion and protection was top notch with the residual slickness just confirming why that razor seemed to glide effortlessly on my face. A second pass was enough for a BBS result with no touch ups and that slickness was still there on the cheeks in abundance. I’m going to credit the soap’s performance to the purity of ingredients in it and the perfect ratio of them used to create something magical.
First Opinion – Bundubeard’s ‘Afternoon Tea’ did not wow me with its fragrance but it was pleasant and intriguing enough for me to return to the tub a couple of times to sniff it. The 6 ounce plus pour and the aluminum container make this top value but importing it from the company’s website can be expensive due to shipping costs unless imported as a bulk order. Putting all that aside, this is one of the best performing soaps I have ever used and am more than eager to try out as many as I can from this wonderful and skilled artisan, “Jaco, you have a new fan Broer.”
Cover Art Work – 7 / 10
Lather Quality – 10 / 10
Fragrance – 6 / 10
Cushion & Protection – 10 / 10
Slickness – 10 / 10
Post Shave Feel – 10 / 10
Value – 10 / 10
Total Point Score – 63 / 70
Availabilty – www.bundubeard.co.za
I should explore the mutton fat soaps. Many have said that the Stirling sheep are superior to their other products. That would be a big call. I still love their Bergamot Lavender.
I think he knows what he's talking about as far as the soap goes @SpeedyPC.
I like Hamami too mate and my folks don't dig it. Lovely soap and unique. I think the older artwork was classy, gave the brand it's own identity.I'm with you about the NO artwork, which started out really elegantly conceived, but is now just excessively "busy". Some of the scents are a bit polarising: I love the "wet stone" scent (and the artwork) of Hamami, but my wife's reaction was "Urrgh, what's that stink?".
I'd go with whatever I could find in the Stirling Mutton Tallow cause they won't be around for long. Haverford ( Vanilla Tobacco), Varen (Bergamot, Geranium etc.) and Glacial Electric Sheep ( Citronella forward with a huge menthol kick and a lovely dry down) and just Sheep are top notch. The only two Mutton Tallow soaps you should stay away from are Glastonbury (Patchouli heavy) and Port Au prince (Strong herbal notes). Rod's soaps spell top quality, excellent value and a generous pour in each tub, sometimes a little more than what the weight suggest.2 reviews in one week, my cup runneth over
Wow, what an interesting sounding soap, so thanks.
Great review @Bladerunner7 the fragrance must be quite something.SOAP COMMANDER - LOVE (TRUE ROSE SHAVING SOAP)
First Look - A simple looking label with the brand name, the star ingredient, the town and state of origin in the United States and a ship’s wheel stares at me. A closer look reveals the scent description, mentioned under the soap’s name. On any given day I would have passed this off as a run off the mill shaving soap tub cover but hang on, there is depth to this. Red signifies the color of love and of roses, the rose is the king of all flowers when it comes to a lad proposing to a girl or just expressing his ‘Love,’ simple but genius if you ask me. The Soap Commander branding is easily recognizable and that works for me.
Side note – Owner Carrie Seibert took the plunge into skin nourishing products to help her daughter out with skin related issues. Gifting her homemade products to neighbors soon turned into a small scale business targeted at women and then changed direction to one focusing on men’s grooming. After tons of tests with tallow and many different ingredients she along with husband Darren settled upon a base that was entirely vegan and affordable for wet shavers. Each and every soap of SC is named after a human trait or emotion with the concept being, “when you pick up an SC soap it should motivate you for the day ahead or leave you with a positive message, this is in line with the company’s motto , “Take Charge.’Today Carrie runs the business on her own maintaining her customer base through high standards of quality.
First Whiff – Love is a Limited edition offering from Soap Commander and on opening the container it hit me smack in the face, that Rose fragrance, not a sickly sweet or candy like floral offering, nothing overwhelming, no leather, citrus or woody notes but just the ‘flower of love’ in its purest and untainted form. There is nothing chemical or artificial present in the fragrance profile of this soap. The best way to describe it would be fresh rose petals plucked and then crushed in the palm of your hands. This scent which is medium to high strength is refreshing, calming and extremely addictive. I am guilty as charged of having opened the container randomly just to get a whiff of that fragrance over and over again. To me no other pure rose offering in perfume, eau de toilette, cologne, after shave or soap can hold a candle to it and that’s coming from a lad who is a mega fan of rose scented products.
First Lather – Love is a 3 ounce pour, blemish free white and soft in appearance, but when scooping a teaspoon out I did notice that it was actually quite a hard soap. Following that amazing scent test, I was expecting much from this soap and it did shine in the lather department. Using my damp Fine Accoutrements Stout synthetic brush with my Hendrix Classics & Co bowl was never easier with the soap producing a rich and super creamy lather in just two 60 second cycles of brush rotation aided by two tablespoons of water. The lather was rich, luxurious and had a beautiful sheen to it, very impressive.
First Performance – 'Love' like all SC products contains minimalist ingredients including Stearic Acid, Distilled Water, Shea Butter, Coconut Oil, Potassium Hydroxide, Glycerin, Sodium Hydroxide, Castor Oil, and Fragrance. While I was painting the lather on my cheeks, I felt like I was strolling into a Rose garden and when I was all lathered up, I was pretty sure that I was standing in the midst of it. A first pass with my Stirling aggressive standard razor and a Wizamet blade was hassle free with the soap providing a decent amount of cushion and protection. Another half pass and I was in BBS territory, let me rephrase that, ‘In BBS Rose territory.” Post shave I did check my cheeks for any residual slickness and it was present but not as much as some shavers claim, that however didn’t hamper the soap's excellent performance during the shave.
First Opinion – I was late to the Soap Commander party unlike many other fellow wet shavers and I’m grateful to have finally made it. Love is an extraordinary soap in terms of its True Rose fragrance, beats me how Carrie churned out this one but it was enough to put me on the SC shaving soap trail for life. Top recommendation on this one.
Cover Art Work – 7 / 10
Lather Quality – 10 / 10
Fragrance – 10 / 10 (Would have actually scored this a 12 on 10)
Cushion & Protection – 8 / 10
Slickness – 6 / 10
Post Shave Feel – 7 / 10
Value – 10 / 10
Total Point Score – 58 / 70
Availability – https://soapcommander.com/ , https://pasteurpharmacy.com/ , https://maggardrazors.com/ and other online retailers
Love Crazy Pumpkin but it's very masculine and has an amazing blend of different fragrance notes. SC's Love on the other hand is just one pure and stunning fragrance note, as I said one of the best smelling shaving soaps I have used. The best part, the ladies dig it big time.
Sounds a lot like MdC Rose - I assume you've tried that? What do you think?SOAP COMMANDER - LOVE (TRUE ROSE SHAVING SOAP)
First Look - A simple looking label with the brand name, the star ingredient, the town and state of origin in the United States and a ship’s wheel stares at me. A closer look reveals the scent description, mentioned under the soap’s name. On any given day I would have passed this off as a run off the mill shaving soap tub cover but hang on, there is depth to this. Red signifies the color of love and of roses, the rose is the king of all flowers when it comes to a lad proposing to a girl or just expressing his ‘Love,’ simple but genius if you ask me. The Soap Commander branding is easily recognizable and that works for me.
Side note – Owner Carrie Seibert took the plunge into skin nourishing products to help her daughter out with skin related issues. Gifting her homemade products to neighbors soon turned into a small scale business targeted at women and then changed direction to one focusing on men’s grooming. After tons of tests with tallow and many different ingredients she along with husband Darren settled upon a base that was entirely vegan and affordable for wet shavers. Each and every soap of SC is named after a human trait or emotion with the concept being, “when you pick up an SC soap it should motivate you for the day ahead or leave you with a positive message, this is in line with the company’s motto , “Take Charge.’Today Carrie runs the business on her own maintaining her customer base through high standards of quality.
First Whiff – Love is a Limited edition offering from Soap Commander and on opening the container it hit me smack in the face, that Rose fragrance, not a sickly sweet or candy like floral offering, nothing overwhelming, no leather, citrus or woody notes but just the ‘flower of love’ in its purest and untainted form. There is nothing chemical or artificial present in the fragrance profile of this soap. The best way to describe it would be fresh rose petals plucked and then crushed in the palm of your hands. This scent which is medium to high strength is refreshing, calming and extremely addictive. I am guilty as charged of having opened the container randomly just to get a whiff of that fragrance over and over again. To me no other pure rose offering in perfume, eau de toilette, cologne, after shave or soap can hold a candle to it and that’s coming from a lad who is a mega fan of rose scented products.
First Lather – Love is a 3 ounce pour, blemish free white and soft in appearance, but when scooping a teaspoon out I did notice that it was actually quite a hard soap. Following that amazing scent test, I was expecting much from this soap and it did shine in the lather department. Using my damp Fine Accoutrements Stout synthetic brush with my Hendrix Classics & Co bowl was never easier with the soap producing a rich and super creamy lather in just two 60 second cycles of brush rotation aided by two tablespoons of water. The lather was rich, luxurious and had a beautiful sheen to it, very impressive.
First Performance – 'Love' like all SC products contains minimalist ingredients including Stearic Acid, Distilled Water, Shea Butter, Coconut Oil, Potassium Hydroxide, Glycerin, Sodium Hydroxide, Castor Oil, and Fragrance. While I was painting the lather on my cheeks, I felt like I was strolling into a Rose garden and when I was all lathered up, I was pretty sure that I was standing in the midst of it. A first pass with my Stirling aggressive standard razor and a Wizamet blade was hassle free with the soap providing a decent amount of cushion and protection. Another half pass and I was in BBS territory, let me rephrase that, ‘In BBS Rose territory.” Post shave I did check my cheeks for any residual slickness and it was present but not as much as some shavers claim, that however didn’t hamper the soap's excellent performance during the shave.
First Opinion – I was late to the Soap Commander party unlike many other fellow wet shavers and I’m grateful to have finally made it. Love is an extraordinary soap in terms of its True Rose fragrance, beats me how Carrie churned out this one but it was enough to put me on the SC shaving soap trail for life. Top recommendation on this one.
Cover Art Work – 7 / 10
Lather Quality – 10 / 10
Fragrance – 10 / 10 (Would have actually scored this a 12 on 10)
Cushion & Protection – 8 / 10
Slickness – 6 / 10
Post Shave Feel – 7 / 10
Value – 10 / 10
Total Point Score – 58 / 70
Availability – https://soapcommander.com/ , https://pasteurpharmacy.com/ , https://maggardrazors.com/ and other online retailers
Haven't used MDC Rose in the longest time mate but will be reviewing it soon. The last one I tried was Fougere and it was decent.
Actually mate, I think that came across wrong. I was saying that I like it. The fragrance is outstanding and for me the best of the MDC soap scents I have used which would be every one of them, grateful for samples. The soap performs well.
It isn't mate.All good. I wondered if it was understatement!
You've gotta love the idiosyncrasies of the English language. Describing MdC as merely "decent" can easily be construed as damning with faint praise.
That's true MateYou've gotta love the idiosyncrasies of the English language. Describing MdC as merely "decent" can easily be construed as damning with faint praise.
