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 recently had the same situation with my Wholly Kaw Chypre Rose Concerto (special edition). I had the original a few years ago, and used it without issues, but this time Mme reckoned she could smell it from the upstairs bathroom (I was downstairs with the window shut). Not worth the domestic friction, so I gave it away. Sigh...
Peace at home rises above everything else Mate even if it means using an Unscented SoapI recently had the same situation with my Wholly Kaw Chypre Rose Concerto (special edition). I had the original a few years ago, and used it without issues, but this time Mme reckoned she could smell it from the upstairs bathroom (I was downstairs with the window shut). Not worth the domestic friction, so I gave it away. Sigh...
BTW: Arise, Sir Bug Bountyhunter
I've thought about the latter: my choice would be MdC Nature, which I can flavour with any EO or cologne I like. (Noble Otter's Bare would also be a good option, though ultimately more expensive.) I did this for a long time with my unscented Valobra, but that option isn't there anymore.Peace at home rises above everything else Mate even if it means using an Unscented Soap
Great review, I find the Cella and Washpool (Australian Co) to be the “slickest” IMHO for Kamisori shaving? Is there any chance of a “Pin” with “Total Point Score” in the Forums under Shaving Soap Reviews?CELLA MILANO – CREMA SAPONE (EXTRA EXTRA PURISSIMA)
First Look - Santa Claus getting a shave after Christmas, that’s what I thought as a kid every time my Godfather took me for a haircut at the local Barbershop. An empty box of Cella Milano Crema Sapone or stickers of it were always visible while I sat down on a salon stool. The Box cover is old school, iconic and memorable with great branding value. Nothing edgy or unique but simple and lovable, this one is a winner for me
Side note – In 1889 Via San Nicolao, the metropolitan city of Milan became the go to destination for Italian gentlemen with the birth of Casa Cella and the increasing popularity of the Fratelli Cella Perfumery. The company went on to win awards with many products of theirs becoming a staple in Italian as well as Barber Shops globally. One thing hasn’t changed though, the original production process of their Iconic Crema Sapone Extra Extra Purisimma which features the same super concentrated formula for 125 years and running.
First Whiff – The company describes the scent notes as sweet almond forward with a fresh herbaceous head and a woody tail. Having stored a portion of the soap in a small container, when I opened it up, all that I could get is Almond, the kind that is found in cakes, deserts and maybe even ice cream. Many shavers find a cherry note in there but not me. This is an out and out Almond Marzipan fragrance, the kind that you devour during the Christmas break or at Christmas parties. It isn’t cloyingly sweet like many cosmetics that feature an Almond fragrance but it is very pleasant. I’m a fan of Almond marzipan and I love this scent.
First Lather – I scooped a teaspoon of the soap into my HC & Co Lather bowl and with my new Yaqi Bingcha Synthetic Brush I started swirling the damp brush around. Thirty seconds later I had a pasty lather forming, I added two table spoons of water and kept working the soap for a minute before I was rewarded with a dense and super creamy lather. The Yaqi Bingcha brush is one lather generator and it was a perfect match for the soap. What surprised me is that during the bowl lathering process that almond marzipan note gets more and more intense but when you stop, it mellows out into a nice sophisticated kind of scent.
First Performance – – I have used the Cella Crema Da Barba All’Olio Di Mandorla 150 ml tub before and it was always excellent so I was expecting the Crema Sapone Extra Extra Purissimo to perform the same. I painted the lather on my face with gentle strokes and the peaks on my cheeks (excuse the rhyme) displayed the quality of this soap. Using My Fatip Piccolo razor loaded with a Polsilver Super Iridium I proceeded with the first pass, It was smooth and so comfortable with that sweet almond fragrance present in a gentle manner. I could tell that this soap was slick and provided superb cushion and protection. A second pass and a BBS result followed before I felt my cheeks, they felt smooth as ever and the shave was so comfortable and enjoyable. I was blown away with how amazing this soap is.
For years wet shavers have debated old formula vs new formula and 1 Kg vs 150 ml. To be fair and according to company sources they both have the same ingredients with some displaying the full scientific names of the ingredients. The only difference probably being the Tetrasodium EDTA for preservative reasons in the plastic tub. That might explain why the 1KG tub can turn rancid when it isn’t refrigerated and why the tub can last for a long time when left outside. While the ingredients profile remains the same in both, the actual percentage of each ingredient makes all the difference and that’s where the 1 KG brick is superior. I can’t put my finger on it but maybe the Tallow content could be more in the bigger version of the soap.
First Opinion –While the 150 ml tub shines, the 1 KG brick glows with perfection. My suggestion would be to get one and share it with friends or cut it into ten portions and save nine individually cling wrapped portions in the refrigerator. You can use it by itself or franken it with your favorite soap for a richer lather. This is a top shelf iconic product and a million Barbers or more worldwide will back me up on that statement.
Cover Art Work – 7 / 10
Lather Quality – 8 / 10
Fragrance – 8 / 10
Cushion & Protection – 9 / 10
Slickness – 8 / 10
Post Shave Feel – 8 / 10
Value – 10 / 10 (Wish I could have made it 12 on 10)
Total Point Score – 58 / 70
Availabilty – Most online Shaving Supply Retailers including shavingmarket.com.au
Will run the pin by our good mate @alfredus , probably after Jan when we shift to the new domain entirely.Great review, I find the Cella and Washpool (Australian Co) to be the “slickest” IMHO for Kamisori shaving? Is there any chance of a “Pin” with “Total Point Score” in the Forums under Shaving Soap Reviews?
Great review Bladerunner7 thanks to your reviews I'm really expanding my soap drawer.CELLA MILANO – CREMA SAPONE (EXTRA EXTRA PURISSIMA)
First Look - Santa Claus getting a shave after Christmas, that’s what I thought as a kid every time my Godfather took me for a haircut at the local Barbershop. An empty box of Cella Milano Crema Sapone or stickers of it were always visible while I sat down on a salon stool. The Box cover is old school, iconic and memorable with great branding value. Nothing edgy or unique but simple and lovable, this one is a winner for me
Side note – In 1889 Via San Nicolao, the metropolitan city of Milan became the go to destination for Italian gentlemen with the birth of Casa Cella and the increasing popularity of the Fratelli Cella Perfumery. The company went on to win awards with many products of theirs becoming a staple in Italian as well as Barber Shops globally. One thing hasn’t changed though, the original production process of their Iconic Crema Sapone Extra Extra Purisimma which features the same super concentrated formula for 125 years and running.
First Whiff – The company describes the scent notes as sweet almond forward with a fresh herbaceous head and a woody tail. Having stored a portion of the soap in a small container, when I opened it up, all that I could get is Almond, the kind that is found in cakes, deserts and maybe even ice cream. Many shavers find a cherry note in there but not me. This is an out and out Almond Marzipan fragrance, the kind that you devour during the Christmas break or at Christmas parties. It isn’t cloyingly sweet like many cosmetics that feature an Almond fragrance but it is very pleasant. I’m a fan of Almond marzipan and I love this scent.
First Lather – I scooped a teaspoon of the soap into my HC & Co Lather bowl and with my new Yaqi Bingcha Synthetic Brush I started swirling the damp brush around. Thirty seconds later I had a pasty lather forming, I added two table spoons of water and kept working the soap for a minute before I was rewarded with a dense and super creamy lather. The Yaqi Bingcha brush is one lather generator and it was a perfect match for the soap. What surprised me is that during the bowl lathering process that almond marzipan note gets more and more intense but when you stop, it mellows out into a nice sophisticated kind of scent.
First Performance – – I have used the Cella Crema Da Barba All’Olio Di Mandorla 150 ml tub before and it was always excellent so I was expecting the Crema Sapone Extra Extra Purissimo to perform the same. I painted the lather on my face with gentle strokes and the peaks on my cheeks (excuse the rhyme) displayed the quality of this soap. Using My Fatip Piccolo razor loaded with a Polsilver Super Iridium I proceeded with the first pass, It was smooth and so comfortable with that sweet almond fragrance present in a gentle manner. I could tell that this soap was slick and provided superb cushion and protection. A second pass and a BBS result followed before I felt my cheeks, they felt smooth as ever and the shave was so comfortable and enjoyable. I was blown away with how amazing this soap is.
For years wet shavers have debated old formula vs new formula and 1 Kg vs 150 ml. To be fair and according to company sources they both have the same ingredients with some displaying the full scientific names of the ingredients. The only difference probably being the Tetrasodium EDTA for preservative reasons in the plastic tub. That might explain why the 1KG tub can turn rancid when it isn’t refrigerated and why the tub can last for a long time when left outside. While the ingredients profile remains the same in both, the actual percentage of each ingredient makes all the difference and that’s where the 1 KG brick is superior. I can’t put my finger on it but maybe the Tallow content could be more in the bigger version of the soap.
First Opinion –While the 150 ml tub shines, the 1 KG brick glows with perfection. My suggestion would be to get one and share it with friends or cut it into ten portions and save nine individually cling wrapped portions in the refrigerator. You can use it by itself or franken it with your favorite soap for a richer lather. This is a top shelf iconic product and a million Barbers or more worldwide will back me up on that statement.
Cover Art Work – 7 / 10
Lather Quality – 8 / 10
Fragrance – 8 / 10
Cushion & Protection – 9 / 10
Slickness – 8 / 10
Post Shave Feel – 8 / 10
Value – 10 / 10 (Wish I could have made it 12 on 10)
Total Point Score – 58 / 70
Availability – Most online Shaving Supply Retailers including shavingmarket.com.au
With a “Teaser alert” like that it’s obvious at Christmas time and how you get on with @SpeedyPC it’s his beloved Arko being reviewed!!@Vittoria, thanks Buddy that means a lot. So glad to share the Lather journey with everyone. The next one is going to be a cracker of a soap and one of the best I have ever used. Teaser alert...
My famous insect repellent mosquitoes review is simple@SpeedyPC it’s his beloved Arko being reviewed!!
CELLA MILANO – CREMA SAPONE (EXTRA EXTRA PURISSIMA)
First Look - Santa Claus getting a shave after Christmas, that’s what I thought as a kid every time my Godfather took me for a haircut at the local Barbershop. An empty box of Cella Milano Crema Sapone or stickers of it were always visible while I sat down on a salon stool. The Box cover is old school, iconic and memorable with great branding value. Nothing edgy or unique but simple and lovable, this one is a winner for me
Side note – In 1889 Via San Nicolao, the metropolitan city of Milan became the go to destination for Italian gentlemen with the birth of Casa Cella and the increasing popularity of the Fratelli Cella Perfumery. The company went on to win awards with many products of theirs becoming a staple in Italian as well as Barber Shops globally. One thing hasn’t changed though, the original production process of their Iconic Crema Sapone Extra Extra Purisimma which features the same super concentrated formula for 125 years and running.
First Whiff – The company describes the scent notes as sweet almond forward with a fresh herbaceous head and a woody tail. Having stored a portion of the soap in a small container, when I opened it up, all that I could get is Almond, the kind that is found in cakes, deserts and maybe even ice cream. Many shavers find a cherry note in there but not me. This is an out and out Almond Marzipan fragrance, the kind that you devour during the Christmas break or at Christmas parties. It isn’t cloyingly sweet like many cosmetics that feature an Almond fragrance but it is very pleasant. I’m a fan of Almond marzipan and I love this scent.
First Lather – I scooped a teaspoon of the soap into my HC & Co Lather bowl and with my new Yaqi Bingcha Synthetic Brush I started swirling the damp brush around. Thirty seconds later I had a pasty lather forming, I added two table spoons of water and kept working the soap for a minute before I was rewarded with a dense and super creamy lather. The Yaqi Bingcha brush is one lather generator and it was a perfect match for the soap. What surprised me is that during the bowl lathering process that almond marzipan note gets more and more intense but when you stop, it mellows out into a nice sophisticated kind of scent.
First Performance – – I have used the Cella Crema Da Barba All’Olio Di Mandorla 150 ml tub before and it was always excellent so I was expecting the Crema Sapone Extra Extra Purissimo to perform the same. I painted the lather on my face with gentle strokes and the peaks on my cheeks (excuse the rhyme) displayed the quality of this soap. Using My Fatip Piccolo razor loaded with a Polsilver Super Iridium I proceeded with the first pass, It was smooth and so comfortable with that sweet almond fragrance present in a gentle manner. I could tell that this soap was slick and provided superb cushion and protection. A second pass and a BBS result followed before I felt my cheeks, they felt smooth as ever and the shave was so comfortable and enjoyable. I was blown away with how amazing this soap is.
For years wet shavers have debated old formula vs new formula and 1 Kg vs 150 ml. To be fair and according to company sources they both have the same ingredients with some displaying the full scientific names of the ingredients. The only difference probably being the Tetrasodium EDTA for preservative reasons in the plastic tub. That might explain why the 1KG tub can turn rancid when it isn’t refrigerated and why the tub can last for a long time when left outside. While the ingredients profile remains the same in both, the actual percentage of each ingredient makes all the difference and that’s where the 1 KG brick is superior. I can’t put my finger on it but maybe the Tallow content could be more in the bigger version of the soap.
First Opinion –While the 150 ml tub shines, the 1 KG brick glows with perfection. My suggestion would be to get one and share it with friends or cut it into ten portions and save nine individually cling wrapped portions in the refrigerator. You can use it by itself or franken it with your favorite soap for a richer lather. This is a top shelf iconic product and a million Barbers or more worldwide will back me up on that statement.
Cover Art Work – 7 / 10
Lather Quality – 8 / 10
Fragrance – 8 / 10
Cushion & Protection – 9 / 10
Slickness – 8 / 10
Post Shave Feel – 8 / 10
Value – 10 / 10 (Wish I could have made it 12 on 10)
Total Point Score – 58 / 70
Availabilty – Most online Shaving Supply Retailers including shavingmarket.com.au
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha, the Speedster will never part with his stash of 100 Arko sticksWith a “Teaser alert” like that it’s obvious at Christmas time and how you get on with @SpeedyPC it’s his beloved Arko being reviewed!!
Mate you gave Arko 52, that classifies it as one of your top favs.My famous insect repellent mosquitoes review is simple
Cover Art Work – 5 / 10
Lather Quality – 10 / 10
Fragrance – 2 / 10
Cushion & Protection – 10 / 10
Slickness – 10 / 10
Post Shave Feel – 5 / 10
Value – 10 / 10
Total Point Score – 52 / 70
Fantastic review mate love reading them.
AREFFA SOAP – CRAZY PUMPKIN
First Look - An angry snarling pumpkin on fire, dangling from a chain illuminates the darkness on the cover of the soap tub. The orange glow offsets its vile demeanor making me want to come back and glance at it over and over. I am a pumpkin fan that loves pumpkin soup, pumpkin pie, pumpkin smoothies and now the Crazy Pumpkin Shaving Soap cover artwork as well. The irony of something dark illuminating the actual darkness is a ten on ten for me.
Side note – Areffa Soap is owned by artisan Alesia Arefieva, an English Teacher, copywriter and interpreter who started making soaps 11 years ago to help her family cope with skin irritations caused by detergents and cosmetics. Now, an experienced cosmetics technologist and creator she runs the Soap company for men and Areffa Soap Bubbles for women. Her experience with making hypoallergenic cosmetics for kids and women led to her making her first men’s shaving soap in 2020. While the world was rocked with the pandemic, Alesia used that time to work on research and development. Her Bear Tallow soaps are now a sleeper hit and popular with most wet shavers who know the Ukraine's best kept secret. The artisan and her best seller pictured below.
First Whiff – The Scent profile of the soap is described as spicy, woody and oriental featuring an opening of black pepper, citrus peel and blackcurrant, propped up by a heart of neroli and pumpkin which rests on a bed of sandalwood, tobacco, patchouli and amber. At first whiff, I get the spice notes almost like a pumpkin pie set on a fragrant wooden plate. The black pepper is present but the citrus peel and blackcurrant are faint, this slowly gives way to the neroli and pumpkin blend before the gentle sandalwood, fresh tobacco, patchouli and amber make their presence felt the most. This is unlike any other shaving soap or after shave that I have used, the scent strength and profile is akin to a high end Eau De Parfum, a masculine one with a gentleness to it and a powdery dry down, absolutely stunning.
First Lather – Crazy Pumpkin is a Bear Tallow based shaving soap and I didn’t know what to expect. The listed ingredients ae saponified stearic acid, water, bear tallow, coconut oil; castor oil, glycerin, shea butter, mango butter, babassu butter, glyceryl monostearate, lanolin, sorbitol, sodium lactate, coconut milk, perfume composition. Areffa Soap recommend that the soap be bloomed for two minutes and bowl lathered, totally up my alley. I went with a five minute blooming before swirling my Fine Stout Synthetic brush in the HC & Co lather bowl., thirty seconds later I had a fairly pasty lather, adding a tablespoon of water I worked the soap for another minute and that was it. I had a rich and thick lather that smelled divine. I was amazed at how dense yet smooth it was in appearance.
First Performance – I started with a few gentle brush strokes on my face and the moisturizing quality of this soap kicked in, I could feel it on my face, very similar to when you apply a skin enhancing cream or lotion. My first pass with the Stirling Hyper Aggressive was a breeze, even the Wilkinson Sword blade felt like it was gliding over the lather and not the skin. I skipped feeling my cheeks as my skin felt great, a second pass followed with just an alum rub and no post shave splash or balm. Two hours later and I could still feel my cheeks soft and rejuvenated in a way. Bear fat is supposed to contain beneficial omega 3 acids that are not synthesized in the human body, but are beneficial for the skin. It has powerful antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties that help in healing cuts and bruises while skin keeping irritation away. I can’t help endorse any of those statements but I can say this, the cushion, protection, slickness and post shave feel of this soap is terrific. What mystified me though is that soaps with a strong scent profile sometimes leave me with a light fragrance burn but not this one. A bit of probing and I discovered that Areffa use certified safe synthetic molecules to replicate a fragrance which unlike essential oils cause no irritation or fragrance burn.
First Opinion – Crazy Pumpkin is a top shelf soap that punches way above its price with a flawless performance and an addictive fragrance. It is perfect for every skin type but those with sensitive skin will benefit the most. I was once skeptical about Bear Tallow but am now a total fan. Areffa Soap offer a variety of terrific soaps in bear, beef tallow and vegan bases as well. Every den deserves a few and I’m in the process of picking up as many as I can.
Cover Art Work – 10 / 10
Lather Quality – 9 / 10
Fragrance – 10 / 10
Cushion & Protection – 9 / 10
Slickness – 8 / 10
Post Shave Feel – 9 / 10
Value – 10 / 10
Total Point Score – 65 / 70
Availabilty – https://areffasoap.com/en/ . Use DayOff15 to get 15 percent off from 20 – 27 December. I had mine delivered fairly fast through "Ukrposhta" (Ukrainian national post) at an affordable rate. If you have any queries you can reach out to Alesia who is extremely helpful and can even customize a soap for you.
Thanks so much mate. Glad you liked it