Ariana and Evans Vetiver Magnifique Artisan Shaving Soap, 4oz - Kaizen 2e Base

Great lather with an initial great scent that unfortunately disappears halfway through the shave. Great lather though.

Customer review

This was the A & E scent I was the most anxious to try. Maggard was out of stock so samples weren't an option, I ordered a full tub and the matching AS directly from A & E (apologies to Brad and Casie). Just finished my first shave with the new products and I'm very happy with all aspects of both. After trying a sample of the Asian Plum, I already knew I liked the Kaizen base. However, this time I used my softest 3-band Silvertip and tried a different technique: did my normal brush soak while brushing my teeth, shook out as much water as possible and loaded for no more than 10 to 15 seconds in the dry/unbloomed tub. With my usual hard soaps, I start off with some water, work the brush until there's tension, add a few more drops of water and the lather works right up. With this Kaizen base, I added a few drops of water to my brush, worked it in my scuttle and repeated that three or four times, each time the lather grew in volume and richness. It's a very different type of soap for me but the results were nothing short of outstanding. I had plenty of lather for five to six passes but I stopped with my normal three. The scent is based on Guerlain Vetiver (one of my favorites), as is Fine's Green Vetiver but A & E's take is just a touch deeper and darker than Fine's, at least in the tub and while shaving: the dry down starts to evolve into something much more similar. As far as scent strength, I'd rate it a 6 - 7 during the shave, softening to 4 - 5 as it dries down. That's fine for my preferences and I find it very calming and relaxing: like a warm cup of coffee after working outside all day. I finished with the matching AS/skin food and it performs equally well: very soothing to the skin and similar in scent strength, possibly a bit softer: around 5 or so. I'm thoroughly pleased with both the soap and AS, they've earned a permanent spot in my small rotation.