ETHOS GROOMING ESSENTIALS – LAVENDER SUPEME (F BASE)
First Look - A silver colored soap container cover with a Lavender colored label on it, straight and simple as can be. The soap’s title, brand name and tag line, ‘Artfully crafted. Culturally inspired’ take up most of the space on the cover. The series name as in Lisse collection does add an element of intrigue but it is the presentation of the Lavender Supreme Shaving soap that stands out. Unlike the regular plastic containers, Ethos Grooming Essentials use a transparent tub reminiscent of glass in look and feel. The silver top just adds a touch of elegance to the package which comes across as nothing short of premium in the hand.
Side note – Frank Lipani the artisan and founder of Ethos Grooming Essentials had his hands steeped in personal care - Research and Development related to cosmetics and hair care for 19 years before he launched Ethos Grooming Essentials. It was Frank’s passion for wet shaving that was the inspiration behind the launch of his brand. His usage of naturally derived ingredients incorporating hair and skin care technology formulations have gained him cult status in the wet shaving world, and all through word of mouth by wet shavers turned Ethos fans.
First Whiff – On opening the container, a calming and divine fragrance caught my nose, it was the kind you can expect in a lavender field or plantation. I held the container up to my nose, took a long whiff and there I was standing in the middle of that lavender field surrounded by nothing but pure and natural lavender notes dancing in the air around me. The lavender essential oil used in the soap is certified pure organic and sourced from a single grower in Provence , after all this soap belongs to the Lisse Collection or the series based on a French theme. French Lavender is soft and gentle with a powdery dry down unlike some of its counterparts which can be overwhelming with their herbaceous and medicinal notes. The fragrance strength of the soap is between medium to strong, then again Lavender is best served in modest doses. This is a must have for a Lavender junkie or wet shavers who lean towards pure and natural scents.
First Lather – Totally charmed by the fragrance, it was time to test the lather. I smeared a teaspoon of soap at the bottom of my HC & Co SS lather bowl and using two table spoons of warm water and my Semogue Boar brush, I did sixty seconds of brush swirling, clockwise and anti-clockwise. I let the pasty mix breathe for a minute before I returned to the lather bowl, adding a few more drops of water and working the soap for another two minutes. The result was a creamy, low structure lather with a nice sheen to it. Adding a few more drops of water and sixty seconds more of brush swirling saw the lather increase a bit in volume but still on the low structure side. For me, a rich and dense low structure lather is always a precursor of a good shave ahead.
First Performance – When painting the first few strokes of the lather on my face, I knew there was something special about this soap. I have fairly sensitive skin and on occasion certain soaps make my face tingle due to some essential oils or a stronger content of some ingredient but not this one. I found the lather of Lavender Supreme to be cooling and calming on the skin without any menthol in it. I had a terrific two pass BBS on four days of growth using my 2013 Muhle R41 with a Feather blade. The cushion, protection and glide provided by the soap was top tier. The post shave was the best part, even a few hours later without using ny aftershave balm or lotion, my skin felt soft and well nourished.
Ethos grooming Essentials use a proprietary complex called EOS or Earth • Ocean • Science in which 36 unique ingredients sourced from land and water in their pure natural form are blended to create it, the aim being to enhance the skins condition with every consecutive use of their product. Lavender supreme also features the F Base which is firmer than the previous one and has a generous dose of Hyaluronic acid, considered the magic potion in skin care products. The addition of Comfrey extract known for its pain-relieving, and skin-healing properties for muscle and joint injuries just confirms how much thought has gone into the creation of the Ethos line of shaving soaps. Other key ingredients include Aloe Vera Juice, Organic Lavender Hydrosol, Stearic Acid, Grass Fed Beef Tallow, Duck Fat, Organic Shea Butter, Castor Oil, Cocoa Butter, Kokum Butter, Cupuacu Butter, Organic Orange Butter, Organic Glycerin, Sheep Milk, Camel Milk, Grass Fed Bison Tallow, Argan Oil, Organic Rosehip Seed Oil, Kukui Nut Oil, Organic French Lavender Essential Oil, Ostrich Oil, EOS Complex, Allantoin, Oat Amino Acids, Silk Amino Acids, Soy/Rice Peptides, Organic Vitamin E Oil, Calendula , Aloe Vera , Rose Hip , Milk Thistle Extract and Chamomile Extracts along with Capritolin (Natural Preservative).
First Opinion – The Ethos Grooming Essentials F Base is unlike any other shaving soap, its stands far apart from the crowd as a product created through in depth research and purpose with the aim being skin care. The fragrance, performance and post shave of Lavender Supreme are top tier , making it a must have in any shaving den. Being a 4.5 ounce pour, it is a bit on the pricier side but consider it money well spent on a product that most shaving soaps would achieve to imitate. Top recommendation on this one.
Cover Art Work & Presentation – 7 / 10
Lather Quality – 9 / 10
Fragrance – 10 / 10
Cushion & Protection – 10 / 10
Slickness – 9 / 10
Post Shave Feel – 10 / 10
Value – 10 / 10
Total Point Score – 65 / 70
Availability –
www.therazorcompany.com,
www.pasteurpharmacy.com