Recently Paul at Connaught shaving has been expanding his own Connaught Shaving product line; he now has Connaught Luxury Shaving Creams in several scents as well as a new Three Crowns Indian Sandalwood aftershave milk scented with sandalwood essential oil.
I got some samples of both of these products, and have had the chance to use them for several shaves. The results, in short, have been quite impressive.
The creams I have are Peppermint and Sicilian Lime scents; there are also English Lavendar, Italian Lemon, Indian Sandalwood, Rosewood and sweet orange. The scents are all essential oil based--no fragrance oils here. And the two I've got smell fantastic. Fantastic!
The lime is clean and pure; on opening the jar it isn't the strongest but the lather is lovely. It's not all that sweet or candyish--it's a very nice natural lime. I approve. The peppermint has a bit more punch. Opening the jar lets that peppermint crawl right up your nose and freshen up your sinuses. Good stuff indeed.
Of course, lather is where the true test of a cream is, so let me just tell you: this stuff lathers great. I dipped my boar brush in the jar and went to my face. With some work (this cream took a bit more water than some of my others) and I got a rich, creamy lather that felt great. The shaves were smooth and clean, with no irritation. Connaught cream gives a lot of protection, and afterwards my skin felt lovely. In addition, the peppermint was unbelievably cooling--I can't use menthol products, but this gave way more cooling than I ever dreamed, and I loved it. Definitely a summer product, though; when the cold winter air hit it, it was almost too much!
The cream is a winner, and I will be buying some full jars.
As for the milk, I got a couple of sample bottles last week. I've never been a huge sandalwood user--I had some sandalwood cologne in highschool that I never wore, and recently I got some Trumper's sandalwood Skin Food, so I'm not a huge expert on this scent, but I would say it's a very clean, dry sandalwood scent, with not as much sweetness as the Trumper's. It's a good one, if a bit strong. My wife isn't a huge fan (she doesn't like ANY of my scents--not even Penhaligon's English Fern!!!), but she tolerates it well.
Like the cream, of course, the proof is in the pudding. I have used this milk for all my shaves for the past few days and I like it. I like it a lot. It is very soothing and very, VERY moisturizing. I have no need or desire to use any other facial products after this one--no creams, moisturizers, nothing. It quickly eases any irritation I might have after a shave, and it helps stop weepers as well. All in all, it is very good.
However, it is a very thick, creamy milk--in fact, I would call it a balm rather than a milk, because in my mind milk pours, and this does not. It takes a bit of shaking and smacking to get it to come out, but that's ok--a tiny bit goes a long way. I do fear that in summer it may be too moisturizing and heavy, but in winter it is darn near perfect. Made of win.
I look forward to trying some of the other scents that Paul has in store, and I hope he continues to put out such great products.
2 comments:
But what about 1805? :)
Ah, sorry Mark, I've only had the chance to use it once, so I'm not sure I can make a real assessment of it's qualities. I mean, those whippersnappers at T&H are just breaking into this shaving game, so they might need some time to get it right. ;)
Actually, though, just judging by scent the 1805 is amazing. The lather is of course really good...but, for some odd reason, I prefer some if my other creams (e.g. The Body Shop and J.M. Fraser's). Like I said, though, only one shave. Ill try it out some more this week--after I try out your "upside down soap" trick!
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