Review: Highland Springs Soap Company Barber Shop Shave Soap
The monthly visit to the local barbershop is as much a social gathering as it is a necessity for some. All five senses are activated in a tonsorial practice where barbers shorten the hair line or flash the steel for a straight razor shave. There are sounds of leather strops snapping under a blade. The feel of a wet shave is satisfying and invigorating. At the end, if one is young enough, the taste of a Dum-Dum lollipop is the real trophy.
Throughout the entire barbering experience, there are the recurring scents of Barbicide or blade oil, leather or tonics. Unchanged over the decades - or perhaps even centuries - is the powdery scent of the establishment. It is simply referred to as ‘barber shop.’ When Highland Spring Soap Company (HSSC) Barber Shop Shave Soap and Aftershave Balm became available, it was time to place the order at Stone Field Shave Company to recreate those old time visits of sitting in a barber’s chair, sometimes necessitating the booster seat as a kid.
I had let the facial scrub go for several days past stubble in anticipation of the shave soap. Having prepped for the task, it was time to take in the scent of HSSC’s shave soap. It is powdery on top of a base of bay rum, another dependable shave scent. There are more subtle notes of sandalwood and patchouli to complement the scent. Once worked into a lather, a quick process producing a creamy base, the room took on the aroma of an old time barbers shop. All that was missing was a barber in suspenders, crooner music on a record, and the conversations of clientele. The Barber Shop Shave Soap rocketed to the top of one of the favorites instantly.
Placing the lather in a thirst/ thickness scale, HSSC’s Barber Shop falls somewhere in the middle. Whipping up a lather took little time and a few extra drops of water to create something workable. I used a scuttle with a chamber of hot water to expedite the melting process, though I am confident this cream would whip up in other approaches. The loftiness of the finished lather is retained when it is brushed onto the stubble. Some soaps fizzle at this moment, but not HSSC’s soap. The lather remained pillowy and thick, setting up for a slick shave.
Speaking of a slick shave, Barber Shop provided just that. Using the time-honored tradition of a straight razor, the bushy facial hair was razed and replaced with smooth skin. And since shaving has a slightly damaging effect to the skin, the soap provided a refreshing post-shave feel courtesy of the natural oils. Once the post-shave procedure finished, it was followed up with HSSC’s Barber Shop Aftershave Balm to rejuvenate the skin fully. I felt like I would step out of the shave experience and into the Roaring Twenties. The soap’s success in a smooth shave plus its powdery scent tacitly suggested experiences is a former span. Even the shave brush retained its musky scent from the soap.
The wet shave process itself is an enjoyable experience. Even moreso, it becomes an unforgettable encounter when the products are top shelf. Having added HSSC’s Barber Shop Shave Soap and Aftershave Balm to the experience, the next shave is eagerly anticipated. To add a little nostalgia, maybe some crooner music will be added to the shave playlist before heading out to a night on the town F. Scott Fitzgerald style.
