Ratings:

Price: 4

Lather: 5

Scent: 2

Moisturizing: 3

Overall: 3.5 – 4

After enjoying my Arko Shave Stick I thought I would give Arko in a bowl a try. One of my curiosities was whether or not I enjoy Arko simply because of how it is presented – in stick form, with that unmistakable iconic smiling face packaging. The face is still there, as is the red packaging, but presented in a convenient cup for your lathering needs. Another curiosity was why I wouldn’t just take my slightly less expensive stick and just mash it down into a bowl.

My shipment of arrived this morning and luckily I didn’t have a chance to shave before heading off to work meaning I was able test out the Arko in a Bowl straight away. After putting the kids down for a nap, I grabbed my Arko, and headed off for a shave. I have to be honest and say that I prefer my soaps and creams when they come in their own bowls, I find it is easier to keep my shave shelf clean and just all around easier to transport and move around – probably more of an issue if you have too many creams and soaps to choose from.

Love it or hate it, next to the classic stick design, what people discuss most is the scent of the Arko shave soap. If you enjoy the scent of the stick you are in luck because they haven’t changed a thing putting it in puck format (personally I prefer my more ‘complex’ fragrances but I can see why people enjoy the Arko – to be honest I find it growing on me with each use). It still has the very distinct very fresh, European hotel soap feel to it, with the added bonus of having the Arko man staring back at you from the top of your soap (well at least until you brush him away).

Judging by the scent being identical as the stick I was quite confident that the Arko in a bowl would lather in the exact same manner as it does in stick form and I was correct. I decided to build my first lather using a bowl after loading up my brush and the result was a nice lather. The performance of the cream was more than acceptable, nice cushion, good feel, close shave. Only thing it was missing, at least for me, was the moisturizing element I get from my creams and some of my soaps. But for the price one can’t be too demanding.

Overall I would say that the Arko in a bowl was a success. Sure it isn’t the same as having it in stick format, where you can slowly rip away at it’s wrapper, but I may actually prefer it in it’s little cup. As mentioned earlier, it keeps my shelf tidy, and my wife happier. I can see the Arko shave stick still being a great choice for travel; you can toss it if you haven’t used it all it is so cheap. But there really is no reason why one couldn’t bring the Arko bowl with them as well. It might actually result in a more tidy shave kit bag.

Tools used:

Omega Boar Brush

Merkur 37C