Ratings:

Value: 9

Cushion: 10

Slickness: 9

Scent Pleasantness: 8

Scent Strength (balance): 9

Moisturising: 10



I have decided to ring in the new year on the same note that I left the last – with a review of L.A. Shaving Soap Co. Santa Monica Bay Rum. My final sample that has been sitting in my shave cabinet for more than a few weeks – the holidays standing in the way of any proper shaving critiques – but with the festive season comfortably behind me I can once again get to working making my way through the items on my shelf.

I was able to get a couple of shaves out of my sample of Santa Monica Bay Rum, a welcomed retreat to my washroom, where I was able to shut the door and take some time to myself. Not that I didn’t shave over the holidays but there was always a sense of urgency – need to visit this person – grocery shopping – kid shopping – wife shopping (for gifts not a new wife) – so it was nice to be able to take a few extra minutes to enjoy the quiet of my locked bathroom and take in the quality of this soap – not really a surprise given my experience with the previous two samples of from the L.A. Shaving Soap Co.

Of the three samples I tried I would say that the Bay Rum is my least favourite of the three. But to be clear I am not saying that I didn’t like the scent, just not as much as the other two (Woodland Lavender, Vanilla / Eucalyptus / Spearmint). The Santa Monica Bay Rum has a slightly different take to some of the other Bay Rums that I have tried, so if you are looking for a ‘traditional’ bay rum maybe look somewhere else, but if you are a fan of the Bay Rum scent this is an interesting departure from the ‘classic’ scent. I would say that the Santa Monica Bay Rum has all the elements that one would expect from a puck of Bay Rum but with some citrus (lemon) overtones.

When it comes to lathering, as with the previous two soaps from The L.A. Shave Soap Co., the Santa Monica Bay Rum didn’t disappoint. A joy to lather, producing a lather that provided excellent cushion and slickness. The one difference this time around however was that I used my Vie-Long (Reddit edition) Horse / Badger Hair brush – which also produced a nice experience (I spent a couple of weeks trying to get the smell out of the brush before using it for review purposes – the stink would have made the greatest shave soap smell terrible. A review on the brush to follow in a few weeks following a few more uses).

So 2014 gets off on the right foot, couldn’t fail really with The L.A. Shave Soap Co. The Santa Monica Bay Rum is another great offering, providing a quality experience and value for your money. Check them out here.

Tools used in images:

Edwin Jagger 89lbl

Vie-Long Reddit Horse / Badger Hair Brush