Summer Scents And Shaving

Summertime is synonymous with outdoor activities and spending time with friends. However, one of the most delightful aspects of summer is the plethora of scents that fill the air. Whether it’s the sweet smell of flowers in a nearby garden or the salty tang of the ocean, these smells are a reminder that summer is here.  Here are some shave creams and soaps that hearken to summertime.

I did some research to try to determine what scents are usually associated with the summertime.  Here is a sample of the type of information I came up with:

23 Smells That’ll Remind You Of Your Childhood Summers

18 Best Summer Colognes for Men

Best Summer Fragrances For Men

From this I came up with some broad categories of scent types.  Then I tried to match some shave soaps and creams to those types.  These aren’t the only shave products of course, but I did try to make a representative sample of creams, soaps, artisans, and more “mainstream” brands.

[Note: Amazon, Noble Otter, Smallflower, PAA, West Coast Shaving, and Wholly Kaw, links are affiliate. Geni.us links may be affiliate.]

Note that Stirling Soap Co. has an entire “Summer” themed lineup.

Other products, in no particular order:

Aromatic Herbs And Grasses

Rosemary, coriander and patchouli, freshly mown hay and grass are often associated with summertime.

• Wholly Kaw shaving soap, Nightcap: notes of grass, tobacco, vetiver, coffee, hay, sandalwood, rosewood, & oud.
• Zingari Man shaving soap, The Master: vanilla, tarragon, amber, woods, jasmine, coriander, basil, geranium, sweet bay, musk, ambrette, sandalwood, and patchouli.
• Soap Commander shave soap, Fortitude: notes of warm hay, tobacco, & rum.
• Noble Otter shave soap, Lonestar: initial notes of sage and lemon give way to a sweet heart of magnolia and Texas cedar; base notes of oakmoss, leather, and hay.  Also available from Smallflower.

Citrus And Tropical Fruit

Citrus and tropical fruit scents like bergamot, oranges, limes, lemons, and pineapple are classic summertime scents and there are numerous shave products that use this classification.  This is a small sample:

• The Goodfellas’ Smile shaving soap, Abysso: citrus, bergamot, pineapple, jasmine, ozone, moss, & more.  Available from Super Safety Razors.
• Lime shave creams
• The Art Of Shaving shave cream, Bergamot & Neroli:
• Stirling shave soap, Island Man: bergamot, lime, mandarin, coconut, jasmine, hibiscus, ylang-ylang, ginger, sugarcane, musk, and rum.
• Cremo “Original” shave cream (many liken the scent to pina coloda)

“Soft” Florals

“Soft” florals like neroli, jasmine, pink peonies, lavender, and lilac are often thought of as summertime scents.

• Noble Otter shave soap, Hamam: top notes start with a light touch of Saffron and Bergamot. It moves into the green fragrance of Petitgrain and the floral notes of Jasmine Absolute and Geranium. For the basenotes we include the clean scent of Sandalwood and Tonka Bean. All while experiencing faint notes of a wet stone.  Also available from Smallflower.
• Ethos Grooming shave soap, Lavender Supreme: I think Lavender Suprême is lighter and “brighter” with an almost powdery note.
• Castle Forbes Lavender
• OneBlade “Black Tie” shave cream, Lavender
• The Art Of Shaving Lavender Shaving Cream.  Also available on Amazon

Water: Rain/Oceanic/Marine/Nautical/Sea/Beach

“Watery” fragrances like salty ocean air, suntan lotion, and the beach are often thought of in the Summer.

• Chiseled Face Shaving Soap, Summer Storm: moist earth, oak moss, cut grass, pine needles, orange, lemon, ozone, white jasmine, lily of the valley, geranium, and musk. Also available from West Coast Shaving.
  
• Truefitt And Hill 1805 shave cream (see also Sharpologist’s review)
• PAA shave soap, “The Beach“
• Declaration Grooming shave soap, “After The Rain“

Mentholated Products

Perhaps not strictly considered a “scent,” mentholated products produce a cooling effect on the skin, making them great for hot weather.

• Proraso “Refreshing And Toning”
• Cremo Cooling
• Chiseled Face shave soap, Cryogen,  Also available from West Coast Shaving.
• PAA Frost Byte,
• Stirling Soap’s “Glacial” line

Summing Up