Talbot Shaving just released Island In The Sun shave soap. Talbot shave soaps have been relatively difficult for me to get but this one is available at West Coast Shaving so I picked up a jar to try.
Talbot Shaving Island In The Sun
[Note: Amazon and West Coast Shaving links are affiliate.]
According to the write up on West Coast Shaving’s website:
“For this scent, Chad partnered with Sean at Maol Grooming…. This aroma has notes of citrus/florals/and minty freshness. Top notes: lime, lavender, spearmint, lemongrass, lemon, & eucalyptus which evoke the flora of an island destination. Then middle notes of sweet orange, pink grapefruit, and spike lavender might put you in mind of cocktail on the sand. Finally, patchouli and vetiver bring a darker base for those summer nights.”
Ingredients: NEW FORMULA (v3): Stearic acid, water, tallow, glycerin, potassium hydroxide, Shea butter, fragrance, castor oil, sodium hydroxide, rice bran oil, kokum butter, lanolin, Palm kernal oil flakes, jojoba oil, wheat germ oil, babassu oil.
My Experience With Talbot Shaving Island In The Sun Shave Soap
Off the jar my notoriously insensitive nose gets fairly strong citrus notes, followed by mild floral notes. I don’t get any of the patchouli or vetiver notes mentioned in the description. YMMV of course (and probably will if you have a better nose than I). But I do think it’s quite pleasant and does evoke a kind of “island feel” for me.
The “V3” tallow soap base is quite firm and smooth in the jar; more-so than their previous formulation, not to mention many other artisan soaps in my den. It’s not as firm as a triple-milled shave soap like, say, DR Harris, but I don’t think this soap will get quite as “washed down” as some other soft shave soaps or “croaps” in my collection.
Lathered on the face I still get a moderately strong, persistent scent that lasts through most of my shave. Speaking of the lather, it may be just a bit thinner than some other premium artisan offerings in my “hard” water but there’s still more than enough volume for multi-pass coverage. The lathering process is very easy and it’s quite tolerant of the amount of water in my brush. The lather consistency is fairly dense and almost yogurt-like for me.
Nit picks about the lather volume aside, I find the performance of Talbot’s Island In The Sun is excellent! Talbot soaps are on Sharpologist’s best shave soap list for a reason. Lubrication/glide and cushion/protection elements of Island In The Sun are exceptional and post-shave moisturization is very good (noticeably better for me than the previous formulation).
Conclusion
It’s worth noting that Talbot donates a portion of their proceeds to charities like the Trust For Public Land. Their soaps can be difficult to obtain (they don’t have a website though they do maintain a Facebook presence) but that is getting better thanks to their distribution at West Coast Shaving. Talbot Shaving Island In The Sun represents a continued evolution of an already excellent shave soap formula base.
Do you have a Talbot shave soap? What do you think of it? Leave a comment below so others may benefit!
