Review Australian Private Reserve - Review Thread

[todras]

The Reviews
Having now posted out the testers which were the result of many weeks of work, formulation and research (documented in the Aftershave Project thread) for anyone wanting to make their own, I have now started this thread for those that received testers in the post to post their comments, feelings, criticisms, likes or dislikes in relation to my efforts once they have had a chance to smell and or use them

I have started this thread early to avoid the Aftershave forum being deluged with multiple review threads - I expect the samples to reach the testers this week as all were posted on Monday and Tuesday.

I don't think setting down any guidelines is really necessary for the reviews, the people I sent the scents and balms too have a great deal of experience as consumers and avid wet-shavers buying and using commercial and artisan products in the marketplace and this was part of the reason I sent them my efforts to evaluate and test.

Describing aspects such as scent - sweetness, sour, spice, woodiness,etc as well as the longevity of scent, face feel on application and so on of both the balm and the aftershave would be highly useful to be as they are things I can learn from but do use whatever language and expression you like be it positive or negative.

I am hoping that all of the people who received the aftershaves and balms do choose to post a review or their thoughts and comments however equally I respect their right not to if they do not choose to.

I made it clear in the letter I sent out with the testers that in receiving them no obligation was created and that is something I stand by. In my opinion it is all to too easy to introduce a perception of bias or largesse if you send someone something free and then compel them to post a review online. I genuinely want to avoid this perception, or reality occurring.

The Scents - Aftershave and Post Shave Balm
Below is a list of the aftershave splashes and balms that I sent out to the people testing, some people received some scents and some received others as far as I recall. Depending on how we go if any of the original testers missed out on a scent and want to try one that was listed, I will look at seeing you right in that regard.

The full text including descriptions of the scents and their inspiration is available in the ''Aftershave Thread'' via the link at the beginning of this post - I have trimmed it here for concision.

PC – Un côtelette de porc – Pork Chop
Composition: Haitian Vetiver, French Oakmoss Absolute, Virginian Cedar Wood, Italian Bergamot, French Lavender, Australian Sweet Orange (NO), French Ginger

GL - les généraux du grand livre – The Generals Ledger
Composition: French Oakmoss Absolute, Haitian Vetiver, Venezuelan Tonka, French Lavender, Nutmeg, Cinnamon Bark, Egyptian Geranium, Italian Bergamot, Rose Maroc.

AC –choix Alfredus - Alfredus Choice
Composition: Ambergris, Venezuelan Tonka, French Oakmoss Absolute, Indian Mysore Sandalwood, French Ginger, Virginian Cedarwood, Nutmeg, French Lavender, French Violet, White Grapefruit, Italian Bergamot, Basil.

SV – Sandalwood, Lime, Verbena
Composition: Australian Sandalwood, Lime, Spanish Lemon, Fragrance Oil

CS – Coconut Sandalwood
Composition: Australian Sandalwood, Indian Mysore Sandalwood, Rosewood Oil (NO), Fragrance Oil.

WG – White Tea & Ginger
Composition: French Ginger, Venezuelan Tonka, Fragrance Oil.

SA – Suitably Attired Australian
Composition: Ambergris, Indian Mysore Sandalwood, French Violet, Spanish Lemon, Rosemary, Australian Sweet Orange, Fragrance Oil.


Over to you people, I will comment at some point but I would rather things run their course for a few posts and see what people think

 

[Mark1966]

I confess to feeling completely ill equipped olfactorily to assess scents but here are some first impressions anyway -

GL - les généraux du grand livre – The Generals Ledger
Composition: French Oakmoss Absolute, Haitian Vetiver, Venezuelan Tonka, French Lavender, Nutmeg, Cinnamon Bark, Egyptian Geranium, Italian Bergamot, Rose Maroc.

WAF (always a good starting point)

Face Feel: the splash 'lacks' the alcohol sting of many splashes. It actually reminds me a lot of the face feel of B&M Kyovu, which is a good thing - that is my go to 'healing' splash for those days when you have a rough shave. I'm sure that if this was a commercial product the advertising would claim that this splash 'makes you look and feel younger' - not sure about that claim entirely but certainly a great face feel for mine.

Scent Intensity: What I'm trying to describe here is the impact of the aftershave on application. Does it go 'wham' when you put it on or are you sniffing madly trying to find a scent in the product. Personally I like a bit of 'wham', I want to apply an aftershave, or cologne etc, and have that moment of being 'taken away' on the ride that the scent initially brings. This product delivers a decent 'wham' to my liking. Not overpowering, let’s go take a shower and get this stuff off me, but strong and very 'present'. Good stuff.

Scent Longevity: Here my aim is to describe how long the scent lasts. It can include both unprompted wafts and those which come from, say, scratching your face and the scent flooding back. A stuffy nose courtesy of hay fever is making this difficult to assess. but it is certainly not a 'flash in the pan' scent.

Scent Complexity: Different to intensity I'm thinking here of two things. The first is the development in some scents, the Pinaud Clubman products come to mind, when the scent in the bottle bears no resemblance to it on your face and then after application is develops and changes on your skin to have a multi-stage scent profile. I'm not sure that this is strictly required in a scent and presume it must be hard to construct. I don’t see a lot of evidence of this here.

The second is the number of distinguishable elements (notes?) which seem present at the one time. Here I can detect different aspects of the scent all tumbling around within the overall whole. I would certainly describe this as being complex in this sense.

Scent Characteristics: I will come back to this one. The hay fever blocked nose doesn’t help but there certainly grassy and floral elements, some citrus too (?). Will need more pondering.


Would I wear it regularly: most definitely yes! Trying as hard as possible to be objective I think I would.

 

[todras]

The first is the development in some scents, the Pinaud Clubman products come to mind, when the scent in the bottle bears no resemblance to it on your face and then after application is develops and changes on your skin to have a multi-stage scent profile. I'm not sure that this is strictly required in a scent and presume it must be hard to construct. I don’t see a lot of evidence of this here.

This is due to the aftershave being 'fresh' and my failure to allow the fixative sufficient time to effect it's chemical action. However, over the next 4 or 5 weeks the solution you have will slowly change and you will notice a more prominent differentiation or 'multi stage' scent as the rate of ketone and other aromatic components expiry is regulated/chelated.

I was actually going to make a post about this aspect in my DIY thread but thought it was too technical and most people would think it boring as old boots.

The fixative in les généraux du grand livre is contained within the Oakmoss (Evernia prunastri) which happens to be a fantastic wet, damp, grass, lichen sent and is teaming with the chemicals that fix. Now, given sufficient Oakmoss the issue you describe should be overcome very rapidly in any perfume/aftershave due to chemistry alone (providing you are using pure Oakmoss at a sufficient purity) however IFRA has designated Oakmoss as a restricted ingredient due to it's potential as a dermal sensitizer and has therefore prescribed a concentration of 0.1%.

Now I know I am not a professional or 'proper' perfumer, however I believe the mandate and intent of the IFRA in ensuring safe, non-toxic usage of Essentials/Absolutes is something every person making products for use by humans and indeed mammals should adhere too and I did. I could have used a pure chemical fixative (many big name perfumers do) however I choose to use only Essential Oils and Absolutes and not pure chemical compounds in the products I make and use - it just means a longer wait time due to lower and safer concentrations of certain molecules.

The lesser permitted amount of Oakmoss in a solution - and I adhere to their standards, strictly equates to a slightly longer duration of time for the fixative to effect it's action upon the other notes/scents - the other components of the splash.

I commend you highly for commenting on my failure, and indeed picking up on it - It is very instructive that you have detected the mechanics here in a fairly complex scent, it tells me I need an additional two or three weeks of aging/sitting the mixed aftershave prior to decanting it.

Cheers mark, a cracking review of your namesake

 

[Monsta_AU]

When the General talks
You better listen to him
When the General talks
You better do as he say

Sounds like good stuff.

 

[alfredus]

I was so much looking forward using my first own scent today:

AC –choix Alfredus - Alfredus Choice
Composition: Ambergris, Venezuelan Tonka, French Oakmoss Absolute, Indian Mysore Sandalwood, French Ginger, Virginian Cedarwood, Nutmeg, French Lavender, French Violet, White Grapefruit, Italian Bergamot, Basil.

As many of you know, I try to avoid alcohol on my face after a shave, as it dries out my skin - but @todras was kind enough to include the balm for me.

The scent out of the jar was already phenomenal - you get the Cedar, nutmeg and sandalwood straight away and it is a sweet and complex scent. But as soon as the balm hit my slightly wet face - BOOM - a scent explosion occurred - something I have never experienced with any product before.

Again the woody notes came out first, but then the Lavender, the citrus mixture and ginger followed and I was truly blown away...and still am!

The face feel is also fantastic, I didn't use any oil today but just the balm after my alum routine. I must admit, my face longed a bit for the Witch Hazel - I hope I have an unscented bottle somewhere in my cupboard, as I don't want to ruin this beautiful scent in any way.

The longevity was also pretty good - I had everything in my nose for at least 3 hours after the shave, and was somehow sad, when it was gone. But I will definitely wear out tonight the after shave

Congratulations on a beautiful scent my friend

 

[todras]

The scent out of the jar was already phenomenal - you get the Cedar, nutmeg and sandalwood straight away and it is a sweet and complex scent. But as soon as the balm hit my slightly wet face - BOOM - a scent explosion occurred - something I have never experienced with any product before.

Again the woody notes came out first, but then the Lavender, the citrus mixture and ginger followed and I was truly blown away...and still am!

Nods, yes, absolutely spot on!

You have an excellent grasp of the choices you made and how they express themselves as notes in the scent. The chemistry behind the 'scent explosion' is the correct and exact use of fixatives and certain molecules in particular contained in some of the oils I used - for the record there is 14 oils/absolutes in the scent and 3 tinctures, I used just about all of your choices as I had to reflect in the most honest way possible, your choices.

Great review, I really appreciate your posting it.

PS: Let's hope other people like it, otherwise I will have to pork-chop it and send you a really bloody big bottle of what remains

 

[Korbz]

PS: Let's hope other people like it, otherwise I will have to pork-chop it and send you a really bloody big bottle of what remains

No worries there mate... I'll be in line for a split

AC –choix Alfredus - Alfredus Choice
Composition: Ambergris, Venezuelan Tonka, French Oakmoss Absolute, Indian Mysore Sandalwood, French Ginger, Virginian Cedarwood, Nutmeg, French Lavender, French Violet, White Grapefruit, Italian Bergamot, Basil.

OK... so as a caveat I have started with what the scent I was most fond of just out of the bottle. There are a couple that I'm not sure how they will sit, but keen to see. As with everyone, the oils on my skin sometimes change the scent, so the real test is in use. For the shave soap I used Catie's Bubble LTV, as it has a nice base of Oakmoss and Sandalwood, which I thought would compliment the scent very well.

I used the splash and balm in conjunction (in that order), but gave it a bit between to see the post feel of the splash. That is the order I will give feedback.

Splash
Face Feel: Unnoticeable alcohol on application, no burn or sting. Absorbed into the face quickly, leaving a moisturised feel behind. Similar feel to running my fingers against my skin with Blackship Grooming aftershave. Not a tacky feel, but far from dry and could easily have gone without balm.

Scent Dynamics: (scent on application, then dry down character as the top notes dissipate) The opening of this scent is really grand. I get the citrus/spice notes, which settle for me after about 15 mins and then it turns into what I would class as an Oriental Fougere. I definitely get what I think is the oakmoss & cedar on dry down, balanced by the lavender. A scent I could easily wear all year around.

Scent Longevity: I can smell faint whiffs now 6 hours later, however would put it at 4hrs comfortable.

Balm:
Feel: For reference my favourite balm is Eufros. I'm not a fan of a heavy balm, that could be due to having oily skin, or living north of the border in a hotter climate? The balm has a similar feel and consistency to Lea sinsitive balm. It spreads on without any worries or consistency issues you get with thicker balms, and leaves the skin feeling refreshed. I've become accustomed to menthol thanks to Myrsol, so did miss that slight chill a little. Feeling the skin now 6 hours later, no excessive oil, soft without any tackiness.

I'll use again tomorrow to see if I pick anything else up, but without blowing smoke, I would pay to have some of this in my cabinet.

 

[Rami]

Ok, tried the suitably attired Australian. Very very impressed. Scent is just about right for me. I need to go back and look for the ingredients. Skin sucked it right up and feels pretty good now. I quite like this. Where do I put my name for more?

 

[alfredus]

I used the Alfredus choice AS yesterday evening - FANTASTIC!!!

The scent stayed with me for the hole night (had some on my shirt as well as on my neck). I would say it is a bit stronger than the balm, but not 100% sure.

And I absolutely agree with @Korbz, that I could wear it all year long

 

[todras]

I would say it is a bit stronger than the balm, but not 100% sure.

All the aftershaves are 6% and the balms come in, and I quote 'Within the acceptable range of perfumes added to products that are applied to the skin.

The difference in scent strength (%) is probably less noticeable as an effect as the base I am using for the balm contains high amounts of Almond Oil, Shea Butter, Jojoba Oil and other lipids and fats therefore the EO's 'transport' very well through the cream solution.

So, guys, what did you think of Pork-Chop ? - I know it's the middle of summer and it is a dark, woody Vetiver - hmm. upon consideration probably not the best time to formulate it really

Ok, tried the suitably attired Australian. Very very impressed. Scent is just about right for me. I need to go back and look for the ingredients. Skin sucked it right up and feels pretty good now. I quite like this. Where do I put my name for more?

Hey thanks man, appreciate hearing that you liked it - I didn't think it would be overly popular to be honest but I have little experience in judging what people like in that regard.

Once a few more reviews come in and I get a feel for what people liked, or did not like I will be in a position to consider the possibility of making some of the scents available to P&C members at a break even price in more normal quantities. This will of course will require the consent of the administration here and my being given access to the 'Artisinal Product & Services' forum so I don't get banned by @Mark1966 'The General' or the big kahuna himself for breaking the rules!

Thanks for your honest, frank and informed feedback again everyone, it's very helpful and really educational. It also makes me happy people are getting enjoyment from them and are smelling classy too

 

[Monsta_AU]

Once a few more reviews come in and I get a feel for what people liked, or did not like I will be in a position to consider the possibility of making some of the scents available to P&C members at a break even price in more normal quantities. This will of course will require the consent of the administration here and my being given access to the 'Artisinal Product & Services' forum so I don't get banned by @Mark1966 'The General' or the big kahuna himself for breaking the rules!

That's not going to be a problem. You make it, you will be able to list it.

 

[Rami]

Now that I have been wearing it for a little while I can comment on scent. It started off with orange and something I couldn't put my finger on; then settled on woody notes, nice. Lasted for a long time, I couldn't put my finger on when it dissipated. Skin feels moisturised well into the night, no greasiness, no oiliness nothing. I need to find out what you used for the base, it's good stuff.

 

[alfredus]

Today's shaving hero - as balm of course:

PC – Un côtelette de porc – Pork Chop
Composition: Haitian Vetiver, French Oakmoss Absolute, Virginian Cedar Wood, Italian Bergamot, French Lavender, Australian Sweet Orange (NO), French Ginger

What a wonderful name for this great scent - I giggle every time think about it

First of all let me say - I am not the biggest Vetiver fan out there - and this is a strong, dark Vetiver scent - especially when smelled out of the jar. However straight after hitting my damp face, there was again this beautiful scent explosion - BUM!

The citrus and ginger together the Lavender mixed with the dark Vetiver and Cedar to become another wonderfully complex scent. Maybe not as complex as AC - but hey I can be complicated

Again it stayed with me for at least 4 hours - maybe even a bit longer - and again I was quiet sad, when it was gone. Another beautiful concoction @todras and I can only congranulate you

 

[nsavage]

For the last two shaves I have used the Private Reserve "White Tea and Ginger" splash and balm combo. My understanding is that @todras has made this particular scent to accompany the Mystic Waters soap with the same name. Yesterday I was fortunate enough to pair the combo up with a sample of the soap that @todras had also very generously sent me. What better opportunity to comment on the scent than that?

I am not going to say much about the performance of the Mystic Waters soap (it is great!) but the scent is great. I am not going to pretend to be a scent aficionado here because I am not. My ability to describe scents is poor at best. The soap definitely has a light floral tea fragrance with a hint of ginger and for me is a fairly faint scent (this may be because I only had a sample size though).

The splash and balm are a dead ringer for the Mystic Waters soap albeit the splash is reasonably stronger on the nose. None of the faint far off scent here just that beautiful rich floral light tea fragrance with just the right amount of ginger. The scent lasts for several hours and got the nod from the lady as well which is also promising. Also we are not talking a feminine floral here this is definitely a masculine scent.

I found that a little of the both the splash and the balm went a very long way. I applied the splash first and initially was left with a slightly tacky face feel. I found however that it simply took a minute or two to absorb in to my skin and left my skin feeling nicely hydrated. The balm is nice and thin and therefore absorbs very quickly. My skin was left feeling suitably moisturised and protected afterwards. I did moisturise afterwards (force of habit) but I felt that I could have simply used the balm as an all around moisturiser. Even now some 11 hours later my skin feels suitably nourished and hydrated.

All around initial impressions are extremely favourable. I am very much looking forward to testing some of the other scents in coming days.

 

[todras]

Thanks for the review @nsavage, you are spot on with the strength of the splash - it is sitting at 6% in the WT, I think the Ginger to White Tea ratio is great too - just enough Ginger to keep it a masculine fragrance but not too much to dominate the White Tea which is a fine fragrance. I found the duration fairly long lasting too, longer than I expected to be honest - I got around 5 hours from it as far as I could tell but I used it on humid days and therefore due to the concentration of the cream used a little less than usual.

Astute comments on the balm also, yes it is fairly concentrated and a little does go a very long way!

I'm really happy with the White Tea and Ginger, I really wanted a splash and balm to match the Mystic Soap and was not able to find one on the market - a large part of why my project began to begin with really - not having splashes and balms for some of my favourite and most used soaps.

 

[alfredus]

Today's candidate:
GL - les généraux du grand livre – The Generals Ledger
Composition: French Oakmoss Absolute, Haitian Vetiver, Venezuelan Tonka, French Lavender, Nutmeg, Cinnamon Bark, Egyptian Geranium, Italian Bergamot, Rose Maroc.

You nailed this one @todras - this is again really up my alley - Lavender, Bergamot and some complexity

As others have noted - the balm is very concentrated and very little goes a long way - both in terms of scent and face feel. The scent explosion when added to a damp face still is a big wow factor for me - I hope I never get used to it.

This one a bit lighter in scent - it has more medium and high notes, rather than the heavy Vetiver from PC. It might be the reason, it stayed only ~3 hours with me today - another reason could have been me cycling through the city and sweating

Another fantastic scent - congratulations @todras

 

[todras]

You nailed this one @todras - this is again really up my alley - Lavender, Bergamot and some complexity

It's ok to say that it was the Rose Maroc that really appealed to you

I was going to go with Jasmine, but I felt ''The General' is a little more exclusive than that and demanded something more precious as a top note

This one a bit lighter in scent - it has more medium and high notes,

It actually has a 2 accord base/middle (Oakmoss, Vetiver, Tonka ) (Nutmeg, Lavender, Cinnamon, Geranium - these are middle notes that also peak in the tops) but as it is a Fougère the aim should be a subtle, nuanced fragrance rather than having certain very bold notes. In using the rose I did take a bit of a risk, but I think it paid dividends and is not too sharp.

In the splash, I get a lot of the powdery bottom from GL after dry-down, usually 15-20 mins after application.

I am glad you like it too, your description's of the scents and observations as to how the scents function is very accurate and agrees with my own notes from testing and recording as I developed and used them

 

[Korbz]

GL - les généraux du grand livre – The Generals Ledger
Composition: French Oakmoss Absolute, Haitian Vetiver, Venezuelan Tonka, French Lavender, Nutmeg, Cinnamon Bark, Egyptian Geranium, Italian Bergamot, Rose Maroc.

Face Feel: (same as first use - consistent so will not include moving forward) Unnoticeable alcohol on application, no burn or sting. Absorbed into the face quickly, leaving a moisturised feel behind. Similar feel to running my fingers against my skin with Blackship Grooming aftershave. Not a tacky feel, but far from dry and could easily have gone without balm.

Scent Dynamics: Opening I get the lavender and the cinnamon bark (totally different cinnamon to the Blackship Grooming Aladdin's Spice which is more like a lolly cinnamon to me) which could be made woody by some of the other ingredients? I thought I could detect some anise, but guessing it may be the rose (it doesn't really hit me as any of the others) that gives it a nice twist.

Scent Longevity: May have just been a hot day (struggling with sweat on that day), however scent lasted only about 2 hrs.


WG – White Tea & Ginger
Composition: French Ginger, Venezuelan Tonka, Fragrance Oil.

Scent Dynamics: This scent didn't change upon dry down for me, it was consistent throughout its length. I might have to try again, as just wearing some now (applied about half an hour ago so I could refresh my memory), it's a really clean light fragrance that I think would work well in hotter weather.

Scent Longevity: From memory, this one lasted quite well on my skin, around 6 hours. Looking forward to waking up to it tbh

 

[Mark1966]

OK, here we go again -

SV – Sandalwood, Lime, Verbena
Composition: Australian Sandalwood, Lime, Spanish Lemon, Fragrance Oil

WAF (unprompted - oh, you smell nice)

Face Feel: as noted above - really nice. No burn but warmth and very soothing.

Scent Intensity: Again this has the 'wham' factor which I like, I know I've applied an aftershave.

Scent Longevity: Too early to say after an hour - will update later EDIT: a good 4-6 hours of subtle whiffs, very acceptable!

Scent Complexity: Now I think that @todras took my earlier comments about the lack of development of the 'GL' as being far more critical than I intended, but I would make the same observation here. It is not a scent that develops but a scent that swirls around you, wrapping you up in its charms. There are certainly different elements there, and there is subtlety in their combination, but I would not describe this as being as diverse as the GL or AC.

Scent Characteristics: Sandalwood/citrus - but not in the way sometimes experienced. This is not a [sickly] sweet lime cordial, but a more natural, walking through the orchard and getting the scent as you brush against the tree or on the breeze kinda lime, maybe it is the lemon that helps to give that characteristic. The sandalwood too though is not 'incense stick' sandalwood but far more 'natural'.

Would I wear it regularly: again, most definitely yes!

 

[todras]

So a little bit on the 'White Tea & Ginger'....

The White Tea and Ginger was formulated to pair with the Mystic Waters soap as closely as possible, the soap itself is literally white tea and ginger fragrance oil and for that reason I was limited in the essential oils and 'perfume magic' I could do with the formula. If I got my bag of tricks out and started layering base notes, a structured middle and so forth I would have got the benefit of complexity but the consequence would have been a vastly different scent that defeated my aim of making a paired splash and balm for Mystic Water White Tea and Ginger.

On the White Tea Front though I will say I have another White Tea formulations I am working on, they are much more complex and nuanced scents that move well beyond the scare oils and fragrance I used in the 'WT&G'.

I am looking at testing them soon, once I have moved the current batch of scents and I look at the 4 or 5 new ones that will be the APR 'Summer' line-up. A more complex and entirely different accord with white tea, jasmine and a fair few other notes is a very distinct possibility for that line-up, along with a citrus 'party' (6 individual citrus notes thus far at the top) and a couple of other things. I will drop some info and get testers out on those in a few weeks though.

(totally different cinnamon to the Blackship Grooming Aladdin's Spice which is more like a lolly cinnamon to me) which could be made woody by some of the other ingredients?

A lolly cinnamon smell is more likely than not fragrance oil to be honest with you....

Cinnamon essential oil is fairly expensive - both the cinnamon leaf oil (milder, cheaper) and the bark (more costly). Blackship makes great products by the way and I am not taking a shot at them but the issue with many fragrance oils is that they are noticeably very sweet like confectionary... probably the best example of this is the pineapple fragrance oil that smells exactly the same as the stuff they put in lollys - way, way to sweet with none of the acidity of real pineapple essence. Blackship is getting quite big and a consequence of that is that you have to start thinking commercially. I still like some of their splashes and they make some very good scents imho.

The woodsy notes you are getting in the GL is from an accord of nutmeg, cinnamon and one or two other things which I'm keeping mum about, nutmeg EO is fiendishly potent stuff btw and it harmonises with cinnamon bark oil and a few other oils particularly well if you get the quantity right (balance the accord).

In regards to the longevity of the GL from my own personal experience wearing it the last week or two without a doubt I would say the shorter duration is due to heat and humidity, we have been getting some brutally humid and hot days here in Sydney and I tend to sweat a lot when it's hot, I have been getting a hour to two hours tops from the GL myself.

Great comments on both the Generals Ledger and the White Tea and Ginger @Korbz , really good evaluation that I can learn from and your directness and frank honesty in regards to your experience, and the rather astute (unexpected) observation on the GL heart accord I respect a great deal