Review B&M First Snow Soap & Splash

Sxot

New Member
Artisan Producer
Joined
Feb 1, 2016
Location
Nth QLD
On smelling the tub & bottle, something wasn't right. Like it had gone off or something. Still, as I keep saying - that is not a way to test a scent. So lathered it up for my shave today and by the time I had finished loading (2 min or so) I "go it". This is a keeper, and I like what I smell, but it's not going to be in high rotation.

So what's the deal?
No real Fir to me, at least not what I was expecting as Fir (Pine!)... and the leather is not what I would expect normally either but after Leviathan, it's on point for B&M Leather. What I smell is damp earth, with a touch of fungus. Not having experienced a Fir forest in snow, what I equate it to is lifting a half rotten log in a rain forest, in winter (touch of menthol). So, it's firmly a winter scent (durr) and one that would be at home in the middle of the northern wet season when everything starts to smell this way! It has very slight menthol feel, which is much stronger in the splash, but still subtle. I wandered into the kitchen where my Mrs, standing 2 meters away screwed up her nose and asked "what's that? Smells like you've just walked out of a tobacco lounge!". For the record my Mrs has never been anywhere near a tobacco lounge. I agree it's a little strange to be wearing this as a scent... but hey, I am a little strange!

The tub is new. It is shorter, but of the same diameter of B&Ms latest tubs. The result is less freeboard above the top of the soap. Not a big deal but a little messier when loading. It looks glass (transparent), but is not. Splash bottle is standard opaque brown glass.

In a nod to @Mark1966 and his "yes or no"
;
Is the packaging suitable for lathering in? Yes
Is the packaging suitable for a (potentially wet) bathroom environment? Yes
Is the scent pleasant? Yes
Is the scent of strong enough during use? Yes (and I don't go for weak scents)
Is the scent likely to interfere with a post-shave product? Possibly. I use the matching splash so hard to say.
Is is straightforward to create an acceptable lather? Resounding YES after using a couple that require work!
Does the quantity of water have a significant impact on lather quality? No, I don't think so.
Does the lather last for all your passes? Yes, and then some.
Does the lather provide sufficient slip or glide for the blade? Yes
Does the lather provide sufficient cushioning for the skin from the actions of the blade? Yes
Does the lather have residual glide allowing touch ups without additional lather being applied? Yes
Does the lather dry your skin? No
Did the lather cause a skin reaction such as itching, swelling not attributable to technique or blade on more than one occasion? No
Will I buy it again? Probably.

Tomorrow is Dickens. This one is also a little weird (which I find is common for B&M) so will see what comes of it.
 
On smelling the tub & bottle, something wasn't right. Like it had gone off or something. Still, as I keep saying - that is not a way to test a scent.

That is exactly correct - the map is not the terrain and you can never judge a fragrance from it's decant state, particularly if it's an aftershave in an alcohol suspension. This is often even more true and applies to a soap from the puck if it's tallow based. The scent in the case of Aftershave transforms when the alcohol evaporates and does so often in an even more pronounced way if it's a tallow based soap that is lathered.
 
The only B&M product I have is the Arctique aftershave which can wreak havoc on somebody if they're not able to tolerate powerful menthol. This stuff can be hell on earth unless you just use a small dab on both cheeks. The First Snow sounds like a great soap - who knows, maybe one day I'll buy it.
 
The only B&M product I have is the Arctique aftershave which can wreak havoc on somebody if they're not able to tolerate powerful menthol. This stuff can be hell on earth unless you just use a small dab on both cheeks. The First Snow sounds like a great soap - who knows, maybe one day I'll buy it.
Ppft - weakling, splash it all over!
 
The only B&M product I have is the Arctique aftershave which can wreak havoc on somebody if they're not able to tolerate powerful menthol. This stuff can be hell on earth unless you just use a small dab on both cheeks. The First Snow sounds like a great soap - who knows, maybe one day I'll buy it.

Well it does have warning that spells it out pretty clearly. Something about freezing the sun....
I enjoy it but I do need to blink rather frequently for the first minute or two!
 
On smelling the tub & bottle, something wasn't right. Like it had gone off or something. Still, as I keep saying - that is not a way to test a scent. So lathered it up for my shave today and by the time I had finished loading (2 min or so) I "go it". This is a keeper, and I like what I smell, but it's not going to be in high rotation.

So what's the deal?
No real Fir to me, at least not what I was expecting as Fir (Pine!)... and the leather is not what I would expect normally either but after Leviathan, it's on point for B&M Leather. What I smell is damp earth, with a touch of fungus. Not having experienced a Fir forest in snow, what I equate it to is lifting a half rotten log in a rain forest, in winter (touch of menthol). So, it's firmly a winter scent (durr) and one that would be at home in the middle of the northern wet season when everything starts to smell this way! It has very slight menthol feel, which is much stronger in the splash, but still subtle. I wandered into the kitchen where my Mrs, standing 2 meters away screwed up her nose and asked "what's that? Smells like you've just walked out of a tobacco lounge!". For the record my Mrs has never been anywhere near a tobacco lounge. I agree it's a little strange to be wearing this as a scent... but hey, I am a little strange!

The tub is new. It is shorter, but of the same diameter of B&Ms latest tubs. The result is less freeboard above the top of the soap. Not a big deal but a little messier when loading. It looks glass (transparent), but is not. Splash bottle is standard opaque brown glass.

In a nod to @Mark1966 and his "yes or no"
;
Is the packaging suitable for lathering in? Yes
Is the packaging suitable for a (potentially wet) bathroom environment? Yes
Is the scent pleasant? Yes
Is the scent of strong enough during use? Yes (and I don't go for weak scents)
Is the scent likely to interfere with a post-shave product? Possibly. I use the matching splash so hard to say.
Is is straightforward to create an acceptable lather? Resounding YES after using a couple that require work!
Does the quantity of water have a significant impact on lather quality? No, I don't think so.
Does the lather last for all your passes? Yes, and then some.
Does the lather provide sufficient slip or glide for the blade? Yes
Does the lather provide sufficient cushioning for the skin from the actions of the blade? Yes
Does the lather have residual glide allowing touch ups without additional lather being applied? Yes
Does the lather dry your skin? No
Did the lather cause a skin reaction such as itching, swelling not attributable to technique or blade on more than one occasion? No
Will I buy it again? Probably.

Tomorrow is Dickens. This one is also a little weird (which I find is common for B&M) so will see what comes of it.

Great Post @Sxot
 
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