The Scent of Dr. Selby

I really like the way that Dr. Selby shave soap lathers and I always get a great shave from it. My beef is with the scent. Billed as Lavender Luxury Shaving Cream, the scent does not smell anything like lavender and instead reminds me of something from the back of the janitor's closet. Am I alone?

Phil, i have never tried it and with that description, i am likely never going to try it. Good luck, my friend!

Phil, there's a lot of lavender scents types out there : one are more spicy,like the French lavender,one more sweet,like the English lavender,and some even kind of bitter and herbal,like the Mediterranean lavender.To me Dr Selby smells like a lavender with some herbal scents.I do like it a lot, actually,not as much a Tabula Rasa Dark Lavender or Martin de Candre scent,but close enough.

Phil-

You're right on. Dr Selby went back in the box and was sent to the dark back corner of the closet.

There are waaay too many great scented products that perform superbly to tolerate such as Dr Selby.

I like the scent. It is an herbal scent, much like the leaves of the plant. But there are other lavender scents that I like better, for sure.

I don't really get an herbal scent from it. It is more Mr. Clean to my nose. It is funny how scent is such a personal thing.

Like Emanuel (Oversaturn), I get a lovely herbal scent from Dr Selby. Add that to the great lather I get from it and it's a keeper. Goes very close to the head of the line for me.

It does have great lather...no dispute there.

Dr Selby smells like the green Cardamom. I know because cardamom gum is my favorite. I've also had it in candy and in tea.

look here
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cardamom

(04-11-2012, 01:52 PM)Mynorx Wrote: Dr Selby smells like the green Cardamom. I know because cardamom gum is my favorite. I've also had it in candy and in tea.

look here
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cardamom

Why did you have to go and say that? Now I want some.

Once lathered up the scent is more agreeable...it does remind me a cardomom a bit as well. Strangely enough, Atkinsons for Gentlemen shave cream from Italy - the cream counterpart to the Atkinsons English Lavender line - smells a lot like a mentholated version of Dr. Selby.

I was really expecting the cream to smell like the AEL cologne but that's not the case. BUT the Valobra Lavanda limited soft soap smells oddly similar to the AEL cologne.

Bizarre right?

(04-11-2012, 11:06 AM)bullgoose Wrote: I really like the way that Dr. Selby shave soap lathers and I always get a great shave from it. My beef is with the scent. Billed as Lavender Luxury Shaving Cream, the scent does not smell anything like lavender and instead reminds me of something from the back of the janitor's closet. Am I alone?

That may be the worst endorsement I have ever read...

Never tried it. If you send me yours I will give an opinion I'll even go to our local school and sniff the janitor's closet for an accurate comparison.

(04-11-2012, 11:06 AM)bullgoose Wrote: I really like the way that Dr. Selby shave soap lathers and I always get a great shave from it. My beef is with the scent. Billed as Lavender Luxury Shaving Cream, the scent does not smell anything like lavender and instead reminds me of something from the back of the janitor's closet. Am I alone?

You are not alone Phil. If I recall correctly I think you received the Dr. Selby from me and it was due to the scent that I passed it along. But, hey, I think I turned you on to Acqua di Parma as well so I made up for it!

(04-11-2012, 06:05 PM)Songwind Wrote:

(04-11-2012, 01:52 PM)Mynorx Wrote: Dr Selby smells like the green Cardamom. I know because cardamom gum is my favorite. I've also had it in candy and in tea.

look here
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cardamom

Why did you have to go and say that? Now I want some.

(04-11-2012, 06:51 PM)cvac Wrote: Once lathered up the scent is more agreeable...it does remind me a cardomom a bit as well. Strangely enough, Atkinsons for Gentlemen shave cream from Italy - the cream counterpart to the Atkinsons English Lavender line - smells a lot like a mentholated version of Dr. Selby.

I was really expecting the cream to smell like the AEL cologne but that's not the case. BUT the Valobra Lavanda limited soft soap smells oddly similar to the AEL cologne.

Bizarre right?

It seems like cardamom is a positive scent match. I notice that Dr Selby has some what of a menthol note in there kinda like Cardamom. Once you try it yu'll know what I mean.

Cardamom is quite good. I'm sure yu'll like it once you try it.

(04-11-2012, 08:28 PM)sfcablecar Wrote: You are not alone Phil. If I recall correctly I think you received the Dr. Selby from me and it was due to the scent that I passed it along. But, hey, I think I turned you on to Acqua di Parma as well so I made up for it!

I do love that AdP as well as the Tabula Rasa that I got from you.

OK, strike Dr.Selby shave soap from my list.

I get something green and clean. Not as in Mr. Clean cleaning products, (perhaps he was the first widely know headshaver? )but green, herbaceous, nice smelling-gets better with lathering kinda stuff.
We agree on great lather but a serious YMMV on the scent of this one!!!

I just tried it for the first time today and I liked it. Based on the way if performs I'd call it poor man's MDC. I mean that insofar as the way it lathers from very little product and general performance of the soap. As to the scent, it's definitely not as spicy as MDC but it has a nice clean scent. Having said that I don't mind the scent of Arko either so my sniffer may be a little suspect.

This is one of my favorite ss. To my nose I get a very earthy lavender. If it smelled like Mr. Clean, I wouldn't use it personally lol.