Italian Barber Italy 1955 soap

I haven't had many wonderful things to say about RR/IB products in the past, but saw this intriguing scent that is right up my alley and thought I'd give the company another try. I just bought it a minute ago online and won't receive it for a bit.

I am a big fan of evergreen and woods scents and I love the backing notes listed here.
Anyone else know this scent?


Scent: A distinctive pine aroma combined with notes of lavender, basil, bergamot, spices and moss.

Ingredients: Stearic Acid, Aqua (Water), Cocos Nucifera Oil, Potassium Hydroxide, Sodium Hydroxide, Parfum (Fragrance), Potassium Carbonate, Linalool.

I don't think I'll ever find a scent so good that it trumps having a quality soap base, and IMO the "value" IB/RR soaps really are not quality.

If you like woods, have you looked into B&M Taiga or Stirling Ozark?

(06-17-2016, 02:26 PM)crazindndude Wrote: I don't think I'll ever find a scent so good that it trumps having a quality soap base

Couldn't agree more, I wrote the book!

I am just giving them another shot to see how I think of their soap base three year after I last tried it. (Not expecting much to be honest.)
... But for $10.99 I decided to give it a shot.

Good luck, Matt.

(06-17-2016, 03:48 PM)Nero Wrote:

(06-17-2016, 02:26 PM)crazindndude Wrote: I don't think I'll ever find a scent so good that it trumps having a quality soap base

Couldn't agree more, I wrote the book!

I am just giving them another shot to see how I think of their soap base three year after I last tried it. (Not expecting much to be honest.)
... But for $10.99 I decided to give it a shot.

It's 6.99. 
Also it's not not their "best" soap base. There are several.

With shipping.
Correct, it is the same base I tried several years ago that the Classic came in. (Didn't like it then.)

Just to clarify, I haven't gotten it in yet. I just ordered it when I created the thread. (I just added that to the OP now.)

Interested if anyone has smelled it.

I agree.  I have XXX from a couple of years ago and it is a good soap -- tallow base.  I rece,y got a tub of Tuscan oud non-tallow with lanolin, and it was not as good.  Of course ymmv.

It looks like the same base as IB's Amici, which greatly surprised and impressed me.

If it doesn't work for you, you could put Mike's Pine and Cedarwood or Martin de Candre Fougere (not strictly "wood" but it smells like "the woods") on your to try list.

It arrived yesterday, and used it today, so here is my impression after just one shave, please keep in mind. 

The scent is pretty disappointing considering its scent description (in the OP)... all I smell is Eucalyptus... and by the scent description, I wasn't even expecting the inclusion of Eucalyptus, at all.  I don't detect ANY of the scent notes listed in the description.
The in-shave performance was pretty good, definitely better than I remember/expected, actually.  No issues regarding comfort or anything else during the shave.
The post-shave feel, it really lacks though, IMO.  My face has felt a light itch/burn all day.  Post-shave look (skin complexion) is totally fine, no issues.