
Empyrean Bay Rum Shaving Soap (Ultima)
Truth be told, I was never a big fan of traditional bay rum scents. I wanted to create a Bay Rum composition which is not typical and without cinnamon or clove oils which can cause adverse effects and irritation. I’m using real Bay Leaf and rum. In place of cinnamon & cloves, I’m using real tonka, real Coumarin for warmth and added complexity. I’m also using Clementine essential oil and orange blossom. In addition, I have added a hint of Apple & Pomegranate notes. Finally I added a whisper of geranium essential oil and a powder note which I think turned this into a beautiful scent people who don’t normally gravitate towards traditional bay rums will love.
Notes: Clementine, orange blossom, green apple, pomegranate, rum, geranium, powder, tonka bean, coumarin, bay leaf, cedar
Ultima Ingredients: Stearic Acid, Beef Tallow, (Vegetable) Glycerin, Butyrospermum Parkii(Shea) Butter, Potassium Hydroxide, Garcinia Indica Seed (Kokum) Butter, Theobroma Cacao Seed (Cocoa) Butter, Aqua (Water), Beer, Sodium Hydroxide, Shorea Robusta Seed Butter, Persea Gratissima (avocado) Oil, Theobroma Grandiflorum (Cupuacu) Seed Butter, Emu Oil, Mangifera Indica Seed (Mango) Butter, Elaeis Guinneensis (Palm Fruit) Oil, Sorbitol, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Oil, Parfum (Fragrance), Olea Europea (Olive) Oil, Sodium Lactate, Xanthan Gum, Agave Americana Leaf Extract, Hyaluronic Acid, Silk Amino Acid
Not a big fan of the smell. I knew going in that this represented the maker's "interpretation" of the classic Bay Rum scent, and so expected something a bit different. After all, not all products sold as Bay Rum are identical. But. The scent of this product in no way makes me think of Bay Rum at all. Not at all. I get that the maker is, in their words "I was never a big fan of traditional bay rum scents." I get it. However, it would have been better to a) don't make a Bay Rum scented product if you don't like it, or b) make this product that you like but DON'T CALL IT BAY RUM BECAUSE IT ISN'T BAY RUM. Another quote from the product page: "I think turned this into a beautiful scent people who don’t normally gravitate towards traditional bay rums will love." Again, what are you trying to do here? People are buying it because it says Bay Rum on the tub, NOT because they DON'T like Bay Rum.
It's not a horrible scent, something is a little too pungent for my liking, but it's not terrible. It's just not Bay Rum.
The lather is OK. I've used better, I've used worse.
What I do love about this product is how nice my skin feels after shaving. I don't know if it's the tallow or what, but my skin feels wonderful after shaving.
I may buy a tub of the unscented Ultima shaving soap because of what it does to my skin, but I don't really trust the seller when it comes to scents. I like lemons so I thought about buying the Limoncello, but what will I get? Something that smells like bananas because the soap make doesn't like the smell of lemons but still wants to sell to people who like lemons?
Sorry for being brutally honest. I generally don't post negative reviews, but after receiving two requests for feedback I thought Ariana & Evans really wanted my feedback.
Hello James, thank you for your review. We publish all feedback, even when we disagree with the claim that our description is misleading. In fact, we strive to be as clear as possible. Within our product desciption, I started with: 'Truth be told, I was never a big fan of traditional bay rum scents. I wanted to create a Bay Rum composition which is not typical and without cinnamon or clove oils which can cause adverse effects and irritation. I’m using real Bay Leaf and rum. In place of cinnamon & cloves, I’m using real tonka, real Coumarin for warmth and added complexity. I’m also using Clementine essential oil and orange blossom. In addition, I have added a hint of Apple & Pomegranate notes.' I actually couldn't have been more clear. I created this scent specifically as an alternative for those who find traditional bay rums overpowering or not friendly to their skin. We kept the essential bay leaf, rum, and citrus notes, but replaced common spice irritants with smoother alternatives. We are very proud of the result, and thankfully, so many of our customers agree and have written wonderful reviews.
Absolutely amazing!!! If you like bay rums then you will love this. It’s not a strong clove or west Indian bay scent. All the scent notes blend together very nicely and the lather, phenomenal. I got the soap and the splash and it’s hands down my favorite bay rum. I have all the bay rums from paa and love them too but this one is my favorite. Try it and you will not be disappointed
By far one of my favorite Bayrum soaps. performance is excellent Highly recommend.
This is my all time favorite Bay Rum formula. It is a slick nurishing tallow based soap the does not overpower the senses. Its a joy to use.
Smooth & slick. One of my favorites