the novelist shaving soap - Ultima 2
The Novelist was something of a hidden gem and reserved exclusively for our members for many years.
The original composition was inspired by my personal bottle of Histoires de Parfums 1899. For its return, I went back to the fragrance and updated the composition for Ultima 2, adding more of my own touches while keeping the character that made The Novelist so special in the first place.
The fragrance opens with bergamot and aromatic juniper, followed by black pepper and orange blossom. Vanilla and iris soften the composition, while tobacco, vetiver and amber provide warmth, depth and a slightly spicy richness. Fragrance enthusiasts have compared its character to a more refined take on Viktor & Rolf Spicebomb, with additional vanilla, amber and aromatic spice.
Most importantly, The Novelist is still created in-house. It is NOT a dupe, clone or off-the-shelf preblended fragrance oil. It was originally inspired by 1899, but the composition is our own.
Now available beyond our membership for the first time, The Novelist is presented in our Ultima 2 shaving soap formulation.
Scent Notes: Bergamot • Juniper • Black Pepper • Orange Blossom • Vanilla • Iris • Vetiver • Tobacco • Amber
Although originally inspired by my bottle of Histoires de Parfums 1899, The Novelist is not a duplication or clone. The fragrance is created in-house and is not made using an off-the-shelf dupe fragrance oil.
We are proud to present The Novelist in our new custom glass jars, embossed with our logo and packaged in our custom black tubed boxes, each hand-stamped with our wax seal. Each jar is generously filled with 5 ounces of our all-new Ultima 2 shaving soap.
Due to the increased weight of the glass jar and packaging, shipping costs may be slightly higher than with our previous packaging.
Ultima2 Shaving Soap 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, Cetyl Alcohol, Hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC), Hyaluronic Acid, Silk Amino Acid
About the formulation: Ultima 2: ingredients and formulation.
Me and my Wife both love the scents and we both think it similar to 60s Cologne but not as bold.
Subject: A response from the spectator in the doorway
Michael, if you are still lingering in that candlelit study, I trust the ink has dried and the coffee has long since grown cold.
I feel compelled to write to you because your review of The Novelist did something dangerous: it made a simple choice impossible. My husband returned home with too many contenders for his morning ritual, but after I read your dispatch from that locked desk drawer, the decision was no longer a matter of preference—it was a necessity. I was haunted by your description of "spiced ink and grief." I simply had to know if the phantasm was real.
I don’t even shave, yet I find myself lingering near the bathroom, waiting for the "whispers of dead poets" to fill the air. The scent is exactly as you promised—brilliant, melancholy, and utterly captivating. You have turned a mundane task into a daily performance art piece.
Thank you for your intervention. My home is now permanently graced with the aroma of your half-finished manuscripts, and I have you—and your dreadful, beautiful light—to thank for it.
P.S. Make no mistake, your influence is far-reaching. Had Lavender Noir not been sold out, it would have surely usurped my husband's decision to bring home Patient No. 9. Consider yourself responsible for the state of our entire collection.
Yours in the margins,
J.
I know my picture shows the original packaging from when it was exclusively offered to Shaving Shop Club members, but this corner stone offering from A&E. Now its been elevated to the top shop Ultima shaving base. So basically now you have a great cool weather scent paired with a slick shaving experience with great post shave feel. All wins if you ask me
A smoother version of Spice Bomb.
This is very elegant and the splash can be used as a cologne. The soap base lather is the thickest I have ever used. Incredible base. I also like the artwork. Its very retro and looks like an old whiskey label.
Thank you for your support. We're really glad you liked it.
Another awesome scent
I debated posting a review since this has so many great reviews, but I was confounded by this approximation by many reviewers to spice bomb. I don't get it. It doesn't even approach spice bomb for me. I find Sterling soaps deton-8 to be much closer. Having said that it doesn't change the fact that this is an outstanding shaving soap and aftershave. I deeply appreciate the fact that this fragrance was concocted by A&E and not simply pre-blended by someone else and then added. I came to Ariana and Evan's from first line shave and black Mountain and Stirling. It was difficult to believe all the great reviews but man oh man Ariana/Evans consistently puts out some of the best quality, shaving soap and fragrances. From my use case I find this to work best in fall and winter. And it's always a unique experience in my rotation. In fact, the novelist has brought me back to a A&E for more purchases, looking for more of this truly artisanal crafting of my shaving scent experience. kudos!
Love this one..both soap & splash. Wish that the EDP was still available. Not overbearing but refined. Great scent that has some last.
The description is spot on—this soap reminds me of Spice Bomb. When I first opened the jar, an off-putting scent made me hesitant. However, once I lathered the soap and applied it, the fragrance became wonderful.
Performance-wise, it’s solid—while not quite on par with the Latte e Menta formula, it’s still a very good soap.
Great rich lather as always with a spectacular scent.
Love this one also. A and E tallo based soaps are incredible and make the difference between a good shave and bad one.
I’m new to this artisan movement in self care, so I don’t have the vocabulary yet. All of the A&E Ultima soaps I’ve bought are amazingly foamy with a slickness and after shave quality that I feel make my skin more hydrated and nourished than before the shave. Not sure if it is in fact what’s happening, but I perceive it that way! And the smell of the soaps improve from presoak to shave to after the shave to a few hours later. NOVELIST is a classy, masculine, cigar library smell that makes me smile!
fantastic!
A Fragment Discovered in a Locked Desk Drawer, 1847
To Whom It May Concern (if any such soul still lingers in that dreadful light),
There exists a scentno, a presenceby the name of The Novelist. It is no mere soap, but an olfactory phantasm, a ghost of aged paper, spiced ink, faded cologne, and grief. Sweet heavens, the grief!
Upon lathering, I was cast backno, hurledinto some candlelit study, where pipe smoke lingered and the air itself was heavy with secrets. My hand trembled as I shaved, for I felt I was not alone. The mirror, too, seemed to read me.
It speaks, this scent. Of melancholy. Of brilliance. Of the long night pressing in around half-finished manuscripts and too many cups of black coffee. The slickness? Divine. As though one were shaving with the whispers of dead poets.
If you find this letter, do not pity me.
For I have known greatness. I have known The Novelist.
Yours in the final draft,
M.
The base of this soap is heaven for the skin. Thick creamy lather, slick and cushioning ideal for straight razor shaves or your favorite DE. The scent is deep and complex with that is intriguing and sexy. This is a great soap for fall and winter months or a late evening shave prior to an evening out.
Best soap and aftershave I have ever used. Just ordered the signature one as well.
I'm a big fan of Histoires de Parfum 1899. It's a very warm and masculine scent that my wife adores. The Novelist is a faithful recreation, and Ultima is a superb soap base. You can't go wrong.
Top tier base. Novelist is one of my favourite scents,it's an amazing blend of Tobacco and Vanilla