Valobra Almond Soft Shave Cream Soap

jnich67 · 08-20-2008, 07:11 PM

I picked up a "bar" of this soap in NYC the other day. It’s kind of strange in that it comes in a rectangular bar like any other soap, but it's very soft. It can be molded to fit any container you like

The scent is of mild almond. It reminds me of some fine Italian deserts I've had. Besides being soft, the texture seems oilier than most soaps I've come across.

The soap lathered easily. The lather was very creamy and provided great moisture and slickitude. I found the performance comparable to any of the high end hard soaps. For $12, that's not a bad deal. If you see it, grab it...

Jordan

English · 08-20-2008, 07:35 PM

Jordan,

They do that soap in two styles, the other has menthol in it.

They also do a quality shaving stick "Velobra".

Some say that the Italian Company that makes the Velobra soap also makes the soap for Art of Shaving.

Ok it's good, but I can not agree that it is better than the top shelf British products.

Take a puck of Trumpers almond soap, use it for a month and then try the velobra soft almond soap for a month.

I think you will miss your Trumpers quite quickly and spot the difference.

Incidentally, I like the Velobra shaving stick for travelling. But, I'm pleased to get home to my Trumpers Rose and my Floris hard soaps. I think they are just better soaps.

If you have never used an almond soap before, I can well understand your delight at finding what I call that putty soap. Almond oil is really appealing to anyone who has a tendency to dry skin, which I certainly do in the English winter months. But even then I found that the old Crabtree and Evleyn hard almond soap was better than the Velobra putty soap . Only my opinion. But it may give you a couple of suggestions of soaps to try that many think are cream of the crop.

Still we all have different tastes and if Velobra rocks your boat, I am pleased you have found soap happiness.

loueedacat · 08-20-2008, 08:18 PM

I have valobra almond, C&E SAO soap and cream, DRH almond soap, Trumper's almond cream, TOBS almond cream, conk almond soap, and cella (which is almond). Valobra almond is my favorite as well, on scent and performance. So as always this is just a personal preference thing.

jnich67 · 08-20-2008, 08:23 PM

Fair enough English. I wouldn't say its better than the English hard soaps, but I do think its in the same league - and at half the price...Trumper (I have Rose and Lime) is among my favorite soaps and will always have a place in my shave den...

Jordan

English · 08-20-2008, 08:36 PM

Jordan,

It took me years to work out which soaps I really liked.

Then they go and reformulate the stuff to put a spanner in the works and off you go again.

It's only recently that I have found Floris to be extra special. In the last couple of years they have been tampering with the Trumpers soaps as well, but not for the better. As for the Crabtree and Evelyn almond soap, I can not find it any more. They sold it in one of those small puck sizes that would fit a matching ceramic shaving bowl.

I think Valobra has remained unchanged for years and it has always been difficult to find outside of Italy.

Still your post reminded me to order up a new shaving stick.

loueedacat · 08-20-2008, 08:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jnich67

Fair enough English. I wouldn't say its better than the English hard soaps, but I do think its in the same league - and at half the price...Trumper (I have Rose and Lime) is among my favorite soaps and will always have a place in my shave den...

Jordan

That's funny - my two Trumper soaps are rose and lime as well!

jnich67 · 08-20-2008, 08:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by loueedacat

That's funny - my two Trumper soaps are rose and lime as well!

Well, there you go then!

I also picked up some DR Harris Lavender and Lightfoot's Pine shaving soap (something tells me this last may burn the hell out of my face). I'll post a review on them in a few days.

Jordan

gssixgun · 08-20-2008, 10:31 PM

I have been wanting to try some of this Valobra soap I guess I better put it more toward the top of my list now...
I have found one disturbing problem with my almond scents though, I keep wanting to take a bite outta them they smell so good

Thanks for the info Jordan...

bjorn · 08-21-2008, 07:16 AM

Thanks for posting this just when I'm about to run out of DRH almond, the Valobra just leapt past all the other soaps on my shopping list and into the shopping basket, it'll be a hopefully nice change in almond soap, and if not, theres always DRH.

Thanks Jordan

gugi · 08-21-2008, 07:32 AM

I've seen before Valobra recommended as in the same league as the fancy english stuff. I'm a soap person and I have only tried the crabtree&evelyn sandalwood, which I like. Some day I'm sure I'll try Valobra as well.. And yeah there are many excellent soaps and we all end up preferring some over another. After all everybody's skin, brush, water, lathering technique, and preference for lather is slightly different...

Seraphim · 08-21-2008, 03:12 PM

I like the regular Valobra. But I have turbocharged it by grating down a Valobra shave stick and throwing that in the bowl with the regular stuff. It seemd to boost the richness of the lather, as the shave stick is tallow based (the regular stuff is not apparently), so it now gives a very similar lather to Tabac, with a decidedly different scent!

loueedacat · 08-21-2008, 04:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bjorn

Thanks for posting this just when I'm about to run out of DRH almond, the Valobra just leapt past all the other soaps on my shopping list and into the shopping basket, it'll be a hopefully nice change in almond soap, and if not, theres always DRH.

Thanks Jordan

II have DRH and Valobra and they are totally different animals but both are wonderful. You'll be happy with both purchases! Valobra is a very dry almond crossant kind of foody almond, rather than the over the top sweet taste of others. It's really awesome.

loueedacat · 08-21-2008, 04:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Seraphim

I like the regular Valobra. But I have turbocharged it by grating down a Valobra shave stick and throwing that in the bowl with the regular stuff. It seemd to boost the richness of the lather, as the shave stick is tallow based (the regular stuff is not apparently), so it now gives a very similar lather to Tabac, with a decidedly different scent!

This is really interesting. How did you disperse the vaolobra stick into the almond putty? Did you knead them together?

Seraphim · 08-21-2008, 05:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by loueedacat

This is really interesting. How did you disperse the vaolobra stick into the almond putty? Did you knead them together?

Technically speaking: I smooshed the grated up shave stick into the Valobra bowl. I am pretty much mostly lathering on the shave stick regrind stuff on top, but the smooshy regular Valobra squished up between the shavings as I was mashing it in there, so it actually is a blend. The tub was pretty full to begin with, so I couldn't do a real good mix job without getting really messy...

gssixgun · 08-26-2008, 08:41 PM

Well mine is on the way here right now, I was doing some ordering from Amazon for the wifeage and there it was.....

Can't wait to try it out....

gssixgun · 08-30-2008, 03:43 PM

This stuff is definitely in a class all it's own, Is it a soap or is it a cream or is it just confused

The "Soap" has an identity issue but it can sure lather and the scent is wonderful.....
I got a great shave out of it, the wife however was slightly less impressed with the slickness on her legs....

gssixgun · 08-31-2008, 03:48 PM

An addendum to my last post, at 10:00pm last night the SWMBO made this statement "You know that soap wasn't as slick as my favorite Lavender Uber" " But my legs are still smooth, so it does shave good"
Followed by the inevitable "Can you fix that"???????