Super Smooth V2 Testers needed

MPH said:
Here's the thing.... those scents were new, and I haven't smelt them elsewhere. They weren't 'lemon', or 'mint' or 'another soap we already know', they were Darron's creations. I smelt them and thought WOW, that's like bakewell tart and custard, or "I have no idea what it smells like, but I love it".
The scents I loved the best were Dandyism, Club cola, and Imperial tonic, and I dont think any of the new ones come anywhere close. I am just a little disappointed as I so much like the Wickhams brand that I want to keep using them for a long time, but 'mint' or 'lemon' you can find elsewhere, it's nothing that stands out. I think the soaps will always be great, but I would be really disappointed if the old wonderful scents were replaced with the less complex, simplified versions that I have tried so far.

I don't know what you did to create the scents you came up with before @Fox, but I would love something new like that.... I.e. something ..... different. If you could invent some new scents as good as those mentioned then your new soaps would fly off the shelves.

Just my thoughts.

Matt
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Just to throw in my opinion on the scents for future super smooth (and any other) soaps. I have only tried 3 of the previous Super Smooth scents, English Rose, Spice Trade and Southsea Spray. I liked all of them but wasn't as keen on the spice trade, not because of the similarity to old spice but because I'm not that keen on spicy scents to start off with. I have heard good things about previous scents and creating soaps with the old favourites, even as limited editions or seasonal soaps, would possibly be a good idea. Although moving forward and creating new scents will keep things developing nicely and possibly gain new customers.

I see that the 1912 soaps have some interesting scent lines and I'm looking forward to trying them. I know a lot is made of US soaps, both for their range of scents and performance and I personally like the vast range of scents from companies such as Catie's Bubbles, Soap Commander and Stirling with several scents being original or "replicas" of EdTs that aren't easily available. Although I would only buy soaps that had descent performance with them too..

I do think though that some of the US companies create some very strange combinations that sound strange on paper and I for one have trouble imagining what scents are like from descriptions unless I've smelled them previously e.g. describing a scent as "based on Issey Miyake".

I think that the soap should be developed first and then scents, but creating enough range and types of scent while keeping things manageable is probably a difficult task! I know it's hard enough to decide which scents to try when there are so many to choose from!

To avoid getting too off topic on this V2 feedback thread, maybe Darron @Fox may consider a "what future scents would people like" or a "scent request" thread further down the line. Although at the end of the day, I know Darron will already have his plans and ideas and I don't want anybody to feel that they have to do something or are being told what to do.

I'm confident that Darron, will produce some great soaps with great scents as he has done previously and I'm looking forward to trying more Wickham soaps.
 
I've now used Russian Leather or Cool Lemon four times. These have been used on the RHS of my face with my control soap on the LHS.

Scent:
Russian Leather. Darron, if you were aiming for an Imperial Leather clone then you've hit the bulls-eye. My wife loved it. Imperial Leather was the only soap we used when I was a kid and so the scent to me just smells soapy, soapy soap. I wouldn't buy it but I'm sure many who like the smell of Imperial Leather would be very satisfied.

Lemon Cool. I've never liked citrus scents as they smell to much like bathroom cleaning products, and this is no exception. Too synthetic and no menthol effect, but I think you already know that.

Performance:
As I stated before slickness is my #1,#2 & #3 priority for soap. SSv1 didn't work for me. SSv2 Royal Mint was much better but still not quite premier league. Both SSv2 Russian Leather and Cool Lemon are the equal of my control soap in terms of slickness and protection and stability of leather, and my control soap is my best soap. Skin conditioning was also equal but this isn't at all important to me. Top notch soap.


In an alternative scent I would buy this.
 
Second shave with Russain Leather yesterday. Started with a hot shower, brush shavemac. Nice leather in no time that provided a good protection. Scent same as first shave, just the same as imperial leather soap. I did a double check on the scent when I went round to my mums with there imperial leather soap. The skin felt good to the touch after a three shave pass with the Schick pass a round. I can't fault to performance of the soap.
 
It seems I am coming closer with regards to better performance, though maybe a little tweak to enhance it further would be a good thing. It has become very clear to me that this soap base does not like the addition of menthol and if I increase it further then I will exceed the guidelines set out by EU for this ingredient. With this in mind I have decided to scrap the menthol Super Smooth and introduce it in the 1912 instead, as this soap behaves much better to scents and the addition of menthol. For me the main reason for doing this is because I really want to keep the formula of SS as simple as I can. This I feel is a great selling point as there are very few soaps that can boast such positives of a minimal ingredients list.

I do have 3 scents that were going to released in the Super Smooth before I had personal problems to attend to and was forced to stop with Wickhams in early 2015. I will include these in with the next round of samples with the slightly more tweaked SS V2

I won't post their descriptions because... simply there are none. I will create descriptions based on the feedback they each receive. This is something I have never done before, so it will be interesting to see what you guys make of them.

@Str8_Shaver I know you requested unscented and I am sorry for my mistake in sending you out scented on this round. I have made a note so that on the next round I don't forget to send out the new scents and an unscented so your options are covered. :)

Just to thank you all again for the valuable feedback and hope everyone is happy in the direction this is going with SS V2.
 
I think I'm right in thinking the next round of SS V2 tests are again tweaked soaps with new scents How do you feel about calling the tweaked versions V2.3 or V2.4, however far we are along, Darron? I lose track - have lost track - of whether I am testing a 'new' soap for its qualities or just a new scent. Help me know what feedback you are looking for without needlessly repeating myself or neglecting to carefully notice qualities.
 
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Fox said:
I do have 3 scents that were going to released in the Super Smooth before I had personal problems to attend to and was forced to stop with Wickhams in early 2015. I will include these in with the next round of samples with the slightly more tweaked SS V2.

I won't post their descriptions because... simply there are none. I will create descriptions based on the feedback they each receive. This is something I have never done before, so it will be interesting to see what you guys make of them.
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Now I'm excited!!!!! :)

Can't wait.
 
Wickham Super Smooth V2 Lemon Cool - Shave #2
Today I had an accidental shave with the Lemon Cool. There is one brush that has never worked for me - the Semogue 620 boar. It never produces or holds enough lather for a full shave. But I'm stubborn. I occasionally lather up with this brush before I shave, just in case it's not broken in yet after doing this for 40 times or so. Normally I then set the brush and lather aside in disappointment and lather up with another brush and/or soap.
Today I tried a lather with the Semogue brush and the Lemon Cool. I was so surprised by the amount of lather it produced from a fairly small amount of Lemon Cool that I spontaneously decided to go ahead and use the lather in earnest. And it worked. I managed four full passes without running out of lather and there would have been enough lather in the brush for a fifth one. No other soap has managed that before.
No further news on the Lemon Cool… lather slickness and all that is great.. scent not great, but OK… menthol absent… irritation none.
 
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Bechet said:
I think I'm right in thinking the next round of SS V2 tests are again tweaked soaps with new scents How do you feel about calling the tweaked versions V2.3 or V2.4, however far we are along, Darron? I lose track - have lost track - of whether I am testing a 'new' soap for its qualities or just a new scent. Help me know what feedback you are looking for without needlessly repeating myself or neglecting to carefully notice qualities.
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Good idea Carl, something that had not crossed my mind. Thank you for the good suggestion.

The next round is now known as the SS V2.3 and the current as SS V2.2
 
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