Saturday AM 2018-01-13
Georgetown Pottery G20 scuttle (Jet Black)
Rooney 3/3 Ebony Finest #1 (26mm/66mm)
Acqua di Parma soft soap (current version)
Delta Echo Black Chrome-Nickel Feather AS-D2/Triad Satin Diamond Titanium
Polsilver Super Iridium (8)
Acqua di Genova 1853 aftershave
This was the final day of my comparison of original Acqua di Parma Colonia soap and the current version. This has been discussed elsewhere, so I won't belabor it, but while my impressions agreed with some from other shavers, they also differed in some respects. The original Colonia has the gold jar lid; the newer one has a brown lid. Briefly, for me the soaps had similar very slightly soft consistencies, and the newer one was whiter, while the original was somewhat translucent. Both lathered very easily, although the current version might have been just slightly faster. Both produced dense, rich lather that had great cushion and glide. Both left my skin feeling clean and soft; the newer formulation might have been slightly more moisturizing.
The area where I found the greatest difference was the scent. The Colonia had a noticeably stronger fragrance throughout the shave. It is more prominently orange and lemon citrus, while the current version is simpler and more aquatic. The older version also has a sweet rose tone that is lacking in the newer one, while the latter seems to have a little more lavender and jasmine. And the current version has a bit more menthol. Acqua di Parma has stated that the fragrance was "reformulated with a neutral and delicate scent," which I think is fairly accurate. Apparently this was done for marketing purposes rather than due to any health or safety concerns.
Others have said that they like the newer version and that it has improved organic ingredients. But in my opinion, the original Colonia is significantly better. As a lathering soap it works just as well for me, and I like its bolder and more complex fragrance much more. A good part of my enjoyment of shaving comes from the fragrance of the soap, and in this respect the Colonia is for me the clear winner.