Xpec shaving cream/soap

dodgy

dodgy

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Hiya,

So this product is like a medium consistancy cream and as such I partially dissolved some in a small amount ( 1 teaspoon or so) of very hot water and let it sit in the mixing bowl for a minute or two. Then I loaded my well shook out brush and worked the lather in the bowl for maybe 15-30 seconds or so.....just to charge the brush deeply. Then to my face where the lather is made.

From there the cream whips up real quick......really nice looking thick texture. I remember bowl lathering with this one time and it was amazingly easy. Reminds me of Penhaligons in that way.

Plenty of slip, which is unusual to find in a cream, and the cushion was great. Post shave skin care is very good. Really, there's a lot of good things going on.

Scent wise, it's gonna be a crapshoot I can tell ya. It reminds me of the C&S #88 as a reference point. Same kinda dirty rose infused thing. This frag has lots of pepper for sure. Hah, I've used it 6-7 times and still can't tell if I enjoy it. I know I like using it....does that count?

Price wise, holy crap it's expensive. Yeah, normally a large 250m tub will run about $75 shipped. Yeah, it's over 8 ounces of product, but that's the deal. As of this writing there's one German place selling it for around $50 shipped, which is by far the lowest I've seen it. That is a crazy good price, but still not cheap I know.

Finding the stuff isn't easy. Only a few vendors selling that product and none in the US right now. The two places that did are out of stock. So there's that to deal with.

Made in Italy by a company with some big accounts called Forester. Here you go:
http://www.askforester.com/eng/

So would I buy this again? At $50 shipped (or thereabouts) I think it's a good value. This cream is one of a few I will use, those others being Penhaligons and J Peterman 1903. Mostly I use soaps and this stuff performs similar to a very good soap. That's the deal. If you like the scent it's a bonus.

The reviews I've seen on Xpec are all positive as far as great performance goes. What that's worth is up to the individual (how 'enthusiastic' they are). I am happy to have this in the arsenal.

Martin

An update from February 2014: This turned out being a favorite of mine and there's been some in the arsenal since the original post almost a year ago. The scent is what C&S #88 tries to be, with Xpec doing that dirty rose note better. Totally hooked........sheesh.
 
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Finished my review cycle on some of the latest (post reformulation) batch:

This comes with a reputation, a good one. It's known for being expensive, but for being one of, if not the, best shaving cream ever made. At least before the reformulation.

Starting with the price, it's expensive. In most places [in the UK] it'll cost you around £34 (I have seen it somewhere for less, but even they charged more originally). You do get a big pot for your money, with 250ml. Even going on price per ml it still comes out more expensive than many top names though.

So it's a premium product, but it comes in a plastic tub (albeit with a liner lid). That gives a less than premium experience. A glass jar and a bit of effort would be nice.

All of that would count for naught if it didn't perform though, which this does. I never failed to get a good shave, it lathered easily and provided good slickness. Post shave feel wasn't always top drawer but was generally pretty good.

The fragrance was enjoyable too (they do also offer an unscented version). It was strong (which is rarely the case with many shaving products) and complex, closer to a cologne than some traditional shaving scents. It stayed with me throughout my shaves and even clung on (just) afterwards.

Is it the best cream I've ever used? I'd certainly put it up there, but it wasn't streets ahead of some of the other products I have used. I knocked it down for price and packaging but I'd still call this top-tier. If money is no object then I'd say it was worth a punt, but don't feel you're missing out without it.

Read the full review here
 
Might be expensive per tub but the price per shave makes it great value. The amount needed for three passes is really minimal. I've found the post shave feel up there with the best.
 
That was amusing, to start reading dodgy's post as if it were a new one! Because of his minky throwing tendencies, I still have a stock of the old stuff, recently replenished because of his Xpec hunting addiction and generosity.

YMMV, I don't like glass jars in my bathroom and am very happy with Xpec's black plastic. I believe they kept it for the reformulated version - it's iconic Xpec, after all.
 
Nice review Martin, the old Xpec certainly is a cut above the rest of the creams I've tried. Almost like shaving with E45 cream and some.
 
Hiya,

I was trying to remember exactly what was going on with that stuff at the time of that last post. I think it was not too long before XPEC cream went extinct and from there very tough to find. I think the places in the USA were selling tubs for almost $100 shipped domestically even before that catastrophe occurred. Price for a new version tub only fairly recently came down to a little more realistic figure.

After ordering some NOS scented tubs at a very good price from Germany (in late 2014 I think), the next batch came months later from Norway of all places. Yep, found a vender with a small amount of old stock who was actually discounting the heck out of it! Crazy good prices on the whole line...EdT and balms...all half price. Heh, the poor guy hadda wait till Tall Paul the Bagman learned Norway talk and the seller was spooked even sending things as far as the UK. Normally he only dealt with local guys. Cleaned him right out of multiple tubs quick like. Both these deals are after the extinction, so I was real pleased to replenish my up till that time almost gone supply. Didn't get a lot, but enough to take the edge off things. Yeah, overseas (UK)deals...lots of payoffs to my Limey 'chums' to keep things from getting lost or broken.......sheesh.

Then this latest thing comes up maybe 6 months ago now. This vender was based in Italy and he also had some NOS creams in mostly the unscented flavor but not all. Managed to pick up a few more scented tubs from him and split a few more with a couple people. Enough NOS unscented ones for a 24 piece forum group buy order, which is tough to come by. Not only that, the price was excellent once again. I wanna say it was around $40 per tub with shipping included. Pretty crazy price for sure.

Well I used some today in my shave. Stopped for a while recently to take a break from heavy abuse but this morning it called to me. Whew, nice having this in my arsenal.

Martin
 
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Hiya,

I finally got to sample the new Original XPEC version recently and used it twice. I can tell you it ain't as good as the older incarnation. The scent's kinda close but the newer stuff has less pop and definition going on with it. Not as much fun to huff.

Performance is good but not great. Takes a bunch of product to get enough lather for three passes and the cream takes a little coaxing when whisking it to the final result. Nothing special slip and cushion wise, which is a shame. Post shave thing is fine.

Very glad to finally get that monkey off my back. The not knowing how the new stuff worked was bugging me.

Martin
 
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dodgy said:
Hiya,

I finally got to sample the new Original XPEC version recently and used it twice. I can tell you it ain't as good as the older incarnation. The scent's kinda close but the newer stuff has less pop and definition going on with it. Not as much fun to huff.

Performance is ok but not great. Takes a bunch of product to get enough lather for three passes and the cream takes a little coaxing when whisking it to the final result. Nothing special slip and cushion wise, which is a shame. Post shave thing is fine.

Very glad to finally get that monkey off my back. The not knowing how the new stuff worked was bugging me.

Martin
Click to expand...
I never tried the older incarnation, but I'm not impressed with the version I have now.
 
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