My initial impression upon peeling off the wrapping was that it smelled minty. I also noticed that the soap was much softer than I expected, not that this was a problem.
I pressed the soap down into my shaving mug and pondered what I ought to do. I decided to put a little water on it and let it set for a few minutes while my brush soaked.
When I took the brush to the mug, the scent of mint became much stronger. It took quite a while to make much lather and the lather, while slick and creamy looking, seemed a bit thin. I brushed it on my head for the first shave and my eyes started watering and my skin felt cold! I finished up the shave in somewhat stunned cold silence. I was impressed by how cold it was.
My subsequent shaves were very similar, however, I was able to get a thicker lather each time. The last two lathers were augmented with the addition of a bit of Van Der Hagan glycerin soap with the thought that I might be able "thicken" up the lather. I think it worked. I also think that it cut the menthol and mint down just a bit as my eyes did not water as much.
All in all, the Stirling Glacial was a superb introduction to Stirling Soaps. Stay tuned for the next installment when I review the next sample in line.
