Murphy and McNeil soaps

My point is that I didn’t know it was a clone until I received it.  The fact it is a clone isn’t stated in the scent description.

I think you made several points in your post (#68).  IMO those points made that post valuable, even though I disagree with much of what you said.  My disagreements were for what I consider matters of preference, not matters of fact.  

I agree that if something is a clone, it is normally better to identify the inspiration explicitly (but I can think of reasons to make exceptions).  To me, the Clann Bethadh scent notes read like GIT (compare say, with Fragrentia), so M&M seem to have been aiming for GIT.  Ironically perhaps, had you paid more attention or given greater weight to the scent notes, you might have passed, whereas if I had done so, I might have bought it.

In any case, your disappointment is understandable to me, and I did not mean to seem insensitive.  I'm glad you're liking some of their other soap better.

It seems like most of the M&Mc scents are clones. Several Creed clones to be certain, but even Ourobouros reminds of L'Instant de Guerlain. I agree that adding this to the descriptions would be helpful.

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I heard M&M are coming out with an unscented.

I shaved again with Claddagh yesterday, and the second shave was even better than the first.  I was rushing to clean up before an appointment, so I used a milder plate, shaved quickly, and skipped the touchups.  Even so, I ended with an excellent DFS result - BBS except for a few neck spots.  

What really surprised me was the post.  This was the first time I did not use my normal post shave serum since it became available.  It is an excellent product that I love, but I didn't want to take the time to wash the oils off with soap and water lol.  (As I said, I was rushing.)  I used Lucky Tiger instead - quicker to rinse off the hands - and my skin felt excellent!  As I write this a day later, it still feels excellent.

Shave pic and gear details are here.

Third shave with Claddagh

As often happens, the soap is getting better as I learn to use it better.  It is forgiving.  I thought I had added plenty of water - the soap had a nice texture and glorious sheen - but I could see during the first pass that the razor wasn't scraping off the lather the way it should, and the lather wasn't dissolving in the sink when I rinsed off the razor.  Anyway I added more water, and everything was copacetic after that.  It is a credit to the lather that my skin stayed in tact and feeling good despite the lapse in technique.  I'm unwilling to do away with my customary preshave, but I decided, somewhat reluctantly, to set aside my customary post shave serum while I do some personal soap comparisons.  Like the pre, the post works so well for me that I think it would mask post shave difference between soaps.

As it is, I had some time on my hands and got a very gentle BBS, with two "micro-nicks" that disappeared by themselves prior to the post shave routine.  My skin did feel very slightly dry immediately after shaving, but as I sit here writing up the shave almost two hours later, my skin feels absolutely fine.  Also, this is only the second shave without my customary post shave serum, so I am giving Claddagh the benefit of the doubt in the post area for now.

My bottom line:  Three shaves in, and more impressed each time.  This soap is fun!


Pic and gear details here.

I have now had a chance to shave twice with Claddagh and here are my thoughts:

On Performance alone, this is a ridonculously amazing soap. Whips up a crazy beautiful lather and the superlatives in terms of creaminess, cushion, slickness and all that are 100% earned. I shaved with both my Game Changers (68 and 84) and both shaves were effortless and blood free. Post shave is also stupid good. In the performance category, this base competes with my very best. Oleo Canard, APR F2, A&E Goat Milk. In terms of the post shave, it most closely reminds me of Oleo's Canard base.

When it comes to scent, I am far less thrilled. The sample I am working off has a light but noticeable fragrance in the container I have temporarily settled Claddagh into. The scent isn't bad, but I don't love it either. Perfectly pleasant but not more. On the face though, I hardly smell the fragrance. Instead, I seem to mostly smell the base, and particularly the clay component, I think. Again...totally acceptable in terms of scent and maybe even comparable to an unscented soap in the same base.

I think where the rubber meets the road for me is that given the price of this soap and the fact that the scent performs very differently from how other M&McN scents perform, I would not choose to buy a puck of this. The Ourobouros and Mandate of Heaven I ordered have better scents and strengths to my nose, perform just a tiny little bit less spectacularly, and cost $3 less per puck.

If I had to give any kind of feedback to Bill and team, I would suggest going away from Creed clones and finding inspiration from other sources. That could include making their own creations (maybe inspired by Irish countryside fauna/flora) or to make clones of other perfumers (or both).

There are only 2 soapmakers from whom I can buy any scent blind and I know I will like it...Eufros (Jabonman) and APR (and this one often has descriptions that don't really match what is in the tub). Every soap I have ever tried or ordered (often blind) has been a beautiful scent. Noble Otter is close behind, but some of their recent creations have been too cologne-y for my tastes, so they have been relegated to sample-first status for my den. I have ordered almost a half dozen scents from M&McN and have found only 2 I really liked. That isn't a fantastic batting average.

The base is what sells the M&McN soaps, and I could not be happier having 2 soaps in my den and supporting fellow Texans who do a bang up job. But I feel boxed in and constrained by what and how much I can buy from them due to the scents being a weakness relative to the base.

Which brings me to my last point. Namely that IF the base is the biggest draw to secure orders, I think it is a mistake NOT to make the duck/Eisteacht formula the standard formula for all soaps going forward. Because many will simply overlook the scents if the standard base is as good as what I shaved with the last couple of days.

Feel free to flame me now

Fourth shave with Claddagh

I'm liking Claddagh more with every shave.  I don't usually shave on consecutive days because it's most often a bit much for my skin.  But I felt like taking Claddagh for a spin tonight, and so when I did, I was really on my toes.  The lather was excellent, and I walked away with happy skin and a DFS.    

Pic and shave details here.

First shave with Murphy and McNeil

Several observations from my shave :
1. This is not a croap. It is a cream.
2. It handles water no problema
3. Super super slick
4. Solid cushion for a cream
5. Low profile, rich, high density lather
6. Scent profile light [that is fine btw]
7. Like the clone Creed scents plan - hard to argue with some of those masterpiece fragrances
8. Post shave really excellent.
9. Easy to build a lather
10. Reminds me of mystic waters but easy to lather

Will be in my rotation. Looking forward to an unscented version

I am from Flower Mound TX - nice to have this vendor in my hood

Try it boys - but note, it is softer than several of the creams I own.

GREAT PRODUCT - slick and post shave.... high marks

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I used Ourobouros today off my new puck. As always, amazing shave. Scent is divine and post shave is super smooth. There is a small difference in performance relative to the duck fat formula, but the scent more than made up dor it IMO.

FIfth shave with Claddagh

Nice, easy CCS tonight.  This is the third day in a row shaving.  For me, three days in a row is pushing it, and even though I used a Karve throughout, I used a different plate each day.  The CCS, together with the fact that my skin feels good, is a clear win for Claddagh  - and me too.

Pic and gear details here.