Apparently spring 2017 is lavender season in shavedom. There have been almost a dozen new lavender scents released so far (or very soon). It stands to reason, as it's a decidedly springtime scent. This fine fragrance note has been used for hundreds, even thousands of years in soaps and fragrances and is seeing quite the renaissance this year!
Lavender is a flowering plant in the mint family Lamiaceae, native to the mountainous zones of the Mediterranean, where it typically grows in sunny and stony habitats. Today it grows all around the southern Europe, Australia, and the United States, boasting its woody branches covered with gray-green narrow leaves and small violet flowers, known for their strong and relaxing odor.
These are the #soap and #aftershave offerings for early this year (some may not be out yet - be sure to check the event calendar for details)...
- Catie's Bubbles - Sunset (soap and aftershave) - five lavenders, Haitian vetiver and clary sage
- Chatillon Lux - Pure Lavender (aftershaves) - several types of lavender
- Chatillon Lux/L&L Grooming - Catalan's Prairie (soap and aftershaves) - violet, freesia, lavender, jasmine, labdanum and sandalwood
- Cold River Soap Works - Lavish (soap, aftershave and balm) - bergamot, lavender and field herbs
- Dr. Jon's - Flowers in the Dark (soap and aftershave) - lavender, "coffin wood" and ozone
- Grooming Dept - Lavender (soap) - lavender (multiple varieties)
- K Shave Worx - N.Y.M.L. (soap and aftershave) - lavender, lemongrass, citrus (and more)
- Phoenix Artisan Accoutrements - Lavender Planet (soap and aftershave) - French lavender, Spanish lavender and Bulgarian lavender absolute
- Storybook Soapworks - Elysium (soap and aftershave) - lavender, peppermint, vanilla, sandalwood, Virginia cedarwood and amyris (west Indian sandalwood)
- Stubble Trubble/Above the Tie - Lavender & Lemonade (soap) - lavender and lemon
- The Holy Black Trading Company - Lavender Creeper (soap and aftershave) - three types of Lavender essential oils
Of course, there are countless older releases featuring lavender as well...
- Ach Brito Lavanda (cream) - lavender with citrus notes, heranium and cinnamon
- The Art of Shaving - Lavender (soap, cream, balm and aftershave) - lavender
- Barrister and Mann - Lavanda (soap) - lavender
- Barrister and Mann - Lavender (soap) - lavender
- Big Easy Soaps - Voodoo Queen (soap and aftershave) - lavender, spearmint and vanilla
- Catie's Bubbles - Menage a Lavande (soap and aftershave) - lavender
- Catie's Bubbles - Purple Grapefruit (soap and aftershave) - lavender and pink grapefruit
- Chatillon Lux/L&L Grooming - Champs de Lavande (soap and aftershaves) - lavender, ylang ylang, eucalyptus, rosemary, bergamot and black pepper
- Coate's - Lavender (cream) - lavender
- Czech & Speake - Oxford & Cambridge (soap and aftershave) - lavender plus
- Dapper Dragon - Lavender Lizard (soap) - lavender, vanilla, oakmoss and pepper
- D.R. Harris - Lavender (soap and cream) - lavender
- Fine Accoutrements - Lavender Pour Homme (soap and aftershave) - lavender, peppermint, rosemary, bergamot and oakmoss
- L&L Grooming - After the Rain (soap and aftershave) - wet pine, muted lavender, cedar and white pepper
- Martin de Candre - Original (soap) - lavender and rosemary
- Mickey Lee Soapworks - Cape Verde (soap and aftershave) - orange, tangerine, lavender, thyme and oakmoss
- Mickey Lee Soapworks - Jefferson Square (soap and aftershave) - English lavender, spike lavender, topped lavender and lavandin grosso
- Midnight & Two - Provence (soap) - lavender and tea tree
- Mike's Natural Soaps - Hungarian Lavender (soap) - Hungarian lavender
- Phoenix and Beau - Albion (soap) - bergamot, grapefruit, English lavender and patchouli
- Phoenix Artisan Accoutrements - Lavender Cedar (soap and aftershave) - lavender and cedar
- RazoRock - Essential Oil of Lavender (soap and aftershave) - French lavender
- RazoRock - King Louis Lavender (soap and aftershave) - Hungarian lavender
- Renegade Atelier - Lavender Lemonade (soap) - South African lavender and Sicilian lemon
- Stirling Soap Company - Bergamot Lavender (soap, aftershave and more) - bergamot and lavender
- Taylor of Old Bond Street - Lavender (soap and more) - lavender, orange, floral and cedarwood
- The Obsessive Soap Perfectionist - Lavender (soap, cream and aftershave) - multiple lavenders
- The Sudsy Soapery - Lavender & Peppermint (soap and aftershave) - lavender and peppermint
- Truefitt & Hill - Luxury Shaving Soap (soap) - lavender
- Wet Shaving Products - Lavenderwood (soap and aftershave) - lavender, cedar, rosemary, patchouli and musk
- Wet Shaving Products - True Lavender (soap and aftershave) - Bulgarian lavender
- Wholly Kaw - Lav Sublime (soap and aftershave) - lavender and lime
- Wholly Kaw - Lav Sublime Concerto (soap and aftershave) - lime, lavender, musk, cedarwood and vetiver
Here's a good article on lavender to get you up to speed. There are easily a half dozen varieties and comes in essential oils, hydrosols and absolutes. Here's just one example of what's available.
I like lavender. And new software containing it never gets old to me. What are some of your favorites?