Shaving Product Review - Barrister and Mann "Jacinthe"

Value (Cost, Packaging and Performance)

Lather (Density, Glide and Feel)

Post-shave (Healing, Moisture and Feel)

Scent (Quality, Strength and Longevity)

Irritated by the constant cold and snowstorms? Then get a fresh taste of spring with Barrister and Mann Jacinthe #soap and #aftershave - a bright, lemony floral that's kept in check.

Springtime always puts us in mind of cool morning dew, white garden trellises, and three-piece flannel suits. Crisp citrus-floral scents just seem to work with those visuals, and Jacinthe’s clean, understated blend of lemon, hyacinth, a dash of sweet pear, and the spicy greenness of real tomato leaf absolute fits the bill perfectly. Strangely reminiscent of the flavor of Lemon Pez®, Jacinthe is a perfect way to start your day!

Jacinthe by #barristermann was released on March 1st. It will be available through April 30th. The bases are the well-known Glissant for the soap and Tonique for the aftershave. The branding is familiar, but the artwork is decidedly different from previous Barrister and Mann releases; it's illustrated, simple and even playful - very suggestive of spring! Composed of only four, the notes include lemon, hyacinth, pear and tomato leaf. Naturally, I added Jacinthe to the History of Barrister and Mann.

On open, you get a bright, lemony floral that's just slightly sweetened by the pear, while the green tomato leaf dances in and out of the background. It's the latter that keeps things in check. It doesn't wander too much into citrus or floral, nor is it too sweet overall - that is, it's balanced quite well. It's not terribly complex or multi-layered, but it's clean, fresh and totally springtime. If you're a fan of classic offerings like 42, Rhapsody or Adagio for example, Jacinthe slips right in. While it definitely gives you that spring vibe, you'll be enjoying this during any of the warmer months. The scent strength of the soap and aftershave is fairly medium and the longevity as well. Definitely consider layering a scent when headed out for the day.

How does Jacinthe compare to 42 you might ask. The latter is more lemony, less floral and not quite as sweet. Overall, Jacinthe is decidedly more "springy" whereas 42 is more reserved. Adagio has a somewhat similar vibe as well, and while it has floral components, they're downplayed somewhat - instead it features the lime and cherry primarily - making it a fruit-forward scent. Of course, it also contains menthol - which neither of the other two do. All three could be a loose-knit family. Adagio being fruity, Jacinthe being lemony/floral and 42 kind of in the middle with neither fruit nor floral standing out, as they're toned down by the tea (instead of the green of the other two).

Hardware included the black #StandardRazors with a fresh #Gillette 7 O'clock (black) blade and the brush from #TurnNShave - a beast. If you're going to rock a monster 30mm Tuxedo knot - you need an equally monstrous handle to go with. Neither disappoints in this regard. The knot measures 30x72mm and the handle is 2¼" tall (and weighs as much as you might imagine). More details to be found here.

To be honest, this black razor has always been a bit troublesome... One side was always more aggressive than the other, because the top cap didn't fully come down onto the base plate on on side. After studying the issue, I attribute it to a few things; wax from the blades, loose tolerances in alignment and even a slightly askew threaded stud in the handle. The key is to keep it clean, keep the head assembly well aligned (at the ends) between your fingers as you crank the handle down firmly. The Gillette blades were my go-to before discovering PolSilver and put up a good show and the lack of wax helps as well.

I had a great shave with a nearly BBS result. The scent of Jacinthe is delightful and most definitely spring fever inducing (even if you'd be hard pressed to tell around here lately with all the snow). The performance goes without saying, is truly excellent. No fuss, no muss - just great shaving. I look forward to using this along with Sinfonia and Rhapsody a lot the next bunch of months.