EXTRO’ COSMESI | Egyptian Oudh Shaving Cream

If I haven't given five stars, it's only because of the several Extro Cosmesi shave soaps I ordered from Top of the Chain, this is the only one that makes me think about the scent. If that sounds counterintuitive, over the years I've found that the more I like a previously undiscovered fragrance, the less I am able, or inclined to, account for it. In that way analysing it is a bit like the little boy disassembling a creature he's captured, and then, when all he has is a pile of arms, legs, and so on, he wonders where the beast itself went. The aspect of Egyptian Oudh that makes me unable to avoid doing a bit of taking-apart is, I think, the inclusion of eucalyptus and aldehydes (although the TOTC description doesn't mention them). These aren't things I would have thought blended well with oudh. On the other hand, I also know from experience that I may find something disagreeable, or at least challenging, about a new concoction, to the point that I put it aside. Then, maybe years later, I return to it, and think it's brilliant. That may happen with Egyptian Oudh. As far as the physical properties of the soap go, like all the Extro Cosmesi shave soaps I've tried, the lathering qualities are, in my experience, unsurpassed.