Barrister and Mann Nordost Shaving Soap Seasonal (Omnibus Base)

Barrister and Mann Nordost Shaving Soap with an omnibus base is a seasonal scent and is available only while supplies last.

"Try not thinking of peeling an orange. Try not imagining the juice running down your fingers, the soft inner part of the peel. The smell. Try and you can't. The brain doesn't process negatives.” -Douglas Coupland

Of all the brilliant creations of Chinese antiquity, perhaps none is so humble or so enchanting as the orange. Sweet and juicy, warm and inviting, the fruit has been cultivated around the world for centuries, and was so prized by Louis XIV that he ordered the construction of an orangery at Versailles that remains one of the largest and grandest in the world, housing hundreds of plants since its completion in 1663. The French king was even known to have the trees potted in solid silver basins and placed throughout the state rooms of the palace in order to perfume the air. Unfortunately, transferring that wonderful scent to soap has proven to be difficult.

Orange oil is famously frustrating to work with, highly unstable and prone to oxidation, and extremely weak unless you use the stuff by the bucketful, which can disturb the chemistry of soap and presents skin allergen problems. We’ve searched for years for a safe way to produce an orange scent that properly reflects the rich warmth of the genuine article, and, at long last, we’ve finally found it. The product of this effort is our newest and grandest citrus creation: Nordost.

Rich and elegant, with undertones of dusky sweetness, Nordost is the smell of smoked oranges, their peels made leathery by the heat, their juice darkened and concentrated and wonderful. This is no weak, muddled orange scent, handicapped by the fragility of the fruit’s natural oil, but instead an intense, distinctly authentic fragrance so deeply luscious that you’ll swear you’ve buried your face in a basket of the real thing. We consider Nordost to be one of our crowning achievements, a glorious, impassioned love letter to the warmest and friendliest citrus. Enjoy, and long live the orange.