The first shave with this new soap was – and this is a good thing – blissfully normal. The lather has a slightly grey tint from the charcoal, and the scent loosened up a bit and embraced me as I was removing my stubble. Facial feel wasn’t too dissimilar to the Cold River Soap Works’ Glide, which is a recent favourite of mine. Since I had bloomed the soap and have fairly soft water, about half a minute of loading was plenty enough for two passes and lather left over.

The post shave feel of the first shave was also a good one, with no noticeable drying out of my skin. As a side note the floral scent of the Pereira works very well with the Proraso Wood & Spices.