Ariana & Evans | Spartacus
DrivenLegend Red & Black | APShaveCo Tuxedo 30mm
Ever-Ready SE | Gem PTFE
Stirling Soap Co. | Executive Man
Creed | Aventus 16D01 I asked Peter if he'd consider doing an Aventus homage utilizing his premium goat's milk and lanolin soap base. He proposed there wasn't much demand for it given the current market saturation of Aventus-type fragranced soaps. Regardless, he made one for me, and I'm honored. I told him he may find there's more interest than he realizes because among the current offerings, few share the performance level of his base.
I think Peter's still mucking around with his recipe, but fortunately he hasn't taken any steps backward. Spartacus' loading is a bit sticky if you skimp on the initial water. The result is that Declaration-esque marshmallow cream load which I love because it makes the lather build so predictable. If you do choose to load in this fashion, I dare you try to drown it. My hard water couldn't do it. Instead I was rewarded with more and more volume and finally a dense, slick, shiny base that I associate with good use of clay. First pass and residual slickness are both stellar and post shave is equally outstanding. As with A&E's previous iterations of this goat's milk and lanolin base, the post-shave feel seems to ramp up a couple hours later. So, if you think your skin feels good immediately following the shave, just wait---it gets better.
Much like the batch variations of authentic Creed Aventus EdP, the various Aventus-type soaps have diverse openings. For instance, Stirling's "Executive Man" opens with a more fruity pineapple while Viking's "Ragnar" showcases ripe apple. Spartacus, instead starts with a rather bright bergamot. All of these eventually settle into the unmistakable Aventus accord which is pineapple and subdued bitter citrus followed by sensual black currant, oakmoss, smoky sweet patchouli, and musk with subtle hints of spicy vanilla. Spartacus is on the darker end of the Aventus spectrum, and I immediately knew I needed to finish this off with my darker Aventus EdP. The Stirling splash did take if off the rails temporarily with its fruity opening, but Darkventus 16D01 reigned it in.
Full disclosure, Peter surprised me with this soap out of the genuine kindness inherent to him. He didn't ask for anything in return, and that includes my comments which are offered free of attached strings. While he's stated he doesn't think there's demand for a full release of Spartacus, I suspect he'll be proven wrong if the word gets out.