Castelbel – Teakwood & Amber

“Ship's Cargo”

This was one of the big-ass (10.5 ounce) white bars of soap from Portuguese company Castelbel that comes in bulletproof-looking packaging with a little tag tied to it with the name—effective enough approach. It's got a decent lather, allegedly due to karité butter, and I used it in the bath with no ill effects, and it lasted forever. I found the fragrance to be manly, but not overly aggressively so. Really, quite a subtle scent, but it's there. With old-school male fragrance, you don't want it to be too cheap or dominant—you don't want to think that door-to-door salesman is still hiding in your bathroom. This one's okay. Maybe just okay, in that it hasn't given me flashbacks, or even aroused memories—aching, crushing, bitter, or sweet memories—no. Who knows about these things. It certainly gives it the old first day at college try, with the teakwood (you're on a boat that's being dragged through a forest) and amber (a can of worms—watch for my upcoming book and lecture series: “What the Fuck is Amber?”) The same way that a little can go a long way, sometimes a little too much restraint goes a little too far. But if you expect a home-run at every bat, you've probably come to the wrong sports-bar.

Soap Review No. 125