Man Bar Mini – Hair + Body – Redwood + Clove Fragrance

“Tiny House”

With a name like “Man Bar” I was expecting full-on traveling salesman aftershave—but no, this is a lovely, gentle soap with a subtle, enticing fragrance. Like some of the best fragrances, it’s hard to nail down. I’m at a loss to say what it is—except that it’s mildly nostalgic, clean, and wholesome—maybe something in nature. Well—it says right in the name, redwood, and clove—and the description on the box adds saffron and nutmeg—so that’s all quite a combo. They were wise to go easy on the clove, so it doesn’t overpower the redwood and make you feel like you’re in a 1980s coffeehouse. More text on the box insists that it’s suitable as both a shampoo and body soap—no place you can’t use it! Except on women—I guess. But if I was a woman, I wouldn’t listen to that “man” nonsense, and I’d use it. Of course, you need an amateur magician to figure out how to get the soap out of the rugged, fancy, faux-leather box. (It took me awhile—there’s a hidden magnet in play!) The smallish bar will soon be a fond memory, but you can’t just throw this sturdy box away! But what shall I use it for? The rings I don’t wear? My dice collection? It almost seems like it would be an ideal home for a pet cricket or flea, or maybe an imaginary, invisible, trash-talking, go-anywhere companion.

Soap Review No. 214