WestMan Ye Olde Limey Shave Soap and Splash Review
My friend Brett got this WestMan Ye Olde Limey set a while back, and he would not stop talking about it. Every time we connected, same thing: “Man, you need to try this.” So we finally made it happen, because Brett was kind enough to lend me the set.
Right out of the container, I understood why he kept pushing it. This thing smells really, really good.
The set uses WestMan’s Halo base, which is their vegan formula. First time I’ve used it. I wanted to lather it on camera because I figured some of you might be curious how it builds, especially if you’re coming from the tallow base and wondering what to expect.
The Scent
The notes are three things: lime, spices, and sandalwood. Simple on the label, but there’s a lot going on. Out of the container, the lime is bright and clean, with something powdery underneath that almost reads barber-shoppy. Not heavy, not old-fashioned, just that clean and slightly crisp quality you get in a good barbershop splash. The sandalwood sits quietly behind it.
Simple by the notes. But once you get it in the bowl and start working it, the layers really come through. That’s just such a banger. Perfect for summer, and honestly, I’d reach for this any season.
For the razor I’m using the Aylsworth Atelier in stainless steel, loaded with a Feather Artist Club Professional blade. Brush is my Zenith. Bowl is the RazoRock, my favorite. Two and a half days of growth going in.
Building the Lather
The Halo base is easy to work with. The soap is not too hard, so it scoops cleanly. I loaded a little less than half an almond-sized scoop into the bowl, added a few sprays of water, then worked it with the Zenith after squeezing out the excess. The lather started taking shape fast.
It doesn’t need much water to get going, but it can take a decent amount once you’re moving. I kept adding a little more to push the hydration until the consistency landed where I wanted it: creamy, dense, good peaks, a shiny surface. Not airy. Not thin.
The lime really comes forward once you’re working the lather. Brighter than out of the container. The bathroom starts to smell like somewhere you’d want to be.
For bowl latherers: the soap pieces don’t get stuck at the bottom. It all comes together cleanly with a little patience.
The Shave
First pass with the Aylsworth and the slickness is excellent. Great feel through the whole pass. Residual slickness after the rinse is very good too.
The tallow base is slightly slicker on residual feel when you compare them back to back. Small difference. Vegan bases have come a long way, and this one is very close. If you’re coming from a tallow soap, you’re not compromising.
Second pass against the grain. The Aylsworth is so comfortable. No issues buffing. Plenty of lather left in the bowl when the shave was done.
Skin feel after the face wash was fantastic. Westman gets a strong recommendation from me. One of my new favorites, and really hard to beat on performance and post-shave feel.
The Splash
This is where Brett made the biggest point. He was especially excited about the splash, more than the soap even. He was right.
The Ye Olde Limey splash is alcohol-based. My own rotation usually runs witch hazel, so I was paying attention. The scent out of the bottle is close to the soap, maybe a little sweeter, the lime freshness slightly different in the liquid form. Very pleasant.
The dry-down is where it really shines. Light tingle from the alcohol, not harsh, not tacky at all. Just a clean, comfortable landing. No lotion needed afterward. The skin food ingredients in there are doing their thing. And the scent, wow. Just a phenomenal end to the shave.
I remember when this set first came out, it sold out fast. I saw it listed once and it was already gone. After using it, I completely understand why. If you get a chance to pick one up, do it.
Apologies for the noise toward the end of the video. My wife and youngest son came back from a walk right as I was wrapping up. Couldn’t have planned the timing worse.
Big thanks to Brett for lending me the set and finally getting me to try Ye Olde Limey. Well worth the wait. I’ll see you in the next one. Stay safe and enjoy smooth shaves.