Today I am reviewing the Thistle & Black Pepper Body Bar I have been using for a while and will continue to use until it has melted away. The soap is made by a company called The Scottish Fine Soaps Company, and according to the packaging, it is indeed made in Scotland.

Now I must admit I had never heard of this company before; however, they do have quite an impressive range of men’s grooming products which may be worth a look. Hopefully, I’ll sample some of these in the future and let you know how I get on, but for now, let’s talk about the soap.

Where to buy

So this was another gift from my wife, and I am told it was bought from Amazon. After a quick look on the website, I did see that they were selling these for around £7.50 each, which is by no means cheap for a bar of soap. It would also appear that it’s only available to buy online, at least for me, as I haven’t seen them in any brick-and-mortar shops that I have come across.

Appearance & Ingredients

I do like the overall presentation of this; it’s simple and looks high quality, not something that you would typically find in a supermarket. Judging by the ingredients, it doesn’t look like it’s one of those ‘100% natural’ soaps, which isn’t necessarily a deal breaker for me; as long as it’s not harmful to my skin and cleans my body, I am generally happy.

If you are worried about this kind of thing or you have sensitive skin, then you may want to give this some more consideration. Honestly though, I am more interested in what it smells like, and I’ll get to that in a bit.

As far as I can tell, there do not appear to be any wild claims that the soap will do anything other than clean you and make you smell nice, which is fine because after all, it’s just a bar of soap. The bar appears completely grit-free, which may be disappointing for some, particularly if you need a good scrub after a hard day’s graft. Therefore, It may not be the best solution if you are a tradesman for example, but don’t worry, I will have you covered in a later review.

The scent

What does it smell like? To me, it has a rich ambient feel to it. It is somewhat sweet and musky, although I can’t seem to pick up on the black pepper element. It reminds me of something you would smell in a fancy men’s fashion shop.

It’s not something I would naturally gravitate towards, but it may appeal to a younger, more contemporary man instead of someone who prefers the more traditional scents. I do still like it, and I think the company have made an effort here.

QUICK NOTE:

If you’re thinking about buying this fragrance, sampling it first is always a smart move. The way a scent performs on your skin over several hours — especially the drydown — can be very different from a first spray or paper test.

A few proper wearings will tell you far more than any review ever could.

👉 US readers: Explore samples at MicroPerfumes
👉 UK & Europe: Browse fragrance samples at Decanted UK

Is it manly?

Most importantly, is it manly? The straight answer is yes. The ingredients give it a distinctly masculine scent that is more on the smooth and sophisticated end of the spectrum. If you’re looking for something more rugged, then I would suggest the Grandpa Soap Pine Tar; you can check out my review on that here.

Quality

At 7.8 oz in weight, it is quite a big old bar of soap, and it should be for the price they’re asking. I don’t know precisely how long it will last, but based on its size, I would estimate around 5-6 weeks, possibly even more, which isn’t bad at all.

In terms of quality, I would say this product is generally good value for money. I would not repurchase it as I do prefer something a bit more rugged, but that’s just my personal preference. If you do get the chance to give it a try, or any other products of their ‘Men’s Grooming’ range, do let me know what you think.

I hope this review has been helpful to you, and do stay tuned for more of my thoughts on the best and worst men’s products of all time.

READY TO GRAB THIS FRAGRANCE?

If you’re ready to add this to your collection, here are two reliable places to check:

• FragranceX – usually the best prices, discount codes, and a wide selection. They also ship worldwide.
• Amazon – great if you prefer Prime delivery speed, just make sure to buy from a trusted seller.

👉 Pick the option that works best for you.

No matter where you’re reading from, smell good, spend smart.

WANT TO FAST-TRACK ALL OF THIS STUFF?

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It’s built for guys who want to smell sharp without overthinking it.