Barrister & Mann Tallow Shaving Soap, Lavanille

In the early 20th Century, the House of DeLaire created a magnificent perfume base for legendary perfume firm Parfums Caron. A masterpiece in its own right, the base, known as “Mousse de Saxe” (Saxon Moss) made use of a brand new aromatic chemical called isobutyl quinoline, an incredibly bitter, dark, leathery substance of incredible potency and versatility. Marie DeLaire, head of the House, built the base around this strange new substance, weaving anise, iodine, oak moss, and various other compounds into a seamlessly beautiful, velvety tapestry that was to form the basis of many of Caron’s greatest masterpieces. DeLaire continued to manufacture its legendary base for Caron until 1969, when the House went bankrupt and the formula was lost. Today, everyone who ever knew the original Mousse de Saxe formula is long dead, the base itself a mere memory. That’s where Barrister & Mann comes in. Some time ago, Barrister & Mann had the extraordinary fortune to obtain a sample of the ori