Scent Description

Gentlemen’s Study channels the quiet ambience of a well-loved library, taking cues from Maison Margiela’s Whispers in the Library and Byredo’s Bibliothèque. A fleeting spark of plum and peach brightens the opening, but the fragrance soon settles into a tapestry of supple leather and dry woods, with only the softest traces of peony, violet, and clove. Calm and contemplative, it occasionally brushes up against an “aged wardrobe” vibe—quirky rather than unpleasant—which may feel out of place in more vibrant settings. Overall, it’s a refined scent tailor-made for daytime and office wear.

Scent Notes

Top Notes: Plum, Peach, Peony, Violet
Heart Notes: Leather, Parchment, Antique Woodwork, Clove
Base Notes: Vanilla, Patchouli, Black Pepper, Cedar

About Macduff's

Macduff’s Soap Company is a small-batch grooming atelier founded in 2017 and based in Edmonton, Alberta, where founder-formulator Sean Armitage channels the rugged charm of Canada’s prairies and foothills into richly nourishing shave soaps, aftershaves, and bar soaps. Named after the family’s spirited Scottish terrier, the brand pairs Alberta-sourced beef tallow and an array of luxe botanicals—goat milk, rice-bran oil, Tremella “snow mushroom” extract—with scent compositions that read like postcards from the Rockies and Badlands to produce premium soap bases. It's alocohol-free aftershaves are skin-conditioning tonics that balance gentle astringency with a hefty dose of hydration. 

The Soap 🔬 Deep Research report

Macduff's Gentleman's Study soap

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Scent Strength: 6/10
Longevity: 7/10
Scent Family: Woody
Subtype: Dry Woods
Suitability: Daytime, Home, Work
Inspiration: Byredo Bibliotheque
Country of Origin: Canada
Menthol: Non-menthol
Companion Products: Splash
Type: Croap

Base Description

Macduff’s V5 base marries Alberta beef tallow with a quartet of luxe butters—shea, kokum, cocoa and mango—to form a creamy, well-structured and dense lather with good cushion. Glycerin and castor oil boost slickness and act as a humectant drawing water into the skin. Aloe calms post-shave irritation, while rice-bran oil contributes trace ceramides that support barrier repair. Together, the long list of premium ingredients delivers high performance and an excellent post-shave feel. 

Lather Properties

Cushion: 7/10
Density: 8/10
Slickness: 7/10
Stability: 8/10
Lather Type: Creamy
Base Type: Tallow
Base Name: V5
Skin Food: Glycerin, Castor Oil, Kokum Butter, Shea Butter, Cocoa Butter, Mango Butter, Bran Oil, Goat Milk, Aloe, Silk Amino Acids, Jojoba Oil, Propanediol

Notes

Top Notes: Plum, Peach, Peony, Violet
Heart Notes: Leather, Parchment, Antique Woodwork, Clove
Base Notes: Vanilla, Patchouli, Black Pepper, Cedar

Ingredients

Potassium/Sodium Stearate, Potassium/Sodium Tallowate, Glycerine, Potassium/Sodium Castorate, Potassium/Sodium Kokumate, Potassium/Sodium Shea Butterate, Butyrospermum Parkii, Potassium/Sodium Cocoa Butterate, Potassium/Sodium Mango Butterate, Sodium Lactate, Oriza Sativa Bran Oil, Goat Milk/Lait De Chèvre, Aloe Barbadensis, Tremella Fuciformis Bark Seed Extract, Simmondsia Chinensis, Cucurbita Pepo, Hydrolyzed Silk Peptides, Propanediol, Parfum

The Aftershave 🔬 Deep Research report

Macduff's Gentleman's Study aftershave

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Type: Splash
Scent Strength: 7/10
Longevity: 7/10
Inspiration: Byredo Bibliotheque
Suitability: Daytime, Home, Work
Scent Family: Woody
Subtype: Dry Woods
Mentholation: Non-Menthol
Country: USA
Price: $$
Companion Products: Shave Soap
Skin Food: Aloe, Glycerin, Witch Hazel, White Willow Bark, Panthenol, Jojoba, Olive Oil, Grapefruit Seed Extract, Allantoin, Vitamin E

Notes

Top Notes: Plum, Peach, Peony, Violet
Heart Notes: Leather, Parchment, Antique Woodwork, Clove
Base Notes: Vanilla, Patchouli, Black Pepper, Cedar

Ingredients

Witch Hazel, Aloe Vera Juice, Glycerine, Polysorbate 20 (Emulsifier), Olive Oil PEG-7 Esters (Ecocert Emulsifier), Organic Jojoba, Preservative (Propylene Glycol (and) Diazolidinyl Urea (and) Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate), White Willow Bark, Sodium Lactate, Grapefruit Seed Extract, Silk, Hydrolyzed Oat Protein, Vitamin E, Allantoin, Vitamin B5 (DL-Panthenol), Paraben + Phthalate Free Fragrance Oil, Essential Oils