Gentleman's Study
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.
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.
Available For Purchase From
Scent Strength
6
Longevity
7
Scent Family
Woody
Subtype
Dry Woods
Suitability
Daytime, Home, Work
Inspiration
Byredo Bibliotheque
Country of Origin
Canada
Menthol
Non-menthol
Companion Products
Splash
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
Density
8
Slickness
7
Stability
Lather Type
8
Creamy
Base Type
Base Name
Tallow
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
Top Notes
Plum, Peach, Peony, Violet
Heart Notes
Leather, Parchment, Antique Woodwork, Clove
Base Notes
Vanilla, Patchouli, Black Pepper, Cedar
IIngredients
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