Cosmo
Saponificio Varesino
Saponoficio Varesino was established in 1945 by Dante Bardelli in the small town of Brebbia (Varese) near the shores of Lago Maggiore in Italy. It is considered a premium brand among shave soaps and reknowned for its luxurious soap base and sophisticated fragrances, many of which are inspired by popular men's colognes. The brand has grown into multiple product lines including Shaving Products, which includes a line of artisan razors and brushes, and Bath and Body Products, which include Bar Soaps, Liquid Soaps, Shampoos and Shower Gels.
Scent Description
Cosmo is an original composition that feels familiar at first blush. With its bold, citrus-forward opening, a dusting of pepper, and a firm vetiver backbone, it shares some DNA with another Saponificio Varesino favorite, Desert Vetiver. Where Cosmo departs is in its gourmand leanings: a touch of coffee adds depth and earthy texture, while vanilla and incense broaden the base and nudge the profile away from purely woody towards an oriental-tinged finish.
The spice accord is the signature here. Unlike a bay rum or barbershop,Cosmo leans into the drier spices of coriander and pepper paired with a roasted coffee note, creating an earthy heat that serves as a crisp foil for the bright citrus. Together they feel vivid and energizing, a pairing that’s more eye-opening than heavy. As it settles, vanilla and incense smooth the edges and round the bouquet into a semi-sweet foundation that calms the sharper angles without muting the character. The result is classy, complex, and confidently masculine, with a gentlemanly nod to an earlier era before the fruit-forward trends of the 1990s.
Fresh, spicy, with real depth and a refined finish, Cosmo makes a statement while staying versatile, and is a strong daytime pick when you want something conservative and timeless, but still interesting enough to feel intentional.
Available For Purchase From
Scent Strength
7
Longevity
6
Scent Family
Oriental
Subtype
Woody Oriental
Suitability
Date Night, Evening, Daytime, Home, Work
Inspiration
Unique
Country of Origin
Italy
Menthol
Non-menthol
Companion Products
Splash, Shower Gel, Bar Soap, EDP
Base Description
The Beta 4.3 soap base is prized among wet shavers for its luxurious lather and excellent post-shave feel. All of Saponoficio Varesino's (SV) soaps are triple milled and use the original process of mixing Meditteranean sea water with Olive Oil and plant extracts which are heated and mixed over several days then poured into a mold and left to set for up to a month. The Beta 4.3 creates a very dense lather classifid by ShaveSplash as Creamy, which due to its strong structure also has some properties of a Structured lather. Stability is extremely high and slickness is excellent. Key skin foods include Shea Butter, Glycerin, Castor Oil, Sunflower Seed Oil and Almond Oil.
Lather Properties
Cushion
9
Density
9
Slickness
8
Stability
Lather Type
9
Creamy
Base Type
Base Name
Tallow
Beta 4.3
Skin Food
Glycerin, Castor Oil, Illipe Butter, Shea Butter, Grape Seed Oil, Vitamin E, Manna Ash
Top Notes
Citrus, Coffee
Heart Notes
Nutmeg, Coriander, Pepper
Base Notes
Vetiver, Sandalwood, Incense, Vanilla
IIngredients
Sodium Cocoate, Potassium Stearate, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Sodium Rapeseedate, Sodium Sunflower Seedate, Aqua (Water/Eau), Galactoarabinan, Ricinus Communis (Castor) Oil, Fraxinus Ornus (Manna Ash) Sap Extract, Shorea Stenoptera Seed Butter, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Sucrose Cocoate, Parfum (Fragrance), Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Starch, Xanthan Gum, Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba Wax) Cera, Glycerin, Cera Alba, Stearic Acid, Tocopheryl Acetate, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Oil, Citric acid, Hexyl Cinnamal, Limonene.