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Lav Sublime
Lav Sublime shaving soap on WhollyKaw's Tallow base. Sublime lavender fragrance composition. Made in small batches in our New Jersey workshop.
Lav Sublime is a sublime lavender shaving soap on the Tallow base, made in small batches in our New Jersey workshop. Available in Tallow and Vegan builds.
Quick facts
| Detail | What it is |
|---|---|
| Scent family | Sublime lavender |
| Base | Tallow — tallow plus whole donkey milk |
| Weight | 4 oz / 114 g per puck |
| Lather | Dense, slick, builds in 30–45 seconds with a wet brush in cool water. |
| Where it’s made | Our New Jersey workshop. Small batches, single-vessel saponification. |
| Builds | Tallow ($23.99) / Vegan ($21.99) — same fragrance compound, different fat structures. |
What Lav Sublime smells like
Lav Sublime is the lavender-led composition in our line — a focused, purist take on the lavender note that sits at the heart of every classic fougère. For shavers who want the lavender front and center, not woven into a multi-note structure.
A blend of essential oils of lavender and lime to create a unique aroma of floral and citrus scents. Made with high quality ingredients including Donkey Milk, Castor Oil, Kokum Butter, Cocoa Butter, and Shea Butter for added post shave benefits. Vegan does not contain Donkey Milk. Vegan includes Soybean Glycerides and Shea Butter Unsaponifiables with Kokum Butter, Cocoa Butter, and Shea Butter.
Tallow or Vegan — which to pick
Lav Sublime is offered in two builds. They share the same fragrance compound (so the scent journey is identical) but the fat structure underneath is different.
Tallow ($23.99) is the original Tallow formulation. The conditioning is denser; the lather has more body. If you’ve shaved with WhollyKaw Tallow soaps before, this is the same direction.
Vegan ($21.99) swaps tallow for plant-derived fats (kokum, shea, cocoa, mango). Same fragrance compound, lighter lather body, brighter and cleaner under the razor.
Who Lav Sublime is not for
Honest limitations:
- Fragrance-sensitive skin. Lav Sublime has a real fragrance load. If our unscented Bare Naked Shaving Soap (Tallow build) or Sans Parfum Vegan Shaving Soap (Vegan build) is what your skin tolerates, this isn’t the soap to switch to.
- Strict dairy allergies. Tallow builds contain saponified dairy proteins. Most contact-dermatitis reactions to dairy are with raw milk, not saponified milk soap, but if you have severe sensitivities, test a sample before committing to a puck.
- Looking for a designer-fragrance clone. Lav Sublime is its own composition, not an interpretation of a popular fragrance.
- Pucks-as-decor shavers. The puck is meant to be used. The fragrance is most expressive in the lather; sniffing the puck doesn’t do it justice.
Cost per shave
A 4 oz / 114 g puck of Lav Sublime lasts most shavers ~5 months with daily shaves:
- Tallow ($23.99 / ~150 shaves) ≈ $0.16 per shave
- Vegan ($21.99 / ~150 shaves) ≈ $0.15 per shave
For comparison, a single-use disposable cartridge plus a foam can typically runs $0.40–$0.60 per shave with worse skin feel.
What's in the soap
Tallow build:
Potassium Stearate, Sodium Stearate, Aqua, Donkey Milk, Glycerin, Potassium Tallowate, Sodium Tallowate, Potassium Ricinoleate, Sodium Ricinoleate, Potassium Shea Butterate, Sodium Shea Butterate, Garcinia Indica (Kokum) Butter, Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Butter, Linoleic Acid, Linolenic Acid, Humulus Lupulus (Hops) Extract, Lanolin, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil, Citrus Aurantifolia (Lime) Oil, Linalool, Limonene.
Vegan build:
Potassium Stearate, Sodium Stearate, Aqua, Glycerin, Potassium Ricinoleate, Sodium Ricinoleate, Potassium Mango Stearate, Sodium Mango Stearate, Potassium Shea Butterate, Sodium Shea Butterate, Garcinia Indica (Kokum) Butter, Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Butter, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Polyquaternium-10, Linoleic Acid, Linolenic Acid, Humulus Lupulus (Hops) Extract, Soybean Glycerides, Shea Butter Unsaponifiables, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil, Citrus Aurantifolia (Lime) Oil, Linalool, Limonene.
Contains no parabens, no chemical sulfates, and no synthetic dyes. Fragrance is a custom compound mixed by an American perfumer to our spec.
If you like the scent profile of Lav Sublime, also try
Cross-references from our shaving-soap catalog by shared notes:
- Eroe — shares the lavender note
- Man from Mayfair — shares the lavender note
- Fougère Bouquet — shares the lavender note
What customers say
★★★★★
My favorite by far
My skin loves this stuff. I even lather up again after the last razor pass because it is so soothing. I also love the scent.
★★★★★
Did You Say Lavender?
I ordered a sample of this over a year ago. It sat in my top desk drawer at the office and nearly every day I'd take several whiffs. LOVE this stuff! Never knew lavender could have so many wonderful variants. Citrus hits me first but what an invigorating first thing in the morning scent. Of course the donkey milk and tallow performance is legendary. I also bought the matching AS. Lots of compliments. I’m waiting for the EDT… antime Sri!
★★★★★
What can I say?
It’s Wholly Kaw with donkey milk. Great lather and plenty of it, smooth and easy shave, great skin feel afterwards, great scent. Can’t beat it. I seem to be collecting more and more Wholly Kaw, especially the versions with donkey milk.
★★★★★
Another Winner!
Fantastic scent. Lime forward...evolves into nice lavender, lime mix. The two essential oil scents are complementary and work VERY nicely together. It is very true to it's name...Sublime...it is thankfully not a overly strong scent. The scent intensity is just right....very balanced, light and refreshing. Performance? Typical with WK DM...A+ on alll criteria. If you enjoy a subtle lime and lavender this is for you. Perfect spring/summer scent.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a puck of Lav Sublime last?
Most shavers get 5 to 6 months out of a 4-ounce puck with daily shaving. The Tallow base lathers efficiently — you don't need to load heavily — so a puck stretches further than a typical mass-market soap.
What does Lav Sublime smell like?
See the scent walkthrough on the page above for the structured top/heart/base note breakdown. Lav Sublime is a sublime lavender composition that develops over a 3-4 hour wear time on skin.
Why is it called Lav Sublime?
Lav Sublime is the lavender-led composition in our line — a focused, purist take on the lavender note that sits at the heart of every classic fougère. For shavers who want the lavender front and center, not woven into a multi-note structure.
Tallow or Vegan — which build to pick?
Tallow build is the original — beef tallow plus whole donkey milk on the Tallow base, denser conditioning lather. Vegan build swaps tallow for plant-derived fats (kokum, shea, cocoa, mango), lighter lather body, same fragrance compound. Pick on dietary preference; both share the scent journey.
Do I need a brush, or can I lather with my hands?
Lav Sublime is a hard puck designed for brush use. A synthetic or boar brush builds the best lather. Hand-lathering works in a pinch but won't get the dense, conditioning lather the soap is designed for.
Is Lav Sublime a moisturizing shaving soap?
In the way most shavers use the word — yes. People search for "moisturizing shaving soap" looking for a soap that leaves skin feeling conditioned, hydrated, and protected. The technical term we use is "conditioning" because the soap is rinsed off, but the experience matches what people mean. Lav Sublime on our Tallow base delivers exactly that conditioned skin feel. For an actual leave-on moisturizer, pair with our grass-fed tallow zinc oxide cream.
Can I use Lav Sublime in cold water?
Yes — Tallow soaps lather well in cool water with a 30-45 second build. Hot water gives a slightly faster build but isn't necessary.
Where is Lav Sublime made?
In our New Jersey workshop. Saponification, scenting, pressing, and packaging all happen in house. The fragrance compound is mixed by an American perfumer.