Review from Vellus & Terminal 

2/11/2020

Last month, I reviewed a phenomenal whipped butter...I mean, I've reviewed a couple phenomenal whipped butters last month, but, of course since this is a review of a product from The Bearded Mack, I'm guessing you know exactly which one I'm talking about. The 18th Mack butter left one hell of a first impression of this company on me. With an ingredients list chock-full of high quality, exotic carrier oils, and a scent so divine that it could easily be mistaken for a high-end cologne, it still gets heavy rotation among the best and brightest in my beard-care arsenal. With how impressed I was by their butter (as is evidenced by the fact that I'm still going on-and-on about it on a completely separate product review), it only stands to reason that I needed to check out their oil too. Boasting many of the same ultra-beneficial ingredients as their butters, the oil offerings from The Bearded Mack demand to be taken just as seriously. I was lucky enough to receive this matching oil packaged with my butter order, but given how backlogged I am on new product reviews, I haven't been able to get around to sharing my thoughts on it until right now. Will this stuff have me just as excited as the butter that came with it? Let's give it a try and find out.

Scent...

If you read my review of the matching butter, you'd remember that I found it to be a pleasant departure from the typical whiskey scents that can be readily found in so many beard-care products out there. Such is the case with this oil as well (which  came as a huge relief to me, because more than once, I've fallen in love with the scent of a particular product, only to try the matching oil, balm, butter, whatever, and find that it just doesn't quite measure up).  Backbone is provided by that same soft, ethereal whiskey, completely devoid of the typical loud, heady, "bite" that we've come to associate with a great many whiskey based scents. It rises up, as if in a heavy bottomed, carved crystal tumbler, to catch the warm glow of mid-day sunlight, streaming through the picture windows of an open airy kitchen on a lazy afternoon. Just outside this window, delicate lacy notes of juicy Bartlett pear, take flight in a shimmering breeze of ultra fine sugar and baking spices before  gracefully landing on a perfectly broken-in leather bound book, sitting open on a sun bleached oak stump, its cover aromatic and worn by the hands of countless readers, and its aged pages slowly turning in the breeze, revealing the secrets within.

Perhaps that's what I find so flat out alluring about this scent (and also what I failed to mention last time), it seems to contain a beautiful secret that only becomes clear as the day rolls on; it continues to evolve and redefine itself with every passing hour, each permutation a bit more intoxicating than the last. There's just such a phenomenal balance and intrigue within this scent that I have a very difficult time imagining that anybody who smells it, even once, wouldn't be instantly drawn in by it, if for no other reason than to see what each and every captivating layer reveals. The Bearded Mack has done a fantastic job of taking normally heavy, in-your-face components, and using them to make something so subtly graceful with such exquisite poise that you cant help but catch yourself zoning out to savor the incredible sophistication of this scent at various points throughout the day. Strength is right around medium plus, and staying power is phenomenal, detectable from morning to bed time on a single application. 

How does it work?
​
A medium viscosity oil with enough heft to get deep down into my beard and coat every hair with it's incredibly nutrient dense carrier blend. This stuff provides ample conditioning, leaving my beard feeling touchably soft and luxurious. I had been dealing with a particularly stubborn dip in my beard that required a bit more exposure to hot air than I'm usually comfortable with earlier today, but after a quick dose of this awesome oil, my beard is feeling as healthy as usual, and in no way damaged or fried. Hemp seed, broccoli seed, and avocado oil all provide heavy hitting nourishment and moisturization, but the star of this show is moringa oil. Another one of those tragically underutilized oils when it comes to beard care, moringa oil comes from the seeds of the Moringa Oleifera, colloquially known as the Drumstick Tree in the subtropical regions of south Asia where it is most commonly grown. This oil packs a wallop when it comes to essential minerals, vitamins and nutrients, in addition to its lightning quick absorption which seems to instantly impart a supple elasticity to my skin, and a strong, healthy "plumpness" (for lack of a better term) to each and every individual hair of my beard. With exceptionally high quality, elite-level carriers like that, it's no wonder that this product offers a tremendous in-beard feel, without even the slightest hint of greasiness. Finishing properties are breathtaking, as more than once, the borderline star-bright shimmer this product imparts had me doing a double take when walking past mirrors. Staying power is incredible, moisturizing and providing a healthy feel, all day long, even on dry, chappy February afternoons spent out on the back patio with a Long Live the King by Caldwell in one hand and a glass of Buffalo Trace in the other.

The bottom line

I was having a conversation with another beard-care enthusiast about this company the other day, and I was wondering out-loud about how a relative new kid on the block, could present an initial offering that not just raises the standard for all other new companies, but actually raises the bar for established ones as well. I'm sure there was an absolute ton of R&D put into not just this oil, or the butter I tried previously, but this company in general, before it was ready for release to us, the public...but beyond that there is something else, this oil feels like the result of somebody setting out to revolutionize the beard-care game and working their fingers to the bone until they were able to accomplish just that. As I mention only too often whenever I sample products from a new brand, that no longer is it enough for a new company to roll out a line that is just good enough, now-a-days, if a new company wants to make a splash there needs to be a noticeable commitment to quality, and innovation...but just as in my last Bearded Mack review, I cannot stress enough how above and beyond these guys go. An oil this phenomenal is not to be missed, an absolutely tremendous product that I enthusiastically recommend!