Castle Forbes Lime Oil

I had been putting off buying this product for a while because of the price. I finally gave in and purchased it from QED. After trying it this morning I don't know why I waited. This has definitely moved into the number one spot. After seeing how you get and how small of an amount is needed for my typical three pass shave, it's well worth the price I paid for it. The lather explodes on your face and has the most cushioning of all the creams I have (IMO). I love the scent. To me it's not too overpowering. I will definitely purchase one of the other scents in the Castle Forbes line-up. I am definitely a Castle Forbes fan now. My top creams now are: Castle Forbes Lime, Truefitt-Hill 1805, Taylor's Avacado, Trumper's Coconut, and Acca Cappa.

I love lime and this is probably my favourite lime cream and my favourite cream overall.

Lovely thick and beautiful lather using only a small amount of cream. I could stand there and smell it all day.

A top shave every time.

This cream gives probably the best shave I have ever had, and I've used several high end creams. My complaint is that it is very difficult to work with. It is very stiff. I prefer face lathering, but it simply will not adhere to my face. In a mug, there is always a lump left that has to be dealt with. If a put a dab on my brush, it either falls off or I'm left with a small lump after lathering. I must say, though, once you get this cream lathered up it is thick and rich and provides a wonderful shave. UPDATE: I have solved the stiffness issue by treating this as a soap and swirling my brush in the tub. A little cream on the tips of the brush and I get a great face lather.

PRICE: at $35 a pop, this is the most expensive shaving cream I've run across, so my no means is it cheap.

Quality: The stuff is well put together using aloe, coconut acid, glycerin, and Lime EO, so it provides a great cushion for your shave. However, it does look a bit funky. It is very thick and goopy, and their are sections that are almost gel like.



Just look at the way it sticks to the finger, it has a very heavy consistency

Scent: As soon as you open the tub you are slapped in the face by the strong lime scent. It is the Best smelling lime scent I've come across, much better than T&H west indian limes. It fills the bathroom and provides a fantastic scent throughout the shave. Out of all my creams, this one smells the best IMHO.

Latherability: This provides gobs and gobs of lather. Right up there with all the T's and everything else I've tried. What I like is how heavy this lather is, very thick and creamy, yet still very slick. The only creams I've used that give better cushion are Taylor's avocado and Nancy Boy.
On the brush

On my arm

this was after one pass of the brush, giving a thick covering that let's the razor glide over the skin.

Efficacy: Hey, it works. Period. Gives great cushion and a smooth shave. The only reason I took a point off is if you get to aggressive with your razor, the strong lime oil content can start to give a slight sting to the skin, but nothing painful.

Moisturizing Properties: That same lime oil that makes it sting also leaves your skin very hydrated and very supple. If you don't like to use a balm, this would be a great cream as it leaves your skin with tons of moisture.

Packagine: Are you kidding me? At $35 this thing better come in a glass jar with precious gems on the lid. Instead they put this great cream in a flat, wide plastic jar with a sticker label. It's like an oversized hockey puck. Here it is next to Taylor's avocado

I'd hope they could do at least a bit better than that for the premium price you pay.

Overall: The best scented cream I have used. Builds a beautiful thick, moisturizing lather. However at $35, it's not cheap to give it a whirl, and by no means a good value. Worth a try if you love the lime scent, but not $15-$25 better than the other less expensive creams. I'd get a sample before you take the plunge.

I like this shave cream but it really isn't worth the price.

It is an expensive cream, but it provides a great smell, and for me, it lathers wonderfully and is the slickest of creams I have used. In conjunction with my XXL Shavemac, 30mm knot, this cream just smells so darn awesome and I get the best meringue-like lather with this. COlonial Drug has a price that is what anyone else gets, but they give free shipping, so it makes sense to order from them. I will next time I need some more. Some guys indulge in lots of razors, or brushes or creams or soaps. This one cream (well the Limes and Lavendar) is my one indulgence in wet shaving. I have two razors, just Feather blades, and four brushes. I have Limes and Lavendar shave creams of this

Sam

Interestingly, the consistency of my tub looks nothing like yours - mine is super duper thick and cohesive.

Yes the scent is great, but it is a PIA to lather and the shave is mediocre. Who cares what I say anyway, you are going to try this cream to see what the hoopla and price is all about.

BTW, I much prefer this to the Lavender version.

Pricey, but you do get a big (though cheaply made) tub. I am a big fan of lime scent, and I LOVE this one!!! I find it a nicer, more "true lime" scent than T&H West Indian Limes (which I also like, but find to be a bit more like lime sherbet). In terms of performance: WOW! I find that I get better shaves with this cream than any other cream or soap I have tried, including an assortment of T&H, Taylor, C&E, AOS, Musgo, Proraso, and Mitchell's Wool Fat products (what SCAD?). Is it expensive: yes. Is it a great value: probably not. But I find it to be nothing short of fantastic, and I think this cream is well worth the price if you are a fan of lime creams. To quote Ferris Bueller: "It is so choice. If you have the means, I highly recommend picking one up."

Do you like QED's Fresh Limes scent but prefer a cream? If so, problem solved with this dandy cream. Oh wait, there is one problem...the price!!! I wouldn't mind so much if the container was glass and a little more cream. But the scent is out of this world.

I used a sample of the Lavender Oil cream this morning, I received and used it with my new rooney heritage stubby 2. I have to say, I got an awfully good shave. This stuff is very hard, almost like a soft soap, and the scent was very nice. The lather was very easy to create and very smooth. Dunno if I'd drop $35 for a tub of it; I checked vintage blades this morning thinking I would purchase some and decided against it when I saw the price. Still, this is a cream that I would pick up in a second if the price was right.

I did like this very much at first, but the smell did not seem exceptional to me. It is just lime, the smell does not have depth, no aroma of any kind, it does not evoke any emotion, just a nice smell that I could cut a lemon in two halves and enjoy for a lot less money that this would cost me.

I did not like that the consistency was soapy (maybe if I used it directly in the jar I would not have the problem of trying to hold it with the brush on my face).

Also, if it happens that I would nick or irritate myself, and then relather with this, it would not feel comfortable stinging a little while I shaved. It also dries my face a lot so I need to use a very good AS that day otherwise my face would feel dry for many hours.

10 for Packaging because I had it in a sample, so I cannot comment on that, and did not want to unfairly distort the cumulative grade.

I love the lime scent, and am not terribly put off by the packaging - although it could be better for the price. And yes, it is expensive. What I struggle the most with is trying to whip this goo up. I have to scoop it out with my index finger, and smear it around the bottom and sides of my bowl. After 20-30 whips with
any brush I own, there's still a lump of the "cream" in the bottom. Several times I've had to reach down with my finger and break it up some more, but I almost
always still have a small glob left over when I'm washing out my bowl. And that, friends, is frustrating. This stuff's too expensive to waste any. Still, it provides an amazing cushion, is slick as new synthetic motor oil, and I have yet to cut or nick myself when I use this. So, is it worth the extra work, hassle, and money? I get almost the same efficacy from Taylor's or T&H that I get with this. I doubt I'll be buying any more of it, until the price is dropped to around $20.

This is the best $20 shaving cream I've ever tried. Too bad it's $35.

I'd had CF Lime on my wish list for a while, and my long-suffering bride made sure a tube found its way into my Christmas stocking. I've had two shaves with it now, and my impression is that it's very good.

It does look different from any of my other creams. I did both a bowl lather and a face lather and while I found it moderately easy to lather, it did take a bit more water than I'd expected. The smell is of fresh lime (being a G&T fan, I'm quite used to fresh cut limes), but not overwhelmingly so.

The shave was quite good. Both shaves were at the end of life on a Feather blade (shave # 4 and 5), yet nary a nick or weeper appeared. I did end up with a bit of irritation on my neck, but I do remember having to re-wet the lather several times to take care of a bit of blade skipping and sticking.

I expect this bowl to last a very long time, but when it's finally gone, I have serious doubts about buying another.

Jim from Vintage Blades gave me a sample of this in my newbie order from him. This is my first cream and the only thing I've used besides the L'Occitane soap I've been using since I started a couple weeks ago.

For someone who hasn't used a premium cream before, it is pretty amazing. I took a little too much and had the same problem as someone above with a remaining solid lump...but it lathered like the dickens.

The lime scent is great but not a 10. As someone else said above, it lacks a layer of depth. It's very close to being there but not quite.

It gave a very enjoyable shave. My wife likes the scent and she doesn't like many, so there is a chance I may actually pay for some of this stuff.

This stuff is sort of weird. Mine arrived and I anxiously prepared myself for a wonderful shave. I put a new Derby blade in my Gillette slim adjustable (possibly a mistake) and got out the new C&E Best Badger - definitely a mistake.

I looked at the cream and thought "that looks nothing like the picture in the review". The review pic looks like soap with some lather on it. Mine looks like a bowl full of whipped cream. In fact I thought it WAS creamy until I tried to use it. I thought that I could just dip the tip of my brush and get some cream.

Wrong.

The stuff is actually quite solid. I had to almost cut a piece off. It is VERY stiff and feels more like softened soap than cream.

Anyway I lathered up and....

Had the worst shave ever. The brush very pricklily (sp - probably not a word ) put lather on my face. I am not liking this C&E! The razor pulled and dragged. No setting was comfortable. The lather seemed OK, so I wonder if it was the blade? I had been using a Crystal blade in the Gillette, but figured since the Derbys work so well in my Merkur, they should be OK in the Gillette.

This morning I gave it another whirl, but did a few things differently. I used my old Burma Shave brush and lathered on top of the cream as you might do with a soap, which this stuff resembles more than a true cream. The Burma Shave brush has always been comfortable and works well, today was no exception. I got a good lather on and put a Crystal blade in the Gillette. It was like night and day. I went from a horrible shave to complete comfort. The scent of the Castle Forbes was wonderful and it did a great job of lubricating my face with lots of lather left over for the second and third pass. It came off cleanly and left my face in good shape.

So, I am not entirely sure this stuff is worth the big bucks. $35 plus shipping is a lot of money for shave cream. But it works quite well, so I am not going to worry too much about it. I will probably buy it again just for the scent of limes!

CF Lime SC gave me just what I was looking for. Mounds of wonderful smelling, slick lather. I enjoyed every shave with this cream. On top of that the Lime scent really surprised me. I was initially turned off of lime because of Trumpers, which to me smells like lime lifesavers candy. CF Lime was much more subtle. And the lather just kept coming and coming. Interestingly enough, the consistency was very different from what others have seen. My was very VERY thick. Almost like a soft soap like Proraso's soap. And the stuff is just so darn expensive I just don't think it's worth the money.

I had this cream on my radar for a while. I finally took the plunge after ordering a new Rooney 3/1. I was a little confused at first and like others had a hard time getting rid of the 'lump-o-castle' at the bottom of my lather bowl. One morning I just said 'f it!' and load my brush by dabbing it into the tub. With 15 or so dabs I proceeded to face lather. Wow, very strong/thick lather. I usually stick to 3 passes, but had enough lather on the soap for prob two more. And I must say, I do have fewer to no nicks when I shave with this cream. I can't talk this cream up more. Other than the cheapo tub, this product is A+.

I have had the Castle Forbes Limes shave cream for just under a year and shave with it regularly. Only now is the tub at a level where I am thinking about a replacement.

After shipping, the cost of this cream can sting at first. The saving grace is that a little product does go a long way.

The quality of this cream I feel is top notch. There are paraben’s in this cream so if you have an allergy to them you may want to steer clear (ingredients listed below).

Aqua (Water), Stearic Acid, Aloe Barbadensis (Aloe Vera), Myristic Acid, Potassium Hydroxide, Coconut Acid, Glycerin, Citrus Aurantifola (Lime Essential Oil), Triethanolamine, Sodium Hydroxide, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Butylparaben, Ethylparaben, Isobutylparaben, Propylparaben

The scent of fresh limes just blows me away, I love it.

What really jumps out is the way this cream lathers, but to get it to cooperate takes a learning curve so I will give a few tips here as well.

It is true that this cream is very thick; it has the consistency of cool butter. If you live in a cold part of the country like I do (New England) this cream can get tricky to lather in the winter depending on where you store it. There are two ways to lather up. You can swirl a damp brush like you would a soap to load the bristles or you can remove a snurdle to a bowl. I do both.

Today I placed a snurdle in a small bowl with about half teaspoon of hot water and took my shower. When I was ready to shave the hot water had softened the cream just enough to better work with it. After chasing the blob around the bowl for a few brush swirls and smashes the cream began to loosen and infuse into the brush. Adding a little more water results in lather bursting forth like it is possesed; I thought the bowl was rabid! The lather just keeps whipping up as you add water, it is just that easy folks.

This cream is effacious, and does a great job of getting the job done.

My face always feels hydrated after I finish shaving and many times I forget to apply my usual ASB without adversity.

The packaging is just so-so, what can you really do with a plastic tub and a label? For the price you would expect a glass bowl.

All in all this is some great cream, I get a very close shave and the slickness is so forgiving that if you need to take a quick additional swipe without fully re-lathering you are not punished like you are with lesser creams/soaps.

Bottom line I feel if you can get past the cost you will be rewarded with a great cream.

First, let me say that this is my first review (comment).

Next disclaimer, I wouldn't have tried this new due to the price and got it from another member at a fraction of the cost.

Price:
At $38 for 6.8 oz. ($5.59/oz), its not cheap. But then I realized that TOBS is $13.50 for 5.3 oz. ($2.55/oz.). So, instead of three times as expensive, it is "only" twice as expensive. Still a bit much for me. Then I used it. This is so dense that I used a fraction of the cream that I would have used from my TOBS. Suddenly, cost was no longer an issue. From what I've heard others say, this is a common experience. So, I gave it a pretty high rating for price.

Quality:
I concur with what everybody says. Its really a great product.

Scent:
Again, a nice, strong lime scent that is not overpowering.

Latherability:
This was a little hard. The CF was hard to get started. I dipped, actually rubbed, my brush in the jar and then to my scuttle. At first, it just smeared. As I added water, it began to dissolve. It took far more effort than what I'm used to for creams; but, when it got going, there was no stopping it. Tons of lather for three passes with plenty to spare. Others here have commented on this, but this feels like a cream-soap hybrid. Be prepared.

Efficacy:
Great shave, moist skin, what more is there to say?

Moisturizing properties:
It left my skin feeling great.

Packaging:
Again, I concur with the majority here. Its a hockey puck with a sticker. Its saving grace for me is that I like the black gloss lid, and its kept well below eye level. I happen to like simple black, so this means that all I see is the lid, which I like. But still, c'mon people. How much could it cost for a nicer jar?

The one thing I'd like to mention again is its consistency. Be prepared. Check out the threads where people talk about this. Even after reading the threads, I was still surprised at how thick and dense this was.

If you're looking for a quality lime cream, don't let the price scare you. Give it a go!

My favourite cream out of nearly 25 shaving creams and soaps.

The Castle Forbes Lime cream gives me the best shaves,
produces the slickest, thickest and smoothest Lather of all creams
and smells just like heaven for me.

The scent is a little hard to describe,
very different from what I´ve tried.
It does not smell like the lime sherbet you get from T&H or Taylor.
Its just well rounded, refreshing lemon that is not dry but in fact juicy

I love the packing, instead of taking the (let´s face it) somewhat boring jar out of it´s beautiful box, I kept it in there and am very pleased with that.
In fact this is the nicest box I ever owned for a cream,
along with the CF Lime ASB

The price is hefty but you will need little cream only
and it gives me the best shaves. That´s why I gave the price a 7

If I had to pick one cream or soap I am sure it would be this one.
If your like lemon and are thinking of getting one of these fellas,
go get one!