L'Occitane Cade shaving soap

Can't believe that I didn't review this soap yet, as it's been my go to soap before I found B&B.

Price: $15 is not so bad for a honking chunk of soap like this. But, then again, it's no arko either.

Lather quality: tops. slick, rich, cushiony. Just superlative. Very forgiving with water/soap ratio and water quality.

Scent: Unique, wonderful, smells like autumn should smell. Scent is really exquisite. Probably my favorite shaving product scent.

Moisturizing: NOT good. It does tend to dry my face with prolonged use. This was unfortunate and in my mind, the only real drawback to this product. As a note, this drys my face even WITH aftershave balm. Folks with dry skin (like me) will need to be careful with this product because it can lead to dry skin.

This is a great shave soap. I have used only creams up to this point, Head Blade and Proraso, so am used to a lot of eucalyptus and menthol of which this has none.

Going into the Fall here in Ontario, this will be a nice soap to shave with as it gets colder. I also like the fact there is very little packaging (no tube or plastic bottle).

The scent is the same as the Cade aftershave, but A LOT more subtle. Very outdoorsy, the scent is juniper but more reminiscent of a sandal wood/cedar, and a hint of 'sweetness'.

Also, a little goes a long way. I have tried reducing the amount of soap I load into the brush, using fewer and fewer swirls each time I shave, but I still have a ton of lather left over. I suspect at this rate that, while it is pricey ($19 or so CDN, I think), it'll last a long time so there's good value in the end.

My second best soap! (first tabac)
True, the bowl is expensive, but I do not need it. The lather is thick and perhaps it is not as mosturising as the other soaps but DAMN! it is effective. It should get an 11 on that rating.
It smells like cedar and incense, but it is a very light scent. Today I got my best 2-pass shave with this soap.

This is an amazing soap.

One note about the scent - it is juniper based which is a lot like cedar. If you're like me and had a hamster when you were young, it will remind you of the cedar shavings the hamster lived in...

but the soap is so good I've been able to deal with that, and I liked the hamster.

Hands down, a fantastic product. My only gripes:

1.) Price. Getting it without the bowl is more tolerable.

2.) I like the scent. It is clean. Very light. Perhaps too light -- I like the aromatherapy quality of shaving.

3.) I don't feel it is an extremely moisturizing soap. I wish it had a bit more oomph in this area.

None of these gripes are strong. They're just attempts at trying at least something that could be done to improve what feels like a mostly perfect product. Oh and the longevity is amazing.

WOW! I came across a small kiosk in "The Bay" store yesterday. I decided after reading all the great reviews on this soap I'd give it a shot. My wife was more than willing to get the soap for me as she LOVES the smell. I would have picked up the ASB too, but they were out of stock on it. The scent is amazing. Very light, compared to most of the scents I like, but very relaxing. The first attempt to create a lather made something that was a little sticky. The lather looked good, but I thought I'd try adding a little bit of water. This stuff lathers like a cream when you apply the right amount of water. I was amazed. Then the shave. It was so slick and protective, I made more passes than I usually do. This created a very small bit of redness on my neck, but it went away within minutes.

Just to add a little here, I purchased the refill. I think the dish is very nice, but a little overpriced, but what we're reviewing here IMO is the soap. If you're not sure, pick up the refill. At $16 Canadian, it was a good deal to me. This will definately be in my line up for a long time.

I also bought the metal shaving mug together with the soap. It's expensive, but I agree that refills are fairly priced. I also use AOS Lavender, Joris, Penhaligon's Blenheim Bouquet and Tabac as my other triple-milled soaps and I put CADE right up there with the others. It makes copious quantities of rich, slick lather and it smells great. It is also quite moisturizing for a triple-milled soap.

I bought a refill soap puck, and plopped into a soup mug. Very easy to whip a lush lather in no time flat. Provided a very smooth creamy
lather that was very easy to go ATG. ATG is my benchmark for soaps and creams. So far the best cream for me is JM Fraser's, and euro Palmolive. Having tried Noxzema, Erasmic, Proraso, Ingram, Wars.

I'm absolutely obsessed with this CADE!

I like the scent of this soap so much I had to get the ASB and the moisturizer too. It's a subtle and clean scent and it beckons me out of bed in the morning while I'm still rolling around.

The soap whips up quite fast, producing a thick shiny gooey lather. I notice that by second pass there is a good slick lubricating film between my skin and the razor.

It does leave my skin dry after usage, but then like I said, I'm in love the the matching moisturizer and ASB

Having read the reviews I decided to take the plunge and treat myself to a number of L'Occitaine products including the soap.....and I'm glad I did! I bought the soap in the aluminium dish which is well worth the money... top quality. The soap itself lathers densley and easily and produces the most wonderful creamy lubricating lather I have ever had from a triple milled soap, and the scent is just right, not too overpowering or artificial. This has knocked all my English soaps way off top spot and now sits in pride of place along with the other products I bought from them. Incidentally the other products I bought were the Cade asb and the Youth moisturiser and I have just had one of if not the best shave in years, the balm is fantastic as well!

Very nice. Dense, long-lasting lather, mild inoffensive smell, nice smooth glide to the blade. No way I'd ever pay for the bowl this or any other soap comes in, fortunately although the puck is too big for my containers its is soft enough that I could carve it up and mash it into my own.

i have been using this soap for a few months now and each time i have been more and more impressed with the results.

it lathers beautifully and provides a very slick, comfortable shave. the scent is fantastic, so much so that i perhaps wish it was a tad stronger. it leaves my face feeling moisturised and as soft as kid leather. i sprung for the metal bowl and don't regret it. it looks the business, although as someone has remarked it could definitely do with being a bit deeper. this soap looks like it will last a very long time per puck. overall i cannot recommend this highly enough.

My only shaving soap from the high-priced end of things. I agree buying it with the bowl is plain nuts, unless it fits in with your decor and you have lots of burnable income. Buy it and put it in your $1.99 soup mug at home, the lather is just as nice. (The "8" is based on refill price only, "5" if you actually buy it with the bowl.)

Great scent, great lather, great slickness, leaves my skin nice and soft. When I pamper myself with a soap, this is the one I turn to.

Great soap! It was my first soap in the new world of wet shaving for me.
Lathering is perfect. Had a shave this morning with it and I must say It's a perfect product.

I had the opportunity to buy this recently and based on the numerous positive reviews I had seen, I went ahead. I was inclined to buy the creme, but instead went with the soap and took home a nice sized sample of the creme. I saw no indication that there is any trouble lathering with the creme so perhaps the reformulation of it that has been referenced has occurred.

First off I want to thank Ron for his great series on the French options on the market because that really piqued my interest and compelled me to buy this. As noted by almost everyone, what a unique and nice scent the Juniper is. It is really subtle, yet it permeates the room. I took the less expensive option available because while the nickel bowl looks nice, I really have no need for it. It leaves little room for lathering (I lather on the soap cake) so I bought a refill for $12 and dropped into a soap bowl from my Target collection of $4 bowls.

The lather literally jumps off the cake. With a minimal amount of effort, the fine smelling lather is ready to go. It applied great and so far, each SE razor has done the job in one pass with only minor touch ups required.

I can't seem to see price as an issue because this is a nice size chunk of soap and without the nickel bowl, it is much more in line with other high end refills. I also don't have any problems with the moisturizing aspects of this. It does okay for me and after shaving, I apply a moisturing ASB.

-Scott-

Bottom line: Fantastic soap.

Price: "9" for the soap refill. "6" for the soap and bowl. I have a hard time when the bowl costs more than the soap. I bought just the soap, no bowl.

Quality: Top-notch. What more can be said.

Scent: Outstanding. Very few soaps get me to just open them up for a whiff. This one does. It's quite different than most anything else out there and is a real treat. It's earth, floral, and spice, all blended together masterfully. Very relaxing and refreshing.

Lather: This soap whips up lather with the best of them. Thich rich lather can be obtained easy and quickly. It's very forgiving of both water quantity and quality, which is a huge plus for me and my hard water.

Efficacy: Slick and protective. I get great shave after great shave with this soap.

Moisturizing: The moisturizing aspects of this soap are about perfect for me. I have oily skin and don't like the soap to try to do too much. There are more moisturizing soaps out there, so I knocked it down from a 10 in fairness to others.

I don't view this a pricey...it's a huge "chunk" of soap! It is good stuff! I bought mine on a trip to Texas. It is the only soap I have that sits on my countertop! Hmmm, I'll be using it tomorrow!

Randy

The L'Occitane lineup is a bit pricey but you get what you pay for. I also picked up the Eau Des Bergers after shave, it has a great wonderful smell and works well without excessive drying. The Cade AS lotion also works well, but you can skip this and go for your favorite facial cream.

Buy the aluminum soap dish, its well worth it to have and keep for years.

The whole L'Occitane CADE lineup is excellent in my opinion. Yes, I paid extra (too much) for the cool metal bowl, but... I'm weak.

I just love the juniper smell. It shaves and lathers wonderfully. I don't notice it drying my skin, but that may be because I use the excellent CADE A/S balm!

Like many of these "custom" soap dishes; there just isn't enough clearance for any lather and it drips everywhere. With a nice shaving bowl it's all good, however.

This soap lathers like no one's business. Very rich and unctuous. The scent is deliciously different as well. One of my top products. The only drawback is it is way expensive, though the metal bowl is very cool.