Item Description
If I've missed something and there is already a review home for this stuff, please tell me! I've searched and searched and haven't found anything, so here goes...
When I finally found myself in a mall that contained a L'Occitaine shop, I thought I had died and gone to heaven. Finally, I would get a chance to sample some of the finest shaving products around, according to B&B members. I was honestly a bit disappointed. Obviously everything was expensive, so I had to get over that. Then I sampled the scents, something almost as important to me as efficacy, etc. The Cade cream and ASB knocked me back. I'm sure the soap is great, and not quite as powerful, but I was specifically looking for ASB. I almost couldn't stand it. That was probably the most disappointing aspect of the whole visit.
What redeemed the visit, however, was my discovery of the L'Occitan ASB. From snippets around the forums here I discerned that most people like the scent ok, but skip it because it's not as moisturizing as Cade. I'm not in a place to compare it with Cade, but I will say that I am quite pleased with its moisturizing capabilities. Pretty much anything with shea butter will win me over, and it works well despite the frigid cold and the super-low humidity of winter. On the other hand, because it seems to not be quite as heavy as Cade, as people say, I imagine it would work fine for spring/summer as well.
The other positive is the scent. I wasn't entirely sure I'd like it based on how my nostrils were being bombarded in the store. I bought it anyway (in the smaller $10 1oz. size in case I didn't like it). What won me over was the fact that I got wisps of the scent hours later. L'Occitane describes the scent as "redolent with the scents of Provence"...which didn't tell me much. But I presume you could describe it much like the EdT, with a predominant top note of lavender with a light musky base. It's really quite a complex scent, and I love it!
The main downside, of course, is the price. Granted, a little can go a long way, but it definitely feels more like a luxury item.
I wasn't quite sure how to handle the "cooling sensation" scoring category. As a balm, it's not going to hit you like an alcohol-based splash. That being said, though, I actually find it quite refreshing. I notice a cooling effect much more with this than I do my usual Nivea Sensitive ASB.
Final evaluation: if you're not a fan of Cade because of the scent, give this a shot!
When I finally found myself in a mall that contained a L'Occitaine shop, I thought I had died and gone to heaven. Finally, I would get a chance to sample some of the finest shaving products around, according to B&B members. I was honestly a bit disappointed. Obviously everything was expensive, so I had to get over that. Then I sampled the scents, something almost as important to me as efficacy, etc. The Cade cream and ASB knocked me back. I'm sure the soap is great, and not quite as powerful, but I was specifically looking for ASB. I almost couldn't stand it. That was probably the most disappointing aspect of the whole visit.
What redeemed the visit, however, was my discovery of the L'Occitan ASB. From snippets around the forums here I discerned that most people like the scent ok, but skip it because it's not as moisturizing as Cade. I'm not in a place to compare it with Cade, but I will say that I am quite pleased with its moisturizing capabilities. Pretty much anything with shea butter will win me over, and it works well despite the frigid cold and the super-low humidity of winter. On the other hand, because it seems to not be quite as heavy as Cade, as people say, I imagine it would work fine for spring/summer as well.
The other positive is the scent. I wasn't entirely sure I'd like it based on how my nostrils were being bombarded in the store. I bought it anyway (in the smaller $10 1oz. size in case I didn't like it). What won me over was the fact that I got wisps of the scent hours later. L'Occitane describes the scent as "redolent with the scents of Provence"...which didn't tell me much. But I presume you could describe it much like the EdT, with a predominant top note of lavender with a light musky base. It's really quite a complex scent, and I love it!
The main downside, of course, is the price. Granted, a little can go a long way, but it definitely feels more like a luxury item.
I wasn't quite sure how to handle the "cooling sensation" scoring category. As a balm, it's not going to hit you like an alcohol-based splash. That being said, though, I actually find it quite refreshing. I notice a cooling effect much more with this than I do my usual Nivea Sensitive ASB.
Final evaluation: if you're not a fan of Cade because of the scent, give this a shot!
