Let me give this review a wonderful start by saying that L'Occitane's Cade Shaving Cream seems to be one of the most universally loathed shaving creams and soaps on the market, alongside products such as Herban Cowboy, Caswell-Massey, Burt's Bees, etc. I have consistently heard terrible things about this cream, including, but not limited to, "it dissipates", "you cannot create a decent lather with it", "it is too dry", "it smells horrid", and so on.
So, last Sunday, I was in a particularly experimental mood, and had a bit of money to spend, so I decided to go into the L'Occitane shop at a nearby mall, which I had never dared to visit before, primarily owing to the insurmountable prices which the company attaches to its assortment of personal care products. I did not find the Plisson brush, unfortunately, but saw the cream on a shelf, and decided to go for it, assuring myself that even if it failed to perform well, I could always pass it off as a fancy gift for someone. The price tag read 1750 Rupees ($27), which is a humongous amount of money, and because of its price (and its ingredients), I desperately wanted it to perform well.
Well, I shaved with it today, and I must admit: it is really not that bad. On the contrary, its performance was surprisingly good. Now, is it the best shaving cream I own? Considering that it is my most expensive, it probably should be, but it is not. Is it the slickest? Once again, no. But, in my humble opinion, it is a solid performer.
When I started lathering the cream, I observed that it lathered with ease, and while it is thick and rich, it is not a very voluminous lather. I want to clarify, however, that volume does not equal quality, and vice versa. This holds true for all shaving lubricants, so kindly refrain from quickly judging a cream or soap only on the basis of the amount of lather it creates. Anyway, I noticed the scent while lathering, and I quite like it! I cannot explain the scent, but all I can say is that it has a very "posh" smell to it (as it should).
As for the performance, you do expect creams this expensive to perform a bit better, but this cream was quite satisfactory for me. I think the primary reason for that is the fact that I did not set my expectations too high, and when I discovered that the "universally despised" cream performs well for me, I was pleasantly surprised. As previously mentioned, the lather was thick, and provided ample protection from the razor during the shave. There was a decent amount of slickness as well, resulting in an irritation-free shave, and a smooth post-shave feel.
Overall, if there is anything that I learned (for the millionth time, perhaps) from buying this cream, it is this: do not formulate misconceptions regarding anything on the basis of others' opinions. I cannot stress how true this is for all things in life, and while I understand that $27 is a bit of a heavy gamble, there is always the possibility that you will be happily proven wrong. And if you are not, remember that you always have the option of passing it on as a gift. As for my tube, I think I will hold on to it.
Overall ratings (on a scale of 1-10):
Protection and cushion- 7
Slickness- 7
Ease of lathering- 7.5
Scent- 8
Value for money- 6
MEAN SCORE- 7.1/10
So, last Sunday, I was in a particularly experimental mood, and had a bit of money to spend, so I decided to go into the L'Occitane shop at a nearby mall, which I had never dared to visit before, primarily owing to the insurmountable prices which the company attaches to its assortment of personal care products. I did not find the Plisson brush, unfortunately, but saw the cream on a shelf, and decided to go for it, assuring myself that even if it failed to perform well, I could always pass it off as a fancy gift for someone. The price tag read 1750 Rupees ($27), which is a humongous amount of money, and because of its price (and its ingredients), I desperately wanted it to perform well.
Well, I shaved with it today, and I must admit: it is really not that bad. On the contrary, its performance was surprisingly good. Now, is it the best shaving cream I own? Considering that it is my most expensive, it probably should be, but it is not. Is it the slickest? Once again, no. But, in my humble opinion, it is a solid performer.
When I started lathering the cream, I observed that it lathered with ease, and while it is thick and rich, it is not a very voluminous lather. I want to clarify, however, that volume does not equal quality, and vice versa. This holds true for all shaving lubricants, so kindly refrain from quickly judging a cream or soap only on the basis of the amount of lather it creates. Anyway, I noticed the scent while lathering, and I quite like it! I cannot explain the scent, but all I can say is that it has a very "posh" smell to it (as it should).
As for the performance, you do expect creams this expensive to perform a bit better, but this cream was quite satisfactory for me. I think the primary reason for that is the fact that I did not set my expectations too high, and when I discovered that the "universally despised" cream performs well for me, I was pleasantly surprised. As previously mentioned, the lather was thick, and provided ample protection from the razor during the shave. There was a decent amount of slickness as well, resulting in an irritation-free shave, and a smooth post-shave feel.
Overall, if there is anything that I learned (for the millionth time, perhaps) from buying this cream, it is this: do not formulate misconceptions regarding anything on the basis of others' opinions. I cannot stress how true this is for all things in life, and while I understand that $27 is a bit of a heavy gamble, there is always the possibility that you will be happily proven wrong. And if you are not, remember that you always have the option of passing it on as a gift. As for my tube, I think I will hold on to it.
Overall ratings (on a scale of 1-10):
Protection and cushion- 7
Slickness- 7
Ease of lathering- 7.5
Scent- 8
Value for money- 6
MEAN SCORE- 7.1/10
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