Review: Bath House Cuban Cedar & Lime

What is your opinion on fine shaving creams and hard soaps? Do you like Trumpers, Coates, Taylors, Truefitt & Hill? Post your reviews and opinions here!
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nav
Posts: 90
Joined: Fri Dec 19, 2008 4:14 pm
Location: Sydney, Australia

Review: Bath House Cuban Cedar & Lime

Post by nav »

I'm a real big fan of hard, milled shaving soaps and recently wanted to try out some soaps that really don't get any airtime on the forums (I recently posted a review of the Baume.be soap, which was a TOTAL DUD!!). In fact, I wasn't able to find any forum reviews on this soap from Bath House.

So, in a blind purchase, I ordered the Cuban Cedar & Lime soap. I was half expecting a dud but I was also hopeful that a soap that has been on the market for many years may actually perform well (although we know what the likes of GFT et al have done to their soaps!).

Anyhow, upon opening the box, I was greeted by such a wonderful scent! It's not at all simple and one dimensional as the name would suggest. It's a beautiful hit of zesty lime and grapefruit (I am guessing the bergamot contributed to the zesty citrus notes also). These top notes are backed up by very mild spicy notes and slightly stronger wood notes. It is so refreshing and also complex. I really, really enjoyed the scent! The best part is that the scent is the same when lathered up and the scrength also remains when lathered (I'd say it's medium to mildly strong).

Now to the performance...to my relief and delight, it lathered up absolutely fantastically! The proto-lather was so thick that I was excited by that stage. I proceeded to face lather and it exploded into really creamy, slick lather. It can take a LOT of water!! I loaded the brush less in subsequent use!

Overall, I'm so glad I got this soap and it will always be in my rotation. I also have their Spanish Fig and Nutmeg on the way. I'd highly recommend the soap to anyone!
brothers
Posts: 21514
Joined: Sun Sep 14, 2008 7:18 am
Location: Oklahoma City USA

Re: Review: Bath House Cuban Cedar & Lime

Post by brothers »

Thanks for sharing this review. Too bad it doesn't get more guys trying it. I'm glad to hear that it's a good performer.
Gary

SOTD 99%: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, soaps & creams, synthetic / badger brushes, Colonial General razor, Kai & Schick blades, straight razors any time, Superior 70 aftershave splash + menthol + 444
nav
Posts: 90
Joined: Fri Dec 19, 2008 4:14 pm
Location: Sydney, Australia

Re: Review: Bath House Cuban Cedar & Lime

Post by nav »

brothers wrote:Thanks for sharing this review. Too bad it doesn't get more guys trying it. I'm glad to hear that it's a good performer.
Lol you're right! I don't think there is much interest in hard milled soaps, especially those that don't already have a good reputation.

I'm very happy i took a chance with this one as it lathers up great and i just love the scent!! The musky woody notes combined with the zesty grapefruit is beautiful and one of my favourite scents.
CMur12
Posts: 7461
Joined: Mon Dec 18, 2006 8:41 pm
Location: Moses Lake, Washington, USA

Re: Review: Bath House Cuban Cedar & Lime

Post by CMur12 »

In my own case, I avoid hard milled soaps because they are all (that I know of) scented with fragrance oils. Fragrances all smell like bug spray to me and they burn my olfactory. Essential oils apparently don't hold up through the extra processing of milled soaps.

- Murray
nav
Posts: 90
Joined: Fri Dec 19, 2008 4:14 pm
Location: Sydney, Australia

Re: Review: Bath House Cuban Cedar & Lime

Post by nav »

CMur12 wrote:In my own case, I avoid hard milled soaps because they are all (that I know of) scented with fragrance oils. Fragrances all smell like bug spray to me and they burn my olfactory. Essential oils apparently don't hold up through the extra processing of milled soaps.

- Murray
Actually i believe most hard soaps are scented with scent compounds, which are semi-synthetic as they are real compounds from essential oils which give the oil its scent.

But who knows what may be the real cause of your reactions and with the market the way it is, we all have plenty of choice so definitely happy days for wet shaving.

I personally have a skin reaction rate of about 20% with artisan soaps and about 3%with hard soaps so I'm actually more wary of artisan soaps.
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