In response to Lynn's challenge to flood SRP with "soft stuff" reviews, I'm going to start a set of reviews of all those dang soaps and creams I've been accumulating, and do it by category (French, Italian, UK, Artisan, German, Turkish etc.). I'm hoping others will fill in with the other items from the categories that I don't have, and add categories.
So on with FRENCH SOAPS - I have Institut Karite, L'Occitane CADE and Pre de Provence.
Institut Karite
http://shavingessentials.net/Shaving...%20Data/IK.jpg
IK is special stuff - maybe my favorite shaving soap. The lather is a little thin - I can't get bushels of creamy lather. But the performance is incredible. The 25% shea butter content shows - the face feels great afterwards. And I get a very slick, comfortable and close shave. I think this is one of the best shaving soaps for straight razor shavers period. The scent is a neutral soapy scent. Not a tallow soap (for those who, unlike me, care).
Certain Vendors: shavingessentials.net, tryphon, amazon, others.
Pre de Provence
I'm not in love with this soap. The scent is wonderful - a nice clean sage scent. It has shea butter, but not in the same concentration as IK. Face feels nice afterwards, but not as nice as with IK. I have a hard time getting a protective lather with this, and I find the shave to be just fine, but nowhere near as close as I get with IK. So I prefer the scent of PdP to IK, but the performance of IK is superior (for me). Not a tallow soap.
Certain Vendors: shavingessentials.net, tryphon, amazon, others.
L'Occitane CADE
http://us.st12.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.c..._2037_47184813
This stuff is great. I find the lather to be dense, very slick and protective, and I get a very close shave. The scent is very cool - a unique juniper based scent - but you love it or hate it. I find it doesn't make my face feel as good afterwards, certainly not as good as IK does. There is no shea in the CADE soap. But it is a great soap, particularly if you like juniper. NB - the CADE shave cream is awful and makes me and many others break out, but the CADE soap is a totally different animal and much better IMO. Not a tallow soap.
Vendors: L'Occitane website and stores.
French Soaps I'd like to try when my wife isn't looking:
Provence Sante
Roget et Gallet
Monsavon