Thursday, February 12, 2009

The Zest is gone

We've been providing fresh bars of bath soap to our guests at both properties. Zest - a soap that I remember as smelling fresh and sporty.

Most Mexican cleaning agents here smell a whole lot better than they do in Canada - very clean and flowery and sweet. The Dove soap they have here has the same smell I'm used to, and the Camay is pretty good too. I expected the Mexican Zest soap to be 'zesty' just like in Canada.

Recently I put a bar of Zest in our bathroom for our personal use. The soap had a rather bland smell; I wondered if it needed to be used a day or so for the great smell to start coming out.

After three days of use, I have realized that the Zest soap here is bland and boring, almost a smell I don't even like. I don't feel fresh as the daisies, or zippy and zesty. I feel clean, but that's it.

So...Zest...begone!

7 comments:

Scottozoid said...

Ooooh Sue I have always had a thing for "Rosa Venus" brand soap in Mexico and I even buy it once in a while here in Texas. I fear, however that my emotive reaction to the soap is nostalgia for cheap Mexican hotels (which might not be the desired result for Dentro del Jardin)

Life's a Beach! said...

Every time I'm in Mexico, I buy up on that clear hard gel-like Palmolive soap that comes in different scents. The purple is lavendar and the green is fruity? I think the purple is called tranquilo? Anyway, I take 10 bars back in my duffle and then cry when it's all gone. I love the smell! I've looked in the U.S. and never seen it!

Islagringo said...

The other bad thing about Zest, as a landlord, is that it disappears so quickly. Just doesn't last because it is so soft. (and it attracts and holds onto every single hair you shed!) We use Clasico for our guests and Escudo in our house. Give 'em a try.

Scottozoid said...

speaking as a tenant/guest, so far outnumbered by landlords/ladies/hosts, all I can say is "THANK YOU" to all in the hospitality biz in Mexico for the far reaching advancement in bathroom fixturing...it wasn't that long ago that I was using that "Rosa Venus" soap in old old school Mexican hotels where the bathroom was set up to where you could take care of all of your bodily functions at the same time, with one (count em) one convenient drain in the middle of the bathroom floor...that often clogged up...floating the scum from the "Rosa Venus" soap...I'd like to say I am nostalgic for those days...but I would be lying...

Sue said...

Scott - funny you mention Rosa Venus. I was telling Miguel that we needed to buy a bulk supply of bar soap, maybe at Costco. He mentioned that Mirtita had it, so when I went there, I asked and yup, they have a box of the Rosa Venus. I bought that box and Miguel proceeded to tell me how he didn't like that soap and he wasn't going to give it to his guests. So...I will donate it to you on your next visit, for all the nostalgia you need (probably skip the part about the drain).

Beck - does Body Shop have something similar? I will take a look for the gel soap here, they must have it at Mirtita. I think I've seen it but I've never been a big fan of gel soap. But I'm going to give it a try.

And Wayne, thanks for the tip. My next soap shopping adventure will be fun! Gel, Clasico, Escudo. I think I sniffed Escudo today at the store near here, but since I wasn't sure on the name, I didn't buy it. Will check it out again.

Scottozoid said...

I know how Zina always likes to compare herself to the pioneer women of the Old West...Sue, you could make your own soap...just start a fire, get a giant cauldron and start boiling the lye...add a bunch of flowers and sweet smelling stuff, maybe an avocado or two...and you got homemade soap...I think...but I was never one of those pioneers of the Old West

IslaZina said...

Harrumphff! I'm no pioneer in Domestics! Sue, I'll take your Rosa Venus. Both sctttozoid and Lora like it. Lora eats it, so hey, it must be good for you! BYW, I like Lurio, which is like Mexican Neutogena and inexpensive!