It looks like too little product or too much water. Try adding more product and adding less water.I didn't expect to get so many responses! Thank you all for taking the time to try to help me with this issue and especially to Timeclo for going to the trouble of making a video, I really appreciate that.
Regarding Timeclo's video: I tried a practice lather after watching your video and I must say I think I may have made some progress. Cella has always been more problematic than some of the other products I own, but after following your instructions I think I got a decent lather although it did still seem quite airy to me. I will try again later and use it to shave with to see how well it performs.
I made another practice lather using TOBS Sandalwood. I placed 3 grams of product in the bowl, sprinkled it with a few drops of water and squeezed the excess water out of the brush. I added a few drops of water every 30 seconds. After 5 minutes or so this is the result:
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This lather seems too airy to me, what do you think? Did I use too much water or not enough? Surely I used enough product. Maybe I am swirling the brush too vigourously or using too much pressure?
The thing is I really have no "feel" for the lather. I don't see the lather responding to the water I am adding or the way I swirl the brush. The lather looks the same after 2 minutes as it does after 5 minutes, airy, foamy, bubbly and not very slick.
That said, you can still shave with that. It looks slick and hydrated but won't have the thick volume. Volume isn't really a key factor in the shave but it's enjoyable to build and look at.
Also, your water might be really hard or that your boar needs to break in more. A lot of factors that goes into lathering but hope you figure it out.