Need suggestion for new shaving cream.

[AbbyW2]

Today tried my TOBS Grapefruit sample. The scent is surprisingly pleasant. Lathering performance is close to the TOBS Almond of my first sample, which was the best of the lot.

Today I used no prep except scrubbing my face with my shampoo in the shower. I think this was the best shave yet, to a great degree because my technique has improved since I started my quest. Also been reading Leisure Guy's Guide to Gourmet Shaving (6th ed).

 

[AbbyW2]

Today's sample was Castle Forbes Lime Essential Oil. Lathers like a demon, but a little watery compared to the Taylor's. Much firmer texture than the other samples. I don't think the lime scent will make me want to add it to my regular rotation. I did get my best shave yet, but again, I think that's my learning curve again. Yay me!

 

[rdeakle]

Today's sample was Castle Forbes Lime Essential Oil. Lathers like a demon, but a little watery compared to the Taylor's. Much firmer texture than the other samples. I don't think the lime scent will make me want to add it to my regular rotation. I did get my best shave yet, but again, I think that's my learning curve again. Yay me!

Congrats on your shave. However, if you had watery lather with Castle Forbes I think you may have added too much water. Castle Forbes is generally a very thick dense lather.

 

[AbbyW2]

Congrats on your shave. However, if you had watery lather with Castle Forbes I think you may have added too much water. Castle Forbes is generally a very thick dense lather.

I am posting my way through a couple of dozen samples and trying to be uniform in my lathering technique. Doesn't mean I couldn't have gone a bit off I suppose.

 

[BigWill]

+1 Always in the rotation!

 

[AbbyW2]

Today's sample was Nancy Boys Blossomwood. First impression was that it made a very rich lather very quickly. The Blossomwood scent was a puzzler. Very "vegetal" as they say. Somewhat like garden clippings, but not sweet like grass, more like broken twigs. Not really pleasant for me.

Then I noticed that toward the end of the second pass, the lather on my neck seemed to be drying out. Again, just my personal observation from a systematic sampling.

 

[AbbyW2]

Today it was Salter Indian Sandalwood. This was great! it will definitely become part of my short-list regular rotation. Lathered richly relatively easily. Pleasant, subtly spicy scent. Brush was loaded for probably 6+ passes. Best shave I have had yet, although I again note my technique is also improving. One change today was rinsing / re-wetting the face fully between passes.

 

[CaySea]

Today's sample was Castle Forbes Lime Essential Oil. Lathers like a demon, but a little watery compared to the Taylor's. Much firmer texture than the other samples. I don't think the lime scent will make me want to add it to my regular rotation. I did get my best shave yet, but again, I think that's my learning curve again. Yay me!

I have always thought their lime scent to be more like the scent of green lifesavers. Not my favorite. I like the Lavendar and the Sandalwood/Cedarwood offerings best.

 

[Limekiln]

The only shave cream that coaxes me away from soaps is Biotique Palmyra. It's amazing stuff, especially if you can get it in India where it's extremely cheap.

 

[AbbyW2]

Today I used the Tabac. I really enjoy the unique scent. Lathered easily and performed well. It's also going into the regular rotation. TOBS avocado sample arrived today. I'm looking forward to trying it more than I typically do when anticipating samples.

 

[AbbyW2]

Now that I have been collecting cream samples and also acquired a couple of soaps, I just noticed how fabulous it smells when I open my medicine cabinet.

 

[AbbyW2]

Today I tried the TOBS Avocado. Typical TOBS great lather and performance. Scent just vaguely greenish, could have been cucumber as much as avocado. I'll finish the sample, but won't put iot in the regular rotation, I guess.

 

[TropicalHotDogNight]

I'm sorry to hear that you weren't happy with the Musgo Real creams. I ended up ordering some Spiced Citrus and Classic, and after one shave on each, I conclude that they are about the same as the Orange Amber cream that I like. Scentwise, I don't think I would order them again. Classic is a vetiver and patchouli blend that isn't suited for me. Spiced Citrus had a nice citrus smell, but also a strong plant-like smell that was unusual to me. I Googled the description again, and apparently it is verbena and lime. I would say the smell is similar to something you would find in a handmade soap at a farmer's market. Would you agree?

Today I tried the TOBS Avocado. Typical TOBS great lather and performance. Scent just vaguely greenish, could have been cucumber as much as avocado. I'll finish the sample, but won't put iot in the regular rotation, I guess.

Ironically, that one turned out to be the best performing and worst smelling cream I have tried so far. I know what you mean about the cucumber vibe. It smells a bit like a cucumber body cream that some old woman would wear. I got amazing lather and comfort with it, though.

 

[AbbyW2]

. . . what you mean about the cucumber vibe. It smells a bit like a cucumber body cream that some old woman would wear. I got amazing lather and comfort with it, though.

Finding the ones that pass both tests is the real trick.

Today I tried the T&H 1805. I must admit that I really blew my up-til-now pseudo-scientific approach to the evaluations. I tried out my new Omega 10098 professional boar and new suribachi lathering bowl. I also did prep with MR GLO.

The 1805 scent, albeit unidentifiable, was pleasant enough. The lather built quickly and richly, really loading the brush. However, while the lather seemed neither too wet nor dry, there was an odd lack of lubrication, and a sensation of razor pull. I was using a brand new Feather blade, my usual, in my regular, favorite Mergress razor.

Verdict, no more T&H 1805. No rush to more T&H, either.

 

[slant81]

TOBS is my fave.. as a back up, I have proraso, and cella.. cella is awesome IMO

+1

 

[slant81]

Finding the ones that pass both tests is the real trick.

Today I tried the T&H 1805. I must admit that I really blew my up-til-now pseudo-scientific approach to the evaluations. I tried out my new Omega 10098 professional boar and new suribachi lathering bowl. I also did prep with MR GLO.

The 1805 scent, albeit unidentifiable, was pleasant enough. The lather built quickly and richly, really loading the brush. However, while the lather seemed neither too wet nor dry, there was an odd lack of lubrication, and a sensation of razor pull. I was using a brand new Feather blade, my usual, in my regular, favorite Mergress razor.

Verdict, no more T&H 1805. No rush to more T&H, either.

I've been using a suribachi bowl as well when I'm not face lathering, it's a lather machine. And it was 10$ on amazon wooo! Perfect size perfect everything! Better than my actual lather bowls I've bought that are designed for it.

 

[AbbyW2]

Today I tested Ginger's Garden Bay Rum glycerine soap.

After my misadventure with T&H 1805, I had to decide where to go with my next methodology variation.

Soap in itself was something I hadn't used in decades, but Ginger's has the greatest varieties of scents one could imagine, over 400 by my quick estimate of the site's scent list. However, samples are only offered in soaps, not creams, so I took a few. I also had in mind that I would need a glycerine soap to try the super lather technique.

i had resolved to re-try the MR GLO pre shave soap, since I doubted my technique there. So I smeared it on heavily and hand lathered it on to my face. Not a real "lather" of course, simply a soapy coating.

Anyway, I used the Bay Rum, loaded my everyday Parker silvertip from the puck just held in my hand and went to the suribachi to build lather. As Slant81 has said, it's a lather machine. I think I have the same one as he, from Amazon.

The soap loaded onto the brush very readily and lather built very well in the suribachi. I believe I saw advice against using a suribachi on a badger, but it works so well!

One possible downside To the suribachi is that I might be getting lather that is not as well built as it looks and so I'm stopping too soon, when the lather really needs more whipping.

Nevertheless, I got one of the most comfortable shaves I had gotten in several tests. No weepers after applying the Lab Max LS.

Well, I also eliminated the ATG pass in the mustache area.

The Bay Rum scent was excellent and I look forward to trying Ginger's Sweetgrass, Oakmoss and Ginger Blossom.

 

[AbbyW2]

EJ Aloe Vera cream sample today. And I tried my first superlather. I used the Ginger's Garden Bay Rum glycerine soap again for the soap side of the equation. I worked in the scuttle with my Parker Silvertip for this experiment, to minimize distractions. The EJ Aloe Vera cream has hardly any scent, so the soap's Bay Rum was the dominant aroma. As before, the soap loaded readily. Moving on to the cream in the scuttle, the lather built quite readily. It looked like the superlather in the online tutorials, shiny, smooth, rich with firm peaks on the brush. I prepped with the TOBS Herbal Gel on a freshly showered and rinsed face. I got a great shave. WTG and XTG mostly, Also ATG except mustache area.

Despite a DFS, i was puzzled not to sense the well cushioned slickness I had been led to expect with superlather. Did I need to swirl it much more even though it looked and felt right?

Ah well. Tomorrow, uberlather with TOBS Grapefruit.

 

[AbbyW2]

Today I got to the Speik cream sample. Curiously hard to define scent, but I like it. I also experimented a bit and did an uberlather with my Ginger's glycerine soap, and of course a few drops of pure glycerine.

I used John Allen's Slickwater as prep, and tried my first Personna Med Prep blade. Wow, best shave ever. Total BBS, and no nicks at all.

Unfortunately, I also tried my sample of Al's Shaving Boheme ASB. I'm not sure is the smell is too strong, too perfumey or I used too much. I only used about half as much as I would have of eShave ASB, but it didn't seem to absorb. The scent hung heavily all day. Even if I liked the scent, I wouldn't want that.

But as to the Speik, nice and it will go into the rotation.

 

[AbbyW2]

Als Shaving "Saigon." Sort of lemongrass / ginger. Didn't care for scent. Shaving performance weak, even in my uberlather mix. I'm going to PIF all my Al's products now.