The HandleBar Supply Avocado Shaving Cream - Review

[sixsixty]

http://thehandlebarsupply.com/the-handlebar-avocado-shaving-cream

I was lucky enough to get a hold of the new shave cream from The Handlebar Supply. Don't ask how or I'll have to kill you…too. And, I'm happy to report it not only gives you a smooth, quality shave, but you also get the warm, fuzzy feeling of supporting a small shop and a fellow b&b member too! (Worth it!)

The Handlebar Supply has teamed up with Queen Charlotte Soaps to make a new, exclusive scent: Avocado. I, personally, couldn't be happier because I'm a self-confessed "fatty for avocados". I think, as a Californian, you kinda have to be--it comes with the territory. All that being said, this soap does my state proud.

It's high quality. If you've had the chance to try any of the Queen Charlotte you know they're some of the best-perfoming creams and soaps out there…and this one is no exception. If you haven't tried any of them…this is a good place to start. Their creams are more like a soft soap rather than a run-of-the-mill cream and just need a couple of twists of your brush on the tub to get the right amount going. They're high quality, very slick and it's extremely easy to build a ton of lather. What more could you ask for?

Well, I guess you could ask for it to smell nice…

This has a very nice "soft soap" scent that lets the imagination drift toward avocado as you lather it up. But, being the aforementioned "fatty" for avocados…It would be nice to have a hint more avocado. (I may or may not have wanted to lather up an actual avocado. So, I may be asking for too much.) The soft scent must be from the essential oils which I was happy to see in the list of ingredients rather than some unrecognizable, undeterminable perfumes.

The other avocado shave cream out there is the well known Taylor of Old Bond St. Avocado. Comparing it with ToBS which has a stronger but sweeter scent, I definitely have a preference for this one.

Considering the great shave and the good smell it's a must buy as well. This cream is priced toward the ToBS and GFT range, but it performs much more like a Castle Forbes shave cream. So, it's great on your face AND your wallet!

Like all Queen Charlotte soaps, this cream gives an amazing shave…whether you're a DE shaver or a straight shaver this will provide you with a quality, smooth shave. And, the avocado scent is a great exclusive everyone should add to their cabinet.

It even works wonders on the ladies...



And, don't forget as members of badgerandblade.com you are eligible to some great vendor discounts including The HandleBar Supply.
http://wiki.badgerandblade.com/Vendor_Discounts

 

[Deleted member 48987]

I really like this stuff. There isn't much I can add to your review. I can confirm the scent is somewhat similar to TOBS avocado, but definitely toned down and more broadly appealing (I think). To me, it smells terrific, an instant favorite. It's a very "green" scent. The performance is excellent as with all QCS products, but I found this one to make a creamier lather. The HandleBar Supply seems to be a upstanding place. I ordered on Saturday and it arrived on Monday

 

[Lockedin]

I stopped in the Handlebar Barbershop after finding them on a local search for barber supply stores to feed my AD. I can't say enough about this shop and staff. There's a great feel to the place, and I could see getting my hair cut there - if I had any...


Anyway, on to the cream:

This is my first cream in a tub, and my first tallow cream, so I'm really looking forward to trying it out.

Appearance: Plastic tub with a screw top lid, same as many. The cream itself has a nice white pearlescent look. It's firm - much more of a soft soap / croap IMO. I'm much more into how products work than how they look, but this looks inviting.

Scent: Faint, fresh green avocado when I put my nose down to the tub. Things really open up with few swirls of the brush, and by the time I had bowl lathered and was applying it, I could readily detect fresh green avocado halves, and a slight floral background that made the morning shave just that much more pleasant. Perfect level too - not overpowering, but never so faint I wasn't aware of it either. I wasn't sure I would like the smell of avocados on my face, but I really enjoyed it throughout the shave. It fades quickly enough after rinsing to avoid any interaction with my AS and EDT scent as well - perfectly done IMHO.

Lather: Gareth advised me at the counter that this is a thirsty cream, and it is. I've been using Mama Bears soaps lately and found that this cream used about the same amount (appx 1.5-2 tablespoons) of water to lather well. About 10 - 15 good swirls in the tub and this cream bowl lathers VERY quickly and with a minimum of effort I had a brush load of thick creamy meringue, and a lot left in the bowl - I could probably use a bit less product next shave.

Lubricity / Cushion: Very much the high point for me, and this is why we buy this stuff isn't it? The cream wasn't runny or goopy and applied to my face and head easily. I put it to a personal efficacy test: lathering a full pass on both beard and head and found that the lather hung around and was just starting to dry out at the tail end of the first pass. For comparison, VDH Deluxe has usually all but disappeared before I get around to shaving my head. Second pass was just as good and I had more than enough in the brush for touch ups.The razor passed comfortably and effectively over every surface shaved - the wiry but sparse whiskers on my throat, dense hair on the back of my head, and the mixed spots on the back of my neck were all BBS with no discomfort. I found there to be minimal residue, so pulling skin taut using just shaved areas was easy. I think I'm sold on tallow...

Price: More than most, less than some for a full to the brim 5oz. tub. Considering the above it's worth every penny and more.


This QCS croap is going to be on top of the rotation for quite a while, and I think the avocado scent is going to be perfect for the warm So Cal months to come!


Gear used:
The Handlebar / QCS Avocado Shave Cream
B&B Essential Boar Brush (ruby red)
A1 Flare Tip SS
Gillette Platinum (2nd shave)