What cream feels most luxurious?

[Phoenixkh]

The scent is medium-high strength for a soap, I would say. After all, you’re buying Acqua di Parma for the Colonia scent, as well as expecting it has highest quality ingredients. But of course it’s a shaving cream and the fragrance is not nearly as strong or long-lasting as in other products. If fragranced soaps can bother your skin then I guess this one isn’t for you - and not worth the risk at that price unless you had tested a small amount on your skin. Of course Acqua di Parma (LVMH) has the resources to test their products thoroughly, which small soap makers cannot, so there’s that as a counter point.

I wonder if you could narrow down what scent components cause problems for you. Which B&M soap was it? It must surely be a strong reaction to have such an effect, and I would think normally B&M soaps are safer than most. You are right to be wary. Some guys here are pretty knowledgeable about ingredients and the most likely offenders within a particular product.

I do find, by the way, that the AdP aftershave products are as good for the skin as the absolute best products I’ve used. I like the Colonia Lozione best, but they’re all great and make my skin feel amazing. But they are all strongly (but tastefully) scented, for sure.

The problem soap was B&M's Passiflora. There is a list of ingredients here: Barrister and Mann Passiflora Shaving Soap – ItalianBarber - https://www.italianbarber.com/collections/creams-soaps/products/barrister-and-mann-passiflora-shaving-soap

 

[Yodascaretaker]

Tobs creams in a tub always feel great. I feel like they are super silky.

 

[magle]

Castle forbes
TOBS
Cella classic
Ach brito lavanda

 

[Bengal Tiger]

I got a sample pack of St. James of London. This stuff feels luxurious like Castle Forbes but at a lower price.

 

[Frank Shaves]

For me, AdP, Atkinsons for Gentlemen, and Truefitt & Hill. I like Castle Forbes, but I have a little trouble getting the lather as thin as I like for using a straight.

I have only tried a sample of TOBS. Was very nice. Have not had the opportunity to try Trumpers cream, but it is on my list.

I have also tried many of the less expensive creams, but they don't have the luxurious feel of the above creams.

 

[Ron R]

Taylor of old bond street Sandalwood is a nice cream. Nice mid range spicy scent 6/10 of Sandalwood with great lather qualities.(Ran out of TOBS Sandal wood and bought some Cyril R Salter Indian sandalwood instead).
Cyril R Salter Indian Sandal wood is a very good cream and very reasonably priced, nice mid range scent 5.5/10 of Indian Sandal wood with excellent lather qualities.( one of my favorites)
Ach Brito Lavada cream nice mild scent of lavender and other nice scents. Excellent lather qualities.
Gillette Pure cream nice unique fresh scent 4/10 strength that makes excellent lather + makes good ubber lather with other left over soaps IMO. Good cream reasonably priced IMO.
Nivea sensitive cream, good all around cream, nice clean scent 2-3/10 strength with great lather qualities. Very reasonably priced also used + I used it a lot when I first tried traditional wet shaving.

 

[SRLNY]

Have now tried Acqua di Parma Colonia cream. Fantastic. Best cream, I believe, I've used. My only criticism might be a dry aftershave but now I've got to try the splash and balm, I guess.

 

[tranathi]

I only tried like 8 so far. But I would say Truefitt & Hills sandalwood gets my vote at this point.

 

[honeycutt]

Cyril Salter.

 

[GR5233]

Lea in the professional size and Proraso wood and spice

 

[Lane101]

Hands down the nicest, best performing creams I've used and I've used a few, is CRS. I actually ordered another tub yesterday. French Vetiver.

View attachment 1196499

I've been using their Wild Rose over two years and still have slightly less than 1/2 a tub. My Indian Sandalwood I've had for over a year now I think and is still well above 3/4 full. The tubs are large at 165g or 5.8oz's and the price is a lot more than right.




The CRS Wild Rose scent is spectacular.



CRS scents I find are very accurate and realistic. The Indian Sandalwood is just as nice and accurate. I believe its a true Sandalwood with no other distracting scent notes. That scent does linger, very well.

Hi Esox, I just ordered a tub of the CRS French Vetiver and another of the Wild Rose from Connaught shaving. Based on your and others reviews I'm looking forward to the Wild Rose. How did you find the French Vetiver cream? Edit, just saw your later post after you received the CRS French Vetiver. Looking forward to using the cream. Anything more to add since your first use of it?

P.S. I'm U.S. based and saw your Connaught receipt above. Interesting that the price (ex VAT for me) was still the same 8 GBP you paid in 2020 per tub or just under $10 with current exchange rates. They are back with free air shipping with orders over 60GBP.

 

[CCS]

I posted in this thread a couple months ago about my fondness for Brit shaving creams having had wonderful results from GFT, T&H, and TOBS. I've used TOBS Sandalwood for about as long as I can remember but don't recall where I first learned of it. Today's shave was this shaving cream and my T&H Rooney made Silvertip badger brush (very dense, very soft tips but enough backbone to make me smile while I lather up). I know the scent is love it or hate for this TOBS cream but OMG, it is such good shaving cream.

 

[Esox]

Anything more to add since your first use of it?

Only that I seem to be intentionally hoarding them so they dont run out? lol

They all perform the same for me. There may be a slight difference, or perhaps my own bias, towards their Indian Sandalwood because it smells so good but, they're still at the top of my shelf. For the modest cost of CRS and the great performance, its hard to beat them.