Discussion thread for Castle Forbes Lavender Cream review

Discussion thread for Castle Forbes Lavender Cream review.

Very nice John! I agree with you about packaging. At this price you would expect a nice glass container.

Thanks for the great review John!

Hi John. Well for me, the overriding factor for this cream is performance. It is my undisputed, number one cream. Aside from the scent and the super shave, the incredible after shave feel is unbeatable on my skin. While others give a good/great shave(3Ts, AOS) CF is unmatched for skin care on ME. I have a couple of hard soaps that are as good or better but no other cream comes close.

While our reviewer likes this cream he has some issues with pricing and packaging. I agree about the packaging. A premium priced product should come in PREMIUM packaging and in fact this one used to. Why then when they changed the package did the price not drop? I base my like for this one soley on performance/scent/conditioning. I don't even quibble about the price anymore. I really do notice a performance edge between this one and the major English creams. It is so dense and concentrated that 1/4tsp. is enough for 4+ passes with extra left over to wash down the drain. My jar is going to last so long that it's down to pennies per shave when amortised over the long haul. For all you noobs out there, keep this in mind when you post those "what's best?" topics. The critter don't exist. Each person will find that special lather that is unmatchable for him. Castle Forbes is the cream in my case. BTW, good review. I wish I could be that concise.

Regards, Todd

Nice review. I agree the scent is enchanting, but I think the Harris and AOS is just as good. And, at a third the price, the Taylor shaves like a dream. It is a true luxury item, no doubt, but don't have any illusions that it is 3X better than other stuff out there.

Im like Todd that CF is my preferred cream. I just got a tub of Trumper Coconut and while the smell is not the best, it makes as good a lather and is just as slick. Love the CF Limes as well

By the way, Chris Moss suggested using CF preshave as a balm and he is dead on with that advice

Sam

I am a Lavender lover myself and just had to try a tub of the CF. It is a great performer and a great scent but my old favorite, D.R. Harris Lavender, performs as well or better and I actually prefer the Harris fragrance. AOS Lavender would be my second choice and I can't rate the Taylor Lavender as I have yet to purchase it, but I can certainly see it in my not too distant future.

I've been fighting the urge to purchase the CF Lavender (and Lime for that matter). I've come to the point, however, where this is one of the few high end lavender scents that I have yet to sample. This review and ensuing discussion has pushed me ever so close to the purchasing edge.

Kyle, save your money. CF is a good shave cream but it is highly overrated. AOS, Coates and even SaintCharlesShave are equal or better in my opinion.

I appreciate your honesty, Andrew. I've recently received an offer to try a sample and will be taking advantage of this before making a full fledged purchase.

Well Kyle, pay heed to all opinions on this subject and at the same time, ignore them all till you try it yourself. As you can see, ratings for this cream are all over the place. I have used the AOS and find that it is easily amongst the best as well. We've seen Harris lavender get a good cheer too. Just one item with the CF. I tried a sample first, then bought the jar. Both times this turned out to be the DENSEST cream I've ever used. It is not as soft as any of the 3Ts. So I would recommend using a lather bowl and spread/smear the cream around the bottom of the bowl with your finger before lathering. It just makes it go faster. Use fairly hot water in your brush and watch that lather explode. So simple a caveman could do it. Please, share your experiences. And for the rest of you guys. I've been trying to wean myslef off of creams lately and you KEEP mentiong Harris lavender. Do I sense a loss of coinage in my future?


Regards, Todd

Phog Allen said:

Well Kyle, pay heed to all opinions on this subject and at the same time, ignore them all till you try it yourself. As you can see, ratings for this cream are all over the place. I have used the AOS and find that it is easily amongst the best as well. We've seen Harris lavender get a good cheer too. Just one item with the CF. I tried a sample first, then bought the jar. Both times this turned out to be the DENSEST cream I've ever used. It is not as soft as any of the 3Ts. So I would recommend using a lather bowl and spread/smear the cream around the bottom of the bowl with your finger before lathering. It just makes it go faster. Use fairly hot water in your brush and watch that lather explode. So simple a caveman could do it. Please, share your experiences. And for the rest of you guys. I've been trying to wean myslef off of creams lately and you KEEP mentiong Harris lavender. Do I sense a loss of coinage in my future?


Regards, Todd

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Good points, Todd. I should be receiving a sample some time during the next week and do look forward plying my own skills on it. Like John, and apparently quite a few others, I've found myself becoming quite the lavender zealot. I don't know that I could ever be fully satisfied until I've tried any and all products wearing this scent.

The Castle Forbes creams did start out in a very nice glass container (they did, though, have the same plastic lid which I didn't understand). However, they received concerns about having a glass jar in the bathroom and changed to the current packaging. At least that's the story.

As for the price, you have to remember that CF is in a 6.8 oz jar while most other creams come in a 5.8 oz jar. It's still more expensive, but essential oils are 10X more expensive than "fragrance."

Thanks for a really great review, and for the pics. I agree across the board. This is the best lavender scented cream that I've ever smelled. It's super-thick, and I even have trouble getting it all broken down and whipped up. I have to use my stiffest brushes on this C&F cream. Still, its efficacy is a remarkable byproduct of such thick viscosity...I never nick myself when I use this. Finally, as we all have, I have to agree that the price of this is really over the top. There are a lot of creams that are almost as good, for less than half of this price. I think it's a cream to ask for as a holiday or birthday gift!

Know where a fella can find some in NYC (besides Cambridge Chemists)?

One of my favorite creams, without a doubt. It's among those few revered shave items that represent pure decadence, IMHO.

The scent is heavenly.

I'm surprised that some many contributors have insisted that the packaging is inadequate. I really like the fact that you're paying for product, not marketing. I love the straightforwardness of the tub and sticker and I hope this means the ingredients make up a larger proportion of the saleprice.

scottish steve said:

I'm surprised that some many contributors have insisted that the packaging is inadequate. I really like the fact that you're paying for product, not marketing. I love the straightforwardness of the tub and sticker and I hope this means the ingredients make up a larger proportion of the saleprice.

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Bah! A rigged comment; you're from Scotland for heaven's sake!
(just kidding by the way)

While CF commands a price premium, the fragrance of Lavender and its performance is superb. As for the container, I actually prefer a plastic container to glass. I picked up a tub of St. James Clary Sage and while it is very nice cream, the heavy glass container is actually a disadvantage - hard to hold and heavy.

This is a great product, hands down. Yep, it is pricey, but this cream lasts quite a while. A great product. I am finally going to branch out to CF lime, but I have used this stuff since I started wet shaving and will likely have a tub around going forward.