I picked up one of these at my local Target last weekend. It was a hold over from Christmas and the box was all beat to snot but the contents were intact. I brought it home and the next evening I slipped a few drops of glycerin on the soap cake I seated upside down in the mug and went at it with the brush soaking wet. Man it just exploded with tons of thick,creamy,slick,cushiony and fragrant lather. I went at my mug with my Wilbert and finished up my neck with my Razorock DE and it was one of the best shaves I've had. This is my 1st brush with VDH products and I think I like them. Then again I like taking a $ 0.89 Williams puck in my old Burmashave mug and whippin the snot out of it with my old buttery soft Conk badger brush too.