I too enjoy the lathering side of shaving. I mostly face lather from soaps, using swirling followed by painting finishing strokes. I definitely prefer soaps to creams because I enjoy partially reloading the brush for each pass or touchup. I probably use more soap than needed but I enjoy the lathering. My usual brushes are small to mid size.
SRD Scuttle Problem:
My lathering routine does have a problem. I watched many of Lynn's videos in which he uses the SRD scuttle to keep his brush warm. I got an SRD scuttle, thinking that it wouldn't work because of my multiple brush reloads. It The scuttle partially works for me but it could be much better. It seems to work best when the brush rests in the scuttle between passes with no reloads. Maybe I should also use hotter water.
Hint: Maybe Lynn should do a video on using the scuttle?