Thread: AOS tub creams vs. all

hello all,

since i began shaving with the DE i've been using art of shaving lavender cream in the tub. it was given to me by a friend who complained of it's lathering. well i'm not ecstatic about the stuff, but for free it's pretty good . was wondering what would be a good soap to go to. looking to spend up to $15 on a refill puck and would like something along the lines of the "holy grail" soaps just so i have a point of reference. so far it seems MWF is the main contender. arko and palmolive sticks also seem like good value soaps but not really holy grail.

specific soaps i'm curious about are mama bear, PdP, MWF and TOBST (found for $14.99)

i don't have sensitive skin and my main gripe with my cream is it doesn't really have a glide. it's very sticky and i find it works best with a pump or two from my vaseline intensive care bottle. this makes it thick and very slippery (glycerine and petrolatum) which is favorable with these shark blades.

Tabac is good. I have a speick shave stick that works pretty well, i think it is around $5

MWF is my favorite.

Originally Posted by RonPopeil

hello all,

since i began shaving with the DE i've been using art of shaving lavender cream in the tub. it was given to me by a friend who complained of it's lathering. well i'm not ecstatic about the stuff, but for free it's pretty good . was wondering what would be a good soap to go to. looking to spend up to $15 on a refill puck and would like something along the lines of the "holy grail" soaps just so i have a point of reference. so far it seems MWF is the main contender. arko and palmolive sticks also seem like good value soaps but not really holy grail.

specific soaps i'm curious about are mama bear, PdP, MWF and TOBST (found for $14.99)

i don't have sensitive skin and my main gripe with my cream is it doesn't really have a glide. it's very sticky and i find it works best with a pump or two from my vaseline intensive care bottle. this makes it thick and very slippery (glycerine and petrolatum) which is favorable with these shark blades.

AoS creams are notoriously awkward, but can be worth the effort. Get them right & they are a very, very good cream indeed.

They really require very little water, or they simply become sloppy.
Flick most of the water out of the brush & begin building your lather. As it forms, add a few drops & whip in well. Be cautious with this, if you add the same amount as you would any other cream, you'll ruin it.

It really is worth persisting with as it will reward you! Avoid the vaseline though, as once you get the lather right it, its addition will only detract from it.

There is a vendor on this site, Alraz, who makes some of the best shaving creams you can get. Think they're still on sale for 15 a pop plus shipping. His scents are a bit more adventurous than the usual creams on the market, but try the Goodfellas as a baseline and he sells a great sampler set too. They lather exceptionally well, and you're giving your money to an artisan instead of Gilette (who hijacked AOS). CarrieM is another vendor who sells creams, and they're great. But Al's creams called "The Bomb" are really first rate and compare to Castle and Forbes, Trumpers, Taylors etc.

Originally Posted by dsg10715

There is a vendor on this site, Alraz, who makes some of the best shaving creams you can get. Think they're still on sale for 15 a pop plus shipping. His scents are a bit more adventurous than the usual creams on the market, but try the Goodfellas as a baseline and he sells a great sampler set too.

+1
Alraz creams are truly great products. I use the Palermo and the Calypso, both cream and ASB. Love it!

Originally Posted by Slartibartfast

Tabac is good. I have a speick shave stick that works pretty well, i think it is around $5

MWF is my favorite.

i forgot about tabac. from what i've read it seems some people are put off by the scent. too strong maybe? i'm sure plenty will rave about the scent as that seems to be the way things go with just about all soaps but i do remeber quite a few complaints here. if tabac lasts as long as people have said i might end up with a puck of it.

Originally Posted by ben.mid

AoS creams are notoriously awkward, but can be worth the effort. Get them right & they are a very, very good cream indeed.

They really require very little water, or they simply become sloppy.
Flick most of the water out of the brush & begin building your lather. As it forms, add a few drops & whip in well. Be cautious with this, if you add the same amount as you would any other cream, you'll ruin it.

It really is worth persisting with as it will reward you! Avoid the vaseline though, as once you get the lather right it, its addition will only detract from it.

since joining i've read about this issue with AoS. never knew it before though i did notice it's inconsistent lather and now understand why. i seem to do better working it directly on my face with a damp to medium wet brush. comes out a bit sticky this way but i get protection from the razor this way. started last week building it in a bowl. going to go sans lotion in this next round.

Originally Posted by dsg10715

There is a vendor on this site, Alraz, who makes some of the best shaving creams you can get. Think they're still on sale for 15 a pop plus shipping. His scents are a bit more adventurous than the usual creams on the market, but try the Goodfellas as a baseline and he sells a great sampler set too. They lather exceptionally well, and you're giving your money to an artisan instead of Gilette (who hijacked AOS). CarrieM is another vendor who sells creams, and they're great. But Al's creams called "The Bomb" are really first rate and compare to Castle and Forbes, Trumpers, Taylors etc.

could you explain this adventurousness in his scents? i'm not too picky about how it smells i just don't want something overly strong. the lady appreciates the scent in the bathroom after i shave more than anything. she loves the AoS lavender

The adventurous content is he doesnt go with simple lavendar, or even sandlewood...although he can easily replicate any of those for you. Check the Vendor page in the forums and click on Al's Shave Cream post and he gives you a run down. You should just buy the sampler pack, it will literally last you a month, and you'll try all of his scents and then buy tubs of what you love. I love half of them, the other few aren't my cup of tea. Lots of people love Saigon, it's just not my thing. But I'm in the minority. I love the Goodfella, Palermo, Bodega, Calabria...you have to try them, no amount of text will sum it up.

My favorite Lavendar is from CarrieM...another Vendor. Castle and Forbes makes a great scent too

Originally Posted by RonPopeil

could you explain this adventurousness in his scents? i'm not too picky about how it smells i just don't want something overly strong. the lady appreciates the scent in the bathroom after i shave more than anything. she loves the AoS lavender

After your thread I decided to use my AoS Sandalwood tonight. Hasn't happened in a while, as I go through phases. It really is good. Thanks!
I face lather it too. The only thing I can really add is that I use a little more cream than I do with most of my others. Remember, you can add the water, but you can't take it away.

Originally Posted by ben.mid

After your thread I decided to use my AoS Sandalwood tonight. Hasn't happened in a while, as I go through phases. It really is good. Thanks!
I face lather it too. The only thing I can really add is that I use a little more cream than I do with most of my others. Remember, you can add the water, but you can't take it away.

lol no problem! that seems to be a popular scent of their's as well.