TOBS vs GFT vs Poraso - review & recommend?

Hi All,

Got my first tub of Taylor of Old Bond Street (Lemon and Lime) tub of shaving cream. This was adding to my collection of a hard Poraso green and a GFT original.

I wasn't really that happy with this tub of TOBS L&L - it seemed so clay like I asked the supplier whether the lid had been open, but he assured me that was the standard texture. The scent too, but a bit too bathroom like for me. The lather was rich once I added 4x the amount of water to it - enjoyed it okay after that. But the scent was still average.

GFT is still one of my favourite for the cooler months - it's a light sandalwood. The texture is soft, very silky and smells wonderful. I keep putting too much in the bowl though! I never realise how much the brush loads.

I switched from a hard Poraso green to the tube cream. WOW! I can't believe this more 'basic' cream is still my very favourite. It's just as soft as the GFT and the menthol smell is my favourite. My girlfriend even mentions it in the morning (as I shave before bed most often) about how nice and fresh it is.

I'm planning to get the Crabtree and Evelyn Sienna to match my after shave balm (again for the cooler months) and maybe just storing the TOBS for back up (seriously!)

Does anyone have any recommendations for me if I'm enjoying these textures and scents? I'd like to get a LIme that actually smells like fresh Limes.

I have no GFT experience. Proraso I've used the red tube stuff, TOBS I have Eton College and now grapefruit as well. My current ranking would put both TOBS above the Proraso.

One of the best Limes/Shave Creams is Castle Forbes, but it has a stiff texture, not like a soft whipped cream. Don't let the initial texture deter you. They all whip up great. Truefitt and Hill is pretty soft. They have Key West Lime, which isn't bad. It has a more spicey Lime scent, but good.

I had to go check my TOBS creams. I have Avacado, Rose and Sandalwood. They're all soft. I'm not sure about the one you bought. In all, they're very good shave creams. If your using a scuttle to whip them up, just let it sit for a minute with a small amount of hot water, a teaspoon perhaps, and it'll melt.

Xpec, Art of Shaving, and Spencer and Devon are also very soft shave creams. SRD has Xpec, and it is pricey. I'm not a fan of Proraso or any mentholated creams, but I the Proraso I have in the green tub is hard like clay. The tube is not. I'd have to put TOBS above Proraso too, but a lot of this is personal preference....YMMV.

Enjoy

Crabtree and Evelyn do a Lime cream, and also a Lime AS balm. Haven't tried the cream, but the ASB has a good, natural lime smell (although it's not very pungent compared to alcohol-based AS's).