What soap/cream did you use today?

Happy Thu•Rose•Day

Grooming Dept Pomp

This is my second shave with the larger $38 jars of LPL soap.  Unlike the first shave, I stuck with familiar gear and techniques for this shave.  However - and I am sorry to say this - both shaves were disappointing.  The lather tended to be bubbly and ultra thin.  I built an acceptable lather in the first shave, but it required too much work, and the lather was just acceptable - not great.  I called it quits after one pass during the second shave, and settled for a bloodless SAS.  

Perhaps I might have done better, or maybe if I stuck with LPL for a month, I might have learned how to use it better.  But life is too short, and there are too many great soaps on the market.  So unless I stumble across a fix - which is always welcome - I won't be using LPL again.

PS  The scents were pleasant but not exceptional.
PPS The post was less than top-shelf, but much better than I expected from the lather.
  

  
Pre ...... Kiehl's Facial Fuel
Brush .... Omega EVO Marble Ovale
Soap ..... Le Père Lucien Vetiver
Razor .... Alpha Spirit
Blade .... Proline P-30
Post ..... Witch Hazel w/alcohol
Finish ... Costume National Secret Woods EDP

Looks like the wispy remnants of a wee bit of washing-up liquid after the water has drained away.

Thank you for the public-service announcement.

You're welcome, and thank you too.  I thought twice about posting that picture, and it was not a happy chore.  But like most chores, it was something that I felt needed to be done.

Truth should be exposed, not hidden, thank you.

Looks like the wispy remnants of a wee bit of washing-up liquid after the water has drained away.

Thank you for the public-service announcement.

You're welcome, and thank you too.  I thought twice about posting that picture, and it was not a happy chore.  But like most chores, it was something that I felt needed to be done.

Truth should be exposed, not hidden, thank you.

I ended up giving away my last LPL soap a long time ago.  I never enjoyed the lathers but I don't remember them being that wispy.  Just out of curiosity HighSpeed, how much time did you spend loading the soap?  If I remember correctly, loading a lot of soap was essential to getting a decent (as in it gets the job done) lather.  Maybe try loading from the tin and spend about 60 seconds loading, it might improve the lather/experience.

Lochranza (Arran) herby cologne
Shave 2

I smell mint, heather, and sea air. There might be some thyme in the mix too. Remarkably, I get no patchouli or anise as the label suggests, but what's here is very nice. Maybe the earthy spiciness will well up with continued use. I’ve been holding this soap in reserve, waiting for the right season. With autumn closing in, this just might be the right time. 
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Brush Slightly Cloudy 24mm floppy black synthetic (57) ・ Razor Blackland Vector Ti (128) ・ Blade Feather ProGuard (9) ・ 740 consecutive shaves

Thursday, September 19, 2024 - Wholly Kaw PasteurVision

 

You're welcome, and thank you too.  I thought twice about posting that picture, and it was not a happy chore.  But like most chores, it was something that I felt needed to be done.

Truth should be exposed, not hidden, thank you.

I ended up giving away my last LPL soap a long time ago.  I never enjoyed the lathers but I don't remember them being that wispy.  Just out of curiosity HighSpeed, how much time did you spend loading the soap?  If I remember correctly, loading a lot of soap was essential to getting a decent (as in it gets the job done) lather.  Maybe try loading from the tin and spend about 60 seconds loading, it might improve the lather/experience.

First off, thanks for the suggestion HoosierShave.  I do appreciate it.  That said, let me add some details to the story.  ...

The Vetiver tub was very firm, but short of triple-milled hardness.  I bloomed the puck with mildly hot water for about 30 seconds, and added the bloom water to the lather bowl before loading.  I have used this method successfully many times, varying the amount of bloom water and the blooming duration to match the soap.  Anyway, I remember wanting to load for at least a minute, and continuing to load somewhat after passing the minute mark.  I did add more soap during the build, but I do not remember how much.

Looking back, I suspect a longer bloom period would have worked better in this case.  OTOH, a few days ago, I got a better but still unsatisfactory result with the LPL Oud Santal Tallow soap, which I did not bloom.  The relative improvement may have been due to the tallow formulation and/or the lack of blooming.    

Brush: Black Eagle “Cheetah “ 25mm HT2
Blade: Timor (4)
Soap: Ethos “DragonsBeard” F Base
Razor: WR2 Ti SB 1.25 w/ Timeless Ti Crown  Handle

Fridays with Frank

Friday September 20, 2024
Razor: Blackland Sabre Plate #3
Blade: Gem SS
Brush: Paladin 28mm Ivory Chief
Soap: Ethos Dragonsbeard
AS : Witch Hazel + Ethos Dragonsbeard
Consecutive Daily Shaves - # 2,144