- Joined
- Saturday March 27, 2010
- Location
- ATH
As most of you know, this week I found a L'Erbolario store here, and since I had never heard of the products before, I decided to give them a try.
I purchased products from two of their lines, Myrtle and Fern, including shaving cream(s) from each scent.
This morning, I thought I should bring back into my rotation one of my favorite badger brushes, the Dovo super badger with Aluminium matt handle (GBP 80 in Amazon.co.uk). So far so good. I put it in my Muhle ceramic bowl with warm water, and go for a shower. Ten minutes later, I take the water out of the bowl, dry the brush a bit as usual, put some Splendid soap powder in the bowl and start to make lather. All is going well, I help with just a drip of water, and am now ready to put some cream (the main constituent for making lather). Mind you I always do that - start lathering with some soap or powder, little, then put whatever brand cream I like and perfect leather is ready in a couple of minutes.
So, I put a generous amount of L'Erbolario Myrtle shaving cream into the bowl, start the process, no more lather. Cream appears slightly more watery than any other tube cream I have used before. I add some water, just a few more drips, continue to work on making something with the brush, but nothing. I begin to think why. I add more water, repeat with my Dovo, nothing still. I add even more water knowing now that I begin to get out of the allowed zone and that my mix will for sure be too watery, i.e. no good. More effort to lather, then try to apply whatever I have managed to create over my skin with the brush, it doesn't feel good. Doesn't look well on the brush, neither on the face.
Try to face-lather, nothing happens, no improvement. I am now puzzled. Try to massage with the Dovo a bit as well. Lather is still extremely poor. I decide to add some of their Fern scent cream (tube). Put it in the bowl, little water (few drops), same result - not good lather. Nonetheless, I decide I want to start shaving. First pass, WTG, ok, pores are indeed open. But overall, something is wrong, lather is terrible. I suspect something may be off with the Dovo, it had been out of the rotation for a couple of years anyway. Something is wrong here and I really want to find out what it is.
I decide to change brush. I dry my aluminum Dovo and take out my standard black Dovo. Wash the bowl, put the brush in the bowl (warm water) and give it few minutes in the water. Take care of my nails during that small break. Few minutes later, I splash my face with warm water, dry the Dovo, ready to start again for the second pass.
Splendid soap powder and L'Erbolario Fern together in the bowl, few drips of warm water, start making lather - still no good. It's not the brush. Something is wrong.
Decide I have had enough - I immediately open the draw and pull out a ToBS (Mr. T.) cream (tube), put a generous amount in the bowl, start lathering - BINGO. In less than a minute, perfect lather. Second pass, XTG, is now ready to commence.
Do you guys think I have done something wrong here?
Do you ever get such difficulty in lathering with some creams?
Both tubes appear to be from 2009 batches, so I do not think it is a matter of non-fresh products.
But what is causing all this? Shall I put more quantity? I wouldn't think so, but have to ask...
No matter how 'natural' these products may be, I cannot think they would possess such low lathering capabilities. Is that the way it should be, perhaps, here?
I purchased products from two of their lines, Myrtle and Fern, including shaving cream(s) from each scent.
This morning, I thought I should bring back into my rotation one of my favorite badger brushes, the Dovo super badger with Aluminium matt handle (GBP 80 in Amazon.co.uk). So far so good. I put it in my Muhle ceramic bowl with warm water, and go for a shower. Ten minutes later, I take the water out of the bowl, dry the brush a bit as usual, put some Splendid soap powder in the bowl and start to make lather. All is going well, I help with just a drip of water, and am now ready to put some cream (the main constituent for making lather). Mind you I always do that - start lathering with some soap or powder, little, then put whatever brand cream I like and perfect leather is ready in a couple of minutes.
So, I put a generous amount of L'Erbolario Myrtle shaving cream into the bowl, start the process, no more lather. Cream appears slightly more watery than any other tube cream I have used before. I add some water, just a few more drips, continue to work on making something with the brush, but nothing. I begin to think why. I add more water, repeat with my Dovo, nothing still. I add even more water knowing now that I begin to get out of the allowed zone and that my mix will for sure be too watery, i.e. no good. More effort to lather, then try to apply whatever I have managed to create over my skin with the brush, it doesn't feel good. Doesn't look well on the brush, neither on the face.
Try to face-lather, nothing happens, no improvement. I am now puzzled. Try to massage with the Dovo a bit as well. Lather is still extremely poor. I decide to add some of their Fern scent cream (tube). Put it in the bowl, little water (few drops), same result - not good lather. Nonetheless, I decide I want to start shaving. First pass, WTG, ok, pores are indeed open. But overall, something is wrong, lather is terrible. I suspect something may be off with the Dovo, it had been out of the rotation for a couple of years anyway. Something is wrong here and I really want to find out what it is.
I decide to change brush. I dry my aluminum Dovo and take out my standard black Dovo. Wash the bowl, put the brush in the bowl (warm water) and give it few minutes in the water. Take care of my nails during that small break. Few minutes later, I splash my face with warm water, dry the Dovo, ready to start again for the second pass.
Splendid soap powder and L'Erbolario Fern together in the bowl, few drips of warm water, start making lather - still no good. It's not the brush. Something is wrong.
Decide I have had enough - I immediately open the draw and pull out a ToBS (Mr. T.) cream (tube), put a generous amount in the bowl, start lathering - BINGO. In less than a minute, perfect lather. Second pass, XTG, is now ready to commence.
Do you guys think I have done something wrong here?
Do you ever get such difficulty in lathering with some creams?
Both tubes appear to be from 2009 batches, so I do not think it is a matter of non-fresh products.
But what is causing all this? Shall I put more quantity? I wouldn't think so, but have to ask...
No matter how 'natural' these products may be, I cannot think they would possess such low lathering capabilities. Is that the way it should be, perhaps, here?