What next - Trumper's Coconut or Taylor's Avocado?

[stillshunter]

I'm bored, and a little down with having missed out on Mr Watterson's Simpson Luxury Shaving Cream Giveaway! review opportunity.

It works for my better half, so I'm going to try spending money to make me feel a little brighter! Having only tried Muhle/Jagger 'Sandalwood' hard soap and Cella I'm thinking I might give a good cream a go.

From what I've read and browsed so far I hear these two are good starters:
Geo. F Trumper Coconut Oil, and
Taylor of Old Bond Street Avocado.

I hear both are pretty moisturising and easy to lather. I hear the Taylor's smells like lawn clippings and can clog razors if not lathered right, while the Trumpers is purportedly slicker (which is a bonus), I also like the Trumper's shorter list of ingredients, though I notice it contains parabens… which I hear are bad m'kay (in my best Mr. Mackey) - not sure why but I'll look it up now.

So any opinions between the two? Happy to hear about a third too….but please restrict to 'easy' creams - and here I mean easy to work with and easy to get a hold of…no overseas argy bargy or boutique batches only available after it is mixed on the Scorpio new moon ascending with the sun passing through Sagittarius in the third house.

Thanks.

 

[Drubbing]

TOBS Avo is a nice cream, and regardless of the differences, is far better value than Trumpers imo. Big brand premium there. Not tried the coconut oil, but have tried a few others and the price kinds of makes everything Trumpers meh for me. If I pay more, I expect more. Maybe not a lot more, but something. FWIW I like TOBS Mr Taylor, Shave Shop and Sandalwood.

As for parabens, well, you can research and enter the den of mass paranoia and assumption that is random people on the net. Nothing is conclusive with parabens. Most of the 'research' I've has come from dodgy websites of fear mongers, who just happen to be selling alternatives….

Some issues potentially with ingesting massive amounts over long periods, so unless you plan on eating shaving cream a few times a week, I'd say you're ok. My take is a lot of companies are just not wanting to get the 'informed' section of the market offside, and are ditching them, and making it a marketing thing.

 

[stillshunter]

Yeah there is quite the price difference between the two brands. So maybe I'll look closer at the TOBS - be keen to hear from anyone who has tried the Avocado compared to others in the range…or I could go a TOBS sampler. Hmmm…

Also might dodge the paragons as I read here that:
"What are the health concerns?
Endocrine disruption: Of greatest concern is that parabens are known to disrupt hormone function, an effect that is linked to increased risk of breast cancer and reproductive toxicity. Parabens mimic estrogen by binding to estrogen receptors on cells. They also increase the expression of genes usually regulated by estradiol (a natural form of estrogen); these genes cause human breast cancer cells to grow and multiply in cellular studies [9]. Parabens are also linked to cancer, reproductive toxicity, immunotoxicity, neurotoxicity and skin irritation [10]. Since parabens are used to kill bacteria in water-based solutions, they inherently have some toxicity to cells [11]."
[P.S. source - http://safecosmetics.org/article.php?id=291]

I need to get better in touch with my feminine side but I fear what else will accompany my moobs after prolonged use.

 

[Ybbor]

Cade at locitane soap is good to. 20 a puck and lasts a very very long time. I have the avo and the coconut from above. All are good but like the freshness of the Cade

 

[Drubbing]

Well, you do need to critically look at where the 'evidence' is coming from. My take is that a couple of studies - that don't even show any link - has been propagated by net addicts to the point where companies are simply reacting to crowd noise. It seems there are a lot of people that want to link anything to cancer. Seems to me it's living that does it.

 

[Pjotr]

Yeah there is quite the price difference between the two brands. So maybe I'll look closer at the TOBS - be keen to hear from anyone who has tried the Avocado compared to others in the range…or I could go a TOBS sampler. Hmmm…

Why not try the well and truly tested ones like Tabac or Speick? You can't call yourself a wet shaver unless you have. It's a golden rule.

 

[stillshunter]

Why not try the well and truly tested ones like Tabac or Speick? You can't call yourself a wet shaver unless you have. It's a golden rule.

Hmmm….
Are you suggesting the cream versions of both or a return to the soaps?

 

[Pjotr]

The soaps are classics. I love the Tabac cream. It's my go to summer, scenty (why isn't that an official word?) refreshing job. Not cheap but you can sometimes get it in actual brick and mortar shops, even here in Perth. Haven't tried the Speick cream.

 

[stillshunter]

The soaps are classics. I love the Tabac cream. It's my go to summer, scenty (why isn't that an official word?) refreshing job.

Well then I have a few months before I need to trial Tabac then…freaking cold here right about now and for the next while I'd guess. Speick sounds pretty summery as well. No denying it, I'm living out near Canberra and it's winter time….so good call @Pjotr it's a winter cream I needs.

Out of interest anyone tried Occams? Obscure I know, but seems to be an Aussie artisans. The original sounds pretty nice ad the ingredients sound wholesome:
Stearic Acid, Water, Glycerin, Coconut Oil, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Potassium Hydroxide, Sodium Hydroxide, Castor Oil, French Green Clay, Essential Oils, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol.

Anyone experienced this cream?

 

[Drubbing]

Not sure I'd be bothering with a soap what's got olive oil in it, or lots of fatty oils in general. Not a friend of making lather. Some people use OO as a pre shave 'greaser' and then wonder why they can't get their cream to lather up.

Not everything natural is good, or everything good, natural.

 

[stillshunter]

Not sure I'd be bothering with a soap what's got olive oil in it, or lots of fatty oils in general. Not a friend of making lather. Some people use OO as a pre shave 'greaser' and then wonder why they can't get their cream to lather up.

Not everything natural is good, or everything good, natural.

Great honest and frank input - thanks mate. I'm digging the spirit of this place….albeit all the rules.

 

[Drubbing]

Just my experience, and opinion. Soaps with palm oil etc often come with lots of the 'rustic and natural' marketing, and end up just being shit.

Speick cream or soap works just as well for me. Great stuff, cheap as chips. As is Proraso. I call them 'working man' brands, whereas some of ye olde English ones are trading on history and Royal warrants. This is an area of product where $ certainly don't equate to quality IMO.

Another vote for Tabac soap. The only thing some don't like is the scent. Unlike PJ, it's a winter soap for me. The OS sellers have this at a far better price ($10? IIRC) than Mensbiz. Not sure why they price that one so poorly.

 

[stillshunter]

Just my experience, and opinion. Soaps with palm oil etc often come with lots of the 'rustic and natural' marketing, and end up just being shit.

I avoid Palm Oil as a rule.

Speick cream or soap works just as well for me. Great stuff, cheap as chips.

Is the stick OK - if so it could be a nice cheap entree - only $8

As is Proraso.

I'll try the menthol and eucalyptus come the warmer months again.

I call them 'working man' brands, whereas some of ye olde English ones are trading on history and Royal warrants. This is an area of product where $ certainly don't equate to quality IMO.

God no wonder you were banished from the Kingdom of YKW

Another vote for Tabac soap. The only thing some don't like is the scent. Unlike PJ, it's a winter soap for me. The OS sellers have this at a far better price ($10? IIRC) than Mensbiz. Not sure why they price that one so poorly.

Yeah hovers around that $30-40 mark here from what I can see. Unfortunately, any savings buying from the US just goes to USPS….unless I buy lots and it's too cold for the doghouse.

 

[possumbelly]

TOBS Avocado is a favourite of mine. To my nose it smells like used loose tea leaves. Makes a very good lather.
Love all the Proraso stuff. Creams, balms, lotions etc.
Occams caught my eye but I haven't tried it.
Speick stick is brilliant. Another favourite. So easy to use especially when traveling.
I tried the GFT stuff in a sampler. None stood out especially although the GFT and the coconut were ok from memory. Have moved onto other products since.
Cade soap is another one I like. Great fragrance. Very hard puck. Lasts forever.

 

[stillshunter]

Thanks @possumbelly
Great to hear about the TOBS vs. GFT. As well as Speick and Cade. I'm thinking a MensBiz order for TOBS Avocado and Speick stick maybe…?

 

[Drubbing]

Stick is good. It don't like them as a rule, so grate it and treat as any other soap. Cade smells great, but I couldn't get a decent lather from it. Others do, so I think it might be finicky for soft water.

 

[possumbelly]

Thanks @possumbelly
Great to hear about the TOBS vs. GFT. As well as Speick and Cade. I'm thinking a MensBiz order for TOBS Avocado and Speick stick maybe…?

Sounds like you're ready!

 

[stillshunter]

Sounds like you're ready!

Thanks mate. Almost sounded like I passed through some Jedi initiation within the neophyte levels….

 

[Monsta_AU]

Both are good creams, different prices. As Drubs has said, it may be a case of diminishing value as you go up in price.

I would suggest getting a tube of the Trumper's rather than a bowl. Cheaper and a smaller amount. You might even want to go TWO Trumper tubes which gives you a bit more of a try. The pick of Trumpers (IMHO) is Limes, Coconut & Violet. GFT is also very good.

TOBS - well they are as cheap as chips if you know where to buy them. Pretty sure Connaughts is the cheapest on a 2-bowl buy, or at least it was last I checked. I think the Jermyn St is their best cream in terms of scent, plus it uses their 'sensitive' formulation as a base. Otherwise the Sandalwood is nice but is a cologne scent rather than the straight 'Mysore' scent like Proraso Red. I never got on with the Avo but then again that was only a sampler from Mensbiz so it may have been exposed to air if the sample pot was not tightly sealed.

Oh, and Shave Shop is no longer produced. I quite like the scent of it.... it just evokes walking into a barbershop. Puts a smile on your face.

(PS grab a tube of Proraso Red.... cheap as chips and incredibly good value)

 

[stillshunter]

(PS grab a tube of Proraso Red.... cheap as chips and incredibly good value)

Not a misspell - that's TUBE not TUB? Only a dollar difference in them and both 150mL by the looks. Never used a tube before except my old Faulding Shave Cream (full of Coconut goodness)

So from the humble beginnings tossing up between:
GFT Coconut, and
TOBS Avocado

The list includes:
GFT Coconut
GFT GFT
GFT Limes
GFT Violet, and
L'Occitane Cade
Proraso Red
Speick
Tabac
TOBS Jermyn St
TOBS Shave Shop,
TOBS Sandalwood
TOBS Mr Taylor

Hmmm…I wonder whether I have enough face to smother all this on in one lifetime.

How do you guys do it?