My first Cella shave! Thanks, Marco!

[JCinPA]

Well, second, actually, my first sample was from Price months ago and I don't remember much about it. This time, though, WOW! What lather!

Marco likes photos, so here you go! Lousy cell phone camera, but you get the idea. I made enough lather to reshoot the 1965 Herb Alpert "Whipped Cream" album cover! (I'm dating myself)

What I discovered is that Cella is equal to any lather I've tried, at least with my unrefined discriminating abilities. I mean as good as MdC, any of the RazoRocks, including the newest line, as good as Tabac, Provence Sante ... as good as any I've tried, and better than most.

I cannot figure out what all the controversy is over the scent, though. This has almost no scent. I can sense a little bit of almond baked goods, as some have described it, but it is not terribly sweet, and it is so faint I cannot imagine anyone having a reaction to it one way or the other. It's like almond pastries baking, and you are crossing the street on the other side of the road from the bakery. I like it, but it is almost non-existent.

The lather is top-notch without doubt. Permanent member of my rotation. I love this stuff. Slick, protective ... I went for the BBS this morning just because I was having so much fun!

Mmmmmmmmm, Cella.

[Alaskan Snowmonkey]

The lather looks superb! Seriously rich, thick, and creamy goodness. Thanks for sharing. I've yet to try Cella.

[Unkas]

The lather looks superb! Seriously rich, thick, and creamy goodness. Thanks for sharing. I've yet to try Cella.

I'm not much of a pro at lathering and I've only been wetshaving for a couple of months but I can tell you that the Cella lather really is amazing! It's incredibly easy to lather and the lather performs just as good as it looks if not even better!

[Ski-Patroller]

Well, second, actually, my first sample was from Price months ago and I don't remember much about it. This time, though, WOW! What lather!

Marco likes photos, so here you go! Lousy cell phone camera, but you get the idea. I made enough lather to reshoot the 1965 Herb Alpert "Whipped Cream" album cover! (I'm dating myself)

What I discovered is that Cella is equal to any lather I've tried, at least with my unrefined discriminating abilities. I mean as good as MdC, any of the RazoRocks, including the newest line, as good as Tabac, Provence Sante ... as good as any I've tried, and better than most.

I cannot figure out what all the controversy is over the scent, though. This has almost no scent. I can sense a little bit of almond baked goods, as some have described it, but it is not terribly sweet, and it is so faint I cannot imagine anyone having a reaction to it one way or the other. It's like almond pastries baking, and you are crossing the street on the other side of the road from the bakery. I like it, but it is almost non-existent.

The lather is top-notch without doubt. Permanent member of my rotation. I love this stuff. Slick, protective ... I went for the BBS this morning just because I was having so much fun!

Mmmmmmmmm, Cella.

Cella is Great Stuff. I use it about 90% of the time. I have my own lather technique which is not quite as messy as Marco's but works well for me. I agree about the scent. It is very mild almond, quite inoffensive. Much better than Vitos or P.160 which I think are too strong.

[mandoman]

very nice lather

[SteveWY]

JC & Ski-Patroller, would you mind sharing your lathering methods? I assume you are bowl lathering. I have tried Marco's method. I think where I am failing is in getting my brush well-loaded directly from the red 150 g. tub. I love the stuff but I think my lather is falling short when I load the brush and go straight to face-lathering. I switch soaps every day so likely I'm not getting a technique down with Cella. Perhaps I need to commit to a Cella week.

[Marco]

Bravissimo, John! I'm very happy to see you enjoy Cella so much, my friend!

[demaro]

Cella is great stuff !! It is not expensive either , especially if you buy the Kilo black. I use Cella soap more in the winter than in the summer . I get more of a sweet cherry smell rather than almonds , though.

[dundak]

Cells does make great lather. I really did get tired of the marzipan scent after a while though.

[JCinPA]

JC & Ski-Patroller, would you mind sharing your lathering methods? I assume you are bowl lathering. I have tried Marco's method. I think where I am failing is in getting my brush well-loaded directly from the red 150 g. tub. I love the stuff but I think my lather is falling short when I load the brush and go straight to face-lathering. I switch soaps every day so likely I'm not getting a technique down with Cella. Perhaps I need to commit to a Cella week.

Well, first of all, you do know, I assume, that our daily shave lather does not look like that! For photo shoots, we are really strutting our stuff and use way more product and take way more time prepping it. That probably was a 5-minute job. I'm a little disappointed nobody commented on the Herb Alpert reference, it makes me feel old! Come on, I know there are old guys out there!

Secondly, I never load in those ridiculous tubs. First thing I do is scoop that soap out into an old RazoRock Artisan (white) tub, they are the best thing out there for lathering with Marco's method. So as far as using that little red tub, I got nothing for you, and I don't intend to waste time figuring it out, either. Maybe Marco can give you some tips. I suggest you buy a couple of RazoRock soaps and keep the tubs.

Thirdly, think of Marco's Method as what it is...a method, not a recipe. Different brushes hold different amounts of water, some you can follow the instructions to the letter, keep all the water. With other brushes you may want to dump a little water with a GENTLE vertical pump or two (not flick, just move your hand slowly up and down). You still want a lot of water in the brush, but if you have to dump a little bit out, you are not doing violence to the method. At that point you will have it dialed in for THAT brush only. I do suggest you use it daily for a week, then you'll get it.

Fourth, if you are using a larger tub to load, and you have dumped a little water, forget timing the load. Load until the density of the lather looks and feels about right to you, then take it to your face. You will be rewarded with a wonderful lather, but you have to tweak this process just a little bit based on your brush, your water hardness, and the lather consistency you like. It is not like "Preheat oven to X degrees, put food about 1/3 down from the top and cook for X minutes" kind of thing. Marco has given you a method to follow, not a recipe.

If your brush holds too much water or if you like a denser lather than Marco, or anyone else for that matter, likes, then you need to tweak the process just a little bit till it works for you. Don't say, "I followed Marco's instructions to the letter and I got watery lather. What am I doing wrong?" The only thing you are doing wrong is not making small adjustments to make the process work for you. That's all. If you liked your lather exactly the same consistency Marco likes his, and you asked Marco what brush he has and went and bought one, and if your water hardness is exactly the same as it is where Marco lives, this would work. Life is not that way.

I applaud you because I think you have self-diagnosed the problem ... not loading enough. The beauty of the RR tubs is they will keep the water and latter inside while you work it without it flying all over the bathroom. I always make a mess with those little tubs. Get rid of 'em. If you don't want to buy RR soaps to get the tubs, get some of those small, round Gladware bowls at the grocery store and scoop the soap into those. I suggest tomorrow you give your brush one gentle vertical pump and load until the soap looks like other soaps do before you take your brush to your face. Trust me, it will work. If not, next day do two gentle vertical pumps and load some more. It WILL work. You are not special. (well I'm sure you are special, but you are not special in the sense that this process will not work for you where it has for countless others).

I hope that helps! Good luck and let us know how it goes tomorrow!

And by the way, my shave as I am eating dinner feels like I normally do right after lunch. That Cella is really remarkable stuff! I love it. I do think the smell must be pretty volatile, though, and wears off over time. But the performance clearly does not! This is as good lather as I've ever gotten. MdC may take less product, but it does not shave any better, IMNSHO. Cella is clearly worthy of all the praise it gets.

And proves yet again that price is not related to quality. It's related to marketing strategies, but not related to quality at all. Get some Cella, people! And ditch that stupid red tub before you use it! (same with the Proraso green tub).

[lt114]

That looks like great lather. I think I might have a Cella shave tomorrow morning.

[Predict]

Beautiful lather! I'm gonna get my cella on!

[ackvil]

Well, first of all, you do know, I assume, that our daily shave lather does not look like that! For photo shoots, we are really strutting our stuff and use way more product and take way more time prepping it. That probably was a 5-minute job. I'm a little disappointed nobody commented on the Herb Alpert reference, it makes me feel old! Come on, I know there are old guys out there!

Actually, John you would be surprised about the number of PMs I get from newbies who worry that when they put an almond amount of cream or load their brush their lather never looks like that! I have to reassure them that the photo was for show!

And as for your reference to Herb Alpert, here is the cover John mentioned.

[JCinPA]

I knew there had to be someone here who remembered that cover! Quite racy by the standards of the day. Nothing at all by today's standards.

Maybe we need a disclaimer caption for the lather show photos.

"This lather was made by trained professionals. Do not try this at home!"

[Price]

John, I don't want to make you feel old, but I do remember that very cover. I pictured it as soon as I read your OP - it was in my dad's LP collection.

[turtle]

I did not know that you had an Omega 10098 brush.... What do you think of it? Not very popular and I'm surprised to see one "in the wild"

Oh... Yea..... Cella rocks....

[JCinPA]

Believe it or not, I traded a Semogue SOC for it with another member. I like it better than the SOC. That and my custom King1976 Silvertip are my two favorite brushes. He thinks I'm nuts. YMMV!

[the_edski]

+1 to that. Definitely a sweet cherry smell. It smells the same as Yardley Oatmeal and Almond soap to me, not an overkill scent by any stretch

I get more of a sweet cherry smell rather than almonds , though.

[celestino]

John,
i really like the smell of Cella and its performance, but i am not sure what the fragrance that they use is, but it irritates my neck area, unfortunately or else how could you not like a 1kg brick of Cella! Enjoy it!

[KarlMaldensNose]

First off, GREAT LOOKING lather! My compliments, sir. Second, I was under the belief that the problem many had with Cella's scent was that it was "fatty" smelling, like raw lard or something like that. But I agree with you that it is quite mild smelling. I 'm not sure how anyone could be offended by such a mild scent, whatever it is (mostly).

I get more of a sweet cherry smell rather than almonds , though.

Hmm... I get no cherry from it like I do from P.160 and RazoRock Original. Smells like natural raw almond to me.