I am currently visiting Bulgaria and picked up the shaving creams pictured for about 7 Bulgarian Lev, which is around 3 GBP or 5 USD
. All test lathers were done with a Muhle STF V2 Kosmo and all reviews were conducted with the same brush (face lathering) and a Edwin Jagger DE89 for 3 passes.
Viking Sensitive
This cream will take a lot of water and lathers up quick to make a really thick, creamy lather. It has a subtle cologne scent which smells nice, but will not overpower you or linger. It has aloe and menthol in the ingredients, but it is a very light menthol that will not freeze your face. It provided me with plenty of lather for 3 passes.
Rose of Bulgaria
This cream is probably the most popular of the Bulgarian Creams and the most expensive (still only 2 lev.) It has a very pleasant sweet, flowery smell that is unlike the classic rose scent that I get from most rose creams. The lather is thin, light, and foamy but it has surprising slickness for the coverage it provides, which gives great glide for the razor. I was able to achieve a BBS in record time, however, I had to pull lather from the brush for a 3rd pass.
Kapo
Has a classic cologne scent that is very light and will not linger. It makes a good lather but you have to watch how much and how quickly you add water because it can become runny on you. The cream provides good cushion and glide for the razor. The ingredients include menthol but I was unable to feel any cooling effect from the cream. It provides plenty of lather for three passes.
Supermax
This was the cheapest of the creams that I bought. The scent is comparable to Viking. It takes a little bit to get a good lather going and it doesn't offer great coverage. The lather seems to not want to stick to the skin and goes on very thin. The added tea tree oil and aloe do make your skin feel nice and moisturized after shaving. I had to pull lather from the brush to get a third pass.
If you can get your hands on any of these creams, I would recommend them all except for the Supermax. I have already stocked up on a few tubes of the Rose of Bulgaria and will be buying a few more of the Viking Sensitive. For the price, these creams can't be beat and may be good for someone that is actually trying to save money
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