Extremely nice shave today, beginning with the lather. Queen Charlotte Soaps are quite nice: tallow-based, with shea butter, glycerin, and other goodies—take a look:
Saponified tallow, water, saponified castor oil and shea butter, glycerin, saponified stearic acid, cocoa butter, and coconut oil, essential oil(s), saponified avocado oil, palm oil, and olive oil, aloe vera extract, kaolin clay, lanolin, vitamin E. Green Irish Tweed Type contains fragrance, not essential oil. Vostok contains menthol crystals.
Good stuff and with my new Frank Shaving brush (selected by a commenter who favors these brushes) did a fine job—I even got a creamy lather, thanks no doubt in part to the soap. I did it the usual way: when loading the wet brush, brush the soap vigorously and at length. Presto! Creamy lather.
The lather showed no signs of dying on the brush. I am now officially a Frank Shaving enthusiast.
The razor is the Lady Gillette, but I got it in blue, not pink, so it’s okay. With a previously used Swedish Gillette blade I did four very smooth and pleasant passes—the lather was a treat—and after the shave, a hot-water rinse, a cold-water rinse, the alum bar, and a final rinse, dry, and good splash of Saint Charles Shave Refined aftershave: cedar, oak moss, and orange, extremely pleasant.
Man, a good shave is a great way to start the day!