Shaving Soap: Totally unnecessary (gasp!) product?

I just got some chi chi êShave Soap in Lavender. For $18, it's French milled and according to the box, "generates a rich lather for a close and comfortable shave." Okay, so far, so good. The smell is lovely. Not too grandmotherly lavender, just nice and subtle. My bathing area is filled with soaps: There's the facial soap, the exfoliating soap, and the plain old washing soap soap, so the fact that there's one more makes everything a little busy, but that's okay.

So I lather the purple disc up, and already I'm a little suspicious because it doesn't look nearly as creamy as the "rich lather" I had in mind. You're supposed to use a shave brush or a mesh sponge to do this, but let's be realistic here. Who has this stuff on hand (okay maybe you have a sponge, but anyway...)? I have neither, so I settle on a washcloth.

I coat my legs in the somewhat pathetic lather and begin shaving and OUCH! That hurts. I quickly reach for my sudsilicious $3 Barbasol. Ahhh, much better.

Barbasol:1; Fancy êShave Soap: 0.

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