YMMV indeed!
I'm also a cold water shaver
I also very much agree with you regarding overloading, it was using straights which made me appreciate a thinner lather
I just came to the conclusion proper soaps and creams are a waste of time for me, I can happily shave using a straight with pretty much anything, so foam with a cart is life on easy mode. Speaking of which, for me it just works... Eyes closed BBS in under 60 seconds, love it... I can go about my day.
I did fall out of love with the hobby and it became a chore so I guess this is exactly the end result one might expect lol. It's a funny life, back when I had to scrimp and save, wheel and deal for every purchase I couldn't get enough of it. When I wasn't shaving I was discussing it, researching it, hunting for new products, vintage treasures...This went on for a good 6+ years but a couple of years ago my life circumstances changed and I could suddenly have anything I wanted, price not an issue, nobody to ask... And I lost all interest
There's a lesson in that somewhere!