I usually face lather and get consistently good results at this point.
However, when I get a .5 oz. or less sample I’ll smush the soap down into a thin, even layer using one of those collapsible slow-feed pet bowls. Every time I get a foamy bullshit lather.
I’m unsure how to get an equally wet and slick lather with the bowl. Do I just need to keep adding water? Move to the face sooner? Give up and grow a beard?
The slow feed bowls have big nubs that just get in the way. Foamy lather is usually a sign of not enough soap, and my experience with that style bowl is it’s hard to pick all of the soap up.
Is there usually soap left when you’re finished rinsing out the bowl? Try spreading the soap on the sides of the bowl where the nubs ding get in the way of your brush.
Another method is using the lid from another tub of soap to do the brush loading.
There isn’t usually soap left when I rinse the bowl, but regardless I suspect you’re right that the nubs are just getting in the way.