“Cashmere” is the name of this Yaqi brush, not the brush material, but the very fine and densely packed knot does feel somewhat like cashmere on the face. After Dark is a Van Yulay soap I like a lot:
Cinnamon, leather, cypress, sandalwood, tonka bean, amber, patchouli, lavender, mandarin orange, musk, benzoin, vanilla, apple, cedar and bergamot.
The soap makes a fragrant (as you see) and highly effective lather. The ingredients;
Stearic Acid, Coconut Fatty Acid, Palm Stearic, Castor, Glycerin, Potassium& Sodium Hydroxide, Aloe Vera, Coconut-Tallow-Lanolin-Babassu-Manteca-Argan-Emu Oils- Shea & Kokum-Butters, Sodium Lactate, Calendula, Extracts, Poly Quats, Allantoin, Silica, Bentonite & Kaolin Clay, and Fragrance.
Even with the clays, the soap loaded easily and the lather was remarkably good. The Merkur Progress did its usual superb job with a setting (as shown in the photo) just below 3. That adjustment knob, an aftermarket knob briefly available from iKon some years back, does have a true zero — that is, when it is fully tightened the indicator is exactly above 0. I don’t know why Merkur cannot manage that with their stock knobs.
Three passes left my face smooth and whole, and a splash of the matching Van Yulay aftershave splash ended the job. This aftershave doesn’t require Hydrating Gel:
Aloe Vera, Witch Hazel, Abyssinian Seed-Emu-Red Castor-Evening Primrose-Rosehip Seed-Oils, Comfrey, Calendula, Tepezcohuite, Oat, Marshmallow, Green Tea Extracts, Liquid Silk, and Fragrance
Unfortunately, the aftershave is currently out of stock, but if you email you might be able to learn when it will again be available.
The tea this morning is Murchie’ Library Blend: “This blend of Ceylon, Jasmine, Keemun and Gunpowder teas has a rich, full base with the sparkle of aromatic Jasmine.: