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I had to try Grooming Dept’s Mallard formula again right away to enjoy again that spectacular lather. I had not recalled it being so great. This morning I picked Mallard Corretto, already a favorite because of its fragrance (“Coffee, Brandy, Plum, Berries, Honey, Cacao Dust, Vanilla, Patchouli” — today I noticed for the first time the coffee beans in the background of the label).
The brush is my Omega 20102, so I again am using a boar brush (though this one is bleached, albeit well broken in). The result? Once again I got an exceptionally good lather — but it did not seem so stunning as yesterday’s lather. Still, Grooming Dept’s Mallard formula is truly an exceptionally fine soap.
The difference I detect between the two lathers suggests some small tweaks in the formula. The ingredients in today’s Mallard Corretto:
Water, Stearic Acid, Duck Fat, Kukui Nut Oil, Goat Milk, Castor Oil, Potassium Hydroxide, Cupuaçu Butter, Kokum Butter, Glycerin, Jojoba Oil, Myristic Acid, Shea Butter, Sodium Hydroxide, Fragrance, Coconut Milk, Tamanu Oil, Lauryl Laurate, Carnauba Wax, Beeswax, Allantoin, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Betaine, Sodium Lactate, Silk Amino Acids, Oat Amino Acids, Sesame Oil, Macadamia Oil, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Gluconate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Tocopherols, Silk Peptides.
This is not quite the same as the ingredients in yesterday’s Visage:
Water, Green Tea Extract, Stearic Acid, Duck Fat, Kukui Nut Oil, Daikon Seed Extract, Cocoa butter, Castor Oil, Potassium Hydroxide, Cupuaçu Butter, Kokum Butter, Glycerin, Myristic Acid, Shea Butter, Murumuru butter, Sodium Hydroxide, Fragrance, Tamanu Oil, Lauryl Laurate, Isostearic Acid, Sacha Inchi Oil, Beeswax, Allantoin, Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Betaine, Tara Gum, Sea Buckthorn Extract, Chamomile Extract, Borage Extract, Allantoin, Xylitol, Galactoarabinan, Sodium Lactate, Marshmallow Extract, Caprylyl Glycol, Sesame Oil, Macadamia Oil, Sodium Gluconate, Lonicera Japonica Flower Extract, Lonicera Caprifolium Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Tocopherols.
Both soaps are excellent, but I do like the Visage lather a bit more. I’ll be keeping an eye out for any new release with that Visage formula.
Update: I emailed Grooming Dept my observations on the difference I noted, and he told me that he also likes the new formula — and that he is finishing up a special order for The Razor Company (which offers already a good selection of Grooming Dept products). The new Mallard formula soaps will be:
Schön – Apple, Magnolia, Mandarin, Muguet, Osmanthus, Fresh Air, Green Tea, Jasmine, Musk, Sandalwood, Vanilla; and
Amare – Fruits, Coconut, Spices, Florals, Vetiver, Musk Ambrette, Sandalwood, Oakmoss, Woodsy Notes, Vanilla.
In addition, there will also be a soap using a special edition version of the Kairos formula:
Ardent – Lemon, Grape, Blueberry, Black Tea, Honey, Violet, Cashmere wood, Cedarwood.
The razor today is my Yaqi Final Cut adjustable. It had a considerable amount of blade feel — perhaps I should dial it down a notch — and it delivered a very smooth result in three passes.
I had picked a very old bottle of an artisanal aftershave, but the little left in the bottle had acquired an ugly color. I decided that I should discard the bottle, and I went with a Plan B aftershave, Anthony Gold’s Red Cedar aftershave, which provided a very nice finish.
The coffee this morning is Fantastico’s Espresso Malinal: “Sweet, Full-bodied and Balanced With Bittersweet Chocolate and Toffee Notes Laced With Rich Dried-fruit Undertones.” It’s very good, but tomorrow I think I’ll reduce the of grounds — today’s coffee was a little strong. Tomorrow I’ll use 29g instead of 31g (for 1 pint of water).