Tallow + Steel makes good products, and I particularly enjoyed the fragrance of the soap today, Spiced Fougère:
Bergamot (17.5%) | Tonka Bean (12%) | West Indies Bay (12%) | Texas Cedarwood (10%) | Patchouli (10%) | Lavender (8.5%) | Labdanum (8%) | Vanilla (5%) | Frankincense (3.5%) | Myrrh (3%) | Allspice (3%) | Oakmoss (3%) | Geranium (2.5%) | Cardamom (2%) | 100% natural aromatic extracts from botanicals.
I had purchased it thinking that it might replicate the Old Spice fragrance of my youth, but it has a different — though still very pleasant — fragrance of its own.
As I loaded the brush, I realized that this formula must contain clay — I had to add just a bit more water — and indeed it does:
Stearic Acid + Water + Organic Argan Oil + Organic Glycerin + Organic Castor Oil + Organic Safflower Oil + Potassium Hydroxide + Tallow (Pasture-Raised) + Organic Coconut Oil + Bentonite Clay + Sodium Hydroxide + Vitamin E + Silk + Natural Fragrance (Botanical Extracts)
The brush is my Rooney Style 2 Finest, and I tend to pick this brush for a new soap because (a) it’s an excellent brush and (b) I’m familiar with its performance.
Henson Shaving’s AL13, an excellent razor whose innovative design ensures good comfort while providing excellent efficiency. Three passes left my face perfectly smooth.
A splash of the matching aftershave finished the shave. The aftershave has a witch-hazel base and excellent ingredients — and no alcohol:
Organic Witch Hazel + Organic Aloe Vera + Water + Organic Glycerin + Organic Quillaja Extract + Organic Rose Hydrosol + Organic Calendula Hydrosol + Alcohol + Organic Willow Bark Extract + Organic Cucumber Extract + Organic Licorice Root Extract + Organic Rosemary Extract + Leuconostoc / Radish Root Ferment Filtrate + Lactobacillus + Coconut Fruit Extract + Natural Fragrance (Botanical Extracts)
As I write this, I recognize again how exceptionally smooth a result I have from a regular weekday shave. I really think the third-pass trick has something to do with that.
The tea this morning is Murchie’s N° 22 Blend, and today it tastes extremely good: “a superb blend of green Gunpowder and Jasmine, as well as Keemun and Ceylon black teas… with a touch of bergamot to brighten the flavour.”