Finely got my new Omega brush today. Used almost as soon as I got it. I don't us a mug and soap I use the SRD plastic jar of sandalwood. The brush that I've been using is a very old boar brush. the bristles are pretty stiff. I's a Every Ready C40. I've been using it since about 1950 or so. My new brush is different to say the least. It's not but a little longer than the old brush but a lot softer. It took longer to load up than the old one but that's to be expected. It's new to me. Now when it did load up and I presented it to my face it also felt different. softer to the touch and smoother. I really didn't know a boar brush would be this soft and smooth. I will use it for a while and see how long it takes me to learn this new tool that I've acquired. If I don't (It's hard to teach an old dog new tricks) I can always find another to try. This is the omega no. 81064. I know that if I change to a cream it would be magnificent. It is however a beautiful brush and looks good in it's little stand that it came with.