LGSOTD 03-Jun-24

• Brush: Oumo - 'Big Hand' Ex ST-1 27 Bulb #PREMIUMPLASTIC
• Razor: Atelier Durdan - Vestige ++ #CNC #MODERNGEM
• Blade: Personna - GEM PTFE
• Lather: House of Mammoth - Shire 2
• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Shire 2 AS
• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Shire 2 Balm
• Fragrance: House of Mammoth - Shire EDP

Never really looked at the tusk base in detail before, so was delighted to find Duck Fat sitting proud amongst the ingredients. I realise there is the good ole beef tallow sitting right there, but I'll take it as acceptable based on advice, though I did do my best to try and find a cat fat soap, sadly I failed.

I was determined to get Shire into my calender this year one way or another. The tusk base is great, and Shire is my favourite of their offerings, with Beloved coming in a close second. I'm a fan of the hobbit and lord of the rings, have been since I was a kid. Even managed to convince my 5 year old to let me read the hobbit to her as a bedtime story, sadly she hasn't caved and let me read her the rings just yet... I'll get her there.

With some tremendous luck I also managed to get my hands on some of the EDP from Anticatura. He's had two stocking instances and both sold out in minutes, really is fastest finger first, but well and truly worth it! I really wish there was more of a supply (I'm assuming there's demand) of US matching scents, I've been begging for SBS and Chiseled Face (just so I can go whole hog with the stag) stuff to make it this side of the pond, with luck the market grows...apologies I digress.

Quick note on the razor, if you get a chance to try the Vestige (and you're a fan of the GEM format) I highly recommend it. The razor is lighter than I would normally go for, but it is exceptionally maneuverable and gives a very close finish. Despite the lack of blade stops I've never caught myself with the ++ baseplate - if you go for the +++ be a bit more careful!

Challenge OnionMiOsma Day

I've got a block of this stuff that I've had since just after the last lather games. To be fair I rarely use it. I tend to find it quite drying, so only use it when I've been a bit cavalier using something overly assertive. So not really needed here, but the mammoth balm makes up for any drying effect!

Cracking shave with one of my favourite setups!

Photocontest

Aiming squarely at the Animal (not alive) theme today, had to match the animal with the fat!

Hope everyone has a cracking day.

Cheers

Marc"

Beautiful shot, very pleasing. Love the colors. The rubber duck manages to stand out in a surprisingly amusing but mature way.

2024-06-03 - Soylent Green

• Lather: Stirling Soap Co. - Glacial Electric Sheep
• Razor: Clix E-Z Flo #RUSTYBUTTRUSTY
• Brush: Yaqi Metal Timberwolf
• Post Shave: Stirling Soap Co. - D-503
• Post Shave: Alum, definitely not Osma
• Fragrance: Imaginary Authors - Telegrama

Where's the Beef: Mutton
Side note: Check out this rust-free patina. No rusty butts here!

Unifying Theme: Literature
The title of the novel is Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?. Dude, people aren't even said to dream of sheep. You're thinking of "counting sheep"; the dreaming part comes later. You should know better than that, Dick.
::ahem::
Philip K. Dick, of course.

Speaking of dystopian-future novels that I've never read, D-503 is the name of the protagonist of Мы (We) by Yevgeny Zamyatin.

I wish I could have kept the dystopian-future thing going, but I had to widen the scope to literature in general, which is fine because I make the rules! Even if Imaginary Authors almost feels like cheating, the aethetic of Telegrama seems at least vaguely appropriate.

#photocontest
Steampunk is an aesthetic genre that answers the question, "What if technology was only hot water and clocks and we dressed up all horny about it?" (paraphrased from u/BennyFeldman @1:25)
I didn't think I was going to have an opportunity to organically incorporate this into any photo during the Games, but I think it happens to fit, also vaguely, with the dystopian-future element of much of my setup today, so that works out. Serendipitous!

#FOF
Are you familiar with mosquito-repellent candles? I am not. If you're unfamiliar with Electric Sheep, it's worth noting that Stirling has a WARNING on the product page imploring people to try a sample before a full tub. I'm pretty sure I dove straight into the latter when I bought this.

I don't know what the fuss is about. It's strong, but refreshing. Like Lemon Pledge, maybe? I don't know what Lemon Pledge smells like. It's intense, and the Glacial menthol kicks the entensity levels up to Awesome. "Not for the faint of heart," indeed.

A dupe of Legend by Mont Blanc, D-503 transitions smoothly, perhaps thanks to its citrus notes, although those same citrus notes are the reason (maybe along with the purported 'dried fruit') that I opted to target the D-503 soap that I had in order to use it up and get it off my shelf. It's not that I don't like it—quite the contrary; tonka and light florals effectively mute the citrus—but it's not a contender for being among my favorites.

Telegrama deviates sharply from D-503, coming in firing on all cylinders with powder and linen, falling away to a firm assertion of vanilla. It's a very clean scent that, in retrospect, actually makes for a pretty excellent pairing with the sharp cleanness of Sheep. Serendipitous!

I suspect it would also tightly intermingle with Maggard's Barbershop and such soaps that use that scent mix. But I digress.

OnionMiOsma Day:
I've noticed a tendency in jobs that I've had, in which I inherited some task—a report or the like—and I later discover that the person I inherited it from hadn't developed a good understanding of it. Not only did that person not know the "why," but it later turns out that the exec or whoever who originally asked for it never really even cared that much about it, not then and especially not now.

I'm convinced that this challenge is the same. Alum is handy stuff, but no one really gives a shit about Osma. For example, consider this pristine block of Osma. I'll never need it, because the giant, chemically-identical rocks of the stuff that I got for a fraction of the price of that tiny block will last me forever.

good composition

June 3, 2024 – Fever Dreams

• Brush: AP Shave Co. 22mm Faux Horse w/ Ruby Ripple Handle #Fauxfur
• Razor: Weck Junior #weckonista #rustybuttrusty
• Blade: Personna Hair Shaper (1)
• Lather: Areffa Soap – Agave
• Post Shave: House of Mammoth – Smash
• Fragrance: Imaginary Authors – Saint Julep

I make bad decisions when I have a fever. This is known. Once, when I had an ear infection, I decided to drive to Walmart in a snow storm to get formula for our son. (He needed special stuff and only Walmart had it.) I didn’t get home for 7 hours.

So, it’s no surprise when looking at my options this morning for shaving, I opted for the weck. On Osma day, so I’ll know exactly how bad I did. But it’s also “OnionMiOSMA” day so I used the Personna blade in honor of u/onionmiasma’s suffering for AA.

This thing came pre-patina’d and needed to good scraped out of it so I could get the blade in. More patina pics. Is it supposed to hinge by the serrated part? No time, I’m getting tired must shave!

This was not a good shave. I only drew blood in one place, just below my ear where I tried to go XTG, and hit the angle wrong. But it’s OK, I HAVE OSMA! I “finished” the shave (such that you can call being still scruffy finished) and applied the Osma.

Now a note about my Osma, if you look it a chunk is missing from the top, that’s because I broke some of it off and sent it to u/AdWorried2804 so he had Osma today. It looked like I sent him Crystal meth. Anyway, we wanted to test the idea that since Osma comes from a shared block, sharing part of that would transfer some of the feel of the shave. Basically all Osma is connected! If so, I’m sorry, he’s in for some stinging. When I hit that part behind my ear it stung something fierce, I think blacked out, and when I woke up, I tasted…saltwater and coconut? He has nicer weather than I do.

Now while u/grindermonk is only aware of 1 bear tallow soap (that is a prize for best shave in scuba gear or something, I dunno I didn’t read the whole post) there is in fact at least one more. I commented once to u/bmac92 my thrill didn’t extend to odd Ukrainian soaps made with bear tallow, but then when he offered to send this for shipping only I said, “why not, maybe it’ll be useful for LG.” Luck is when preparation meets opportunity.

My #photocontest here “animals (dead)” But how you ask? Well, that Tupperware container contains the missing beef tallow! Theme question answered.

For #fof, I’m going with an all-drink theme here, Agave (famously used in tequila), Smash, which is a peach bourbon cocktail, and Saint Julip which is a nod to Mint Julips. Fittingly the description of St. Julio mentions “bear” (though in verb form) bringing us back around to the tallow! Go theme! The smells are interesting, I get a slightly chemical smell off the soap, smash smells like cherries to me, and Saint Julep is supposed to be like mint. The soap did not improve upon lathering, the smash clashed a bit with the Julep, which did not smell like mint to me, but maybe that’s the tangerine? It was ok. I’m going back to bed and hoping that area behind my ear stops stinging by tomorrow.

June 3, 2024 - Where's the Beef?

• Brush: Brad Sears Gonzo Handle Manchurian Fan 24 mm #SHD
• Razor: GEM 1912 #TWINS
• Blade: GEM PTFE (14)
• Lather: Grooming Dept - Mallard Corretto
• Alum: Osma
• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Embrace
• Fragrance: Maher Olfactive - Treachery

Challenge: I won’t be rubbing a styptic pencil and cracking black pepper on my face this year. I’ve been converted. In ~4 years of wetshaving I’d never used alum. In September I decided it was time to see what the hype was about. I included Osma in a Maggard’s order. I’ve used it after pretty much every shave since. I haven’t included it in my lather games posts because I don’t want the bot picking it up. Hopefully labeling it “Alum” will avoid that.

I love coffee. I drink a cup of black coffee made from good locally roasted beans almost every day. Mallard Corretto is tailored for a different kind of coffee drinker. It's very sweet. The combination of brandy and honey smells similar to caramel. There a big note of vanilla, and a bit of cocoa. If you like sweet fragrances, this smells nice. It's enjoyable for the duration of a shave. But, that's all I can take.

This soap utilizes a duck fat base. It's not the easiest soap to use. The consistency is that of room temperature butter. It's tricky to load as it likes to stick to my scooping stick, my fingers, and itself. I had little globules of soap in my brush that had to be worked out by working the brush on my face. It took a good bit of soap to get a lather going. Thankfully, it's not particularly thirsty. The end result was good. The lather had a nice consistency, resembling face cream. Primary slickness was good. Secondary slickness was lacking.

I picked Embrace to go with the coffee theme of Mallard Corretto. The fragrance in House of Mammoth’s balms tends to be a bit muddled. Embrace is warm and friendly. The notes blend together well. Nothing really sticks out more prominently than the others. I smell notes of fruity berries, cardamom, a sharper spice note, and a general green woodyness. It’s an inviting fragrance that I could sit with for a while. I wish this came in a candle.

The cocoa and vanilla sweetness of Mallard Corretto lead me to the most decadent fragrance in my den, Treachery. I love the bold boozy whiskey note in this that walks up and jumps on you like a poorly trained dog. It's chocolatey with an accompanying bitterness. After dry down the tobacco spice creeps up on you (or was it standing there the whole time?). There's also a warm spice that smells like cinnamon. This is a fragrance you wear when you want people to take notice. It also makes me want to smoke a cigar.

#photocontest - an onion, because it’s OnionMiOSMA day.

#FOF

June 3, 2024 - The birds are watching

• Brush: Dogwood Handcrafts w/ Declaration Grooming B10 #FRANKENBRUSH #SHD
• Razor: EldrormR Industries Two-Toned MM24 #FLIPTOP #MODERNGEM #RUSTYBUTTRUSTY
• Blade: GEM PTFE
• Lather: Chicago Grooming Co. - Rougere
• Post Shave: Chicago Grooming Co. - Rougere
• Post Shave: Osma Alum
• Fragrance: Chatillon Lux - Rose Santal

This is the darkwing re-release of Rougere, so we're in duck fat heaven to be on theme. Splash connected by way of "it's literally the same thing" and frag connected by the rose note. I really love Rose Santal, it's one of my favorites, but I want a Rougere frag so bad.

This shave was great. Darkwing always delivers with the super slick lathers, and this gave me one of the better GEM shaves I've had to date. I normally only pull out the Osma if I get a shave with tons of weepers. That wasn't today, but I used it anyways just for y'all. The things we do for each other.

Photo theme today is Animal (not alive). My late grandfather used to spend his retirement making wooden birds, and this is one of them. It watches me shave every day and keeps an eye on my brush collection. #photocontest

Jun. 3, 2024

• Brush: Chisel & Hound Strata W/TnS Quarter Moon Synthetic #COMPOSITE

• Razor: Blackland Sabre #CNC #MODERNGEM

• Blade: Personna GEM PTFE [16]

• Lather: Stirling Soap Co - Glastonbury

• Post Shave: MontBlanc Explorer

• Fragrance: MontBlanc Explorer

Where’s the Beef?

I am old enough to remember when that commercial was new. It was everywhere, T- Shirts, bill boards, I’m sure if I went through old photo albums there’s pictures of my Step- Father sporting a Where’s the Beef shirt. I’m also old enough to remember when Wendy’s was actually good.

So for my 3rd shave of my first LG I chose Glastonbury paired with MontBlanc Explorer. I love both of them and this month is going to kill me because usually use MBE 2-3 times a week. I have plenty of Frags but I reach for this one a lot.

I have really fell in love with the SE format. I use the Sabre more than any of my other razors. It just works so well for me.

I don’t use Alum. It’s a dumb reason why because I know it’s just in my head but I have to watch my salt intake because of my heart condition so even though I know I’m not absorbing it into my blood stream I just don’t want to take the chance of any extra salt. But I will say that u/onionmiasma is the perfect strawman. He did not know me from Adam but helped me score some Spearhead! that I was on the hunt for and I will always be great full for that.

Soap justification. Glastonbury is made with Mutton Tallow

Frag. Glastonbury is very Patchouli forward as is Explorer they go great together.

Photo Contest: Theme Money

#ROTY #FOF #photocontest

Where's the Beef?

• Brush: Chisel and Hound - Intrepid (26 mm Zenith boar knot at 53 mm loft) #COMPOSITE #FRANKENBRUSH
• Razor: Above the Tie - Calypso R1 #CNC #RAINBOW
• Blade: Feather - new Hi-Stainless
• Lather: YRFCE - Yard Raised Fresh Chicken Eggs
• Post Shave: Barrister and Mann - Roam
• Osma: Osma - Osma
• Fragrance: House of Mammoth - Shire 2

Happy YRFCE day! Three years ago, u/pppork revived this mythical chicken tallow soap and published the best documentary in wetshaving history. Definitely worth a watch if you haven't had the pleasure!

The chicken tallow makes this perfectly on theme, and the relevant post shave and fragrance through-line here lies in three different versions of grassy scents of nature: YRFCE has notes of grass, dry hay, and vetiver. Not exactly clean, but light and subtle. Roam is the exact opposite: Wet grass, earth, smoke, dirt. This is the scent of a camp site that smelled like YRFCE three rainy days ago. When the weather turns good again and the land dries again cleaner, that's when it smells like Shire: violets and fresh air (= warm hay to my nose, but that's a side note), fresh vetiver. I like these happy roller coaster fragrance progressions that tell a #FOF story. I'm really looking forward to the Roam 2 splash, because the balm in the Covid era finger balm tub starts looking a bit sus.

Great shave with the blue AtT. It's a good razor, it's just not very exciting. As a result it doesn't tend to get a lot of use. Not sure why I find it boring, but I do.

For the #Photocontest, I first planned to do the Bird theme (obviously), but then I got in the mood of doing Fill the frame instead because I enjoy the perspective and calm a closeup gives, the details and imperfections revealed, the tricks of depth-of-field, the visceral experience of one's size, and, of course, the tiny bokeh balls.

The chicken with its piercing look is a fun subject for closeups, even getting very close. I also experimented with a shorter focal length macro lens, but it was a bit over the top.

Today's Sponsor Wholly Kaw is the maker of controversial Entropy Man, one of my all time favourite scents in ~~cough syrup~~ wetshaving, and for that alone I'll be forever a fan ♥.

Where’s the Beef? * Brush: Spokar Badger #WEDONTNEEDNOSTINKINGBADGERS
Razor: Muhle R41 #ZAMAC
Blade: Bic
Lather:* Areffa Soap - Smokey Midday

It is Bear tallow soap from Areffa Soap.

photocontest onions

Today’s Challenge: OnionMiOsma

Noname Alum Stick and onions in honor of u/OnionMiAsma!

Day 3

• Brush: DS Cosmetic – 26mm Horse #HORSEASS
• Razor: Blackland - Sabre #CNC #MODERNGEM
• Blade: GEM PTFE
• Lather: Chicago Grooming Co. – Wayoh Soap
• Post Shave: Chicago Grooming Co. – Wayoh Splash
• Fragrance: Azzaro - The Most Wanted EdP

Boom Boom Boom - now let me here you say way-ooh – WAYOH!!!!

Boom Boom Boom - now let’s shave with WAYOH – WAYOH!!!!

Made with duck fat all the way, I could shave with this all day Maybe with a different brush cause this horse one really sucks Scratchy getting tangled too – For the hashtag, no thank you Used a modern gem today, cuts those whiskers every way

Shave shave shave – now let’s shave with WAYOH – WAYOH!!!!

.#FOF – Wayoh is a woody-spicy dupe of Spicebomb by Viktor and Rolf, so I used Azzaro’s the Most Wanted, which is also woody-spicy. Wayoh is more cinnamon and leathery and smells warmer, while the frag is more like vanilla and spices. The two scents complimented each other nicely, but not really the best combination for a day like today. An 80 degreee summer day is too hot for this, as the smell makes me feel like I should be sipping mulled apple cider. Either way, this would be a great combination for Oct/Nov.

Challenge: I have never used Osma or any other alum, for that matter. And honestly, never plan to. My shave routine is great as it is and I don’t think any amount of rubbing a salt block on my face would change that.

.#photocontest: Onion

imhonestlylying’s Daily Top 5:

In honor of “Where’s the Beef?”… The Top 5 Best Ad Campaigns of all time:
5) Pepsi, The Pepsi Challenge – If we add more sugar to the sugary drink America loves, they’ll love the extra sugary version even more!
4) American Express, Don’t leave home without it – Can you imagine how embarrassing it would be to NOT buy something? Grow up and get an Amex!
3) Milk, Got Milk? – Drinking the product of a lactating bovine is the best way to be successful.
2) Nike, Just Do It – Consequences be damned, live for the now!
1) DeBeers, A Diamond is Forever – Successfully convinced a population that your marriage doesn’t mean a thing if you don’t have a rock in which they control a monopoly of and artificially create scarcity in inflate the price.

June 3, 2024 – LG 3: Where’s the Beef?

• Brush: Dogwood Handcrafts 30mm Synbad #FRANKENBRUSH #COMPOSITE
• Razor: Gillette Slim #ADJUSTABLE
• Blade: Astra Green (10)
• Lather: Red House Farm – 9 Days Up Nort’
• Post Shave: Noble Otter – Northern Elixir
• Fragrance: House of Mammoth – Hygge

Video here Being the idiot I am and rushing, initially forgoing the climax and point of today’s shenanigans, I filmed it in 2 parts but did slap it together in iMovie sans editing for one enjoyable experince. As for today's sponsor spotlight, WK is a legit contender that probably doesn't get enough love in my den, they have like 17 fougeres alone.

I immediately knew I’d be using some Red House Farms 9 Days Up Nort’ today, made with deer tallow. This was made to honor Wisconsin deer hunting season. It’s woodsy with a healthy dose of pine, with slight herbal qualities from lavender. That said, picture walking through cold, frosty evergreen forest. Followed it up with another chilly northern scent in NO Northen Elixir. This takes the frost up a notch, and has much for prominent lavender and the oft pungent camphoraceous and medicinal eucalyptus. To round and mellow out today’s winter wonderland, we visit hygge. A barbershop at heart, but so much more. It too has sharp evergreen fur and a wintery freshness, kissed atop with sweet orange citrus. #FOF

In honor of u/onionmiasma today, what better way than to use an onion in the photo and in the shave. Why in the shave you say? Well, alum is pointless you see, and rubbing styptic pencil all over one’s face is so LG23. Of note, onion is part of the allium family, which is basically the word alum any way. So onion seems like a logical substitute. It makes total sense too, according to point number 7 in this article onions have antibacterial properties, just what you need to heal nicks and cuts. So today, onion was used in place of alum, which never needs to be used anyway. #PHOTOCONTEST Onion

soap brands 3/30, post shave 3/30, frag 3/30, post/frag linked 3/30, software sponsors 2/16, hardware sponsors 4/2, razor hashtags 3/15, brush hashtags 3/15, photo contest 3/30, daily challenges 2/26, special challenges 1/4

June 3, 2024

• Brush: Muninn Woodworks purple burl AP Shave Co. 24mm MiG #COMPOSITE #FRANKENBRUSH #PREMIUMPLASTIC
• Razor: Karve CB SB-D #CNC
• Blade: Personna Lab Blue
• Lather: West Coast Shaving – Pear-Brrr Shoppe

Day 3 down memory lane. My on theme, duck fat based soap threw me for a loop. It was my first use and I knew I was recognizing the notes it but didn’t know why. Up front it’s very fruity, unsurprisingly peary. But with an undernote…what is it….I know it….spices? Yes! It is! It’s that first step into my grandma’s house when I was younger. Not pie but straining to be the filling, it’s the fresheners or candles she would have going. This soap’s pear and spices are not so strong that it’s overwhelming but actually a nice touch. After a pass and a half, the sharp pear fades to the ubiquitously recognizable geranium, oak moss classic barbershop. That’s grandpa – rubbing his knuckles together ready to tear my forearm apart with his patented Indian rope burn (sorry for any offense but that’s what we called it 20+ years ago). His ungodly old man strength defying logic to wrestle you down while he has you locked down as you are catching whiffs of that oh so familiar scent. Overall, perhaps a little to potpourri upfront for this to be a staple, but it was nice to reflect on those visits so long ago.

Alum – won’t use it. There is no “luxury” chuck of salt. It’s worse than sea salt varieties which at least captures other minerals to add some flavor into it. The alum salt is just a face burner that literally adds zero true health benefit (except when bleeding). I can’t describe it any better than u/kind_simian has already, who also provided the sample for today. Thank you!

Tonight I decided to fill the frame with soap, brush, and razor for the #photocontest

FOF

Where's the Beef?

• Brush: Chisel and Hound Vitae Taper w/AP Shave Co 26mm Pure Bliss™ SHD Premium Synthetic Knot #COMPOSITE #FAUXFUR #FRANKENBRUSH #PREMIUMPLASTIC #SHD #TOLL
• Razor: Blackland Vector #CNC
• Blade: Schick Proline P-30
• Lather: Stirling Soap Co. - Scots Pine Sheep
• Post Shave: Parker - Alum Block
• Fragrance: Demeter - Mountain Laurel

Daily Gratitude
Thanks to my dad for the alum block. Thanks to ShavinginCT for the soap and fragrance sample. Thanks to our wonderful judges and other people for putting this whole thing together.

Daily Mistakes
I decided for OnionMiOsma day I would use only an alum block as aftershave; I ended up having some irritation for a while. You could also consider bowl lathering a mistake, I'll talk more about it in the writeup.

Daily Writeup
No video today because my mom is back to work today and she was tired and when I finally got home from seeing the Garfield movie she was already sleeping; I think I will limit the SOTD videos to weekends because my mom doesn't work weekends and we both have a lot more free time and energy. I decided to fully bowl lather today (I usually use the bowl just to load the sample); I used to religiously bowl lather until I learned how to properly face lather, this was like WAAY TOO MUCH FOR ONE PASS so it wasn't the slickest shave because there was an inch of lather between the razor and my skin and I had to rinse the razor every 0.5 seconds. I watched the Garfield movie today with my grandma, definitely not nearly as good as the original Garfield movies lol, but fun nonetheless. Also when I got done shaving I walked out just to find the smell of burnt plastic because my brother turned on the wrong burner when cooking and there was plastic on that one.

Daily Theme Points
Stirling's Scots Pine Sheep is indeed not beef but rather sheep. Where is the beef? I'm unsure, you better ask Wendy.

Daily Relevant Post Shave & Fragrance Points
I didn't have any sheep tallow aftershaves or fragrances so I decided to just relate them all in the way that they are different than the other traditinal stuff I have in my collection. For the aftershave I used just my crappy Parker alum block that also coincides with the daily challenge. For my fragrance the thing making it different is the label is just a simple label instead of listing the brand and perfumer or having a fancy pants logo. The fragrance is also called Mountain Laurel and mountain laurels, like pine, grow in the mountains, so I thought it would connect. Also for people saying that my alum block isn't a stand alone aftershave, it is, according to Parker it's "A Natural Aftershave with Astringent Properties to Soothe Skin & Treat Shaving Nicks".

Daily Challenge
Man this Parker alum sucks, I wish I had Osma. First of all, it was waay overpriced, I bought it for like $13 at my local shave store because I didn't want to wait for any online shipping. When the guy at the shop took it out of the case he dropped it but none of us thought anything of it but it turns out the case cracked, but I didn't notice until I had already gotten home and opened it so I just keep on using it like this, so what some weird alum crystal water seeps through onto my counter. And that alum block must have been sitting in that shave shop for years because the weird outer plastic wrapping had gotten all cracked and even started to stick to the block so the first couple uses of it had random plastic pieces falling off. Hopefully I get some Osma soon because I'm sick of this. Also to honor Onion I decided to use the Onion photo contest theme today to coencide with the daily challenge.

Hardware Scavenger Hunt Forgot to mention this yesterday but if you want reasoning for the hashtags on the brush look at my day one post because I just copy and paste the brush in everyday I use it but I don't want to remove the hashtags. As for the razor hashtag of today, the Blackland Vector is indeed #CNC.

Photo Contest
Included a really old onion from my fridge that seems to be growing inside, good thing I found it for this so I could throw it out afterwards.

TL;DR
Long post, no video, alum is an aftershave, I win rookie of the year, thank you.

Side Contests #photocontest #ROTY

June 3, 2024 - Where's the Beef?

• Prep: Warm Shower
• Brush: AP400B XL Handle (AP ShaveCo) - 28mm Maggard Boar Knot #FRANKENBRUSH
• Razor: GEM MMOC - Gen 1 #FLIPTOP #RUSTYBUTTRUSTY
• Blade: Personna GEM PTFE (1)
• Lather: Chicago Grooming Co. - AG 1889
• Post Shave: Chicago Grooming Co. - AG 1889
• Post Shave: Osma Alum
• Fragrance: 345 Soap Co. - 1879 Prospector

This morning started like any other Lather Games morning. Confident in my predetermined setup, which was on theme and related to the play on years, I made my way to the bathroom to get my morning going. The shave went wonderfully, as would be expected from the wonderful duck tallow base, but what happened after was truly an experience for the ages. As I cracked open the Osma Alum, excited to try it this year for the first time, I was overcome with the feeling that something strange was about to happen.

As soon as I applied the alum to my skin, I felt a strange sensation. It was as if time itself was bending to my will. I looked around, and suddenly, I was transported back to the year 1879. Where I found myself in a bustling town surrounded by horse-drawn carriages and old-fashioned street lamps. I spent some time exploring the town, marveling at the architecture, and trying to get a sense of what life was like back then.

As I walked through the town, I stumbled upon a small shop selling all sorts of goods. The sign above the door read "Osma Alum: The Secret to Changing Lives." I chuckled, thinking it was just a clever marketing ploy. But as I browsed through the shelves, I noticed that every product had a peculiar date stamped on it: 1889. Intrigued, I asked the shopkeeper about the significance of the dates. The shopkeeper smiled and said, "Ah, you've discovered our secret! Osma Alum isn't just any ordinary alum – it's infused with the essence of 1879 and 1889. It's said that when you apply it to your skin, you'll experience a transformation that will change your life."

I was again skeptical, but I decided to take a chance. I applied the alum to my skin, and as I did, a strange sensation washed over me again. When I looked in the mirror, I couldn't believe my eyes—I had transformed into a confident, charismatic version of myself.

As I made my way back to my own time, I realized that Osma Alum was indeed something special. It is now my duty to spread the word about its amazing effects. Throughout the rest of my day whenever someone asked about the secret to my success, I simply said, "It's all thanks to Osma Alum – it's not just any ordinary alum – it's the secret to changing lives."

PHOTOCONTEST - An Onion