June 6 - It was a RAWRing Good Time - Day 14

• Brush: Semogue 610 21mm Boar

• Razor: Gillette Flare Tip Super Speed F1

• Blade: Sharp Star Platinum

• Lather: Noble Otter - RAWR Soap

• Post Shave: Lucky Tiger Splash

• Post Shave: Barrister and Mann - Midnight Special Splash

• Fragrance: Barrister and Mann - The Full Measure of Man EdT

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My time shaving with RAWR has come to an end. This was a fantastic experience, and gotta say Noble Otter made something quite special, especially when you know the story behind it. Cody would take his children to a theme park in their neighboring state of Arkansas once or twice a year. The kids absolutely loved the dino exhibit there and would grow to be so enamored by dinosaurs that they would pop out behind the couch and yell RAWR whenever their father came home from work. The scent was inspired by a cocktail that the theme park offered that was made to celebrate their dinosaur exhibit. Hence, RAWR shaving soap.

8 soaps down.

Today's fragrance selection are two that I am quite fond of. I actually ordered these two at the same time, thus when I got them I had to try them both on the same day, and accidentally discovered they work super well together IMO. The dusty, suave, and muskiness of Midnight Special set a great foundation for the dark, semi bitter Mousse de Saxe of Full Measure. A great combo that paints a scene of flying around in space with a gang of misfits.

#FOF

June 6, 2024 – 2024.06.06: Lather Games Day 6 – Thirsty Thursdsay

• Brush: Bundubeard Oryx Horn handle with 26mm AP Shave Co. Pure Bliss knot #FAUXFUR #PREMIUMPLASTIC
• Razor: Blackland Era
• Blade: Wizamet (1)
• Lather: Areffa Soap – Kentucky Bourbon
• Post Shave: House of Mammoth – Smash
• Fragrance: Imaginary Authors – Saint Julep

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Daily Theme: Thirsty Thursday

Theme justification: Areffa Kentucky Bourbon is named Kentucky bourbon. Kentucky Bourbon is a beverage. The “soap is boiled with beer. It has beautiful notes of the famous alcohol beverage.”

Relevant Post Shave & Frag: I’m continuing the alcohol/drink theme. House of Mammoth Splash “celebrates a wonderful cocktail, the bourbon smash.” It has notes of bourbon as well. Imaginary Authors Saint Julep is an homage to the Mint Julep. It also contains bourbon notes.

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Scavenger Hunt Justification:

Razor facts: N/A

Brush facts: The 26mm AP Shave Co. Pure Bliss knot is listed as a knot “that LOOKS like Pure Badger, but FEELS perfectly soft …” It also has an MSRP of $24.

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Daily/Special Challenge: WetTubing Appreciation Day

I’ll be honest, I was really hoping that this challenge wouldn’t happen this year. Nobody needs to watch me shave. That being said, mama didn’t raise no bitch.

So without further ado: LINK. Note: I did not whip up my lather during the video, because who wants to watch me look at a bowl for a few minutes? I recorded my shave, as instructed. I wanted to do a more proper silent film style edit, but as someone who isn’t a great editor I think this is a good effort.

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Frag description

Imaginary Authors Min Julep

Please see the below story, brought to you by ChatGPT:

It is 1804 in Richmond, Virginia. Emily, the daughter of a wealthy plantation owner, stood on the grand veranda, clutching a mint julep, its aroma mingling with the night-blooming jasmine. The evening felt magical, but her heart was restless until she saw him.

James, a young man from a neighboring estate, caught her eye. Their families were rivals, but none of that mattered now. He approached.

*”May I have this dance?” he asked, his voice soft yet confident.

As they waltzed, the cool breeze carried the sweet scent of mint and bourbon around them, creating a private world. The aroma became their unspoken language, each whiff a promise, each sip a shared secret. They met in secret many times that summer, always with mint juleps in hand, the drink becoming a symbol of their forbidden love.

Years later, as Emily stood on the same veranda, now married to James despite their families’ objections, she held a mint julep. The scent brought back those stolen moments, the dance, and the love that defied all odds. Some memories, like the fragrance of a mint julep, were timeless.

Mint Juleps are just that classic mint cocktail (more so than the Mojito, IMO). Saint Julep hits it dead on.

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Now onto the shave!

You can hear most of this in the video. Kentucky Bourbon is not my favorite Areffa soap, but the badger base is nice. The smell is a little off; doesn’t quite smell like bourbon to me. That being said, I don’t drink too much bourbon, so maybe I’m wrong. The actual soap is more on the cream side of a croap, but not fully a cream. It lathers wonderfully and is very slick. I still like her bear tallow more.

I get much more bourbon out of Smash, and Saint Julep does complement the aftershave. However, Smash does overpower SJ, and the it’s a much lighter scent. Smash should dissipate before too long, though, leaving the nice, minty, Saint Julep scent.

The Pure Bliss knot was great. Can’t wait to use it more to see where it stacks up against my other favorite synths, but after one use it looks very promising. The Oryx handle from Bundubeard was also fantastic. It was extremely easy to whip up a lather with this combo, despite my still swollen hands. Plus, the thing just looks fantastic.

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Totals:

• Razor Hashtags: 6/10
• Brush Hashtags: 7/10
• Hardware Sponsor Points: 2/2
• Software Sponsor Points: 3/16
• Number of Lather Brands: 6/30
• Number of Lather Scents: 6/30
• Number of Post Shaves: 6/30
• Number of Frags: 6/30

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Contest Hashtags:

#FOF

#ROTY

2024-06-06 - Pretzels!

• Lather: Gentleman's Nod - Musashi
• Post Shave: Gentleman's Nod - Musashi
• Fragrance: Imaginary Authors - Fox in the Flowerbed
• Razor: Nameless Straight 3/4" #STR8SNOB
• Brush: West Coast Shaving - Lantern Brush, Silvertip, Ivory

Thirsty Thursday:
Musashi is one of Gentleman's Nod's Origin series, which are scents built around a single note or accord. While it does say "jasmine tea" right on the label, but I wanted to be sure that jasmine tea was indeed the accord that Musashi was built around. So I asked Gentleman's Nod, who said:

You are correct, it was Jasmine green tea.

Unifying Theme: Jasmine

#FOF
Yeah, yeah, it's so boring to use the same scent for both the later and post-shave, but it was for the benefit of two days' photos. Obviously, then, that couldn't be helped.

Musashi has yuzu floating on top, which I could do without, but I've been told that "scents need top notes," and I dare say that I'm gonna trust u/hawns on that one.

There's a woodiness to it that brings to mind my grad school days of yore, when I used to stop into a caffeinery for a green tea on my way to teaching an early class. A girl working there often remarked that it smelled to her like a cup of grass or hay. I didn't agree, but I could see why she said that. But I digress.

Despite the fact that jasmine is indisputably prominently featured in Musashi, I don't get much of it. Enter Fox in the Flowerbed. To no one's surprise, it is definitely floral, and opens up strong with a beautiful jasmine that emodies jasmine tea perfectly. Perfectly. It smells more like Jasmine Green Tea than Musashi. I fucking love it. Alas, the jasmine fades off soon, then there remains as a mellow hint of something I can't quite put my finger on, but it's subtle.

WetTubing Appreciation Day:

"WetTubing"...
Wet tuber...
Wet... tube?👀

Here you go: my shaving video
If you don't want to watch all of that, just skip to the end. Or don't watch it at all, because this is the real one, which I still don't recommend you watch all of. Nothing I wanted to do with it worked out. I'm not going to give it all away, because I'm still holding out hope for the hat-based challenge that we almost had a couple years ago but hasn't been done. The hat didn't work well while trying to negotiate the straight, anyway.

Speaking of the razor, it satisfies the tag, but it is a truly crappy straight, not to suggest that I have remotely-extensive experience with them—quite the contrary.

However, my personal, subjective experience obviously represents categorical fact. This Truth was recently called into question, compelling my mother—my dear, sweet mother—to swiftly propel herself off of the Cliffs of Dover yesterday, plummeting headlong into the Bering Strait, which separates Bablyon from Uppsala, to her watery demise. Not one half of a fortnight later, her remains washed up on the shores of Patagonia, where she was indicted into secular sainthood and celebrated in a festival of seven years. She was immortalized into a mile-high statue that remains to this day.

Behold! Let it thus be known that because I do not get a good shave out of this crappy, photogenic razor, that all straight razors are garbage and no one should use them! They are antiquated and inferior to DE razors in every way! It is spoken!

#photocontest
I had to use that razor today, though, because it worked too well with the photo. Obviously, then, it couldn't be helped.

As for #photocontest, this photo fell together too well to be needlessly ruined by throwing in some random junk. Is it a winner? Probably not, but it's too good to be sullied.
I'm taking the gimme: Air. There's so much air in this photo it's downright loony.

June 6, 2024 – Video Killed the r/wetshaving star

• Brush: Aurora Grooming LG 2024 with 26mm AP Shave Co. Pure Bliss #FRANKENBRUSH #PREMIUMPLASTIC #SHD #FAUXFUR #SUBBROOSH
• Razor: Schick Injector
• Blade: Schick Injector (3)
• Lather: Catie’s Bubbles – Sunday Brunch
• Post Shave: Catie’s Bubbles – Sunday Brunch
• Fragrance: House of Mammoth – Everett

Video Day! I’ll save most of my commentary for the video itself. But suffice it to say there is shaving, mimosas and an assessment of (almost) week 1 lather games. Plus, a new brush with the Pure Bliss Knot to review. And maybe some trash talk for a certain champion who can’t bring himself to show his face to the sub. I do need to cover some things for the theme and side challenges here. But join me over on the video, it’s bad but it’s under 7 minutes.

For #fof I’m carrying the orange through the shave. Sunday Brunch is Mimosas. He managed to put the smell of bubbles in here I’m not even sure how. I’ve bugged u/C_Bubbles for a Sunday Brunch EdT but apparently it won’t last because it’s all citrus and wouldn’t last more than 10 minutes. Everett hits that same citrus high, but with a wonderful marshmallow base note that keeps going. This setup works, and it works well. I hadn’t used the Everett set yet, but I’m glad I picked up a 2ml sprayer of the EdT (because I couldn’t justify a full bottle with so many other full bottles.)

For #photocontest since my shave is an ode to weekends, let’s look at hobbies. Here’s my ham Radio. I lurk on the related subs, (r/amateurradio and r/hamradio) occasionally post there. (They are not as fun loving as this sub, trust me. It’s like Badger and Blade, but about antennas.) You’ll see ham again because it’s a hobby geared towards DIY.

Cheers!

June 6, 2024 – LG Day 6 – It Is Thursday and I Am Thirsty for Lather

• Brush: Maggard Timberwolf Synthetic 24mm
• Razor: Razorock Mamba 70 #CNC
• Blade: Wizamet Super Iridium
• Lather: Catie’s Bubbles – Irish Coffee
• Post Shave: Barrister and Mann – Amazelnut
• Fragrance: Kerosene – Follow

Coffee. Possibly the greatest beverage ever created. Today, our journey begins in a sweet, creamy mug of coffee with a splash of bourbon and a level of cream and sugar that would make any Bostonian Dunkin regular proud. It smells like the coffee milk I used to enjoy on vacations with my family growing up; as a little kid, I wanted to drink coffee like the adults, so we got a glass of milk with a little coffee and probably some sugar. If we were Rhode Islanders, we would have known about coffee syrup, which is even better. Then, to honor my partner’s favorite coffee flavor, we follow with a cornucopia of hazelnuts and vanilla, with some notes of woods and vetiver to round everything out – still sweet, though. Wouldn’t want to give up on our sweet coffee theme. If hazelnut coffee tasted like this smells, I might actually like drinking it. Finally, Kerosene Follow. Maple and vanilla keep the air of sweetness about, but bitterness comes through as well in this rather realistic coffee accord, so I can feel a little more grown-up and celebrate the type of coffee I actually drink. Just like me, dark and bitter. #FOF

For the daily challenge, I hereby present the second episode of PodShave, the podcast where you listen to me shave, with a concept that was definitely not ripped off from u/merikus. Don’t forget to watch the follow-up video the world has been waiting for.

June 6, 2024

• Brush: Oumo - Imitate finest two band 24mm synthetic #FAUXFUR
• Razor: Chiseled Face – Legacy #CNC
• Blade: Wilkinson Sword
• Lather: Storybook Soapworks - Coffee Spoons Soap
• Post Shave: Storybook Soapworks - Coffee Spoons Splash
• Fragrance: Hoffman’s Shave & Soap Co. – Affogato EdP

Coffee. I’d argue coffee is the most important beverage in the United States of America, possibly even the world. Coffee is the only thing keeping our society functioning and holding other stimulants at bay. If all of a sudden, all the coffee plants disappeared off the face of the earth, I think a different plant from Columbia would become this country’s drug of choice. But thankfully, coffee plants aren’t going the way of the Gros Michel (RIP) just yet. So, you ease up on your plans to become the next Pablo Escobar while we’re all able to count on getting our next morning cup of joe without issue.

Most days, black coffee is the only flavored beverage I drink (shout-out hydro-homies), so it’s natural for me that I love coffee scented products. And one thing I’ve found: it is REALLY hard for artisans to make coffee scented products. It seems like a lot of them either try to do too much or just smell fake. Don’t get me wrong, I love the scent of Gemultikeknnadamm from CFG more than the next guy, but it’s not just coffee. Simple coffee is really hard for some reason. Fortunately, I was able to acquire Storybook Soapworks from Inna’s collection last year. Unfortunately, he passed away before I started wetshaving, so I never got to know him, but the way I hear the OGs of this community talk about him is telling of the type of person he was, and the type of community member we should all strive to be like. So today, I’m very happy to use Coffee Spoons. It’s straight up black coffee. Just like I make it for myself every day. Soaked my brush in my scuttle of black coffee for good measure.

The Affogato EdP is alright, but there’s something about it that’s off, even for the Gourmand King. Coffee is certainly the star of the show, but it takes the coffee and adds a figurative scoop of vanilla ice cream to it. On paper, it should work better than it does in reality. But for #FOF, this is really simple one. If you like coffee (and I do) today was a brilliant day, which I am ecstatic to take part in. Sure, smelling like a Starbucks all day may not be for EVERYONE, but I’m not everyone. Every December, I celebrate the 12 Days of Coffee by preparing coffee a different way, every day for 12 days in a row, culminating with a delicious whipped coffee on Christmas Morning. I often say that I enjoy coffee and caffeine is just a byproduct. And this what today gives me. Wonderful enjoyment of a wonderful gift from God – Coffee.

Challenge: Ugh… Our r/wetshaving overlords having wettuber the day after u/Enndeegee calls my Target shave lame and u/ginopino tossing grenades at me from the clouds. If this was last year, it would be Spite Shave City, taking no prisoners. But this year, I’m turning over a new leaf, biting my tongue, spreading LOVE, not Spite, and leaving the negativity for everyone else. I’m not gonna take the bait and I’m certainly not let them bring me down to their level. Still, I rise: Here’s the video.

Soap Theme Justification: Everything smells like coffee

Relevant Post Shave & Fragrance: The soap is coffee, the splash is coffee, and the fragrance: COFFEE!!

LG 6 - Thirsty Thursday

• Brush: Heritage Collection Ever-Ready 200 replica - Badger 26mm bulb #RESURRECTIONBRUSH
• Razor: Straight Razor Hejestrand M.K.33 "Mardi" #EIGHTDAYSAWEEK
• Strop: Natch-O-Llama Horween Cordovan v2
• Lather: Zingari Man - The Brewer
• Post Shave: MacDuff - Lychee is a Stone Fruit - After Shave
• Fragrance: Baldessarini Del Mar Seychelles

.#FOF Today Tropical Ipa from Zingari, added more tropical fruits from the after shave, and rounded with the Baldessarini's sea WetTubing, those I saw have retired and I have got bored of seeing men shaving, it's like when I saw kids watching someone playing videogames, I prefer to play myself.

Day 6

• Brush: AP Shave Co Complete Brush - AP400B -20mm - Gelousy Badger #RESURRECTIONBRUSH #SHD #RUNT
• Razor: Valet Autostrop - VC1 #RUSTYBUTTRUSTY
• Blade: Feather FHS
• Lather: Catie's Bubbles - Irish Coffee Soap
• Post Shave: Apex Alchemy – Morning Glory Splash
• Fragrance: Gentleman's Nod – Sidama EdP

Inspired by a drink? Got it! Quite perhaps the greatest combination man has ever put forth: Mixing coffee and alcohol! And this morning is a fine morning smear some drinks on my face and pretend it’s socially acceptable. Today’s shave is brought to you by the finest beverage-inspired grooming products, because who doesn’t want their bathroom to smell like bar on the morning of Saint Patrick’s Day?

Nothing says "I need to wake up" like slathering a soap on your face that smells like the Irish breakfast of champions. The rich aroma of coffee with a splash of whiskey had me half expecting a hangover by the time I was done lathering. The only thing missing was a side of regret and bad decisions. But hey, at least my face smells like it’s ready for a productive day of pretending to work. For my splash, was Morning Glory from Apex Alchemy. No alcohol scent notes in this one – just sweetened coffee. Not a bad idea to pump the breaks on the booze scented products during the shave. This splash it definitely smells like the coffee you’d order to sober up a little from the Irish Coffee you just downed in less than 8 seconds. All without the judgmental stares from the waiter after he sees you pour something from your flask into the black coffee he just brought to you 3 mins ago… Or so I’ve heard…

Finally, we top off this boozy brunch with Sidama EdP, inspired by Ethiopian coffee. It’s the cologne for the discerning gentleman who wants to smell like he’s just stepped out of a high-end coffee shop, but still needs a little bit of rum to keep him going. The rich, earthy scent pairs perfectly with the Irish Coffee soap and Morning Glory splash, creating an #FOF olfactory experience that says, "I have refined tastes, a caffeine addiction, and quite possibly a drinking problem."

So, there you have it. My shave today is a tribute to all things drinkable. I may smell like a walking cocktail, but at least I’m one step closer to making it through the day without actually needing a drink. Cheers to that!

Challenge: As much as I’d like to show my face to the people out there, I actually better not because of the type of work I do. If a goofy video of me shaving got out, it would be great for my career. Which is weird to say, because it’s stupid, but the firm I work for has pretty strict guidelines about publicly facing internet posts. So instead, I’ll tell you who my favorite wettuber is. I actually asked this question when I was first getting going and Michael Freedberg is a great one to watch. HD Shaves is good too. Anyone but Subie Shaves – That guy is brutal to watch. I like people who aren’t over the top or fake excited, which is all too common in youtube. Freedberg and HD seem like real dudes who are there, talking to a friend. And I like that.

The #photocontest theme of the day is: Sugar and Sweets!

iamhonestlylying’s Daily Top 5:

In honor of “Thirsty Thursday” The Top 5 Best Drinks to Order at a Bar:

5.) Beer – Especially if the bar is crowded. Don’t be the person to order a drink that takes a bartender 8 minutes to muddle, mix, shake, and pour.

4.) Moscow Mule – Mules seem to be the IPA of the mixed drink world, in that they are everywhere and people that order then tend to be insufferable, but they are delicious... And popular for a reason.

3.) Dark ‘n Stormy – Simple, yet deliciously complex.

2.) White Russian – The Dude abides.

1.) Jameson and Ginger Ale – Simple enough that bartenders won’t hate you, but sophisticated enough to show you mean business, and go down easy enough that you can drink 18 of them.

June 6, 2024

• Brush: Chisel and Hound Resolute V20
• Razor: Schick Injector #rustybuttrusty
• Blade: Schick Injector
• Lather: MacDuff’s Soap Company – Cardamom Chai
• Post Shave: Spearhead Shaving Company – Seaforth! 3 Scots

Side note that I read this razor tag as rusty butt rusty until today

It was raining today which was perfect for this cardamom chai, drink based scent. I love cardamom and have used it a lot: cardamom shortbread cookies, cardamom brewed into my coffee, cardamom spiced green soba noodles (happy to dm a recipe), cardamom dental floss. It’s spicy, yet slightly citrusy in the same way that teas or coffee can be. I get that on top while the interplay with cinnamon and clove round this out for a warming journey. Maybe I imagine it, but I think I detect a slight milky note too. This scent evokes the memories I have sitting near a fireplace, quietly. Reading a book or reflecting, maybe just watching the rain come down like today. A blanket keeping me warm and my pup by my side relaxing. It’s for when you just need to take a break from the world and go into that calming space.

Challenge: My 2 seconds of fame. Enjoy!

FOF

I love how water beads into little balls, which is appropriate for Plato. It’s truly a phenomenon that is beautiful. Maybe not like my SOTD, but it can be. I was fortunate it poured today and I was able to take this photo in the rain. The elements: Water

photocontest

Jun. 6, 2024

• Brush: Chisel & Hound Tulip Fanchurian Badger

• Razor: Blackland Sabre

• Blade: Personna GEM PTFE [17]

• Lather: Stirling - Gin & Tonic

• Post Shave: Stirling - Gin & Tonic

• Fragrance: Bath & Body Works - Whiskey Reserve

Thirsty Thursday!

I am a gin and tonic drinker. Gin has been my drink of choice for years, so for me Stirling G&T was a no brainer for today. I really love this soap and aftershave. There really is something to this soap, the juniper is there by the lime, the lime is where it’s at for me.

The shave with the Sabre no matter the soap is just automatic now. There is no thinking just a great shave. Which brings me to today’s daily challenge. Favorite wetTuber. I’m not gonna lie, it’s GeoFatboy. He just cracks me up and there’s no muss no fuss. I’ve never seen anyone lather and shave as fast as him, and when I use the Sabre that’s the closest I come to his speed. It always makes me chuckle when he “Clears the runways and swipes the neck”. He seems like he’s just a cool dude.

I don’t think I need to justify soap, or splash. The Frag, well I chose it for the name, it fits the theme.

Photo contest theme. Time #ROTY #FOF #photocontest.

June 6, 2024 - Thirsty Thursday

• Brush: Yaqi Dandelion Green 24mm Cashmere
• Razor: Game Changer .68P
• Blade: Gillette Nacet
• Lather: Wholly Kaw - Iced Tea
• Post Shave: Barrister and Mann - Nordost Splash
• Fragrance: Summer Break Soaps - Remote Learning EdT

FOF

Thirsty Thursday:

I was kind of kicking myself for already using the Remote Learning splash this month. Drink and other gourmand scents make up a decent portion of my software. Really the choice was which one to go with today. I chose Wholly Kaw - Iced Tea. I could have also used this for freeze your face day too. Staying on theme, I went with Nordost which is a fantastic orange scent. I followed it up with Summer Break Soaps ode to Mtn Dew (and Doritos) - Remote Learning. All three fit for the theme today.

WetTubing Appreciation Day:

I make my WetTubing debut today via Imgur. Last year my video kept failing to upload. This year I kept it shorter by time lapsing from my lathering in my blue bowl through 2 passes. It didn’t quite work the way I wanted it to, but it’s my first try of something like this. I was trying to time my movements so it could look almost like the shaving cream was disappearing. I had read that the iPhone time lapse was once every 6 seconds, so I was using that to set a pace. Obviously I think what I read was wrong. Still the video came in at 21 seconds for what was about 5-10 minutes. If I try it again I’ll get a time lapse app that maybe has a better signal and adjustments for when each frame is done. Or just string individual shots together.

I don’t watch much WetTubing, but I definitely am going to watch some of the honing videos of u/gcgallant. My first effort at setting a bevel and honing a razor was ok, and sharpest blade I’ve ever achieved, but could have been much better.

Feet of Fragrance:

As mentioned I had many ways to go. After some juggling of my soaps for this month, I decided on WK - Iced Tea. It is a fairly sweet scent and more a sweet tea than the unsweetened that I drink. The resemblance is of something like a bottled Lipton flavored tea. The lemon isn’t strong and my brain goes to peach tea, but I know that it doesn’t have peach, but Yuzu, Lemon, Cucumber, Peppermint, Basil , and Black Tea. I like the scent, and while I don’t drink sweet teas. It smells familiar to when I have tried them. Nordost has its scent described as Smoky Orange. I’ve never gotten the smokiness, but the orange comes across my nose as orange soda. Probably not Fanta, but something more like Sunkist Orange. Adding more citrus will almost always harmonize with tea. Building something good here, time to derail this scent train. Many years ago, I worked in a gas station/convenience store/deli/pizza place. I used to have to go in the walking cooler and spend time restocking iced tea and Mtn Dew that all the work crews would come in and buy us out on a hot summer day. I wasn’t really a Mtn Dew drinker when I was young. We were a Coca-Cola house growing up. My mom would never buy Pepsi. A Come was always a treat for mom and my uncle when they would go into town from the family farm in Missouri. Mtn Dew though I started drinking in college, usually together a caffeine and sugar rush while cramming for exams, or finishing a paper the night before a deadline. Of course if you are drinking a Mtn Dew, it often was washing down some Doritos. This is my fourth time wearing Remote Learning. I must be going nose blind to the nacho cheese note now. I’m am getting the Dew and corn scent out of it. Maybe the cheese wears off faster and allows the more pleasant scents to express. This combo brings me back to my early 20s. College and low paid jobs with one of the few benefits - free soda. Tea wasn’t free, but I only had to pay cost for most stuff there.

Sponsor Time:

I really need to get more Chicago Grooming soaps and scents. I have the Montrose Beach and Sandy Cheeks that were a PIF a couple years ago. The Darkwing base is really good. I waited about an hour too long to check out on the exclusive drop a few months ago. I think at some point I will get Armonia and a couple others. I do have a smoosh of the AG 1889 to try after the games.

June 6, 2024 - Thirsty Thursday

• Brush: Summer Break Soaps Sheridan APShaveCo Synbad 26 mm
• Razor: Eldrormr MM24 #FLIPTOP #MODERNGEM
• Blade: GEM PTFE (15)
• Lather: Elysian - Maple Coffee
• Post Shave: Macduffs Soap Co - Imperial Earl Grey
• Fragrance: Ineke - Jaipur Chai

Theme: One coffee and two tea beverage inspired scents.

Challenge: Here it is, the content no was asking for.

One of my favorite beverages is coffee. Today’s soap is Maple Coffee from Elysian. Thanks to /u/Priusaurus for the smoosh. While there are many options for maple coffee, flavored coffee isn’t my thing. The scent has a light roast coffee note. The maple smells like a good quality amber syrup. It feels like I’m enjoying a morning brew with a stack of pancakes. This was my first time using Elysian soap. I found it easy to lather with good slickness. This won’t win awards for secondary slickness or post-shave feels, but it’s a solid soap base.

I really like the scent of Macduffs Imperial Earl Grey. It’s brighter and fruitier than any cup of earl grey I’ve ever imbibed. There’s lots of bergamot, and a tropical sweetness like papaya or guava. There’s an odor of orange oil which translates into the face feel of the toner. Following that up is a rich note of black tea. This is citrus forward enough to feel fitting for summer. This splash feels like it contains lots of skin food. People averse to oily post-shave may not like it.

Ineke’s Jaipur Chai is an artfully composed fragrance. There’s a delicate note of black tea. Freshly sprayed I get a big note of spice that smells like patchouli, and a dry wood like cedar. It’s earthy and slightly smoky, like burnt firewood. It's elegant, and has an air of mystique. Over time, it becomes a bit musky with a slight sweetness. After a couple hours, it's mostly vanilla and clove.

#photocontest - Humor. Parks and Rec sign on my bathroom door.

#FOF

June 6, 2024 – LG 6: Thirsty Thursday

• Brush: Omega 10098 #HOLLOW #OLDWORLD #TOLL
• Razor: Maggard MR11 V3 #RAINBOW #STAINLESSLESS
• Blade: Treet Carbon Steel (1)
• Lather: Catie’s Bubbles – Irish Coffee
• Post Shave: Summer Break Soaps – Remote Learning
• Fragrance: Chatillon Lux – Agua Fresca

Video first if inclined, because ya know. Smash that 2x button and don’t bother subscribing. Also some corrections. I said the brush was 30mm, when it is more like 60 (edit: goggle says 65mm), and I said V3A head when it is just the V3.

I realized I have quite a few beverage inspired products in my den, and some definitely match better scent wise than today’s concoctions. That said, it’s Lather Games, so we’ll make it a bit funky as they are still easily on theme. CB Irish coffee smells just like the beverage. Warm coffee notes, whiskey. It is rather sweet, with not too much booze. Remote learning is spot on for Mt Dew, like painfully accurate. Wonder if we’ll ever get a code red or Baja blast version (your hearing this u/rocketk455). Lastly, CL Agua Fresca, aptly named for the Mexican refreshing beverage that comes in various fruit flavors, is a fruit bomb. I mostly get the melon and cucumber, but some sharper pineapple lifts it up and there is undoubtedly a rich creamy base. There’s a pretty dingy fruit stand with aqua frescos across the street from my work/school where I occasionally indulge. Minor perk of an otherwise sort of sketchy neighborhood, roadside food and beverage pop ups. #FOF

As for our daily challenge, I’m not super into wetubers. However, the few I’ve watched a tad were the big names around here 5ish years ago when stumbling on this sub: u/iamsms, u/cadinsor, u/visceralwatch. I was also partial to the likes who u/sgrdddy and u/rChewbacca for shaving related content and not just shaves.

For our #PHOTOCONTEST let’s do Elements: water, you know, the base of all beverages and the most necessary one. Added some spritzes for good measure too.

soap brands 6/30, post shave 6/30, frag 6/30, post/frag linked 6/30, software sponsors 4/16, hardware sponsors 5/2, razor hashtags 5/15, brush hashtags 6/15, photo contest 6/30, daily challenges 5/26, special challenges 1/4