LGSOTD 10-Jun-24

• Brush: Muhle - Rhytmo Badger #WEDONTNEEDNOSTINKINGBADGERS
• Razor: Henkotsu - Kamisori #KAMISORI
• Lather: Chicago Groomin Co. - Armonia
• Post Shave: Chicago Grooming Co. - Armonia AS
• Fragrance: Chicago Groomin Co. - Armonia EDP

Still have to thank u/hairykopite for releasing this one into the wild on BST. Chicago Grooming/House of Mammoth collaboration and a year on and I still love it, as with the likes of shire it's a light tobacco, and I think I get the lavender in there (no fault of the set, that's my nose), either which way I like this one. Sadly the scent and the performance of the soap is roughly where the positivity of this shave ends.

This Kamisori is in dire need of a refresh. I didn't make the time to do it this weekend so I've only myself to blame. Rough as a bears arse, definitely not going to use this again until I can sit down and get it sorted.

Equally, I dislike the hair on this brush, but that's because I've been spoilt in the last couple of years with some absolutely stellar brushes. This thing has zero backbone and flops all over the shop with the merest dab of water, but somehow still manages to have a roughish feel. I refuse to give it up though, this was the first badger brush I got and it was given to me by the other half - yes I can blame her for nudging me down the rabbit hole!

Challenge: Song Day

This may or may not seem like an odd choice, and I'd like to say that it's inspired just by me after the shave. However, this is more inspired by the backdrop to my morning shaves that I get with my daughters music choice. For whatever reason, she loves this bloody song (along with Friday by Riton X Nightcrawlers ft mufasa and hypeman, but it's the wrong day for that). As inappropriate as it might be, she likes the video as well, it makes me chuckle and gets the day off to a good and lively start!

Photocontest

Being Chicago Grooming Co. I thought I would try and throw in something relevant, so aiming this one at 'Baseball', I know zero about baseball but there you have it!

Have a good kick off to the week all!

Cheers

Marc

June 10, 2024 – “I had some help.”

• Brush: Turn n Shave – L7 Boba
• Razor: Wolfman WR1 #CNC #Stainlessless
• Blade: Treat Classic (Carbon Steel) (1)
• Lather: Declaration Grooming – Cerberus
• Post Shave: Declaration Grooming/Noble Otter – Cerberus
• Fragrance: Declaration Grooming/House of Mammoth – Cerberus

Song: “I Had Some Help” Post Malone/Morgan Wallen. (A collaboration of course.)

Oddly, I had this song picked out before the challenge. Yes, it’s sorta a breakup song, but repurposed a good song about how we all enable each other to stupid levels here on this sub. It’s not like I could make this den a mess all by myself. I had some help.

Sometimes a single artisan working alone cannot keep thrill alive. And as a cure we have collaborations. Multiple artists putting their best work forward to bless us with something. There will be lots of Chatty Lux/DG shaves, APR/whoever shaves. But I’m here with the Trifecta Collab: DG/NO/HoM Cerberus, which will likely also make a strong showing (even if it’s out of season.) My office is gonna wonder what hit it. (Mondays are in person day. Assert my dominance!) For #fof I had to do the full trifecta. You cannot cut 1 head off Cerberus, then it’s not Cerberus. Plus, cutting off that head makes him mad.

Collaboration isn’t just for the artisans. The sub is basically one big collaborative effort of whacky. LG is a huge example of that. Our judges collaborate with each other to put together a calendar. I collaborated with u/adworried2804 to put together some bits and 2 strong setups. Even the people who are my direct competition, I’m helping. Which is a good tie into #photocontest, a bucket. On my kid’s head, while she helps display my gear. Yes, because my LG play is a family collaborative work but also because tomorrow (hopefully if I remember) I mail u/hugbckt points in a box. Points that very well may cause him to beat me (by more than he’s going to already.) Why? Because in this sub, as odd as it is, We’re all happier together.

To that end today’s shave is full of collaborations! The brush is part of a pass around box (plus the boar and badger hair collaborate here in a mixed not to make something new and different from each individually.) The razor is on loan from u/adworried2048 all the way from the Philippines to help me get some points. Collaboration! (We’re collaborating on a pass around for these too, but we’ll get back to that.) The blade: Well this is a pack I bought and distributed out to help other people get the #stainlessless tag when I sent smushes. It’s my contribution to the collaborative nature of the game. (If you’re not contributing it’s just stealing). Obviously, the soap/frag/splash are a collaboration on their own, but also, I was encouraged to buy this set by a smush u/jwoods23 sent me before it re-launched to see if I’d like it. Collaborative buying! Top to bottom this shave has a collaborative bend to it. Because collaboration is what drives this sub.

2024-06-10 - You got BaM in my HoM

• Lather: House of Mammoth - Smash
• Post Shave: Floïd - The Genuine
• Fragrance: Imaginary Authors - Sundrunk
• Razor: Wolfman Razors - Guerrilla
• Brush: Yaqi Metal Timberwolf

Happy Together:
A collaboration between Billiam F. Tourist and Jammin' Mammoth

Unifying Theme: Orange you glad?

#FOF
There's something to be said for pairings/trio-ings based on things that are completely independent from scent. I orginally planned an all-HoM day, but bailed on that idea only once I took the tub of ~~Crash~~ Smash out for today's shave. I think it's safe to say I would never have tried this otherwise.

Every recipe I've found for a bourbon smash primarily has bourbon, lemon, and mint. I guess Smash has neither lemon nor mint, but it's not my place to question the creative decisions of ol' Billy Tays.

Smash is... fruity. I maintain that nobody has ever enjoyed eating a piece of fruit. Smash smells as though you were wafting the aromas of a neat bourbon, and then [Chris Ballew](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Presidents_of_the_United_States_of_America_(band)) barged in, tied you to the wall, stuck a funnel in your mouth, and force-fed you nothing but cans of peaches until you were ~~twenty-~~ ~~thirty-~~ forty-six and a half years old.

The Genuine, in a bizarre interlude, dumps a barrel of powder on your head before Sundrunk shoves your face into a rhubarb pie as your desperate efforts for air are your final memory before your flailing limbs fall limply for the last time.

Song Day:
I was honestly going to do the ridiculous rhubarb one up there because it references beards and barbers, but I'm gonna go with one that happened to play during my shower/shave this morning: MSMR - Flagpole Sitta I first heard this song because I had been playing a lot of MSMR, but I just now discovered that MSMR is no more, this being their final huzzah. Huh. That bums be out. Oh well, they have other projects going on and that's okay, too! With that considered, MSMR was... a temporary collaboration. As, I guess, is any band.

But I digress.

It's a fantastic, refreshing cover that I feel gives a more serious tone to a serious song that had nonetheless been altogether too goofy. I do remember when the original came out, and I remember the later viral videos. It was everywhere, which was terrible because it was overplayed.

#photocontest Animal
Namely, the noble ~~otter~~ mammoth on the label there.
Today's photo was originally going to be even more boring than this, but once I decided last-minute to do the orange-color thing, I figured I should slap a #photocontest theme on it, even if it is the one I was going to use tomorrow.

Oh, I only just noticed that the name Sundrunk is quite fitting to the boozy basis of Smash. Neato.

Day 10

• Brush: Boti – Pineapple Swirl – 26mm Green Synthetic
• Razor: Silver Star Vintage
• Blade: Gillette Silver Blue
• Lather: House of Mammoth – Smash Soap - w/ Barrister and Mann
• Post Shave: House of Mammoth with Barrister and Mann – Smash Splash
• Fragrance: Tiffany & Co – Love EdT

Smash will always hold a special place in my heart. It came out pretty much when I was first getting started wetshaving and I’m pretty sure it the first full size set I bought after I ran through my first Stirling samples. So, this one will always be a winner for me. As I’ve been around the community more over the last year or so, I’ve come to learn more about how Ben operates his business and I have so much respect for the way he does things.

Donating a portion from each sale to charities. On every tub, it says “End Human Trafficking” and I think it’s awesome he uses up valuable space on the products he sells to help stand up for people that can’t stand up for themselves. My hat’s off to Mammoth Soaps for seemingly doing the right thing, even when no one is asking you to. It doesn’t hurt that his soaps and scents are absolutely fire! And he worked with Barrister and Mann for this release, who I also really like. Together, they created an absolutely wonderful soap and scent! It takes on the scent of a Peach Bourbon Smash and does a beautiful job creating the feeling of sitting in an upscale bar (the kind that has mixologists, not bartenders) and asking the ~~bartender~~ mixologist to get creative with your drink. Each note plays together marvelously, and it is an absolute delight to use.

Now, to elevate this shave from "Smashing" to "Lovingly Smashing," I finished with Tiffany & Co Love. I thought the warm woody nature of Love would be good with the bourbon from Smash, because, well, bourbon is made in wood barrels. I wasn’t wrong. The sweetness of the soap and splash are toned down by the cologne. It’s a good scent and a nice, inviting combination. It’s also fitting because I LOVE Smash! #FOF

For #photocontest: Hobbies. I like LEGO and am often amazed with what the people of r/lego create.

Challenge: I pick Tubthumping by Chumbawamba. What better song to complement a boozy scent than a song that talks about getting smashed on a lager drink and a cider drink, falling down, and continuing to get back up?

iamhonestlylying’s Daily Top 5:

In honor of “Happy Together”… My Favorite WWE Tag Teams of All-Time:

5.) The Rock n Sock Connection – The Rock AND Mankind, when both were pretty much at their peak popularity. Must watch action.

4.) X-Pac and Kane – Kane was great because he didn’t say a damn thing and just took care of his business. In fact, I believe the first two words he ever spoke in the WWF were “Suck it” when he was briefly riding with DX. X-Pac was great because he was a little badass. Together, they were a force to be reckoned with.

3.) The Rockers – A little bit before my time, but I have to pay tribute to those who paved the way for the teams I really loved, plus it’s how Shawn Michaels got his start.

2.) The Hardy Boyz – When they came on the scene, they were doing shit no one had ever seen before. Taking high flying to another level.

1.) The New Age Outlaws – The Road Dawg Jesse James! The Bad Ass Billy Gunn! THE NEW AGE OUTLAWS! And you’re not down with that, I got TWO WORDS FOR YA!!!!!

Happy Together

• Brush: Yaqi Ferrari
• Razor: Gillette Slim Adjustable
• Blade: Astra
• Lather: Zingari Man - The Merchant

The Merchant is a collaboration between Heather and Shawn Maher.

photocontest Cactus.

Today’s Challenge: Song Day

Beautiful artwork of the Merchant makes me think about Duke Ellington’s Caravan

June 10, 2024

• Brush: Muninn Woodworks purple burl AP Shave Co. 24mm MiG
• Razor: Schick Injector
• Blade: Schick Injector
• Lather: Declaration Grooming - Cerberus
• Post Shave: Noble Otter - Cerberus

I love Cerberus. It just smells great to me and probably my most successful full set blind buy. I get sweetness from the stone fruits. I would say apricots. Not fresh – but dried. Older, more leathery apricots. Concentrated and matured sweetness. It goes nicely with the resinous notes. I imagine this scent is tangible and not just volatile. Almost like it is from a tree with wound, slowly oozing. Sappy and sticky. I know there are other notes in there, namely sandalwood, patchouli, and jasmine. These play together to create a base, a surrounding scenery for the fruity resin. Each one is not singular but harmonious. It creates a portrait of that wounded tree with the fruity burnt orange resin center frame in a dense dark forest with tiny white flowers.

It has been hard recall a memory from this one. I do get hit of insulin and bandaid from the resinous accords but not memory evoking I would say. My thoughts remind me of a clip from Somm. The point being – everyone smells and associates smells differently. Whatever notes you smell are yours to smell. So if its tennis balls or bandaids, who cares. It still can smell great to you.

Challenge: I chose this song, which I think of as the OG music collaboration (yes I know it is not) to go with the soap collaboration.

Today’s SOTD features a bird, specifically a blue jay in flight right above the shaving brush. I lured Mr. J with a feeder then painfully staked out this morning to get an action shot.

Photocontest

FOF

Jun. 10, 2024

• Brush: AP Shave Co AP 400 22MM GELOUSY SHD FAN #RESURRECTIONBRUSH

• Razor: Gillette Rocket HD

• Blade: Nacet [1]

• Lather: Declaration Grooming / Chatillon Lux - Yuzu/Rose/Patchouli

• Post Shave: Declaration Grooming / Chatillon Lux - Yuzu/Rose/Patchouli

• Fragrance: Tom Ford - White Patchouli

Happy together!

Well I am going to get the daily challenge out of the way. I love patchouli, it is by far my most favorite scent whether it be soap, fragrance, oil, incense or candle if it smells of patchouli I’m all over it. Now back in the 90’s you were told you smelled like a dirty hippy if you had it on. So for today’s song I share with you in my opinion the best “hippy artist” from the 60’s Mr. Jimi Hendrix live in Stockholm 1969

So with that all being when I saw today’s theme on the calendar, I finally have an excuse to buy it. I now have the Chatillon Lux matching EdT in my cart. I liked it so much that after I was done shaving I took what was left in the brush and washed my face and hands with it. I would absolutely buy this in bar soap, balm and lotion if they made it.

As I am sitting here typing this out there’s a fuck ton of bullshit going on around me. My soon to be 26 yo daughter came home from work and immediately started loosing her shit because my soon to be 24 yo son who is home for summer break and my 14 yo son left “her” bathroom a mess. It’s not hers but when the middle son is not home she pretty much is the only person to use it. She’s 5’2” maybe 105 pounds soaking wet with a pocket full of rocks, he’s 6’1” 260 pounds. I had to pull her off of him. She was all over him like a spider monkey. After I stopped laughing I told both boys to go clean the bathroom. After that my wife walks in and says you have another box. So I said huh, I did not order anything and she just shook her head and called me a shave nerd and walked away. So now I am finally finishing this write up when this pain in the ass decided he wanted pets and then this one got jealous and pushed him out of the way. So now I smell great and I’m covered in Husky hair.

Frag. Tom Ford White Patchouli really goes well with Y/R/P

Photo Contest Theme Wood

#ROTY #FOF #PhotoContest

Nicely composed

June 10, 2024 - Happy Together

• Prep: Warm Shower
• Brush: AKA Brushworx - 26mm G5C #FAUXFUR #FRANKENBRUSH
• Razor: Blackland Blackbird Ti #CNC
• Blade: Voskhod (1)
• Lather: Declaration Grooming - Cerberus Fougere
• Post Shave: Declaration Grooming - Cerberus Fougere
• Fragrance: Declaration Grooming - Cerberus Fougere

One of my favorite collabs with some of my favorite artisans.Like a Stone by Audioslave is one of my favorite songs by my favorite band so I figured what better song for today's shave.

PHOTOCONTEST - Eyes

June 10 - Happy Together

• Brush: Chisel & Hound Mint Smoke anchurian V20 26 mm #SHD
• Razor: Rolls Razor Imperial No. 2 #FOREVERSAFETY #STAINLESSLESS
• Blade: Rolls Razor Imperial No. 2 (2)
• Lather: Chicago Grooming - Armonia
• Post Shave: Declaration Grooming - Cerberus Fougere
• Fragrance: Declaration Grooming - Cerberus

Theme: All software products are collabs. Soap: Chicago Grooming x House of Mammoth. Splash and frag: Declaration Grooming x House of Mammoth x Noble Otter. There's a Mammoth on every label.

Challenge: Today’s theme is collaboration. So, I wanted to pick a song from a collaborative album. I listened to Love This Giant by St. Vincent and David Byrne while I was making dinner and landed on I Am An Ape. I found this stunning live performance. My software labels feature Mammoths, Bison, and Otters. An ape seems fitting.

I love Armonia. I purchased the frag when it was re-released this year to complete my trifecta. The draw of the fragrance is the note of spicy cured tobacco. That's complemented by a composition of green notes providing touches of powder and herb. There's a slight earthiness. Cedar serves as a backdrop. This is one of my favorite uses of tobacco in a fragrance. Chicago Grooming describes this as a fougere. The tobacco and cedar make this stand out in what is typically a lavender heavy genre. This Darkwing soap base is low-key one of the best on the market.

I bought this Rolls Razor for “new to you” last year. I haven’t used it since. I didn’t enjoy it. I saw many people using it this year have a bad time. And yet, here I am, using it again for hardware points. Time for a little secret, I’ve never used the built-in hone or strop. u/gcgallant was kind enough to hone it for me last year. I stropped it on a paddle strop today. I was reasonably sure I’d get a slick lather with Darkwing. So, today seemed as good as any to try shaving with this again. Despite my best efforts, it was still bad. The razor was tuggy. It didn’t do well on curved surfaces, or with the tougher hair around my mustache, goatee, and chin. This thing just doesn’t work well for me.

After the awesomeness that is Cerberus, the triumvirate of Declaration Grooming, House of Mammoth, and Noble Otter reunited to grace us with Cerberus Fougere. Splashing this on, I get heavy oakmoss right away with a bit of lavender. I have the set in front me. If I smell the splash in the bottle I get a big whiff of sweet bergamot. Nosing it a bit more, the oakmoss comes through. Smelling the soap, bergamot is there, a hint of oakmoss, and the sandalwood in the base is apparent. It’s an interesting exercise in fragrance. Going from the fruity sandalwood of Sandalorian to the dialed back interpretation of Cerberus, this fougere version came out of left field. The fougere elements are prominent. I can also detect the core Cerberus sandalwood note underneath. It lacks the fruit notes from the original. It stands alongside fragrances like Beaudelaire, Fougere Angelique, and Fougere Gothique as outside the box fougeres.

After missing out on Sandalorian, I was excited when Cerberus was announced. The opening is floral bordering on vanilla, green, slightly fruity, sweet balsamic, and sandalwood. It’s a fun combination of scents; the contrast of light, playful, sweet elements drawing to resinous, dry elements at the core. Wearing this makes me feel happy. Of the two Cerberus fragrances (Cerberuses? Cerberi?), the original still takes the cake in my book.

#photocontest - DIY. My mobile phone repair kit is to the right. The gaming PC I built last year is behind.

#FOF

June 10, 2024 – LG 10: Happy Together

• Brush: That Darn Rob Declaration Grooming B6 #COMPOSITE #FRANKENBRUSH #SHD
• Razor: Gillete NEW Long Comb London Razors #REVENANT
• Blade: Treet Carbon Steel #STAINLESSLESS (3)
• Lather: Zingari Man – Mousse Illuminee
• Post Shave: Noble Otter – Cerberus Fougere
• Fragrance: Rogue Perfumery – Mouse Illuminee

Mousse Illuminee Fougere sandwich, with Cerberus fougere in the middle. Also all collabs today throughout software. Brush is from multiple artisans, and the Gillette is a revamped/replated from London Razors, so basically a collab too. So we have ZM, NO, DG, HoM, Rogue, TDR and London Razors among small artisans repped today for hardware/software.

For our #FOF mouse illumines is a soft but intriguing take. Its very ‘clean’ smelling while also being extremely mossy. Hints of white florals and a woody base. It lacks the herbal medicinal qualities, likely due to the omission of lavender so commonly found in fougeres. Some components remind me of a lighter version of BM Fougere Aromatique, the musky, almost damp mushroom smell. Solid silage for an EDT. I prefer Cerberus fougere to its predecessor. Its a bit spicy and fruity, with intense woody herbaceous lavender. The dry down is darker, resinous and mossy, yet still a strong scent.

For our #PHOTOCONTEST we opted for grass. It seemed fitting for going with the fern and foresty feels. There’s The fancy grass in the photo, as well as the annoying crab grass. Seems like each time its pulled 3 more heads spring up (see what I did there?).

As for the daily challenge, let’s take it back to 2006. Cool surfer dude Jack Johnson is taking the world by storm. Since today was Happy Together, it seemed fitting to go with his song Better Together, and what better way to showcase it than as a collaboration

Oh yeah, and BM and Will are the bees knees. I’d say BM lavender way my gateway drug to pull me down this rabbit hole.

soap brands 10/30, post shave 10/30, frag 10/30, post/frag linked 10/30, software sponsors 7/16, hardware sponsors 6/2, razor hashtags 8/15, brush hashtags 9/15, photo contest 10/30, daily challenges 9/26, special challenges 1/4

Thirsty Thursday

• Brush: Chisel and Hound Scholar V20
• Razor: EldrormR Industries MM24 #FLIPTOP #MODERNGEM
• Blade: Personna PTFE Coated Stainless GEM
• Lather: Chicago Grooming Co. - Armonia
• Post Shave: Barrister and Mann - Cologne Russe Aftershave Balm
• Fragrance: House of Mammoth - Smash

Daily Gratitude
Thanks to ShavinginCT for the soap and fragrance sample. Thanks to EldrormR for including some free blades with my MM24. Thanks to our wonderful judges and other people for putting this whole thing together.

Daily Mistakes
None, I am perfect.

Daily Writeup
Writing this after work, I originally was going to do it right after I shaved but then someone asked me to cover their shift and I couldn't refuse so I didn't have time to do a writeup. Ngl today's shave was very tobacco smelling and I smelt like a smoker at work lol. Pretty good base though! It's also been a while since I've used the good ole Scholar V20 and man badger is so much better than synthetic lol. There's a big gap in my collection for some badger brushes so I might start the hunt for a nice DG brush secondhand. Today was the first time I had bacon in years and it was terrible, not much more to say.

Daily Theme Points
The scent for Armonia was crafted for Chicago Grooming Co. by House of Mammoth.

Daily Relevant Post Shave & Fragrance Points
For the fragrance I went with House of Mammoth Smash because it's another tobacco scent by House of Mammoth. For the aftershave I went with Cologne Russe because it's another darker matching kind of scent and I thought why not throw in a 3rd artisan in the mix and have a super collab shave!

Daily Challenge
For the song I went with probably my favorite song, Misty, specifically the Ella Fitzgerald version. Pretty good song especially for a band kid like me, the first time I heard this was when I was in 7th grade and decided to go to the high school jazz band concert, a kid name Alec was the lead alto at the time and he had a killer solo and that was the first decent saxophone playing I've ever heard, so this song is always special to me.

Hardware Scavenger Hunt
No new hashtags because I'm too lazy to change razors and have to make new hashtags, I just copy paste. If you want to see my reasoning for these hashtags look at my previous SOTDs.

Photo Contest
Comedy! If you can't read the note it says: Knock knock Who's There? Freep Freep Who? Free Poo? ew

TL;DR
I win rookie of the year thank you very much give me my prize.

Side Contests

photocontest

ROTY

June 10, 2024 - Animalia

• Brush: Chisel and Hound 26mm V20
• Razor: Dubl Duck Goldedge
• Lather: Chiseled Face - Civet
• Post Shave: Noble Otter - Cerberus
• Fragrance: Zoologist - Civet

This soap showed up just in time to use it for this theme. It's a collaboration between Chiseled Face (who made the soap) and Zoologist (who made the scent). The frag today matches the lather cementing the collaboration, and the post shave is another animalic collaboration software that paired quite nicely with Civet.

In traditional Chiseled Face fashion, this soap explodes on the lather. It needs like zero water to give a super voluminous, cushiony lather that is a joy to shave with. In the past I've struggled with slickness from this brand, but I really wanted to continue the animal theme with the Dubl Duck, so I had to hydrate it quite a bit. Happy to report it was plenty slick for the shave, but still leaves a little to be desired from the post shave feel. The otter more than makes up for that. Got a fantastic shave today, easily one of my best with a straight. There's still one trouble spot that I can feel isn't quite done all the way, but nobody would ever notice looking at me. Working on the skin stretching has been the key to steadily improving with this razor.

It's really incredible how evocative some of these Zoologist frags are. Civet continues to make me super antsy and energetic. It honestly makes me feel like I have to hyper focus on what's happening around me and that I can't afford to miss out on anything. It gives you a drive that you can't afford to ignore, very fun scent to wear.

Let's put that feeling into overdrive with some Rancid. Here is Olympia, WA off the album ... and out come the wolves. I thought the forward drive of this song was very fitting for the way that Civet makes me feel.

Today's photo contest theme is Wood. This is a little baby Arabica plant that I've got growing in a pot until I can transplant it into something bigger. Was very fitting to pair this plant with Civet when Luwak coffee is essentially just a civet pooping out coffee beans that we then roast and then brew. #photocontest

SOTD - June 10

• Prep: Shower
• Brush: Yaqi - Moka
• Razor: Henson - Al13 Mild
• Blade: Gillette - Platinum
• Lather: Declaration Grooming x chantillon Lux - 88 Chestnut St.
• Post Shave: Epsilon - blue

photocontest bokeh balls

Fun one today. Song choice is easy because of the photo challenge. All of the Lights - Kanye West.

Wish I spend more time shaving and less time taking a bomb photo. yOuch.

This is nice