June 10 - Collab Day

• Brush: Semogue 610 21mm Boar

• Razor: Razorock Mamba

• Blade: Asco Platinum Orange

• Lather: Storybook Soapworks / AP Reserve - Fresca Intensa Soap

• Post Shave: Lucky Tiger Splash

• Post Shave: Barrister and Mann - Passiflora Splash

• Fragrance: Australian Private Reserve -Passione EdT

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Storybook and Australian Private Reserve... Two greats who left a big impact on this community. Fresca Intensa is quite possibly favorite fragrance of all time.

...but I don't wanna dickhole. Passiflora and Passione were practically made for each other, they go so well. Both fruity, tropical, and enticing. Today is gonna be good.

#FOF

Today's soap and fragrance combo feel like summer, and Tom Petty's Running Down a Dream epitomizes that feeling for me. Especially it backing this skateboarding montage from On Video that I grew up with. Happy Skating, and happy shaving.

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.

June 10, 2024 – 2024.06.10: Lather Games Day 10 – Happy Together

• Brush: Bundubeard Oryx Horn handle with 26mm AP Shave Co. Pure Bliss knot
• Razor: Razorock Hawk v3
• Blade: Schick Proline
• Lather: Declaration Grooming – Cerberus
• Post Shave: Declaration Grooming – Cerberus
• Fragrance: Declaration Grooming – Cerberus

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Daily Theme: Happy Together

Theme justification: Declaration Grooming Cerberus](https://wetshavingdatabase.com/product/declaration-grooming-cerberus/) is a Collaboration between Declaration Grooming, House of Mammoth, and Noble Otter. DG made the soap, HoM made the fragrance, and Noble Otter made the splash. I just left it as DG in the post to not annoy the robodjudge.

Relevant Post Shave & Frag: Continuing the Collaboration theme by ~~dickholing~~ trickholing Cerberus.

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Scavenger Hunt Justification:

Razor facts: N/A

Brush facts: N/A

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Daily/Special Challenge: Song Day

For my song, I'm going with Hootsforce by Gloryhammer.

I found Gloryhammer several years ago, and I don't really know why, but I just love them. I think it is just the Sci-Fi nerd in me. Hootsforce was the first song of theirs that really grabbed me. The beat and rhythm is just so much fun to listen to, then you add in the lyrics you end up with very fun song.

Makes shaving a little hard for me, though, as my head won't stay still! :)

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Fragrance description

I think most of us here have smelled Cerberus. I received a smush of it before I purchased it. When I first smelled it, I hated it. But something just kept drawing me towards it; it grew on me over the next few weeks. So when DG had their Black Friday sale I grabbed a set. My sister then bought the frag as a Christmas gift for me.

I don't wear Cerberus as much as I'd like, unfortunately. There are some people in my life that have an adverse reaction to the smell. If I had to guess, I'd say it's the Opoponax that's causing the issue. I love it, though. It's got a punch, which I really enjoy.

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Now onto the shave!

We've hit day 10 of the Lather Games! The games are a marathon, not a sprint, that is for sure.

Bog-standard shave today. It's Monday, so that's probably the reason. Lovely shave all around. Hawk++

In other news, I'm doing well following my spider bite and I'm having fiber installed at my house today. So that's great!

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Sponsor Spotlight

Barrister and Mann

Will makes great stuff. Met him at Maggards, and he seems like a cool guy. Glad to have him as a part of this community.

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Totals:

• Razor Hashtags: 8/10
• Brush Hashtags: 7/10
• Hardware Sponsor Points: 2/2
• Software Sponsor Points: 7/16
• Number of Lather Brands: 10/30
• Number of Lather Scents: 10/30
• Number of Post Shaves: 10/30
• Number of Frags: 10/30

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Contest Hashtags:

#FOF

#ROTY

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!!!!!

June 10, 2024

• Brush: AP Shave Co - Blue & Clear - 26mm Oumo Horse #HORSESASS
• Razor: EldrormR Industries - MM24 #MODERNGEM #FLIPTOP
• Blade: GEM PTFE
• Lather: Declaration Grooming – 88 Chestnut St. Soap (collab with Chatillon Lux)
• Post Shave: Summer Break Soaps - Bellringer Splash
• Fragrance: House of Mammoth – Sonder EdP

First things first, thank you to u/hugbckt for the smush of 88 Chestnut St. Also, do yourself a favor and read his daily SOTDs. He is really bringing it this year!

I’m a big fan of collaborations within this little hobby of ours. Things that show that these artisans are more than just competitors, but allies who can work together to create something special. They can create something that is greater than what either of them could make on their own. Using their own strengths for the betterment of the end result. In the business buzzword bingo world, we call that Synergy. I challenge anyone to attend any sort business seminar and tally the number of times you hear it. Hell, scroll through linkedin and you’ll see the word “synergy” as often as you see the word “bergamot” in scent notes.

Artisans we love, working together for a better end result is awesome. Much like how WE work together for a better result. This community, r/wetshaving, and everything amazing that comes along with it – Lather Games, Side-Contests, Austere August, Photo Contests, Charity Shaves, PIFs, Advent Calendars, and everything else – are all because a member of the community had an idea and other people rallied around it, helped out, and kept the tradition going for the betterment of the community as a whole. It’s really something special and unique, and I’m so glad to be part of it.

There are many collaborations between Declaration and CL and this is one of them. 88 Chestnut St has a bunch of citrus notes, as well as a fairly strong petitgrain note to make it more than just a citrus explosion. The soap performs nicely and I had a very good shave even though I HATE this horse brush, but hey, a hashtag is a hashtag.

For #FOF: Everything is bright and uplifting. This shave wasn’t just a collaboration between CG & CL, but the scents of SBS and HoM tied everything together with their respective pieces of this puzzle. I often relate my scents to seasons and this is an absolutely wonderful summer shave. The citrus in the soap, combined with the refreshing citrus in the splash, and of course, the citrus in the EdP. Absolute perfection. The citrus of Sonder dissipates quickly, leaving me with longer lasting florals, green notes, and a woody base. I’m absolutely feeling (and smelling!) great with today’s scent combination.

Challenge: Jack Johnson - Better Together. It’s appropriate for the theme of the day, and the uplifting nature of the music also fits the bright nature of the scents I used today.

Soap Theme Justification: Declaration Grooming made the soap and Chatillon Lux made the scent.

Relevant Post Shave & Fragrance: Everything citrusy and bright

June 10, 2024 – LG Day 10 – Best Friends Forever

• Brush: AP Shave Co. Pure Bliss SHD 24mm x Heritage Collection Merit 99-4 Handle
• Razor: EldrormR Industries MM24
• Blade: AccuTec Pro Premium
• Lather: Chicago Grooming Co. x House of Mammoth – Armonía
• Post Shave: Dr. Jon’s – Black Label
• Fragrance: House of Mammoth – Tobacconist

First time trying Armonía today. I’ll be honest, smelling it when the tub initially arrived in the mail, I thought I would use this once for the Games and then sell it. After using it today, though, I might keep this one. I dub today’s #FOF as a modern, sophisticated cowboy. Armonía Soap unfurls with a deep, rich tobacco accord that exudes elegance and mystery. As the lather builds, the fragrance reveals a bright freshness, with the requisite fougère herbs and citrus. Despite my initial belief that this fragrance would be heavy for summer, it eschews the typical heaviness I expect in a fougère, instead evoking the delicate scent of a tobacco plant in bloom. The richness of of Armonía melds seamlessly with Black Label’s bold tobacco and earthy oakmoss, and hints of bergamot with delicate whispers of violet and lavender infuse a refreshing brightness and floral elegance. Strawberry, the most unexpected note, imparts a light breeze of sweetness, and keeping the shave appropriate for summertime. Tobacconist is so effective in transporting me to a tobacconist’s shop. The cedar and tobacco create a warm, nostalgic embrace that simply feel like comfort. It’s an interesting pairing with the rest of today’s shave, because of the emphasis on an entirely different tobacco accord, but I think it works beautifully. This must be how cowboys feel. Yeehaw.

To add to the Happy Together theme, I used a collab brush, and you might argue that the MM24 is a collaboration of two different razors, the final product being greater than the sum of it’s parts.

Thinking about the idea of the “modern, sophisticated cowboy,” here are five musicians (in no particular order) that present entirely different representations of the archetype. (To my judge today, feel free to pick just one song to listen to if you don’t have time and/or don’t like these genres.)

Orville Peck, Daytona Sand. Like today’s shave, Peck is mysterious and unexpected. He doesn’t reveal his face publicly, kind of like u/Priusaurus. He was born in South Africa, took 12 years of ballet lessons, moved to Canada at the age of 15, and is nothing like the cowboys of old Westerns, but he sure sings like he is.

Colter Wall, Bob Fudge. Wall, another Canadian, released his first EP at the age of 19, already sounding like a grizzled cowboy who has seen some shit. If you think “real country died with Johnny Cash,” give him a listen.

Tyler Childers, Nose on the Grindstone. This Kentuckian is a mighty fine lyricist, but also has some musical marvels like the album Long Violent History and Can I Take My Hounds to Heaven?. Like any good modern cowboy, he supports coal miners’ rights just the same as same-sex marriage.

Benjamin Tod (aka Lost Dog Street Band), September Doves. In the tradition of American troubadours, this band’s music tells real stories, evoking a special sense of nostalgia despite being a modern band.

Sierra Ferrell, In Dreams – Alternative Version. I mean, just listen to her. Plus, she spent her 20s as a nomad, hitch-hiking, freighthopping, and living in her van, which is essentially cowboy shit.

LG 10 - Happy Together

• Brush: Grizzly Bay Handle - Declaration Grooming Badger knot - Zingari Man coin
• Razor: SCHICK Injector Adjustable #ADJUSTABLE
• Blade: SHICK Injector (1)
• Lather: Chicago Grooming Co. House of Mammoth - ARMONÍA
• Post Shave: Westman Bruji - Oud & Vanilla Toner
• Fragrance: Zara - Tobacco Collection Rich Warm Addictive Edp

Dear Judges, I need extra points to compensate for my laziness and future and past airbuds. Brush, soap & after on theme. Very Appreciated.

.#FOF Tobacco- OUD- vanilla Awesome fougere with tobacco, missed with the vanilla oud after, making a good intro for the Zara's vanilla, rum and peony notes.

Lately when I'm in the gym, Soft Play - Mirror Muscles, Pump pump pump...

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

June 10, 2024 - Happy Together

• Brush: Zenith r/Wetshaving Exclusive 31mm Moar Boar #SUBBRUSH
• Razor: A. Witte NY. A1 5/8 Hollow Round Point #REVENANT
• Lather: Declaration Grooming - 1904
• Post Shave: Declaration Grooming - Yuzu/Rose/Patchouli
• Fragrance: House of Mammoth - Smash

FOF

Today’s Theme:

Almost everything here is a collaboration. 1904 has the soap by Declaration Grooming and the scent by Chatillon Lux. It is the same with Yuzu/Rose/Patchouli. For the fragrance we leave the Midwest and get what I guess is a collaboration between the Boston Red Socks and NY Yankees (maybe Mets). Smash is a collaboration between House of Mammoth & Barrister and Mann. The brush is a collaboration between Zenith and r/Wetshaving with an assist by Stirling Soap Co. I count the brush because the logo was designed by the sub.

Today’s Shave:

It is my third shave with a regular straight (maybe 80th including Wecks). I got it partially restored from the seller who had removed the rust, but did not fix the edge. It was about as sharp as a butter knife, and had several chips near the point almost like a serrated knife. Definitely not shave ready, and almost no bevel to the edge. I ground the chips down with my medium diamond plate. It made a bit of a flat spot near the round point, so I fixed the profile on the same plate. I set about remaking the bevel starting on the 600# diamond until I got a burr and the bevels looked pretty even. I moved to the 1200# Diamond, and did the same. Next were Japanese ceramic water stones in 3000#, 8000#, and 12000#. I stropped it on linen and buffalo hide. I didn’t try a hanging hair test, but it easily shaved hairs on my arm. This was the second straight that I went through this same process and it also had similar chips. Today’s razor shaved better than the other one did. I did three passes wtg, xtg, xtg except my neck. Neck was xtg and xtg. The lather was excellent, but I think I could have hydrated it a little more. Just a slight tingle from the aftershave too. It is still a little intimidating using a straight, but it does feel pretty good. A spritz of Smash on my wrists finished it up.

Today’s Challenge - Music to Shave by:

I think the kind of music I like for shaving is calm and almost ethereal. I chose Still Corners “The Trip”. I’m linking to an unofficial video I think. Someone set the song to old 8mm vacation footage to emphasize the title.

Feats of Fragrance:

Today I mixed things up and decided to use multiple collaborations. My first instinct for this category is to go with possibly my favorite use of patchouli, but I’ve done that. At work while ~~goofing around~~ waiting for some programs to kick out the results, I was looking up collaboration soaps that I have. I had written down Cerberus Fougere to start, but I got a strange idea. How can I link the three together? The hardest part was the splash, though I do have Smash. Browsing DG’s website on my phone, I saw 1904 has coffee. Well smash is a drink flavor, and coffee is a drink. Stretching my potential matches that are still collaborations, I realized that I’ve had a yuzu drink before. My daughter really likes those Ramune sodas from Japan. One that we all liked was the yuzu flavor. Ok I’ve connected the dots in my mind, but will this work? First I’ll say if I used 1904 in a splash or EdP, this probably would be a fail. The darker earthiness of the coffee and other scents would probably clash in EdP strength, but in the soap base, it was better as an earthy undertone to this drunken brunch theme I made. The splash for yuzu/rose/patchouli definitely has a stronger citrus and rose scent than the soap. In my mind I’ve moved it to a fragrant black tea with yuzu and rose notes. This is starting to work now. Smash is a sweet cap to this meal (ok, the brunch theme fails at dinner time). I am not a coffee drinker except once in a blue moon I get the urge for coffee with pancakes. While I love brinner, this isn’t going to be that. No strong caffeine this late in the day. The bourbon in Smash gives a subtle sweet smokiness to the peach and herbal elements like the St. Germain in the cocktail. That is what this scent is doing. I’m sipping a cocktail and unwinding from work. Now at home I don’t have any peaches, so I think just an old fashioned might be in order.

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

SOTD - 2024-06-10

• Beard Growth: 24 Hours
• Prep: Hot Shower
• Pre Shave: None
• Brush: Yaqi - Mysterious Space Synthetic
• Razor: Lambda Athena
• Blade: Bic Chrome Platinum
• Passes: WTG x2
• Lather: Declaration Grooming - Gratiot League Square - Chatillon Lux Collaboration
• Post Shave: Southern Witchcrafts - Fougere Nemeta After Shave Splash

• Fragance: Southern Witchcrafts - Fougere Nemeta EDP

• Comments: Collaboration day more like, Shawn Maher day… both Dec. Grooming and SW products I used today had his custom fragrances. Hopefully this is considered to be on theme for today.

Man! I love this base, great slick lather, very thick and could handle a significant amount of water. The smell is great too I got some strong incense notes, maybe that’s the sandalwood, vetiver and tobacco coming through.

Also the Fougere Nemeta - wow! Love this scent probably my favorite, managed to get one from the bazaar was lucky enough to get for today’s shave. Thanks u/EldrormR for the speedy shipping 🙂

Now coming to the song selection for today: Not Like Us - Kendrick Lamar

Let’s get serious for a minute here. We all know that Kendrick Lamar recently came out with a diss track for Drake. And it’s know that Kendrick is a long time wetshaver, some speculation is that this song is actually not a track for Drake, but rather commentary on some of the unsavory elements here, who keep chasing baby butts. There are also some folks who are participating in #FOF contest, who keep chasing notes but I think that’s still okay as long as they don’t go after the minor notes. We can root out these smooth baby butt chasers, they will never give up and will keep going against the grain of our societal values.

#ROTY

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