LGSOTD 13-Jun-24

• Brush: Chisel & Hound - 'Mammoth' V15 #COMPOSITE #SHD
• Razor: Ever Ready - Ambassador #FLIPTOP
• Blade: Personna - GEM PTFE
• Lather: Master Soap Creations - Only The Brave
• Post Shave: Master Soap Creations - Only The Brave AS

Dupelgänger Day

Here we have Master Soap Creations Only The Brave. Dupe of Diesel Only the Brave, popular about 10 years ago but not one I ever got into abs still haven't. This was an impulse buy, along with another half a dozen sets, that I picked up when I was in SA. For the sake of £15 a complete set I couldn't not. This one however, I'm not a huge fan, there's something a little too sweet in it for me. My favourites of theirs is, Most Wanted and Vintage Faberge, probably ticks most of the boxes. Those are dupes of Azzaro Wanted and Brut, but for the life of me I couldn't find Wanted, not surprising given my storage solution for gear, and sadly the Mrs cannot stand Brut.

Hardware accompaniment today being the Ever Ready Ambassador, managed to get this boxed one with a few Corrux blades thrown in. I need to get those sorted before I can use them properly though. Then there's the C&H Mammoth brush that they made in collaboration with Heritage Fossils. Solid brush, the setting on this one is perhaps a little low for my liking but it's still a good one.

Challenge - Draw a Soap Label

I prefer last years electric mayhem, but I didn't have that much time to sort this one, but it'll do the trick.

Photocontest

With all these villainous artisans out there, knocking off fragrances how could I not target this one at 'Pirates'. NB: I have zero problem with dupes, I have a ton!

Happy shaves all!

Cheers

Marc

** 13.06.2024 **

• Brush: AP Shave Co 28MM G5A SHD
• Razor: Henson Shaving razors AL13+++ #RAINBOW
• Blade: Perma Sharp
• Lather: Declaration Grooming - Cygnus X-1
• Post Shave: Declaration Grooming - Cygnus X-1
• Post Shave: Mühle alum stone

Declaration Grooming "Cygnus X-1" is dupe on Bond 9 Bleeker Street. I really like this milkstake base. Amazing soap! I love it! And because of this post i remembered the name. Most of the time I explained like "the DG constellation". And like actual Cygnus X-1 I'll send rays in your black holes for this drawing challenge! And last year made me so mad! If I can drawing I'll be a painter not cameraman. Stop torture and humiliated me! I have to film not to draw! So this is my label " constellation " for you! But Let's put stupid jokes on side! Did you know There is one Bulgarian song flying in space from our original folklore on Voyager 1 and is amazing. Please listen and share in comments what you imagine.

June 13, 2024 – Lather Games!

• Brush: AP Shave Co. w/ 28mm G5B Synthetic.
• Razor: YPM – Winning Razor Mk2, polished, tattooed ("The Emperor's Shave!") #CNC #TITANIUM
• Blade: Gillette Winner Stainless (3).
• Lather: Catie's Bubbles – '95 Liquid Labels
• Aftershave: A&E – Ultima Unmasked Unscented Splash.

According to Capt. Bubbles himself (why does he keep a beard?), this soap is supposed to be a dupe of Tommy by Tommy Milfdigger. It does indeed smell like 1995, and it's nice and fresh as a morning scent. I never cared for the original but this is quite decent, with a comfortable shave finish.

#Challenge: You want a soap label? Okay, you asked for it! Here it is!! https://ibb.co/3FrtsGG

#LatherGames

Bonus:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=faSrRHw6eZ8 ← Classics Summarized: The Iliad

LG SOTD 13Jun2024

• Brush: Yaqi Caramel - 26mm cat whiskers synthetic
• Razor: Karve - CB SB-C (Copper)
• Blade: Wizamet - Super Iridium (6)
• Lather: Stirling - Haverford
• Bowl: Captain’s Choice - Copper, standard
• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Shave Balm, Embrace

Happy Thursday, beautiful people! Welcome to the thirteenth shave of the 2024 Lather Games. Today's theme is “Dupelganger” where we shave with a lather that is “inspired” by a non-shaving fragrance.

I’m going to shave with Stirling’s take on Tom Ford’s Tobacco Vanille, Haverford. No idea what the original smells like - I think I’ve worn standalone fragrance twice in my life - but Haverford smells amazing so I’ll assume the same applies to the original. When I first tried it, I didn’t know it was a fragrance dupe, just knew it was supposed to be pipe tobacco like. Both of my grandfathers smoked pipes and I had loved the smell of the different tobacco blends. Haverford isn’t a straight tobacco scent, but it’s a rich, spicy fragrance built on a core of tobacco and it was one of the first sample to tub conversions.

Today’s shave is all the more special because shaving with this one of a kind custom labeled edition 😉

The shave went well, the secret to getting Haverford to lather properly is after the first water is added work it into a homogenous paste, then work a little more, before adding more water - knocks the foaminess down that Haverford is prone to with all the fragrance oils crammed in there. The spiciness of Haverford pairs well with HoM’s Embrace. That is all.

Enjoy your day, tomorrow is Friday!

SOTD 2024-06-13 Dupelganger sounds a lot like a Wannabe

• Brush: Semogue 830
• Razor: Gillette Aristocrat Adjustable
• Blade: Dorco - Prime (3rd use)
• Lather: Barrister and Mann - Spice
• Post Shave: Thayers - Witch hazel toner (Unscented)

Yo I'll tell you what I want, what I really really want,
So tell me what you want, what you really really want,
I wanna (huh!), I wanna (huh!), I wanna (huh!), I wanna (huh!),
I wanna really really really wanna zigazig ah!

If you wannabe a wetshaver, you gotta know we're your friends,
Old Spice is forever, the dupes will never end.

User adapted a spice girls song that is not going to be stuck in people's heads for days.

June 13, 2024

• Brush: Semogue Galahad C3 Premium boar
• Razor: Parker Variant
• Blade: Feather
• Lather: Stirling Soap Co. - Arkadia
• Post Shave: Lucky Tiger AS
• Post Shave: Declaration Grooming - Trismegistus liniment
• Post Shave: Olay Complete

I cant go wrong with a Stirling lather. And this is a nice dupe of TdH as is Trismegistus from DG. This brush continues to impress the hell out of me. It lathers any soap with ease.

• Brush: Maggard Razors Timberwolf
• Razor: Maggard Razors MR14 with Ikon Bulldog handle
• Blade: Gillette Silver Blue
• Lather: Stirling Soap Company - Executive Man
• Post Shave: Fine - Platinum

Executive Man was the second soap I purchased when I started and it is still one of my favorites. It has to be the longest lasting scent of any of the Stirling products and that is definitely a good thing.

June 13, 2024: Spider-Man?!

• Prep: warm splash of water
• Brush: Yaqi Sagrada Familia Tuxedo 24 mm
• Razor: AtT S1
• Blade: Gillette Blue
• Lather: Declaration Grooming - Sellout
• Post Shave: Thayer's - Lavender
• Fragrance: Stirling Soap Co. - Island Man

Yesterday was awful, today was wonderful. Sellout and Island Man are absolute gems. All for the Lonny Thames

Dupelgänger

• Brush: APShaveCo - Butterscotch with 24 mm Tuxedo knot
• Razor: Zwilling J. A. Henckels Friodur 14 (8/8", extra hollow ground, stainless steel)
• Lather: Chicago Grooming Co. - AG 1889
• Post Shave: Stirling Soap Co. - Friends to the End
• Fragrance: Maison Francis Kurkdjian - Baccarat Rouge 540

Theme: AG1889 is a dupe of Guerlain Jicky, and it's so good I keep using it despite getting all tingly from using it (yeah, I know).

Relevant post & frag: Bear with me: When I got my set of 1889, I immediately got a fresher version of Baccarat Rouge and said so on the discord. I was met with some push back, but who are you going to trust? My nose or some randos? So the relevance is that 1889 smells like a fresher variant of BR, and Friends to the end is the on theme version of BR. (Or vanilla, if you prefer my critics.)

Great shave with my prized Frio 14, hands down my best razor.

Challenge: A soap label

OP draws a gosh-darned masterpiece. 🧑‍🎨

• Prep: Warm Shower
• Brush: Stirling Two Band Synthetic
• Razor: Van Der Hagen 85mm Safety Razor
• Blade: Gillette Nacet
• Lather: 345 Soap Co. - Jet Setter
• Post Shave: 345 Soap Co. - Jet Setter Aftershave Balm
• Post Shave: 345 Soap Co. - Jet Setter Aftershave Balm
• Frag: * Post Shave: 345 Soap Co. - Jet Setter EDP

Dupe of Blue Vanille by Henry Jacque

June 13, 2024 – 2024.06.13 SOTD: Lather Games Day 13 – Dupelgänger

• Brush: Dogwood Handcrafts Matte Black with 26mm UHD Independent Fibre Knot
• Razor: Aylsworth Drakkant
• Blade: Wizamet (1)
• Lather: Chicago Grooming Co. – AG 1889
• Post Shave: Chicago Grooming Co. – AG 1889
• Fragrance: Stirling Soap Co. – Haverford

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Daily Theme: Dupelgänger

Theme justification: Chicago Grooming Co. AG 1889 is "Inspired by Guerlain Jicky." It's a Jicky dupe

Relevant Post Shave & Frag: I'm continuing with the Dupelgänger theme. My AS is AG 1889 (same Jicky dupe as previously mentioned) and Stirling Haverford, a dupe of Tome Ford Tabacco Vanille

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Scavenger Hunt Justification:

Razor facts: N/A

Brush facts: N/A

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Daily/Special Challenge: Draw a Soap Label

Behold! My masterpiece. Black on black; it's the best.

/u/chicagogroomingco, I am available for future label designs.

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Fragrance description

AG 1889 - It's a Jicky dupe. With that, to me, it's the scent of a comforting old grandpa. Maybe it is because times change, but it's odd to think that of the fragrance Sean Connery wore that way. Maybe as times move on, our fragrance thoughts move too, you know?

As for Stirling Haverford, it's far too sweet for me. Way too much vanilla with not enough tobacco to cut the sweetness. Don't know if the real deal is like this too, but I have no interest in purchasing it after trying this.

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Now onto the shave!

The shave was excellent. Darkwing is probably my favorite base currently. Extremely easy to lather, slick, and is great on the face. Definitely the best shave I've had this month. The Wiziment + Drakkant (along with the great lather) is a winning combination.

This shave definitely went better than David's ...

David stood in front of the bathroom mirror, his face freshly steamed from a hot towel. He reached for his badger-hair brush and dipped it into the luxurious shaving soap. As he lathered the soap into a rich, creamy foam, he felt a strange sensation wash over him, as if the room had suddenly grown colder.

He glanced up at his reflection and froze. The man in the mirror was him, yet not quite. There was a subtle difference in the eyes, a glint of something alien and unnerving. David blinked, trying to shake off the unease, and continued lathering his face.

With each stroke of the brush, the reflection seemed to gain more clarity, more definition, as if it were becoming more real than he was. David's hand trembled, and he accidentally dropped the brush into the sink. His reflection smirked.

"Careful," the mirror image said, its voice a perfect mimicry of David's, yet carrying an edge that sent shivers down his spine. "You wouldn't want to mess this up."

David stumbled back, the brush clattering in the sink. "What... who are you?"

The doppelganger in the mirror didn't answer. Instead, it picked up the straight razor David had laid out, running a finger along the blade. David felt an irresistible pull, as if invisible hands were dragging him forward. He struggled, but his feet moved of their own accord, carrying him toward the mirror.

The surface of the mirror rippled like water. David's hand passed through first, then his arm, and before he could scream, he was yanked entirely through, into a world of cold glass and shimmering reflections.

On the other side, David pounded against the barrier, his fists making no sound. He watched in horror as his reflection, now fully solid and independent, stepped out of the mirror and into his life.

"Thanks for the shave," the doppelganger said, stretching as if it had been confined for far too long. "I've been waiting for this moment."

David screamed, but no sound escaped the mirror realm. The world beyond was a distorted echo, a twisted version of his reality. He could see his doppelganger moving through his apartment, picking up his phone, calling his boss with his voice.

Days passed. David watched helplessly as the doppelganger slipped seamlessly into his life, charming his friends, excelling at his job, and even growing close to the woman David had been too shy to approach.

Time moved differently in the mirror realm. Each second felt like an eternity. David's initial panic gave way to despair, then to a burning determination. He studied the mirror, searching for any weakness, any way out.

One day, while the doppelganger was out, David noticed a tiny crack in the corner of the mirror. Hope surged within him. He pounded on the crack, willing it to grow. Slowly, painstakingly, it spread.

On the other side, the doppelganger seemed to sense something was wrong. It returned to the apartment, eyes narrowing as it saw the crack in the mirror. "You think you can escape?" it hissed.

David didn't respond. He poured all his strength into breaking the mirror, his knuckles bleeding against the glass. With a final, desperate punch, the mirror shattered.

The two worlds collided in a blinding flash of light. When the dust settled, David found himself back in his bathroom, shards of the broken mirror around him. His doppelganger was nowhere to be seen.

David looked at his reflection in the fragments. His own eyes stared back, tired but resolute. He was free. The nightmare was over.

He cleaned up the glass and stepped out into the world, determined to reclaim his life. As he walked away, he glanced back at the remnants of the mirror. For a moment, he thought he saw a shadow move, a hint of a smirk, but he shook it off.

David knew one thing for sure: he would never take his reflection for granted again.

 

Man, poor guy :(

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Sponsor Spotlight

Dogwood Handcrafts makes some of the best handles in the business! I'm glad I was able to grab mine at a killer price thanks to an auction. I'll grab one of his Jurassic Park handles eventually.

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Totals:

• Razor Hashtags: 10/10
• Brush Hashtags: 10/10
• Hardware Sponsor Points: 2/2
• Software Sponsor Points: 9/16
• Number of Lather Brands: 13/30
• Number of Lather Scents: 13/30
• Number of Post Shaves: 13/30
• Number of Frags: 13/30

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Contest Hashtags:

#FOF

#ROTY

OP (or AI, but I Want to Believe) tells a chilling tale.

Jun. 13, 2024
Brush: AP SHAVECO AP400B XL 28 mm (G5C)
Razor: Karve CB SS SB (D Plate, First Pass; B Plate, Second Pass)
Blade: Astra Superior Platinum [2]
Lather: Stirling Soap Co. - Executive Man - Soap
Post Shave: Stirling Soap Co. - Executive Man - Aftershave
Post Shave: Zingari Man - Unscented (Sego) - Balm

Shared from My Shave Den for iOS

June 13, 2024 - Thursday

• Brush: Envy Shave "Aluminati" / 26mm Maggard Razors SHD bulb
• Razor: Yates 921-H
• Blade: Astra SP (4)
• Lather: Stirling Soap Co. - Bash
• Post Shave: Stirling Soap Co. - Bash splash
• Fragrance: Rogue Perfumery - Derviche 2 EdP

Stirling's Bash was a special edition commissioned by some wetshaving group that I can't recall (EDIT: It was South Florida Wet Shavers). It's a dupe of Grand Soir by Maison Francis Kurkdjian. Rod and Mandy were doling out samples at the Maggard meet up last year so that's where I procured them. It's a sweet ambery vanilla scent that is classy and sophisticated. The sweetness of Rogue's Derviche 2 goes quite nicely with it. I know it should be my day to shine with the daily challenge, but I just couldn't carve out any time to do one as of yet. Maybe I'll add it later.

EDIT: Wetshaving art album

wyze0ne wet shaving label compilation

Jun. 13, 2024
Brush: Simpson Trafalgar 2 #oldworld #premiumplastic * Razor: Gem MMOC #moderngem #fliptop * Blade: Personna GEM [1]
Lather: Barrister & Mann - Waves - Soap
Post Shave:* Stirling Soap Co - Island Man - Balm

Dupe of a famous scent by some company called Gill it or something.

You guys are gonna hate this but I have to shoot my yearly air bud shot. “Any razor using a Gem blade manufactured after 2000.” I mean english is not my first language but it sure sounds like the blade needs to be made after 2000, and my blade packaging says 2017. Just off the top of my head “a gem blade using razor manufactured after 2000” seems more iron clad. I’ll let the legal scholars debate this one.

my only water color worthy of label art

I never get to share any of my other hobbies so this is kinda cool

Shared from My Shave Den for iOS

• June 13
• Brush: Chisel and Hound – 26mm AP Shave Co Synbad
• Razor: Aylsworth Razors - Drakkant
• Blade: Astra Superior Platinum
• Lather: Strike Gold Shave – Bees Knees
• Post Shave: Strike Gold Shave – Bees Knees
• Fragrance: Cartier - Eau de Cartier

Strike Gold Shave – Bees Knees is a dupe of Jo Malone’s Nectarine Blossom & Honey fragrance. I’ve never smelled that Jo Malone fragrance, so I can’t really comment on how accurate it is (or isn’t), but I can tell you this scent is delightful and bright. Imagine a sun-drenched meadow where bees buzz lazily over blooming flower blossoms. The air is thick with the sweet scent of honey and ripe fruit, yet there's a refreshing breeze that keeps it from being overpowering. That’s exactly where today’s shave took me.

As soon as I opened the tub, I’m hit with a wave of flowers. Flowers on flowers on flowers! There is a juicy nectarine note which is sweetened by the scent of rich, golden honey. The scent envelopes me in a cocoon of sweetness, making each stroke of the razor smell like springtime. There’s a slight vetiver note, which likely helps balance the scent so it’s not TOO sweet or floral. The bees may be busy, but I’m in a state of blissful relaxation with the scent as a whole. While I’d like to say this soap is the bees’ knees, the performance of it is just okay. I’ve used quite a few god-tier soaps so far in the Lather Games, but this one left something to be desired.

To complete this sensory journey, I spritz on Cartier’s Eau de Cartier. This classic fragrance adds a refined touch, with its crisp citrus opening, fresh floral heart, and warm, woody base. It harmonizes beautifully with the sweet notes of Bees Knees, elevating the overall experience to a level of understated floral bliss. It’s the perfect finishing touch, like a gentle breeze carrying the last whispers of a summer day. The combination of Bees Knees and Eau de Cartier is a match made in scent heaven, blending sweetness, flowers, and a little earth in perfect harmony.

Challenge: I’m a shit artist, so I wanted to recreate the label, using only basic circles and ovals. Here’s my attempt.

Jun. 13, 2024 - doop el gang er
Brush: Dogwood Handcrafts B11 Badger
Razor: Blackland Blackbird Ti
Blade: Personna Platinum Chrome [5]
Lather: Oleo Soapworks - Excursion - Soap
Post Shave: Oleo Soapworks - Excursion - Aftershave
Fragrance: Chicago Grooming Co - Excursion EdP

A nice trifecta shave with a dupe of YSL la nuit de l’homme. I find this duck fat base to be so excellent. It has also been a minute since I used my blackbird Ti. Exceptional razor.

After shaving for a little while with straight razors now, many of them poorly honed (by me) it’s amazing how my bar has moved in that this razor intimidated me at first and now it almost feels mild by comparison. It’s like running with weights, I guess. Or like shaving with glass shards. Or something like that.

I love making shave labels. I love the opportunity to flaunt my most popular creation, despite its NSFW nature. I hope you all love it too! Always a good day to refresh this unobtanium.

Wood is seen in this photo both in the surface that the SOTD elements are sitting, and the trees that are yonder in the background. I also might have had wood while editing this pic.

#photocontest

User crams 4 sponsor points into single SOTD

June 13, 2024

• Prep: House of Mammoth Embrace Doppio Bath Soap
• Brush: Dogwood Handcrafts 26mm Zenith Bleached Boar
• Razor: EldrormR Industries MM24 #ModernGem
• Blade: Personna PTFE (3)
• Lather: Stirling Soap Co - Dunshire - Soap
• Post Shave: Stirling Soap Co - Dunshire - Aftershave
• Fragrance: Armani - Acqua di Gio - Eau de Toilette

Eh. Good enough

Also, Dogwood++. I'm up to 10, now.

June 13, 2024 – LG Day 13 – d00p day

• Brush: AP Shave Co. Pure Bliss SHD 24mm x Heritage Collection Merit 99-4 Handle
• Razor: Razorock Mamba 70
• Blade: Wizamet Super Iridium
• Lather: Eleven – Apollo
• Post Shave: Captain’s Choice – Venture
• Fragrance: Guy Fox – Tyler

Apollo is ”inspired by” Creed Aventus, as is Captain’s Choice Venture.

This is one of very few dupes that I own, most of which (including this one) were inherited, not purchased. I don’t tend to really like designer fragrances in general, so having my soap smell like one seems silly. As an added ~~bonus~~ drawback, my partner says this smells like her orthodontist from childhood, so she doesn’t like me using Aventus dupes. But the calendar calls and I must go. Maybe because it’s so busy, or maybe because my brain insists that all designer/mall colognes smell the same, but picking out notes is really hard for this one. I know that pineapple is supposed to be here, and I can smell the ambery, oakmoss, woody base. Noting that soap is a terrible way to highlight fragrance, and also noting that dupes aren’t always spot on, I’m trying not to knock Aventus itself – I’ve never smelled the real thing. I assume that this ain’t it. It’s fine. GF Tyler is largely the same vibe, but with a clear fougère quality. I’m not sure what pineapple leaf smells like, but it’s not the juicy pineapple note I wish was here. It’s very citrusy/fruity, aquatic-adjacent – I think this is what a gym bro wears when he goes to the beach to try and fail to “pick up chicks.” #FOF

Challenge:

*wakes up* *looks at challenge* *looks at soap* *looks at hands and lack of artistic ability*

oh no.

*thinks more* *dies* *comes back to life* *chaos consumes me*

Using the power of Microsoft Word, I hereby present to you: the much awaited follow-up to Apollo by Eleven, EIGHTEEN/APOLLO, a celebration of the eighteenth Apollo mission. BEHOLD!

June 13, 2024 – Putting on the Ritz

• Brush: Maggards Mixed
• Razor: Wolfman WR1
• Blade: 7 O’Clock – Sharpedge (Yellow) (2)
• Lather: Summer Break Soaps – Prom King
• Post Shave: Summer Break Soaps – Prom King
• Fragrance: Jean Paul Gaultier – Le Male Elixer

What is a dupe? Obviously, it’s a copy of an existing popular fragrance. That’s the definition of it. But more generally, it’s a form of coat-tail riding. An attempt to capitalize on the popularity by repacking for a new (usually less affluent) market. A brazen money grab through imitation if you will. So let’s DUPE. I reached out to u/priusaurus to have him answer questions. Hoping to ride the coat tails of his victory last year into some points of my own now that his original market is saturated. Let’s see what he says:

1. What got you into wetshaving? Looked for a hobby that weirdos gravitated to and wetshaving sounded more useful than HAM radios.
2. So you won LG last year. In this particular niche of the hobby (reddit wetshaving wierdos) we do some pretty whacky things. Is this the strangest hobby you have? If not, tell us what beats it. By far. I still can’t get over the fact that my daily grooming ritual has become a hobby.
3. Are you doing anything different this year as part of your attempt that the repeat? Gave up on interviewing people. It’s been done and no one sane would attempt to duplicate that this year….I honestly think that odds aren’t in my favor. There’s never been a repeat Lather Games winner, so I’m just having fun this year.
4. In that vein, if you could have done one thing different last year what would it have been? It would have been easier if I didn’t try to hide my face in my first public video. Editing was a pain in the ass throughout the games last year. Now it’s kinda become a thing, so I keep my face hidden, even though I think the majority of the people in the sub know who I am.
5. Any advice for the rookies this year they can take into the last half of the games? Stay on theme, pick up all the sponsor/bonus points you can, and have fun with your SOTDs. Legendary points make all the difference top placements. And the judges reward creativity more than your insightful description of sandalwood.

Ah interesting. Well, sometimes dupes put their own spin on a dupe (See Stirling EMP). So, let’s add a few responses here, that is add a little dark spice to my dupe to distinguish it from u/priusaurus’s original department store fresh (boring) citrus fragrance to complicate it a bit.

1. first it’s ham not HAM. Second, I’m not an EmComm (Emergency Communications) type, so I’m not going to argue talking on the radio is useful, but what is useful is you learn a lot of skills along the way. Far more than I do shaving. Here’s today’s #photocontest. A DIY where my daughter and I are learning how to solder. But you have to solder something, so what to do? We made an antenna out of a tape measure and PVC pipes (take note Photo contest judges, there is a tape measure in this photo it’s just become an antenna. It’s a DIY project, made of DIY tools.). Do costal elites even bother with skills that require working with one’s hands? Probably not, can’t scuff up those golf hands. But the skills learned are useful. Moreso than lathering soap in public places. And what’s that next to it? It’s a QSL card from the International Space Station. Sure, LG trophies are cool, and I’ll happily take it this year, but no amount of wetshaving gets you contact with space. My hobbies are even weirder than wetshaving I suppose, but they have some cool results. (Working the world on 100w and a wire is pretty cool.)
2. Ok we agree here. But I guess all hobbies are selfcare so maybe all selfcare is a hobby?
3. This doesn't strike me as quite right. Arugably no sane person would dupe Aventus for the 100th time, and yet, it sells so everyone does it. Here’s hoping that idea works here too.
4. Again, we agree! You should have given up that bit a while ago, it’s just old and tired. Or at least tried to put a new spin on it. (Yawn).
5. Once again we agree. This is good advice, and not a moment too late. I will need to up my game. (But shaving outside in the urban jungle is played out is it not?)

Anyway, on to #fof, Prom King is a dupe of Le Male, a scent my wife likes very much. So, when she got a sampler of Le Male Elixir in her Ulta order a few months ago she tossed it to me and said “use this more.” To wit, I promptly put it away for LG to create this “Dupe-Dupe-Real (Flanker)” progression because LG was more important than using her favorite frag. As mentioned this is a flanker to the original, the upped the sweetness quite a bit (despite calling it a woody aromatic in their ad copy). If the SBS is a good representation of the original, I could go for a full bottle of that, but the bottle is also gauche. As it stands, I feel like we’d be better off getting u/rocketk455 to release Prom King EdT, because it’s better than this flanker, which is cloying. Nevertheless, the splash helps bring it back down to earth from a level of sweetness that's reminiscent of BR450. But I should probably get my nose on the original it’s duping before I draw any true conclusions.

For the Challenge, last year I attempted to use Photoshop AI to generate an image for Runaway, with results that looked like melted faces. I did not want to release that nightmare fuel on the sub so I drew instead. Let’s check in on Photoshop AI again this year.

1. First Prompt “Prom King Shaving his face.” Yikes. It went for ultra realism That’s…not a razor though.
2. Ok adjust, “Prom King shaving his face Cartoon.” Now we’ve gone abstract. That’s not even a person. Nor is he shaving. It's an emoji?
3. Ok last try “Cartoon Prom King shaving his face” I don’t understand what’s going on here. He has a beard and…a magic wand? But clearly not shaving.

End result: AI will not replace u/Wyz0ne anytime soon. His label is better.

2024-06-13 LG SOTD

• Brush: AP Shave Co × SHAVE⭐DANDY Ocean Waves Rocket (26x55mm Synth)
• Razor: Ever Ready Streamline (1949-1953)
• Blade: GEM PTFE
• Lather: Barrister and Mann - Cool
• Post Shave: Epsilon - Blue Mediterranean
• Fragrance: Barrister & Mann - Waves EdT

Today's shave: Cool Blue Mediterranean Waves

(Floïd Blue x 2, Gillette Wild Rain)

June 13 - Duplication Day

• Brush: Semogue 610 21mm Boar

• Razor: Razorock Mamba

• Blade: Asco Platinum Orange

• Lather: HC&C - Year of the Dragon Soap

• Post Shave: Lucky Tiger Splash

• Post Shave: Razorock - One X Splash

• Fragrance: Black Extreme EdT

---

Year of the Dragon - Armani Stronger with You Leather

One X - Acqua di Parma Fico di Amalfi EdP

Black Extreme - Polo Black

Went with these fragrances cos they are all duplications. One X and Black Extreme both have an aromatic freshness about them that blends well, and the fragrance is light so I get more whiffs of the splash than the spray. 6/10

#FOF

June 13 2024: Dupe Day

• Brush: Dogclaration B9A #SHD
• Razor: Ralf Aust 5/8
• Lather: Razorock - Tuscan Oud
• Post Shave: Stirling - Bash
• Fragrance: Stirling - Lightish Red

The theme today is dupes, and my shave features of a soap that is a dupe of Tom Ford's Tuscan Leather, splash that is a dupe of Maison Francis Kurkdjian's Grand Soir, and fragrance that is a dupe of Abercrombie and Fitch's Fierce. The connection between my software today is that they are all dupes, of Tom Ford's Tuscan Leather, Maison Francis Kurkdjian's Grand Soir, and Abercrombie and Fitch's Fierce respectively.

For Sponsor Spotlight I used my Dogwood Handcrafts brush. It is a white that has a really pretty glittery sheen to it. And of course I forgot to add it to my photo today.

2024-06-13 - Ozymandias

• Lather: Phoenix and Beau - Right-handed Giant
• Post Shave: Fabergé - Brut
• Fragrance: Murphy and McNeil - Green Man
• Razor: Bambaw Sea Green
• Brush: Yaqui Metal Timberwolf

Dupelgänger: Right-handed Giant is a dupe of Brut

Unifying Theme: Fougères, if you're boring.
Otherwise, a tale of a fallen, green, brutish giant.

Draw a Soap Label:
In past years (definitely last year, at least), there's been a complaint that players have only reproduced the existing label design for their soap. The intent, reportedly, was for players to create a new design instead.

However, because the wording of the challenge is unchanged, the only reasonable conclusion is that the intent of today's challenge reflects the prevailing interpretation, i.e. to draw the soap label as it exists rather than to design something new.
You have yourselves to blame for that, djudges.

I defy that decision! I have chosen to defy the intent of this challenge, and instead put my own twist on the design of Right-Handed Giant!

I don't know who or what the giant in question is supposed to be, but my brain is insistent—perhaps wrongly—that it's based on some mythological entity. I know that Green Man is supposed to be. I've taken the apparent despair from the original label, and tried to depict what I imagine him to be. Why the despair? Why right-handed? Here, once great, our fallen hero struggles to keep from rescinding into nothingness, the desperate fist of his right hand straining with what remains of his once-brutish strength as he slips away.

But I digress.

#FOF
Brut is nothing to write home about. Right-handed Giant, on the other hand, I think is an improvement over its predecessor. It has a layer of light top-notes hovering over a smooth, somewhat muted mossiness. What came to my mind is if you took Stirling's Varen and turned down the saturation dial. I like it quite a lot.
Brut is, again, nothing exceptional, and I felt unfortunate that it followed the more-pleasing Giant.
The green of Green Man leans more toward the lighter notes than the grassy core, but only slightly. Even so, the departure makes me think that this shave progressed backwards, getting further away from the part of the fougères that I appreciate most.

#photocontest Eyes
Even the giant is kind of horrified at the others.

Player gives great background on his re-interpretation of the Right Handed Giant Label

Dupe SOTD:

• Razor: Chiseled Face Legacy Ti #RAINBOW
• Blade: Astra Superior Platinum (45).
• Brush: Declaration Grooming Fae B8
• Lather: Summer Break Soaps - Prom King
• Aftershave: Summer Break Soaps - Prom King
• Fragrance: Jean Paul Gaultier - Le Male

Quite honestly, I'm not a huge fan of dupes. Don't get me wrong, I'm very happy with how Prom King turned out, especially the 2nd version, which I think was a slightly better dupe. However, other than the occasional one off silly thing, it's highly unlikely I'd ever release a dupe to the main line again. Scent creation is 100% my favorite part of new product releases. I also strongly prefer to buy original creations from artisans for the same way because I love to see their creativity, not something borrowed from somewhere else.

Very few here may know that Prom King was really never supposed to exist. Valedictorian was actually created to be the r/wetshaving exclusive. However, 5ish years ago this sub was churning out exclusives every 2 months, stuff was crazy. u/steelersroc86 was my partner on crime on Valedictorian and we tried like crazy to fit it into the ever changing exclusive release schedule. In the end Valedictorian got a full regular release, which in all honesty was probably good because it is the only scent in my current lineup that rivals Cannonball to be what I'd consider my signature scent. When finally an opening was available in the calendar u/giganticsteps approached me about a dupe scent and we determined Le Male was surprisingly underrepresented in shave soap form. This, Prom King was born .

Challenge:
Your yearly reminder that u/wyze0ne is ~~an important~~ the most important part of the SBS operation.

Day 13

• Brush: Boti 28mm Synthetic
• Razor: Gem G-Bar
• Blade: Gem PTFE
• Lather: Declaration Grooming – Sellout Soap
• Post Shave: Stirling Soap Co – Executive Man Splash
• Fragrance: Chicago Grooming Co – Gold Coast EdP

Alright, fellow shavers, it’s time to talk about something that’s been driving me up the slippery, lathered wall. Dupes. Yep, you heard me—those so-called “inspired by” scents that seem to have taken over damn near every shaving soap “artisan” in the hobby. And I, for one, am fed up with it. So, buckle up, because I need to rant on why I can't stand these dupes in my shaving soaps.

First Off, Where’s the Originality?

When I reach for a shaving soap, I want something that stands out, something unique. But no, instead, I’m bombarded with endless copies of popular fragrances. Aventus, Sauvage, Jicky, Acqua di Parma, BR540—you name it, there’s a dupe for it. It’s like walking into a concert expecting The Rolling Stones and getting a cover band that’s only good at playing Top 40 hits. Where’s the creativity? Where’s the soul? Why should my nose be subjected to a knock-off when it deserves the real deal?

Declaration Grooming Sellout, Stirling Soap Co. Executive Man, Chicago Grooming Co. Gold Coast—three different brands, and what do they have in common? They’re all cashing in on the DUPES! All three have the capability to create great, original scents, yet here we are! It’s a veritable invasion of clones! I don’t want to smell like something another company created. Something that all the bros at the club are wearing! I want something new and unique! I certainly don’t want to smell Aventus all day every day. STOP THE MADNESS!

And let’s not even start on the quality. Dupes might mimic the scent profile, but they often lack the depth and complexity of the originals. It’s like comparing a high-end steak to a fast-food burger. Sure, they’re both meat, but one is a rich, savory delight, and the other is a greasy, forgettable mess. When I’m paying good money for a shaving soap, I expect an experience, not a diluted shadow of a fragrance that was great to begin with.

What Happened to Tradition?

There’s something to be said for tradition in wet shaving. Classics like sandalwood, bay rum, and bergamot have stood the test of time for a reason. They’re timeless, they’re sophisticated, and they don’t pretend to be anything but what they are. These new-fangled dupes are just riding the coattails of popular fragrances instead of embracing the heritage of true shaving scents. It’s a slap in the face to the rich history of wetshaving, Old Spice, and the pirates who created Bay Rum!

And Another Thing…

Finally, let’s talk about the letdown. You get all excited about a new soap release, only to find out it’s just another dupe. Oh, sweet, my favorite artisan is releasing a new scent! Then, bam. It’s same old scent that’s been repackaged a zillion times by a dozen other soapmakers. It’s like unwrapping a gift only to find socks inside. Again. Sure, they’re useful, but where’s the excitement? Where’s the soul??

So, there you have it. My stand against the dupe epidemic plaguing our beloved wetshaving hobby. To the artisans out there: please, I beg you, stop the madness. Give us originality, give us quality, and give us the scents that make us want to shave every day. Because, at the end of the day, our faces—and our noses—deserve better than to be drowned in a sea of second-rate imitations. Stay unique, stay true, and let’s put an end to the reign of the dupes!

I gotta do the #FOF thing for products I just shit on. They actually do smell good, even if they aren’t original. Sellout and Executive Man are dupes of Aventus and Gold Coast is a dupe of BR540. I started with the pair of Aventus dupes which launch into fruity, sweet, leathery/woody vibes. It’s fresh and (if I’m being honest) does have a certain elegance to it. It’s a super popular fragrance for a reason. Then finishing off with Gold Coast (BR540) transforms the dynamic presence of Sellout/Executive Man into something almost otherworldly. It’s a sweet amber with a woody base. The resinous draw of Gold Coast weaved through the robust starting of Executive Man and Sellout, creating a seamless blend of fragrances that project beautifully off my skin.

For #photocontest: Steampunk

Challenge I do what I do best, fired up MSPaint, and recreated this original. It’s like I’m looking at the same picture.

iamhonestlylying’s Daily Top 5:

In honor of “Dupelganger”… The Top 5 Best Celebrity Alter Egos:

5.) Donald Glover/Childish Gambino – It’s like your mild-mannered buddy turning into a lyrical ninja at karaoke night

4.) Garth Brooks/Chris Gaines - The country music equivalent of Clark Kent putting on a wig and eyeliner.

3.) Prince/The Artist Formerly Known as Prince - It’s like an art exhibit where the title changes more often than the pieces.

2.) Miley Cyrus/Hannah Montana - Every teen's dream of having a double life without the hassle of a convincing disguise

1.) David Bowie/Ziggy Stardust - Like your quirky uncle showing up to Thanksgiving dressed as a cosmic rock god

Top 5 "celebrity dupes" was fun

June 13, 2024

• Prep: Hot shower
• Brush: Badger brush I've had forever with the maker's mark rubbed off
• Razor: Muhle Companion
• Blade: Astra Green (Indian)
• Lather: Chiseled Face - Trade Winds

Trade Winds was a contestant in The Great Spice Off (https://www.reddit.com/r/Wetshaving/s/TX95gqLoeT). If u/cowzilla3 says, "Taking whiff is like smelling Old Spice...", who are we to argue? The man is unimpeachable in this forum. The word "dupe" or "duplicate" appears more than half a dozen times in his review. He even says, "it... succeeds very well at... smelling like an Old Spice dupe." I think that is entirely enough context to prove my point.

For today's challenge, I let the AI have a go. I got a few that were pretty on point, and also a fuzzy animal for reasons I will never know: https://imgur.com/a/bGG6e4j If I can scrape together a few minutes later, I'll try my hand at actually drawing the label.

ROTY

LG24-0#: Dupelgänger

• Brush: Semogue Owner’s Club “Taj” 24mm Boar #OLDWORLD
• Razor: Wolfman Razors WR2-DC 0.95 SB / 1.25 OC #RUSTYBUTTRUSTY #ADJUSTABLE
• Blade: Voskhod (42)
• Lather: Chicago Grooming Co. - AG 1889 - Shaving Soap
• Post Shave: Chicago Grooming Co. - AG 1889 - Aftershave
• Fragrance: Imaginary Authors - Telegrama
• Fragrance: Rogue Perfumery - Bon Monsieur
• Passes: WTG, XTG
• Coffee: Colombia S.O.
• Music: Cut Copy - Zonoscope

I was a little apprehensive about AG 1889, based on Guerlain Jicky, since I haven't tried that classic. However, I love it's warm, ambery, vintage charms. Plus, the putty or clay-like Darkwing base is excellent.

My fragrance pairing presented a challenge. I don't think I have a vintage-styled perfume on hand that really captures the je ne sais quoi of Jicky, so I combined a spray of Telegrama and a few dabs of Bon Monsieur rollerball. The Telegrama gives me the warm vanilla and lavender while the Bon Monsieur paints in a bit of (herbal) green. Nice.

Jun. 13, 2024
Brush: Semogue 830 Premium Boar Bristle #OLDWORLD * Razor: RazoRock Lupo 72 OC #CNC * Blade: Voskhod Teflon [2]
Lather: Phoenix Shaving - Doppelgänger Plum Shave Soap #OHTHESHAME * Post Shave: Proraso - Coarse Beards - Sandalwood Oil & Shea Butter - Aftershave
Post Shave:* Tower 28 - SOS Rescue Spray

I know I won’t win the heart of anyone on this sub using PAA, but this is the only dupe lather I own. I got it before u/tsrblke told me the company is basically co-managed by Thanos and Darth Sidious and I feel like it would be pretty wasteful to throw out or stop using a product I already own. It’s a dupe of a Tim Ford - I think it’s called Asian Plum or something like that. Anyway, you’ll all be happy to hear I did get some irritation on my neck and it is unpleasant (I’m not sure I love the Vokshod blade - does everyone else love these? And what’s up with the great shave I got with the Lord Platinum yesterday? Is that a good blade?).

ROTY

Shared from My Shave Den for iOS

June 13, 2024

• Brush: Wild West Brushworks Deep Pearl 26mm Sweet Spot Badger

• Razor: Thiers Issard Le Transatlantic 7/8" Full Hollow Round Point

• Lather: Ethos Grooming Essentials - Succès - Soap

• Post Shave: Ethos Grooming Essentials - Succès Skin Food - Splash
• Post Shave: Thayers - Rose - Toner
• Fragrance: Creed - Aventus
• Talc: Yardley Classic
   

---

I was interested in trying Aventus dupes a couple of years ago. I tried a number of samples and actually bought tubs of some of them. Of the ones I have, I think Succès is the best. I doubt that it is note-for-note accurate but, to me, it has the best feeling of high-key freshness that real Aventus has.

Here is my artist's rendering of the cover.

Jun. 13, 2024 - Do the Dupes

• Prep: CeraVe - Hydrating Facial Cleanser

• Brush: Muninn Woodworks Weru Burl w/ 24mm B16 Badger #SHD #FRANKENBRUSH

• Razor: Schick Type M Adjustable #ADJUSTABLE

• Blade: Schick (16)

• Lather: Wholly Kaw - Cedrati

• Post Shave: Chiseled Face - Cedar & Spice

• Fragrance: Noble Otter - Firefighter

Dupes are so prevalent around here and it’s an interesting topic among members here. Some artisans get a ton of hate for it and others like Stirling drive the majority of their business with dupes. To me, the difference is in marketing and how they talk about it. For example, WK makes no mention of it being a dupe on their product page. On the other hand, places like Chicago Grooming and Stirling mention the inspiration scent for things.

Other places like Fragrance Revival (they don’t deserve a link) are “duping” scents to try to flood the market and make money however they can. Including by selling Catie’s Bubbles scents for a higher price than the original! They boast a gigantic “discontinued fragrance) list and is nothing but a cheap money grab.

Daily Challenge: Today I get to show off my genius with my incredible replica of todays soap label! Now I know what you’re saying, how could I have bested last year’s label but somehow I’ve done it!

Daily Theme Justification: Cedrati is a dupe of Mancera Cedrat Boise of which I’ve never smelled the original so can’t really comment on how similar they are. It smells good and i think it the only full tub of dupe soap that I own. I have owned 2 different Aventus dupes at one point but sold/PIFd both.

Relevant Post Shave & Frag: Todays theme scent note is Cedar. All three of these boast a woody note of cedar/cedarwood

June 13th, 2024

• Prep: Shower
• Brush: Zenith 506U N
• Razor: Hoffritz Slant
• Blade: Gillette Platinum
• Lather: HC&C - Cowboy Up
• Post Shave: Mäurer and Wirtz - Tabac
• Fragrance: HC&C - Cowboy Up

Dupe day; keeping it simple and concise for the judges, Cowboy Up is a dupe of Tom Ford's Ombré Leather. I was able to smell them side by side, and it's legitimately identical. The frag is the best frag I've ever used longevity wise, it sticks to clothes until you do laundry. Trying to add to the theme, I used a Hoffritz slant which is a "dupe" of the Merkur 37C. It's a stretch to call it a dupe, but fortunately the guidelines only apply to the lather.

I have drawn a soap label of today's soap here. This was created using a combination of pencils, highlighters, and a Sharpie.

I then had an epiphany after.

Prep: Prorasso White Pre Shave 
Brush: Vielong Alter Brown Horsehair #HORSESASS 
Razor: Gillette Slim Adjustable #ADJUSTABLE #RUSTYBUTTRUSTY
Blade: Feather
Lather: Chicago Grooming - Fomo (dupe of Hugo Boss)
Post Shave: Alum, Proraso - White Aftershave Balm, Taylor of Old Bond Street  - Royal Forest 
Fragrance: Ex Nihilo - The Hedonist

LG 13 - Dupelgänger

• Brush: Chiseled & Hound - 26mm Badger #COMPOSITE
• Razor: Weck Hair Sharper #WECKONISTA
• Blade: Weck Sextoblade 10¢ (1)
• Lather: HAGS - Voodoo
• Post Shave: HAGS - Voodoo After Shave
• Fragrance: Dolce & Gabbana - K

I usually prefer original scents on soaps but this time I bought Voodoo because my son gave me D&G K and I wanted the full kit.

I've enjoyed my first shave with the Weck, I don't understand why shavers are so scared of this thing. It's like shaving with a shavette, that said, I've only used a shavette once and a Feather a couple of times. I've used weck original blades from a 5 blades package marked at 50¢.

Fast sketch for today's #challenge

.#FOF I love this fragance, fresh citrus, juniper and spicy, with a smooth dry down.

Jun. 13, 2024
Brush: Stirling 2-Band Synthetic Brush
Razor: Rockwell 6C - Gunmetal
Blade: Gillette Platinum [1]
Lather: Stirling Soap Co. - Executive Man - Soap
Post Shave: Pinaud - Clubman Classic Vanilla - Aftershave
Post Shave: Stirling - Alum Block

Shared from My Shave Den for iOS

June 13, 2024 - Dupelgänger

• Brush: Omega 10077 #OLDWORLD
• Razor: Yates Precision Manufacturing - 921-M
• Blade: Gillette - PermaSharp
• Lather: Murphy & McNeil - Gael Laoch Orange
• Post Shave: Old Spice - Indian

Today's Theme: Murphy & McNeil's Gael Loach Orange is a dupe of Creed's Viking Cologne. I've never smelt the original Creed fragrance, but this definitely has that sort of classic cologne scent to it.

Today's Challenge: Open my drawing at your own peril. It turned out a little better than I thought, but of course my most intricate tub artwork is the one I have to draw lol

ROTY

Jun. 13, 2024 - Another Day For Me!?

• Prep: Shower, Baxter Shave Tonic
• Brush: Paragon Plisson Type
• Razor: Schick Injector Type L
• Blade: Shick Injector (1)
• Lather: Lisa's Naturals - Mariner
• Post Shave: Old Spice (European)

I know that shave with water/boat stuff theme day was my day but I also claim this one. But I am not one to go out here and just get points easily. No, I like to offer a bit of challenge to the judges, who have already expressed that they're kicking through these scoring at record paces. I figured I should at least give them some pause here and there, right? So how about Mariner as an Old Spice dupe. Sure, Lisa claims that she's selling an Old Spice dupe but anyone who smells it would know it is not an Old Spice dupe at all. I, in fact, had to award it a never-before-seen zero in The Great Spice Off for Oldness it smelled so little like Old Spice: https://www.reddit.com/r/Wetshaving/comments/yq4w0h/the_great_spice_off_lisas_natural_herbal/. So what does that mean? We have the soaper claiming Old Spiceness but the soap not being Old Spice at all. Is that then demonstrable? Is a failed dupe a dupe none the less? Does intention count? Who knows! The wisdom of the judges is shrouded in mystery.

Oh, and u/djundjila, this is another soaper where the scene description is not on the shave soap page but on the bar soap page, just to add another wrinkle. Maybe the Mariner in the shave soap is a different Mariner from the bar soap. Does it still count!? Why am I even doing this? If I said nothing then I'm 99% sure I would have gotten the point without a moment of hesitation from the judges.

Anyway, now that I've forced them to think once again, here is a boat that looks almost exactly like the boat on the label.

• Brush: Omega - 10065 Boar.
• Razor: Gillette - Lady Gillette.
• Blade: Gillette - Nancet.
• Lather: Catie’s Bubbles - ‘95 Liquid Labels.
• Post: Cella - Bio Balm.
• Fragrance: Calvin Klein - CK1.

I never wore Tommy and don’t remember this smell wafting through the hallways in 1995 ! I do remember CK1 (amongst others) so thought today would be a good day to resurrect it.

I love Catie’s Bubbles and really enjoy this scent. It is super refreshing. My lathering was not ideal as my new omega brush is still breaking in. After doing some reading/watching videos I have submersed in water and it’s chilling in the fridge to speed things up a bit so hopefully in a couple days it is fluffy, dense, and gorgeous. To be continued.

ROTY

Today I shaved using Van Yulay Black Jeans soap and a Stirling badger brush. I used a fat handle tech with a Polsilver blade. I followed up with Executive Man aftershave and a shot of EMP.

June 13, 2024

• Brush: Dogwood Handcrafts / DG B11 26mm
• Razor: Blackland Razors Blackbird
• Blade: Gillette Platinum
• Lather: Chicago Grooming - AG 1889
• Post Shave: Stirling Soap Co. - Glacial Citron - Splash
• Fragrance: House of Mammoth - Sonder - EdP

Pulled out the sub-exclusive AG1889 for dupe day.

Went with a lemon theme today - that's one of the big notes in 1889, and Citron and Sonder both have lemon in spades.

no scrub detective agency case files day 13: the baffling brother-in-law of Batman Brady: the search for Los Dupe

• Razor: ruby adjustable

• Brush: MOAR

• Lather: Chicago grooming co. - AG1889

It was a cold and wet June morning. The rain spat like u/semaj3000 at Donny based Wednesday fans and out on the street the bin lorry was reversing. I'd forgotten to put the grey bin out again. It was this case. It'd been 13 days and I was still no closer to cracking the case than u/cowzilla3 was finishing the great spice off.

I stared at my reflection, skin pallid, eyelids droopy, lather dripping. I looked like u/j33pguy13 but handsome. If I didn't work it out soon I'd never find out the truth, and without the truth I'd be nothing but a scrub.

As I shaved I went over the facts.

I’d uncovered the so called batman Brady, the mountain man to Los Dupe’s Aventus, the prom king to his Le Male, but the man himself remained tantalisingly out of reach.

And what's worse was batman Brady was clearly worried about being sent to the great copyright infringement office in the sky and so after one single comment had said less than alg82’s points tally.

I had almost nothing. The well was drier than u/jeffm54321’s face after Osma, but I couldn't give up. The days theme relied on it.

I replayed the conversation in my head. over and over.

Time to lay out the facts.

• Last year's games - that rules out all ROTYs
• Brother in law - that rules out u/newtothethis
• Prize - that rules out last year's judges and alg82, artisans and u/enndeegee
• No mention of winner - could rule out u/priusaurus
• Has lots of brushes but won't share - could rule in Prius and his lather games trophy brush
• American spelling and phrasing - rules out the euro gang (except the expats)
• No mention of distance to brother in-law: rules out the expats
• No old spice dupes, that rules out u/cowzilla3

My mind twisted and turned, like one of u/bunnynator1001’s handles. There just wasn't enough info. Should I jump to assumptions, make an informed guess? I nearly nicked myself such was the distraction.

• No mention of burning desert heat. Did that rule out u/ginopono?
• No mention of sister being involved. That rules out u/ktturtlesue and u/onionmiasma
• I can't spell chrono so that rules him out.

I thought again as I rinsed my brush and razor under the hot tap and then as I looked up at my reflection on the steamed up mirror, the answer was there in front of me.

Los Dupe had already won

Private dick ndg is on the case of the undisclosed family relationship in the BatmanBrady tag team

June 13, 2024

• Brush: Yaqi – 26mm Synthetic
• Razor: Gillette Tech
• Blade: Wilkinson Sword
• Lather: Chicago Grooming Co. – 40 Soap
• Post Shave: Chicago Grooming Co. – 40 Splash
• Fragrance: Chicago Grooming Co. – 40 EdT

Oscar Wilde said that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. If that’s the case, the wetshaving world is VERY flattering to the fragrance world. Because dupes are everywhere.

But I can’t help but think of the classic Michael Keaton movie, Multipicity, when he makes a clone of himself, and the clone makes clone himself, who then clones himself and #4 ends up being a little slow. How they explain it is how I feel about most dupes: “You know how sometimes you make a copy of a copy… It’s not as sharp as the original…”. Dupes often don’t smell near the same as the original. Just ask u/cowzilla3.

And it can be unimaginative. I struggle to call people who just exclusively dump a preblended dupe into their soap "artisans". Sure, a dupe here and there is fun and ea$y, but if you aren’t making your own scents, at least sometimes, can you really call yourself an artisan?? What do you think? Sound off in the comments below! And it’s for this reason, I don’t have many dupes in my den. I find myself gravitating toward unique, original scents as I appreciate the artistry of those who create something new. All that being said, this dupe of 40 is Fucking Fabulous. No, like really, like, it’s so good, but it’s also based on the Tom Ford scent, Fucking Fabulous. And Vida makes damn good products, so this is so enjoyable to use.

And since 40 is a copy of a designer scent, and everyone is using copies of scents today, I figured it’d be appropriate to head to the copy machine at my office and have a nice copy shave there. This is even tougher than shaving in a park or restaurant, or Target bathroom, because I know these people! If I stranger sees me shaving on a bench, whatever. They think I’m a weirdo and go about their day. If someone I work with sees my shaving next to the copier, there’s no coming back from that. Plus, the copier is just kinda in the middle of the office, a stone’s throw away from a VP’s office. My best bet to avoid people would be going at like 5AM or staying well past working hours, but neither of those options seems appealing.

I honestly don’t know how I would explain this away if I get caught. There’s a perfectly functioning bathroom here. What excuse could I possibly have? The truth shall set you free. Explaining the Lather Games is the only way to go about this.

The copier sits directly behind the VP’s Admin Assistant, who we’ll call “Donna”. I start by telling her I’m doing an internet shaving competition and I’ve already lost her. Then I tell her I’m going to shave in front of the copy machine… And the look she gave me was a combination of bewilderment, surprise, and utter confusion. I tell her a bit more about The Lather Games and the hobby side of shaving, and end with “Don’t worry, I won’t make a mess and I’ll be done in 5 mins.” Donna doesn’t really know what to say, because (1) I doubt this topic was covered in her training manual and (2) it’s not like I report to her, so she can’t tell me NOT to shave in front of the copier. She’s not copier security. Plus, Donna is a real one. She just said “Just please make sure clean up when you’re done. [VP] will be really upset if something gets messed up there.”

I reassured her they wouldn’t even know I was ever there and looked at my shaving space for today. I sit down on the floor, get set up and begin to lather and then proceed to shave in front of the copy machine. Miraculously, no one came up to print or copy anything while I was using the space, so I only had to have that one conversation with Donna. Time will tell if she tells anyone about this. I’m considering this a test of Donna’s trustworthiness. I swear if I hear about this from my boss, I’m gonna know you’re a snitch, Donna!

My #FOF was somewhat uninspired, but still smelled amazing. Sure, trickholing a dupe isn’t exactly olfactory rocket surgery, but this scent is great. It’s rich leather and sweet vanilla, with lavender, sage and a slight hint of almond that says, "Yeah, I’m fabulous, and I know it." It has a really nice warmness to it, and one I really, really enjoy. It’s perfect for those days that I want to “just smell good”. Whether it be for a date out with the wife, an important work meeting, or attending a wedding. Every fragrance has its place in my den, and this one is for those times I want to smell Fucking Fabulous.

Challenge: I took my turn with my kids’ crayons and drew the 40 Label. I’m the worst artist in the world.

Soap Theme Justification: 40 is a dupe of Tom Ford’s Fucking Fabulous

Relevant Post Shave & Fragrance: 40 Trickhole

Office copier nook shave for Dupelganger day!

6/13/24 Lather Games shave

• Brush: Jayaruh #440 / AP Shave Co synth

• Lather: Ethos - Succes

• Razor: Gillette flare-tip superspeed w/ Treet platinum

• Post Shave: Ethos - Succes AS

• Fragrance: Milton Lloyd - No. 9 Victor EDT

It’s funny, I thought that I had more dupe soaps in my collection but looking through them there’s really only 3 or 4. And while I’ve never used/smelled the real Aventus, I very much enjoy Succes from Ethos both from a scent and performance standpoint. And this cheapo dupe cologne I got a little while back works pretty well too.

As you can see my art skills are about as good as my photo skills, so I don't expect to be winning any grants or awards anytime soon... but I'll play along!

https://imgur.com/a/dR1sH28

LG24-13: Dupelgänger

• Brush: AP Shave Co. Ruby Ripple 22mm Faux Horse Synthentic Knot #FAUXFUR
• Razor: Gillette Red Tip Super Speed (1957)
• Blade: Gillette 7 O’Clock Super Stainless (Green) [9]
• Lather: Wholly Kaw - Vor V - Soap
• Post Shave: Declaration Grooming - Massacre of the Innocents - Aftershave
• Fragrance: Wholly Kaw - Vor V - Eau de Toilette

A dupe horse hair brush to go with dupe scents:

• Vor V ≈ Tom Ford Tuscan Leather
• MotI ≈ Parfums De Marly Herod

I love using the Red Tip because it's so smooth and efficient.

Edit: formatting

LG SOTD Jun 13, 2024 - BASHING THE WAVES ABOVE THE DUPE DEPTHS

photocontest

Theme: Water vehicles (Painted sailboat by TTAAP, Yellow Submarine figure, BASH dupe boat)

• Brush: Alpha Brush & Shaving Co. - T-400 Blue Shaving Brush with 24mm Synthetic Knot #RESURRECTIONBRUSH
• Razor: Henson - AL-13 Medium Blue #CNC #RAINBOW
• Blade: Gillette - Silver Blue [4]
• Lather: Stirling - BASH - Maggard Meetup 2023 sample soap
• Post Shave: Stirling - BASH - Maggard Meetup 2023 sample aftershave
• Fragrance: Rogue - Bon Monsieur - sample

NEEDLE DROP

BASH!
Ah-ah
Sailor, I'm dupe-averse

BASH!
Ah-ah
You shave without a fuss

BASH!
Ah-ah
You're not typical

BASH!
Ah-ah
Stirling is usable
Lathers for everyone of us
With ease for anyone of us
AS is all 'bout drydown
Every man, every woman, could use the dupe-y BASH!

INTRO

First time for me using Stirling: found it super intuitive to lather, although (understandably, given the lower price per tub) just not as stellar as other artisans' top bases.

I lean dupe-averse, and strongly prefer official collabs between perfumers and shave artisans, but I can understand "applied" dupes of beloved frags when there's no official equivalent in the soap/AS world, although I believe that credit is, in any case, always due, and that artisans are way more deserving of respect when they're not exploiting other creators' work.

However, I try to keep in mind the dupe-evoking paradoxes I shared on my entry on day 2.

THE SCENTS

I am not familiar with Maison Francis Kurkdjian Grand Soir, allegedly the fragrance inspiration for BASH.

Opening the plastic wrapping around the simple I got a whiff of a pleasant amber-vanilla accord. Once lathered, the smell got reduced to a faint hint.

I am happy I dickholed because the AS provided the most unusual experience: at first, you get a strong volatile, fragrance-less alcohol kick. Once it evaporates, the drydown reveals the amber-vanilla accord, and the vanillic notes keep doing a little minimalistic dance, bouncing between the slightly more "dirty" facets and the more rounded and gourmandy ones.
It's like a stripped down version of Catie's Bubbles Miracle, without the Bergamot and Lavender notes.
A pretty long-lasting one, to the point where after a couple of hours I started to feel the need to wash it off, because I don't like scents that overstay their welcome. I would be super curious to try the prestigious model fragrance, Maison Francis Kurkdjian's Grand Soir, to see if from its "Real Deal" heights it does provide more complexity, uniqueness, etc.

My fragrance choice for today's shave goes into a completely different direction: as I used my only declared fragrance dupe (which I bought mainly to test its "solid" form factor) in yesterday's SOTD, today I wanted to continue my celebration of official "originals" that reflect the work of creative perfumers.

Bon Monsieur (which is also available in soap/tonic form as a collab with Zingari) is an official Rogue creation. However, if you are familiar with Drakkar Noir, you may find a striking resemblance.
The twist here is that instead of being a cheaper surrogate, Bon Monsieur is a more expensive and sophisticated reinvention - like when a couturier take inspiration from street fashion and then designs something unique, which looks a bit like the original, but feels totally different.
Someone (whose name bizarrely is not u/cowzilla3) mentioned in the Fragrantica comments that Bon Monsieur smells like Old Spice. I have no frame of reference to comment on that. I'll just say that Bon Monsieur is just the quintessential lavender/wood aromatic fougere.
It's excellent, but for some reason I can't rationalize I don't feel like wearing it, so I won't go beyond sample size.

FOF

SPECIAL CHALLENGE, PLUS BONUS MATERIAL (BONUS MATERIAL COMES FIRST)

As I was planning to use a 2017 piece by Florentine street artist TTAAP for today's photo background, I contacted them to ask for clearance to publish the sailboat featured in my SOTD pic. I mentioned how there are all kinds of soap label art, and ended up making the examples of the two different versions I saw of B+M Passiflora over the last couple of years: the older black/red/white "heart" label, and the new minimalistic black text on magenta background that almost feels Vignellis-inspired.
After this conversation, and having smelled u/BostonPhotoTourist's Passiflora, TTAAP ended up sketching three alt versions of a Passiflora label, that I'm happy to share here even if they are not an entry for today's challenge (all choices were made by the artist only, I cannot take any credit besides sharing my Passiflora trifecta).

Back to today's challenge, my concept for a label for BASH is here in two variants, obtained thru a digital collage of a vanilla pod trapped into an amber ball. These are just concept sketches, not mockups of complete labels with Artisan and Product name.

EDITed for clarity and typos

#ROTY

Dupelgänger

• Brush: Omega 10098
• Razor: Gillette Slim Adjustable
• Blade: Astra
• Lather: Razorock - XXX

XXX is a dupe of AdP.

photocontest

Trash.

Today’s Challenge:

Draw a Soap Label My very own Trash Art.

June. 13, 2024 - SOTD 

• Prep: Splash of warm water
• Brush: Oumo O4 Venus SHD Badger Brush 26MM
• Razor: King C Gillette
• Blade: King C Gillette
• Lather: 345 Soap Co. - Wanderlust Jet Setter
• Post Shave: 345 Soap Co. - Wanderlust Jet Setter Aftershave Splash
• Post Shave: 345 Soap Co. - Wanderlust Jet Setter Balm

A dupe of blue vanille henry jacques

13 June 2024 Complementary Non Dickkhole Stirling Arkadia

• Prep: Warm Shower
• Brush: Dogwood White Oumo LOD 26mm
• Razor: Blackland Dart
• Blade: Gillette Nacet (13)
• Lather: Stirling - Arkadia (8)
• Post Shave: Chatillon Lux - I Love STL A/S
• Post Shave: Thayer's Concoction
• Post Shave: Good Oleo
• Post Shave: Stirling Soap Co. - Unscented Balm
• Fragrance: Hermes - Terre D'Hermes Eau Tres Fraiche

Stirling Arkadia is a dupe of Terre D'Hermes, a scent that I really like and was my first from Jean Claude Ellena.

Cheers

June 13, 2024 - Duppelgänger Day

• Brush: Omega Bambino 18mm Boar
• Razor: Robert Klaas 117 5/8 SP Kissing Cranes
• Lather: Stirling Soap Co - Mountain Man
• Post Shave: Stirling Soap Co - Sharp Dressed Man
• Fragrance: Stirling Soap Co - Executive Man Solid Cologne

Today’s Theme:

Well at Stirling Soap Co all the “Man” scents are Creed dupes. Mountain Man is a dupe of Creed Silver Mountain Water. Sharp Dressed Man is Green Irish Tweed, and Executive man is Aventus. When I thought what dupe should I use, I just said yes.

Today’s Challenge:

I channeled my inner art forger and made an authentic copy of my shave products for today. Available at Stirling, some assembly required.

Feats of the Fragrant Kind:

When I was thinking about what to use this month, I started looking up different dupes. Then I saw we had a couple new soap sponsors. Eleven has an Aventus dupe. In their description they say Aventus is what an astronaut should smell like. So the idea of getting something Aventus started percolating in my head. I didn’t get Eleven’s dupe though. I knew I had a couple samples of Stirling’s Man series, but no Executive Man. That needed fixing. I ordered a set including the solid cologne. Then I started thinking hard, and after the smoke cleared I had a brief epiphany. But then I forgot it.

The next day as I was writing down Prom King on my calendar, I said, “Oh wait I had an idea yesterday.” I’ll trickhole Executive Man, but use my sample of Creed for the fragrance. So I wrote that down. A few days later, I thought why trickhole a single dupe when I can use three dupes on a common theme. To my soap stash I went. Then got disappointed because I had a sample of Mountain Man and Sharp Dressed Man soaps, but didn’t see a splash. Back to the drawing board? The next day I saw a small box on a bookshelf in the hallway that had some samples I forgot about. It was all different splash samples I got in a PIF a while ago. I had kind of put it aside because a couple of them leaked in transit. Nestled in the box was a sample of Sharp Dressed Man. Game On!

Mountain Man starts the ball rolling with a nice citrusy, woodsy, kind of aquatic vibe. Reminds me a little of visiting my aunt’s cabin near Crested Butte, Colorado. The smell of the woods, walking down to Cement Creek to scare some trout. Just missing a pure sugar hit like all the hummingbird feeders my aunt had. Next Sharp Dressed Man. The fragrance strength of the splash covered up the Mountain scent, but in it’s place I’m smelling like Cary Grant. More lemon and sandalwood, but with a bit of florals from the iris and violet leaves. Pretty good so far. Capping off the scent extravaganza with Executive Man starts with the solid cologne. When the heat of my finger hit the cologne, pineapple really jumped out. I know there is citrus, apple, black currant, and birch listed as scents, but the bright sweet scent of pineapple is what I mostly get. I expect the birch to express as the pineapple and bergamot fade. I think Mountain Man and Sharp Dressed Man are more related fragrances, having more notes in common, but the three together is a very nice grouping. I’ll do this again sometime.

LG2024- June 13th SOTD “ COWABUNGA DUDeS”

• Brush: Yaqi Green 24mm Cashmere Synthetic
• Razor: Razorock GC .84
• Blade: Voskhod (1)
• Lather: First Line Shave- Turtles
• Post: First Line Shave- Turtles ** Fragrance:** Parfums Belcam G Eau Eau De Toilette

Shave: There is nothing more nostalgic for me than Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. I think I was a different one for Halloween for 4 yrs straight. Michaelango was my favorite. April was definitely a babe. There have been many iterations over the years, mostly bad, but the most recent movie I think had the right amount of new and old school vibes and was done really well. First Lines offering is a dupe of Acqua Di Gio Absolu and is pretty spot on to my nose. I prefer the original which is what my EDT is a dupe of, more citrus and lime forward than Absolu. Either way, Shaving with this stuff always makes me giddy and excited for the day simply because of the artwork.

Challenge: We had a family art contest. Here are the results

https://imgur.com/a/FL9Jm9E

Viewing: This was a fun one. I owned ALL of these

I also happened upon a mashup of ads forevery TMNT toy from 1987-1999. Again, I owned most of them.

ROTY

DAY 13 LATHER GAMES! DUPE ME BABY ONE MORE TIME!

• Prep: Water
• Brush: Zenith - MOAR BOAR #SUBBROOSH #OLDWORLD
• Razor: MM24 #RUSTYBUTTRUSTY #MODERNGEM #FLIPTOP #STAINLESSLESS
• Blade: GEM carbon
• Lather: Chicago Grooming Co. - AG 1889
• Post Shave: Summer Break Soaps - Prom King
• Fragrance: Ted Lapidus - Lapidus Pour Homme

Right, Dupe Day! How will I stand out today? Well no shenanighans were planned, and there aren't any 31(24/7) KFC's I can shate at, so I'll just be solid. Also I'm hitting 6 hashtags today, almost 1/3 of the whole LG Scavenger Hunt requirement!

I know how I'll stannd out, I did something, that no one else thought of. Which is making all your gear a sub-exclusive! Recently Chicago Grooming made a sub exclusive, AG 1889, which is a Jicki dupe. And while planning I had a genius idea of making everything in today's shave something that is a sub exclusive.(except the EdP, cause I couldn't find Santa Noir, not that it would even fit). And this SOTD is gonna be something of a synopsis of those products!

Now. Dupes. I hate them. This is not a dig at CG, I'm talking in general. For me it's just lack of imagination. I mean there are so many unexplored teritories that you could go for. Just look at Talen Soap Factory, that guy has beer scented soap, donut scented soap, motherfucking bacon scented soap. I guess it is connected with the fact that it's a financial risk, but fuck it, better to be yourself and fail, that to try to appease to other, just for the $$ But as I say this(and you're gonna remark "Yeah right, of course!"), AG 1889 is the first dupe I like, it just doesn't smell annoying like all the other dupes, it's subtle it has a character that doesn't scream for attention from people who pass by.

For the soap I want to give a HUUUGE shoutout to u/OnionMiasma. This soap is a very special gift, which annoys me to this day. Onion(the guys who saved the LG for 80%, or more, of the people participating) while sending me his Legacy seems that he included this soap. He had previously asked me if I want to jump on the train, but I declined. Lo and behold when I open the package and I see this soap.... He said he wanted to do some good and make a gift, and I was speechless, also fuming cause I don't like gifts like that(sue me) ouf of the blue. But in the end I am very thankful indeed.

If you've never tried the Darkwing base, you're seriously missing out!! One of the best bases out there, and I cannot stress this enough, the most economic bases out there. Last year I used 14 grams for 30 shaves! And I wasn't skimping on it either, full 3 pass lather.

Carbon GEM blades. Why? Why do they exist?!?! I got a hold of a pack of 100(thanks to u/EldrormR) and it seems they are not what I expected. There is a whooooole sidestory to this, but I ain't explaining that, I'd need a whole new post. So these blades shave terrible, do not buy them, tugging and scraping, just horrible. Good thing is that now I have 100 blades for scraping whatever I want to get cleaned, which is not that bad. And the razor, if anyone hasn't had something done by Eld, you're missing out, the guy is GEM GURU and an amazing craftsman!

MOAR BOAR!

• Need I say anything more
• From the day you arrived at my door
• Life was not the same anymore
• I wanted to try you and explore
• To see how you spread around day four
• I did not know what I was in for
• You ate soap like a whore
• But you never made my face sore

DAILY CHALLENGE:

Honestly I felt pretty fucked when I read yesterday, what today's theme was, cause I couldn't have picked a harder label to draw. Thankfully I saw that I was not the only one to suffer, so at least that made me feel better.

Here is my attempt

I should note, no mathematical compasses or other instrumets were used making this, only brain power and ingenuity!

Daily Lather Themes: 13/30

• Daily Challenges: 12/30

• Hardware Scavenger Hunt: 15/20

• Hardware Vendor Points: 2/2
• Software Vendor Points: 7/16
• Software Vendor Bonus Point: 0/1
• 30 Different Soap Brands Point: 13/30
• 30 Different Soaps On Theme Bonus Point: 13/30
• 30 Different Post-Shaves Bonus Point: 13/30
• 30 Different Fragrances Bonus Point: 13/30

Jun. 13, 2024

• Brush: Summer Break 28mm Knight Knot

• Razor: RazoRock Game Changer

• Blade: Nacet [1]

• Lather: Summer Break Soaps - Prom King

• Post Shave: Summer Break Soaps - Prom King

• Fragrance: John Paul Gaultier - Le Male

Dupelgänger day….

What a shit show of a day. Had to do quarterly inventory today. It was disgustingly hot in the shop today but it all went well.

Todays shave was pretty automatic, Prom King is a great soap, lathers like a dream and the sent is pretty damn close to Le Male. Speaking of Le Male, yup I dickholed it today, but honestly I don’t thing anything goes better with Prom King.

Today’s daily challenge I drew my label while taking a break to eat some breakfast. I think it came out pretty good.

I’m going to bed now.

Photo Contest Theme Soccer

#ROTY #FOF #PhotoContest

June 13, 2024 – Lather Games 2024 Day 13: Dupelgänger Day

• Brush: DS Cosmetic KenSurfs Limited Edition Tuxedo 24mm
• Razor: Headblade ATX #COLOR
• Blade: Personna Twin Pivot Plus (129)
• Lather: Summer Break Soaps – Prom King
• Post Shave: Summer Break Soaps – Prom King
• Fragrance: Cuba Paris – Cuba Gold

Lather Games 2024 Day 13: Dupelgänger Day.

Use of Theme: Dupelgänger Day

Having heard the merits and magic of Prom King a couple years ago, it led me on a search to acquire the soap and aftershave for myself. Having tried a sample vial of Jean Paul Gaultier Le Male from the u/Scarpux Traveling Box of Samples, I can say that Prom King is a very nice dupe. Being 11 months removed, I wish my nose remembered it better. From the Prom King I get a hint of latex that starts off fairly sharp, but mellows out in the drydown. I presume there is a particular fragrance note at play.

Cuba Paris Cuba Gold is our fragrant finish today. I bought it partially because of the description of the scent, but more for the cigar-shaped bottle. It turns out that it smells similar to Le Male because it actually precedes it and has been said to be the inspiration for the JPG classic.

Daily Challenge: Draw a Soap Label

For Christmas, the Donut fam gave me tickets to see Styx and Foreigner on their Renegades and Jukebox Heroes tour and we saw them last night on the second stop of the tour. Ordinarily, I would just sit down and draw the label of whatever I am using but u/Engineered_Shave’s label combined with a minorly misfortunate event that transpired last night gave me the spur-of-the-moment idea which I present to you.

Happy shaving, and there were no injuries. The deer was already deceased and the damage to the underside of the car was minimal.

Edit: corrected tour name, edt name

6/13/24

• Brush: Stirling x Zenith 510 SE
• Razor: Hadoson Matsukura 60 7/8, Frameback Square Point
• Lather: Stirling Soap Co. - Deep Blue Sea
• Post Shave: Stirling Soap Co. - Deep Blue Sea Aftershave Splash
• Fragrance: Bleu de Chanel EdP

Oops... All Dupes!

Allow me to explain:

Stirling x Zenith 510 SE: This Stirling x Zenith Brush, no matter how you look at it, is a dupe of the MOAR BOAR. This brush followed in the wake of MOAR BOAR after Rod got talking with Zenith. It's a good brush, but it's just chasing the dragon.

Hadoson Frameback: The Frameback Style is a dupe. Invented by Swedish razor makers in an attempt to compete with superior machining capabilities coming out of Solingen and Sheffield and their full hollow grinds. This style of Frameback is considered 2nd generation. The 1st gens just had a piece of material fixed to the spine of the razor. These 2nd gens had a piece of quality steel fixed to a complete frame.

Deep Blue Sea: A more obvious one. This is a dupe of Bleu de Chanel and a pretty good one at that. It doesn't quite hit as well as BDC, but it's good.

Nice shave this evening.

Side challenge: It's a "Deep Blue C". Get it??

13JUN2024

• Brush: Aurora Grooming Baron w/AP Shave Co. 26mm SynBad Fan
• Razor: GEM Pushbutton
• Blade: Personna GEM PTFE [12]
• Lather: Stirling Soap Co. - Executive Man
• Post Shave: Stirling Soap Co. - Executive Man

No, I totally did not use Executive Man because it was in the description...maybe.

Look, some of you know me enough to know I'm not insanely knowledgeable on scents, or what's a dupe and what's not, and especially not on bases. I'm really glad that information was provided in today's description because I would've been in a world of shit otherwise.

I also am, as u/OnionMiasma stated in the LG Judges podcast (not about me just in general), messing up pretty badly by not having this planned out and just going with the flow. That's right, everyone, I have committed the cardinal sin of not adequately preparing for LG. It's a lesson I have learned from and will correct myself on next year, (yep, I'm gonna do this again. I'm having much more fun than I anticipated).

All this stated and moving to my SOTD. Aside from Barbershop, Executive Man is (so far) my favorite scent by Stirling. Learning it's a dupe is kind of interesting to me. I know dupes are out there and are popular, but I'm just never aware of what is and isn't one. I also tend to ignore the paragraphs of writing on scent descriptions and look solely for the notes list. Am I wrong for that? Maybe. Who's to know?

It still remains a favorite scent of mine, and it would appear I need to research what it's a dupe of since I obviously love it.

What I will not love, is drawing a picture of the label. So I dont think I will. It's late, and I'd like to lay down for the evening. I'll take the hit to points today. As I stated, I didn't plan out my LG well enough to do great this year anyways. I'll do what I can, when I can, and have a blast doing it though!

Plus I enjoy looking at everyone else's pictures. Some of you are talented.

Some.

June 13, 2024 – Arkansas Eye-talian via Chicago

• Brush: Zenith Boar
• Razor: Schick Injector Type I1
• Blade: Personna Injector
• Lather: Stirling Soap Co. – Piacenza
• Post Shave: Chicago Grooming Co. (Formerly Oleo Soapworks) – Shiloh

Starting out in this hobby I had no idea what a a dupe was. I was just tired of cartridges and started to find out how deep this rabbit hole went when shopping on Maggard for a nice affordable aftershave. Naturally as a thrifty guy I refined by sale and found Shiloh from Chicago Grooming for a nice deal. The rest was history, it’s what I generously splashed with for my first date with Mrs. Stallion, though she’s never been the biggest fan, and I’m still kicking myself for not splurging and buying a whole set of Colonia my last night in Rome at their store next to the Spanish steps. Two weeks in Italy and I was still intimidated by the luxury stores.

Going backwards I matched my lather to my aftershave. Stirlings works but once I’m done this sample I’ll have to pick up some of that good duck base from Vita.

I have a little tease in my SOTD shot of my challenge label today. Maybe like a good artisan and fragrancier, I paid homage to the Stirling packaging rather than straight dupe it. So for a little bit more jazz I took reference from another member of our wetshaving community u/wyze0ne. Thanks for the inspo and always great labels! I had a lot of fun making this. Enjoy!

OP nailed the daily challenge. Killer label drawing in the style of Wyz0ne.

June 13, 2024

• Brush: Omega Penelli White HI-BRUSH Synthetic
• Razor: Schick Injector
• Blade: Schick Injector
• Lather: Wholly Kaw – Amber Bomba

Todays scent is a dupe of Grand Soir although nope explicated stated. It is a warming, obviously amber forward decent. Sweet, sensual for a scent. Convened by the tub artwork (lol). this is the scent you would expect to be seduced by, and it did for me. Memory for today is how I fell in love with Amber, and was searching for something similar to this for years. Funnily enough, it was because of a hand soap. I fell in love with it and wanted something similar. That’s when I found Amber bomba.

Challenge: Technically – completed. Vacation travel day 1 and no time.

A rest stop donut photo today for the #photocontest

FOF

https://imgur.com/a/CWTFC2H

• Prep: PAA - Bubble Gube
• Bowl: Naked Armor - Silver Fox Scuttle
• Brush: PAA - The Doppler
• Razor: Yates - Merica
• Blade: Shark - Super Stainless
• Lather: Eleven Soaps - Apollo
• Post Shave: Stirling Soap Co. - Executive Man

A nice pleasant shave today using my Eleven Soaps Apollo a dupe of Creed Aventus. Nice thick lather and I love the scent! Although I think I preferred the old simple black containers Eleven Soaps used. To simplify my redesigned label might help https://imgur.com/a/qoAbEg2 I used my PAA The Doppler brush because it sounds like Doppelganger, although doppler is named after an Austrian scientist and Doppleganger is a German term meaning "Ghostly Double" I used my Yates Merica razor for a smooth easy shave! I finished up with the sane scent, this time from Stirling Soaps' dupe of Creed Aventus, Executive Man.

My personal challenge is still on with different brush, blade, razor, aftershave and soap brand used.

ROTY

I

OP did, indeed, draw a label.

June 13, 2024 – Lather Games: Day 13

• Brush: Shavemac w/ AP Shave Co 26mm Pure Bliss™ SHD Premium Synthetic Knot
• Razor: Blackland Osprey
• Blade: Astra SP (Green)
• Lather: Murphy and McNeil – Magh Tured
• Post Shave: Murphy and McNeil – Magh Tured

Let me say that I think that Murphy and McNeil is one of the more underappreciated shaving products company. Their soaps perform very well, with a nice thick, slick lather. The scents are quite nice, especially if you like cologne homages.

I used their Magh Tured soap for this shave, and absolutely loved it. It’s an homage to Tom Ford’s “Oud Wood”, which happens to be one of my favorite cologne scents. To my nose, Magh Tured is quite close in scent to Oud Wood. My only real complaint is that the scent is not as strong as I’d like it. This seems to also be true of the aftershave; even more so honestly.

Today's Challenge: Here's my basic, crap pic https://imgur.com/a/RFdIBJQ

June 13, 2024 – Dupelgänger

• Brush: Chisel and Hound – Desert Ranger 26mm
• Razor: Blackland - Blackbird Lite
• Blade: Personna Lab Blue (2)
• Lather: 345 Soap Co. - Expedition
• Post Shave: Stirling – Executive Man Splash
• Fragrance: 345 Soap Co. - Expedition EDP
• The Lather: Today was my first time trying out a 345 soap. While the scent was good, I found my lather came out lacking. I may have added to much water, and that’s my fault, but the lather just turned out thin and unimpressive. I will have to try again at some point to see if it was just an off day.
• The Shave: The thin lather didn’t make for the best shave, but it wasn’t the worst shave I’ve had this month.
• Aftershave/Frag: Since this is dupe day I went with an aftershave and frag that both are dupes (Creed’s Aventus and Ralph Lauren’s Safari). Aside from that there are a few crossover scent notes (bergamot, lemon, jasmine, and oakmoss) that allow the scents to blend together quite well.
• Theme: 345 Expedition is a dupe of Ralph Lauren – Safari, so sayeth the Thirsty Badger.
• Challenge: So I was a little torn on this challenge. Do I recreate the label as is, or make a new one. I tried to get a late night verification as to what the challenge actually was and u/jeffm54321 was kind enough to tell me it meant replicate. So here is my crayon rendition of Expedition’s label. Since I had already begun a new label I might as well share it. This label was meant to connect both the executive man and the expedition titles. I wasn’t quite happy with it though. I wanted to really capture the majesty and thrill of a real expedition through jungle and into a cave. I thought about how might a great designer such as u/raymoonie design this label. I therefore give you Expedition NSFW. Just in case you were wondering where you might find such an expedition, it can apparently be found in China’s Danxiashan Mountains as this is actually a real place (or so the internet says).
• Acknowledgement: Thank you u/2saintsdude for the splash and frag samples and u/raymoonie for the inspiration.

June 13, 2024 - ** Dupelgänger**

• Brush: Stirling - Synthetic 24mm
• Razor: BAILI - Classic 3-piece DE
• Blade: BAILI - Platinum Swedish Blade
• Lather: Stirling Soap Co. - Executive Man Soap
• Post Shave: Stirling Soap Co. - Deep Blue Sea
• Fragrance Stirling Soap Co. - Deep Blue Sea Solid Edt

SOAP - Hey it’s common knowledge nowadays that some of Rob’s lustrous soap bases are dupes of popular fragrances. This being one of them!! It’s a Creed Aventus dupe and boy is it good and so much more affordable that I got’s myself the whole enchilada my friends!!! (Translation: I got the whole set for cheap!)

RAZOR - Another Chinese imitation knock off. Follows the theme here of all things dupe! Not particular a great razor but for $9 bucks I’m not complaining. Then I have Deep Blue Sea which is a dupe of Bleu De Chanel. So all things considered these dupes made today one of the better shaving days so far!

THE THEME - I suck at drawing (aside from bathroom stall art) and today’s art for my soap label wasn’t necessarily cosmically exciting. So I gave it a go. Started slow on the basic lines! Big shout out to u/bmac92 for my Pilot Kakuno Fountain Pen! It worked like a charm.

Here is the final product. So when you compare to the real thing it’s okay. You know like barely passing home-mec class in high school!

June 13, 2024 - Dupelgänger

• Brush: Zenith r/wetshaving sub exclusive MOAR BOAR #OLDWORLD #SUBBROOSH
• Razor: RazoRock Lupo SS 0.72 #CNC
• Blade: Wizamet (27)
• Lather: Stirling Soap Co. - Sandpiper
• Post Shave: Summer Break Soaps - Prom King
• Fragrance: Rasasi - Royale Pour Homme

Theme: Sandpiper is a dupe of YSL La Nuit de l'Homme; Prom King is inspired by Jean Paul Gualtier Le Male; Royale Pour Homme is a dupe of Drakkar Noir; RazoRock Lupo is a dupe of Wolfman WR-1.

Challenge: The spacing on the letters got away from me 🙁.

I bought a set of Sandpiper to go with my MOAR BOAR in appreciation for Rod’s help getting the brushes through customs. I’d ordered an edt sample from Stirling previously, and already had my eye on a set. The cardamom is appealing to my fragrance sensibilities. The vetiver is just as strong, if not stronger. They play together as a joint note. A middle note of lavender softens things up, a bit. Meanwhile, cedar subtly underpins the vetiver. I don’t really smell anything I’d consider aromatic. This dupe feels mostly like a warm spice, with some wood, and a little fresh spice. As designer fragrances go, this has the appeal of being approachable without being powdery, and being warm without heavy spice notes, or amber.

This aftershave is from the original release of Prom King. It’s the first sub exclusive I bought. I missed out on a couple before, not realizing how limited the opportunity was. I think this dropped in May and arrived in time for me to use it for r/wetshaving Exclusive Day that year. I chose this dupe to use with Sandpiper because they both have prominent cardamom notes and share the characteristics of being aromatic fragrances built on fresh spicy, warm spicy, and lavender elements. The opening of Prom King is aromatic, and fresh spicy. I love the cardamom in this. There’s a mint note that is thankfully restrained. I smell a big vanilla note with an undertone of light lavender powder. There’s hints of warm spice, and amber. But, I mostly get top notes with this splash. Le Male is a fragrance I'd like to sample at some point. The aromatic, fresh spice elements make this feel at ease, and thoughtful. It has levity compared to Sandpiper.

Today’s fragrance is Rasasi Royale Pour Homme. A couple years ago, u/USS-SpongeBob destroyed everyone in the Feats of Fragrance side contest. Amongst his educational write-ups, he expressed a love of Drakkar Noir (I hope I’m remembering that right, it’s been a while). I had never smelled Drakkar Noir. When I saw a vintage Drakkar Noir dupe on the bazaar, I snagged it. I wanted to experience SpongeBob’s favorite fragrance, and hopefully absorb his knowledge and fragrance skills through osmosis. Drakkar Noir is another fragrance that is aromatic, with woody, fresh spicy, and lavender elements. Let’s see how that description pans out with Royale Pour Homme. I’m a 90’s kid. I wasn’t old enough to wear cologne when Drakkar was popular. Heck, I was probably wearing JNCO’s when this was popular. And yet, this kinda hits my nostalgia button. It’s hard to describe the fragrance. There’s aromatic top notes that I can’t ascribe a particular scent to. When I go to get a better smell, what’s underneath is unexpected. It’s… dirty? There’s a powdery note that makes everything else muddled. The dirty notes are the most interesting. It’s dark and earthy. There’s a leathery quality. If I really get into it, and sniff a few times, there’s just the slightest hint of green. After dry down, it starts to smell more spicy, almost peppery. It’s still very aromatic. Some floral notes begin to come through. The powdery note is present, but less cloying. While I think this is a dated fragrance, it is nice. It just doesn’t feel like “me.”

#photocontest - Steampunk

#FOF

SOTD - June 13

• Prep: Shower
• Brush: Yaqi - moka
• Razor: Henson - Al13 Mild
• Blade: Gillette - Nacet
• Lather: Fine Accoutrements - Italian Citrus
• Post Shave: Cold water
• ** Fragrance** Aqua di Parma - Colonia Intensa

Forgot to draw a picture before I left the house oops. This soap is a dupe of aqua di Parma.

Photocontest

Theme today is cactus.

2024-06-13 Dupelgänger

• Brush: Stirling Soap Company - 24mm Synthetic Shave Brush
• Razor: Simple Clean Shave (REB Engineering & Machine, LLC) - SCS Model A
• Blade: Astra Superior Platinum, DE
• Lather: Chicago Grooming Co – AG 1889 - For r/Wetshaving
• Post Shave: Chicago Grooming Co. - AG 1889 - For r/Wetshaving

The Dupe:

AG 1889 for r/wetshaving is based on Guerlain Jicky. Never had smelled the source material but I'm certainly happy with it. The darkwing base makes for a great shave.

Today's Challenge - Draw a soap label.

I'm using AG 1889 so here is my drawing of Chicago Grooming's AG 1889!

Take care and have a good one.

Jun. 13, 2024
Brush: AP Shave Co G5C #COMPOSITE #FAUXFUR * Razor: Merkur 37c #ZAMAC * Blade: Astra SP Green [4]
Lather: Stirling - Sharp Dressed Man - Soap
Post Shave: Stirling - Sharp Dressed Man - Aftershave
Post Shave: Zingari Man - Unscented - Balm

June 13, 2024 - Dupelganger

• Prep: Warm Shower
• Brush: AP Shave Co. Black Handle 26mm Full-Moon
• Razor: Knockoff Gilette Tech #ZAMAC
• Blade: Voskhod (3)
• Lather: Summer Break Soaps - Prom King
• Post Shave: Summer Break Soaps - Prom King
• Fragrance: Stirling Soap Co. - Executive Man

All software is a dupe today to be on theme and related.

Draw a Label is probably the family favorite daily challenge each year. The kids all get involved and take a shot at drawing with me. Always pretty fun to see what they come up with!

PHOTOCONTEST - Darkness.

Coupled the black brush handle with a black background to make everything as dark as possible while still keeping enough light to not just be a poorly lit photo.

June 13, 2024

• Brush: Aurora Grooming LG24 Synthetic ("Lux Emerald Green") #SUBBROOSH
• Razor: Fatip Piccolo Slant Closed Comb
• Blade: Astra Superior Platinum (Green) (4)
• Lather: Stirling Soap Co. – Arkadia
• Post Shave: Fine Accoutrements – Italian Citrus
• Fragrance: Oil Perfumery – Uomo Born In Roma

Stirling’s Arkadia imitates the scent of Terre d’Hermès. Citrus is a prominent note in TdH, so I paired the soap with Fine Accoutrements Italian Citrus aftershave. For the fragrance I used dupe of Valentino Uomo Born In Roma from Oil Perfumery. Haven't tried the actual Born in Roma fragrance, but based on the dupe it seems to be a light, fresh, and pleasing scent with aquatic as well as mineral-y notes. I like it enough to want a sample of the real thing to compare.

Daily Challenge: In yesterday’s SOTD I linked to a video that shows how to make shaving cream art. u/Enndeegee replied suggesting I create by own shaving cream art, and that if I don't Endeegee will “scrub” me (whatever that means). So earlier today I went about incorporating lather into an image of the Sterling Arkadia label.

It didn’t go well. Not that it started off badly. I got some art materials, then got my shaving materials, and proceeded to whip up a generous Arkadia lather using my custom Aurora Grooming LG24 synthetic. Next I spread the lather out on a plate and began painstakingly adding watercolor paint in an attempt to imitate the design of the label.

The way it works is you make a template out of shaving cream, and when it's ready you lay a piece of paper on top of the template to transfer the design. Like printmaking.

In the video I shared yesterday the shaving cream art is abstract, with swirly or wavy patters resembling colorfully marbled paper. Looking back I should’ve gone that route (the splattered paint backgrounds on some Declaration Grooming labels might’ve worked). When the design is abstract, it doesn’t matter if during the transfer process the image gets smudged or reversed (as it inevitably will be).

Like other Stirling labels, the Arkadia label is graphic design based, dominated by text and precisely detailed motifs. This proved more than I could handle.

I got this far. The text is too large, and obviously isn’t centered properly. By this point I was running out of time, so I decided to transfer the image to paper and just put a Sterling decal on the finished product. I had vision of a satisfying multimedia work.

Unfortunately, in the transfer process (NSFW) things really went south.

It looks like a cartoon chicken got run over.

Apologies to the good people Stirling. I love your products and won't misuse them again anytime soon.

#ROTY

Expectations vs Reality

June 13, 2024 - Two Sads One Happy

• Brush: Bundubeard Black Kudu 30mm Silvertip
• Razor: Harry's Razors Green Handle #RAINBOW
• Blade: Harry's Razors 5 Blade Cartridge
• Lather: Declaration Grooming - Trismegistus
• Post Shave: Declaration Grooming - Trismegistus
• Fragrance: Hermes - Terre d'Hermes

This was one of the first dupes I bought that I didn't know was a dupe. Post shave is relevant by being the same scent, frag is relevant by being the scent that this shaving software is trying to dupe. They definitely have the same heart, but the frag has a lot more liveliness to it than the soap. That said I really like the scent of the soap, so it's going to stick around a long time.

The first thing I am sad about, this shave went well. Kind of like the canned goop shave, I can't help but feel there's at least some merit to the modern cartridge razors. They're completely brain dead, and if you get a slick enough lather (which milksteak always does), it's really hard to have a bad shave. However, you can absolutely hate that the cartridges are SEVENTEEN FUCKING DOLLARS for an 8 pack. That's obscene.

The second sad is my photo contest picture. Today we're going for the theme DIY. This is absolutely a theme grab for me. This picture sucks, but at least it's on theme. You can find the photo linked in the title. #photocontest

The happy is my attempt at the Trismegistus label. I'm pretty happy with this came out. Was using a stock notes app on my iPad and an apple pencil. Missing some of the finer details of the coloring around the edges of the label, but I'm really happy with the buffalo head in the middle.

Lastly, to justify the rainbow tag: the razor is green. Please don't make me go find one of those blue and orange gillette carts and do this again. I don't know that I could handle it mentally.

June 13, 2024 – LG13: Düpelganger

• Brush: Dogwood Handcrafts Coprolite B15 #FRANKENBRUSH #SHD
• Razor: Yates Titanium M Plate LG2023 #CNC
• Blade: Personna Platinum Chrome (10)
• Lather: Chicago Grooming Co. – AG 1889
• Post Shave: Chicago Grooming Co. – AG 1889
• Fragrance: The Zoo – Sailors

AG 1889 is a dupe of Guerlain Jicky. Stick with me on this frag heads, The Zoo Sailors is a reimagining of Declaration for Men of Cartier Parfums, Declaration is Jean Claude Elena’s ode to Edmond Roudnitskas Eau d’Hermes, which itself pays homage to Aime Guerlain’s Jicky. Ergo, by the commutative property, Sailors is a dupe of Jicky too.FWIW I don’t really get much of the citrus at all in the soap, I get a subdued lavender and vanilla, almost laundry like smell. However, the citrus jumps out right away in the splash. It is short lived and quickly mellows into the lavender, vanilla, amber base. Sailors also starts with the lemony citrus up top, but fades within about 30-45min and settles into a green woodiness. There is a smooth creaminess to the base that I would think is the javonal (a scent note I had not noticed before in other things I use). True meaning of soap not being a good frag medium today #FOF

As for the challenge today, I thought in theory today’s label would be easier than last years, or the year before, or a MM BDLM2 one imgur seemingly lost from before that, but something about all the symmetry and lack of color made it quite the opposite. I went for a photo negative take and flipped the colors.

As for our #PHOTOCONTEST opted for time. The colors just worked well so I included a watch, but also a coprolite fossil (aka turtle poop) in the brush, what’s older that fossils, not much. Also a nod to todays sponsor Dogwood, who as we know makes epic brushes, this one being no exception.

soap brands 13/30, post shave 13/30, frag 13/30, post/frag linked 13/30, software sponsors 9/16, hardware sponsors 8/2, razor hashtags 9/15, brush hashtags 10/15, photo contest 13/30, daily challenges 11/26, special challenges 2/4

Dupelgänger

• Brush: Chisel and Hound Vitae Taper w/AP Shave Co 26mm Pure Bliss™ SHD Premium Synthetic Knot #COMPOSITE #FAUXFUR #FRANKENBRUSH #PREMIUMPLASTIC #SHD #TOLL
• Razor: EldrormR Industries MM24 #FLIPTOP #MODERNGEM
• Blade: Personna PTFE Coated Stainless GEM
• Lather: Declaration Grooming - Trismegistus
• Post Shave: Stirling Soap Co. - Ramblin' Man Aftershave Balm
• Fragrance: Chatillon Lux - La Petite Prairie

Daily Gratitude
Thanks to ShavinginCT for the soap and fragrance sample. Thanks to my grandma for buying me the aftershave a couple months ago. Thanks to EldrormR for including some free blades with my MM24. Thanks to my sister for finding a baseball bat for the photo contest. Thanks to our wonderful judges and other people for putting this whole thing together.

Daily Mistakes
Marching band. I am incredibly sore and this sucks.

Daily Writeup
Great shave all around, great scents, great soap base. This was my first time trying declaration grooming milksteak base and it is incredible, it is in one of the little sample containers and I was too lazy to take it out and put it in a bowl because I couldn't find a bowl so I just loaded from the little tub lol. It took a bit to load and it was a very small amount but it actually lathered into a pretty decent lather considering! Scent is also great. super fast one pass shave because I am super tired but I think tomorrow or saturday a passaround razor will arrive so I'll do a longer in depth shave to fully try that out.

Daily Theme Points
Trismegistus is a fabulous dupe of some Hermes perfume or something, it smells really good!

Daily Relevant Post Shave & Fragrance Points
For the fragrance I went with something that would simply match the scent and feel of the soap with la petite prairie that has some vetiver and citrus just like the soap. As for the aftershave I went with another dupe, this time of creed himalaya.

Daily Challenge
I drew this soap logo art! I printed it out for the SOTD picture but if you want the file that I made with MS Paint you can see it here. It was honestly super fun to make!

Hardware Scavenger Hunt
No new hashtags so if you want to know about these ones you can see my previous posts.

Photo Contest
Baseball! My sister found this super old bat in my closet for this photo. This year is very sad because it is the last season of our local baseball team, the salt lake bees. Don't get me wrong, I don't often watch baseball, and the bees are a terrible team lol, but man the times I have went to see the game it was great, even know the bees lost every time. I guess we are getting a new more professional team but I don't like all the new Utah stuff, a bunch of new teams and stuff, and too many people.

TL;DR
Dupe, ms paint, baseball, I win rookie of the year thank you very much give me my prize.

Side Contests

photocontest

ROTY

Jun. 13, 2024
Brush: Chisel & Hound Quartermoon
Razor: Yates Winning Ti
Blade: Gillette Silver Blue * Lather: Declaration Grooming - Massacre of the Innocents * Post Shave: Declaration Grooming - Massacre of the Innocents * Post Shave: Osma - Alum
Post Shave: Jack Black - Double-Duty Face Moisturizer

Parfums De Marly Dupelgänger.

ROTY

SOTD - 2024-06-13

• Beard Growth: 24 Hours
• Prep: Hot Shower
• Brush: Yaqi - Mysterious Space Synthetic
• Razor: Henson Ti22 +++
• Blade: Baili Platinum
• Passes: WTG x2
• Lather: Master Soap Creations Bloom

• Post Shave: Master Soap Creations Bloom

• Comments: Banking this one early because I keep missing the AutoMod. Good smooth shave with henson+baili , DFS and definitely can be a good go-to combination

The MSC Bloom is the first tub of anything I ever got so its good to revisit it. Apparently its a dupe of Tom Ford Black Orchard (as per this website thirstybadger.ca)

I'll put a placeholder for the special challenge once I finish it lol : here

#ROTY

June 13, 2024 - Dupelgänger

• Brush: Declaration Grooming B7+ 1826 Days

• Razor: Wolfman Razors 1.00 WR2/WRH2

• Blade: Wizamet

• Lather: HAGS - Memento Mori

• Post Shave: Zingari Man - Unscented Sego Balm

The last few days have just been brutal fighting a terrible migraine. Day before last I irritated it worse with Juniper Reverie. I had to skip yesterday because I didn’t think I’d be able to shave without a scent causing problems. Wasn’t completely certain I’d make it thru today because I expected dupe scents to just cause problems. This one of Black Phantom by Killian actually wasn’t too bad honestly and was quite enjoyable. The donkey milk base is actually quite good and leaves a really nice residual slickness. I’d be curious to see if HAGS strayed away from this kind of performance with their newer bases after scrapping these.

June 13, 2024  

• Brush: Dogwood – Badger  
• Razor: Merkur 34C  
• Lather: Catie’s Bubbles – ’95 Liquid Labels  

Scent: Dupe of Tommy Cologne so I’m told. My brothers first girlfriend wore it. I don’t have sisters so I thought she was awesome.

Challenge: I haven’t felt like doing anything creative lately, so it was nice to break out the colors but drawing/freehand really isn’t my thing.

June 13, 2024 – LG24 Day 13 - Dupelgänger

• Brush: Oumo Venus Red handle w/ 25mm SHD 5th Anniversary Gel Tip Badger fan knot
• Razor: Schick (Krona) Double Edge TTO Variant 2
• Blade: Wizamet Super Iridium (2)
• Lather: Summer Break Soaps – Prom King
• Post Shave: Zingari Man – The Merchant Recovery Splash
• Fragrance: OriginLab - Inspired by Le Male Parfum

Daily Theme: Shaving software dups come in many shapes and forms. There are high-effort dups, low-effort dups, IP-stealing dups, and shit-bag dupers.

Prom King is an excellent example of a high-effort dup. SBS doesn't hide that this is a Jean Paul Gualtier Le Mâle dupe (its stated in the second paragraph of the soap's product page after all). Everything else, from the Prom King name, label artwork, product description, etc., maintains SBS branding continuity.

My frag is an example of a low-effort dup. The frag duper openly acknowledges that the scent was reverse-engineered in a lab, and riffs on a "generic" presentation via black lettering on a white background. The kicker is the scent's name: "Inspired by Le Male Parfum". It doesn't get much lower effort than that.

IP pirates are the scum of the earth, enough said. That leads us to the shit-bag dupers (here's looking at you A&E). To me, what separates respectable dupers and shit-bag dupers is transparency. Respectable dupers don't hide the origin of their scents. Shit-bag dupers insult our intelligence by claiming their scents are original. The only person these shit-baggers are fooling are themselves.

Relevant Post/Frag: Both soap and frag are dups of JPG Le Mâle. Le Mâle is aromatic, vanilla and spicy. I chose The Merchant as my post since vanilla and spices are two of its main accords. The Merchant is also aromatic, but in a deeper sort of way that I find very complimentary to the fresher aromatic found in Le Mâle.

Daily Challenge: I have ZERO artistic ability. My drawing effort for last year's challenge was pathetic. Here is the proof. My daughter, on the other hand, inherited her mother's artistic ability. I ~~bribed~~ encouraged her to lean into the "Inspired By" concept respectable dupers embrace and to make for me a drawing that pays homage to Prom King. She did a great job with the soap label drawing challenge. I'm a proud daddy!

Low-Effort u/Priusaurus Dup: Last games, reigning and defending LG Champion Prius innovated the now ubiquitous "10 Questions with..." interview series as part his LG SOTD write-ups. He is the original. u/tsrblke ~~riffed~~ duped the champ with a new installment of "~~10~~ 5 Questions with..." in his LG SOTD post today. The Tsar is a High-Effort Dupper because he acknowledges the original yet puts his own Tsarist creative spin on it! In collaboration with Tsar I too dup Prius' interview series, but ~~I couldn't be bothered~~ had ~~ummm~~ technical difficulties getting questions to Prius in a timely manner, so I interviewed the next best thing:

~~10~~ ~~5~~ 3 Questions with the Magic 8 Ball

Magic 8 Ball predates most of our community members. A little-known fact is that the Magic 8 Ball is a laboratory-created reverse-engineered duplication of Prius! You don't believe me? Wikipedia states it so it must be true!

1. You're from the Boston area. I spent some time in New England back in my US Navy days. Every New Englander I encountered were huge fans of Major League Baseball's Boston Red Sox. To prove that the Magic 8 Ball harnesses the essence of Prius, answer this question - Do the New York Yankees suck?

Yes definitely

2. One of the keys to your success in last year's games was having a Spite Shave War with u/MrTangerinesky. If I were to dupe you and start a spite shaveoff with another European, u/djundjila, would I have any chance of victory?

My reply is no

3. Last year you called your shot and proceeded to win the LG crown. Now you're the defending LG champ, and you dared anyone to come after your crown. We're now 13 days in the competition, do you still feel confident in repeating as LG Champ?

It is certain

Thank you, Magic 8 Ball, for taking the time to thoughtfully answering these challenging questions.

edits: typos and grammar

User hacks Wikipedia for lg glory and interviews a toy.

June 13, 2024

• Brush: Zenith Moar Boar

• Razor: Karve Christopher Bradley OC B Plate

• Blade: Ladas Super Stainless

• Lather: Stirling Soap Co. - D-503 - Soap

• Post Shave: Stirling Soap Co. - D-503 - Aftershave

• Fragrance: Stirling Soap Co. - D-503

A great dupe of Legend by Mont Blanc. A personal favorite of u/J33pGuy13 and I. This is a very easy to wear for any occasion scent. This actually encouraged me to go out and buy the actual fragrance. So there's that to all you people who turn your nose up to dupes. For me, dupes are a low barrier of entry to try scents I otherwise wouldn't.

If I do say so myself, the resemblence in my hand drawn 1/1 rendition and the original art is uncanny. Luck of the draw with the soap labels.