2024-06-15 - One must imagine their lather wet

• Lather: Mickey Lee Soapworks - Grand Havana
• Post Shave: Summer Break Soaps - Valedictorian
• Fragrance: House of Mammoth - Tobacconist
• Razor: Rockwell 6S #ADJUSTABLE
• Brush: Yaqi Metal Timberwolf

Unifying Theme: Tobacco

Near Death Experience: Who else spent their May working down a tub so that they would have something clear and indisputable for today's theme? Who else did that with unobtanium?!
Soap is meant to be used, and just about all of my soap is nearly full. Grand Havana is one of my oldest, though, so it may have already been the right soap for today, I still thought I'd make sure it was unambiguous.

Water Day: What better way to appreciate said unobtanium than by depriving it of its effective function?

It's like they used to say 'round here: "If your lather ain't nearly drippin`, then maybe you should add more water to it, but be mindful that water quality isn't the same everywhere and that that necessarily affects qualities and consistency of the lather."

#FOF
I feel like Grand Havana might be more on the floral side of tobaccos. Honestly, it's not my favorite, and I hesitate to say whether it would be in my top 10 of tobacco scents, not to say I've ranked them. Meanwhile, Valedictorian may be in the top 5. It's not pure tobacco, but the tobacco is indeed the star. There's almost a sweetness to it that makes me think it's what Kaw's Merchant of Tobacco could only hope to be, but then the tobacco comes back reminding me that that's what this scent is all about.

Tobacconist is, of course, number 1, nearly perfect with its nearly pure humidor experience.

#photocontest Earth
I imagine some people have already used random ground-stones from the wilds. I won't, because the air outside is made of death, and I have no desire for an encounter with death. I happened to already have these perfectly round stones, not entirely unlike that which we see here pushed up the hill by Happy Sisyphus.

This is actually relevant to today. Many of us are already familiar with Sisyphus and his eternal torment of pushing a boulder up a hill, only for it to roll back down again, rinse/repeat (it's not unlike the very process of shaving).

Only slightly fewer of us, especially on reddit, may be familiar with Albert Camus' take on the meaningless toil of Sisyphus, positing that "one must imagine Sisyphus happy."

Fewer still, I suspect, are aware of how he wound up with this tidily applicable punishment:
He imprisoned Death.

Death showed up to take Sispyphus away in chains, but Sisyphus was like, "Man, those lousy chains sure suck donkey dick," but Death put them on himself to prove him wrong like, "No, see, even I can't get out of these chains; they're pretty sweet." So Sispyhus kicked Death into his basement and Death couldn't escape because chains.

With Death trapped, no one could die, and everyone lived ~~happily ever after~~ literally forever.
The End

June 15, 2024 – It’s worse than that. He’s dead, Jim.  

• Brush: Aurora Grooming LG 2024 with 26mm AP Shave Co. Pure Bliss #FRANKENBRUSH #PREMIUMPLASTIC #SHD #FAUXFUR #SUBBROOSH  
• Razor: Gillette Superspeed  
• Blade: 7 O’Clock – Sharpedge (Yellow) (4)  
• Lather: House of Mammoth – Hygge  
• Post Shave: House of Mammoth – Hygge  
• Fragrance: House of Mammoth – Hygge  

Today we kill Tubs! Well, some of us will. At least I will. Killing a tub is one of the hardest things for us to do. Now it should be easy, just buy a soap and use it. But as we all saw on den day, we have too many soaps. So, few make it across the finish line.

Enter: Austere August. See by forcing ourselves to use just one soap, we can make a dent in something and at least get close to killing it. That’s how I got here. Except after AA there was still about half this tub left. So also Mandatory May.

Actually, let’s go back a bit. This tub has a history, and you should know it. See, when I entered the hobby in Sept/Oct 2022, Stirling was still the go to starter kit. I already had a razor and brush so I ordered sample soaps and splashes. I instantly realized I liked the scent component of the hobby. Right about then Will announced The Four Horsemen. This seemed intriguing and, War sounded like going to the range in the morning (hot metal! Gunpowder! YES!). So, my first hit with FOMO I ordered all 4 samples. They came, I recoiled. I decided maybe I should just never buy anything but Stirling products again. (Indeed, I wouldn’t buy any B&M products for probably close to a year after that.) Then u/120inna55’s software went up for sale. I was new (and still lurking) so I waited until everyone picked out their unobtanium. Then I looked at what was left. I oscillated back and forth, after all I had just got burned by some scents. I read inna’s reviews finally I decided the price was low enough I pulled the trigger on Hygge, Summer Storm, and Ghost Town Barber. All well received scents here.

When they arrived I was cautious, I opened up GTB, it was good! I used it a lot. I opened Summer Storm, it hits that Midwest grass after a storm note. Then I opened Hygge. I instantly fell in love. Something about the scent resonated with me. Fast forward a bit more, covid, anosmia, LG2023 to Austere August. I decided to use Hygge the entire month. I don’t regret it. I didn’t tire of the scent. It’s still one of my favorites. And it shows. It’s the only scent I’ve been able to get to this level. It was the only full tub (admittedly used) that even had a ring of death on it when LG24 was announced. So, I set to get it to one last shave today. I used it for most of May (finishing about a week before LG.

In preparation u/djundjilla was kind enough to run the usage numbers This will be the 73rd recorded use (he ran those a day before I stopped using it). Keep in mind, I was using this before I posted here, this was a used tub, and I’ve smushed a few times out of it. The actual usage is probably over 90. Taking that into account my den has probably 2-3 years worth of Mammoth Soap, just Mammoth. That’s why it’s so hard to kill a tub.

So, this is my first kill, (tagging u/visceralwatch) I should do something special. First for #fof, I’m going to trifecta, because it’s a great scent and appropriate now that I cannot trifecta until I buy more. And a 21 Spray Salute! What’s a 21 spray salute? Well, it’s like a 21 gun salute, except with fragrance. u/mammothben sent out room sprayers as add ons with Santa Noir orders and guess what I got Hygge! Now, my first floor has 3 rooms, if you don’t count the kitchen (because food), so that’s 7 sprays per room. Sorry family, house is gonna smell great for a while. READY…AIM…SPRAY! As for #photocontest, well I guess the empty tub is Trash now, or I’ll repurpose it (as the theme suggests) into something else. Sample storage maybe? I did record the date of the kill.

And the challenge. Well, I’ve been working on better, wetter lather so I guess we’ll reverse that today and go pasty. But keeping in mind I only have the soap I have, no more no less. But in my experience, synth, place face lather with no actual water=pasty. So this is my result.. My lather looks like I stuck an albino porcupine on my face. Good thing tusk is a forgiving base and you always get a good shave.

June 15, 2024 - Near Death Experience

FOF

• Brush: Yaqi Cola 22mm Synthetic
• Razor: Game Changer .68P
• Blade: Gillette Nacet
• Lather: Mäurer & Wirtz - Tabac Original (Tallow)
• Post Shave: Thayers Facial Toner - Unscented
• Fragrance: Mäurer & Wirtz - Tabac Man EdT

Today’s Theme:

This was almost a coin toss for which soap was closest to death. A few weeks ago, it may have been a four way race, but I refilled Rawr and Barrbarr. So it was down to Sonder and Tabac. Using my well calibrated eyeball, I decided that Tabac was the closest. Plus I already have a second tub of Sonder that I got for August. Yesterday I almost killed the tub of Sonder anyway in my tower collapse yesterday. The lid is broken, but still kind of functional. For the post shave it was down to Thayers. Either cucumber or unscented are the lowest. Putting them together, unscented won by about 1/4” or ~6mm. For the fragrance it was tricky again. My most used full size bottles are Tabac Original and Tabac Man. Since original is 100ml bottle and Man is 50ml, I went for Man.

Today’s Challenge:

Why? Just why would anyone shave with a pasty lather? Soap needs water to be slick. Slick lets the razor glide over the skin. On Youtube you see a fair amount of dry lather, but a thick dry lather looks better on video than slippery, drippy soap suds. When I make my lather, I’d rather get it a little too wet than a bit dry. Visually, I want it to be like the ribbon stage in cooking. You can make a trail in it, but it will self level fairly quickly. To get the pastiest lather I could, I barely wet the brush, and started whipping that soap like I hated it. Really it’s more like I hated my face. What I ended up with was a thick foam like over whipped egg whites. Kind of like the dry foam left after breaking a meringue. The shave was awful. On my face it was sticky. This kind of lather protects the whiskers more than the skin. The razor dragged through the mess, and not sure how successful it really was. This paste of a lather managed to pack itself tightly into the razor. This was just a gummy mess of a shave. -5/10. Now the post shave was delightful. Since Thayers is one of the best bargains in post shaves, I gave myself a couple healthy splashes to sooth my irritated face.

Feats of Fragrance:

Really the theme took out most of the choice away from me. Tabac is a fairly divisive scent. You either love it or hate it. I love it. The powdery funkiness is ok by me. Like u/cowzilla3 would say about Old Spice, Tabac itself is practically a scent note. Sure you can find descriptions saying it has lavender and citrus, but you need a super nose to break anything out distinctly. Now Thayers Unscented does not add to the mix, but if they were closer to death, rose petal or lavender would pair well with Tabac. That’s mostly what I used before I got a bowling pin full of the aftershave. The Tabac fragrances let more notes materialize, but still my nose has trouble picking up a single thing. Tabac Man gives me kind of a lemony, green, powdery impression. I like it, but maybe you think my opinion is suspect since I like Tabac. Some people liked the Four Horsemen scents. YMMV.

Pictures have been added.

June 15, 2024 – 2024.06.15 SOTD: Lather Games Day 15 – Near Death Experience

• Brush: Paragon Shaving Plisson knot (28mm) with Paragon handle
• Razor: Blackland Era (SB 3)
• Blade: Wizamet (3)
• Lather: Chiseled Face – Banana
• Post Shave: Spearhead Shaving Company – Seaforth! Sea Ice Lime
• Fragrance: Yves Saint Laurent – L’Homme

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Daily Theme: Near Death Experience

Theme justification: Chiseled Face Banana. After using it almost exclusively last month, this is the soap that is closest to death. It's the only one where you can see the bottom of the tub.

Relevant Post Shave & Frag: I'm continuing the near death theme. Sea Ice Lime is the splash I have that is closet to its death, and Yves Saint Laurent L'Homme is the frag I have that is closest to empty.

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Scavenger Hunt ~~Justification~~: COMPLETED

Razor facts: N/A

Brush facts: N/A

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Daily/Special Challenge: Water Day

I typically go with a wet lather (though not full GUTL). So today, I went with a nice pasty lather. I decided to use some special water for today too. See below for more info.

Pic here of my pasty (airy) lather. I'll be honest, it doesn't look too bad, but it's not great. Probably should've used even less water than I did (which wasn't much, I just dipped my brush in the water), but It's very dry and airy. Provided near 0 protection or slickness.

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Fragrance description

The soap is the odd ball here. Laffy Taffy banana doesn't really mix with citrus and spice. YSL L'Homme is great. I get a lot of spiced ginger, but then it dries down to a nice woodsy scent. I think I've also received more complements with this frag than any other (though, I used to wear it a lot more, so that might be why).

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Now onto the shave!

Since today was water day, I figured I should use some special water^TM. Thankfully, I always keep a stock of it in my bathroom. It's in a hidden place that nobody ever thinks to look. There's the good stuff!

So I scooped out some of my secret special water^TM and got to work. I'm going to let out a little secret: I'm not a huge fan of the CF base. Though, since Banana is my only tub, it could be that I'm just not a fan of Banana. Regardless, that is why I set out to kill it. With that out of the way, let's get back to today's shave.

I added just enough of my super secret special water^TM to make an airy paste.

Overall, not the worst shave I've had. Without the Special Water^TM it would've been even worse on (what is essentially) bad lather day.

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Totals:

• Razor Hashtags: 10/10
• Brush Hashtags: 10/10
• Hardware Sponsor Points: 2/2
• Software Sponsor Points: 11/16
• Number of Lather Brands: 15/30
• Number of Lather Scents: 15/30
• Number of Post Shaves: 15/30
• Number of Frags: 15/30

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Contest Hashtags:

#FOF

#ROTY

LG 15 - Near Death Experience Soapclypse

• Brush: Rubberset 400-3 restored - 26mm Boar #NOHOLLOW
• Razor: Edwin Jagger 89 #ZAMAC
• Blade: Polsilver Super Iridium (1)
• Lather: Barrister and Mann - Cheshire
• Post Shave: Shouthern Witchcrafts - Gravefruit II
• Fragrance: Shouthern Witchcrafts - Gravefruit II Edp

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The EJ was the first razor I bought when I began wet shaving in 2015. Chesire was purchased in 2016 along with Hallows from BaM, in what was my first order from Will.

From how to putty a wall to razor skating on pasty lather, wiping the blade between passes. Here's how it should be, not like the above.

I wonder why judges try to make our lives miserable by ruining shaves, we aren't on Austere August yet!

.#FOF Awesome scent for a hot weather night, the light from Cheshire followed by Gravefruit's dark tangy citrus scent. It's a pity it has been discontinued.

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Jun. 15, 2024

• Brush: Vikings Blade Dark Stallion #FAUXFUR

• Razor: Blackland Sabre

• Blade: Personna GEM PTFE [18]

• Lather: Proraso - Eucalyptus & Menthol

• Post Shave: RazoRock - Mudder Focker

• Fragrance: Christian Dior - Suavage EdT

Near Death Experience

Proraso green and the Vikings Blade brush were the first brush and soap I bought before I ever knew about soaps and brushes. I have used the Proraso more than any of my other soaps. I’ve used it to practice lather, to get the funk out of brushes and of course to shave with. As you can see in this picture both are on their last legs.

Todays challenge Water or lack there of. This was terrible, I hated it. The only saving grace is, nothing there is no saving grace. Heres a picture of the paste on my face along with a 35 second video proof that it sucks ass

I can’t wait to shave my legs tomorrow….

I went with Sauvage because of all the days to use a Me2 frag, I thought today was that day.

Today’s Sponsor Chisel & Hound. My first artisan brush was from CH. Was also my first real badger knot and actually used Proraso to lather it a few days in a row to get the funk out. I also have this one with a TnS half moon synthetic. I am looking at one right now from Thursdays drop that I might grab if it’s still there tomorrow. Photo Contest DIY

#ROTY #FOF #PhotoContest

June 15, 2024 - Near Death Experience

• Brush: That Darn Rob White Handle With Blue Cap 2-Band Badger 26 mm #SHD
• Razor: RazoRock Lupo Silver #RAINBOW
• Blade: Wizamet (29)
• Lather: Noble Otter - Orbit
• Post Shave: Lucky Tiger - Aftershave and Toner
• Fragrance: Zoologist - Koala

Challenge: Me, shave with pasty lather? This is the Lather Games. NOT the Paste Games! Fine, is this pasty enough for you, bastards? The only upside to this is maybe some pasty shaver finally made a decent lather.

I have a lot of soap and I typically shave every other day. That means I have lots of stuff that's only been used 2-3 times. So, how did this tub of Orbit come to look like this? Simple, someone else did the hard work for which I now take credit. This was heavily used when I bought it. I used it for Austere August in an attempt to kill it, only for the soap to laugh in my face. Orbit and Rope Swing are the only cooling soaps I've bought on purpose. I prefer the synthetic cooling agent. Menthol has a strong scent. Unless the fragrance is tailored around it, like Northern Elixir, it takes too much attention away from the fragrance.

I'm not the biggest Noble Otter fan. Don't get me wrong, I am a fan. They make great products, and the packaging is cute. I'm just not as smitten by the Otter labels as others seem to be. Nor do many of their fragrances pique my interest. That said, Orbit is my favorite Noble Otter soap. It smells rejuvenating like a cold shower after working outside in the heat. I don’t understand what the frozen space scent note on the label means. But, this does smell cold, somehow. Or maybe, more accurately, like cooling. The eucalyptus reminds me of the aloe ointment I put on my sunburns after beach days on vacation as a kid. I don’t get the bergamot note in this. The note of rose is used artfully here and meshes seamlessly with the cedar to provide a base for the fragrance.

I used Lucky Tiger because it’s the post-shave closest to death. This has been my go-to when using soaps without matching splash. The label reads “fragrance (citrus essential oils).” It smells like orange. Imagine an orange peel without the bitterness. The splash makes my skin feel great. It’s a great option when I don’t want the drying effect of an alcohol based aftershave.

I chose Koala for today’s fragrance to play off of the eucalyptus note in Orbit. The opening is green and earthy. If Orbit is in space, Koala is firmly on the ground in nature. I get a lot of vetiver. There’s resinous sweet honey-like scents, and Middle Eastern spice. I detect black tea, incense, and a subtle green floral note. It’s complex. As it begins to dry down, vanilla emerges to complement the incense.

I forget who I got this razor from. It was a freebie with a bazaar purchase. The Lupo SS 0.72 is a razor I can use on autopilot. This aluminum Lupo has been sitting unused. I figured it would be mild enough to make the pasty shave bearable. So, I gave it a shot. It was very mild. I had to check there was a blade installed. The verdict is still out on efficiency.

In honor of today’s sponsor spotlight, I used my other /u/geekyoldrob brush. The is an older one with the TDR coin. This was one of the first nice brushes I bought. I got it at the bazaar for a good price. I don’t know what knot is in this. I assume some version of Fanchurian. I like that it's not a gelly as some of my other badgers.

#photocontest - Soccer. I have officially spent money on this side contest.

#FOF

• Day 15
• Brush: SmilezforMilez – 22mm Synthetic
• Razor: Silver Star Vintage DE
• Blade: Gillette Silver Blue
• Lather: Barrister and Mann – Bay Rum Soap
• Post Shave: Barrister and Mann – Bay Rum Splash
• Fragrance: Spearhead Shaving – Sea Spice Lime EdT

I love Bay Rums! One of the first wetshaving scent profiles I really fell in love with was Bay Rum. Is Bay Rum a scent profile? No clue, but whatever it is, I’m here for it. And Barrister and Mann makes a damn good Bay Rum scent. So, it’s no surprise that my favorite Bay Rum is the tub that is Knocking on Heaven’s Door. For some reason, when I started to see the bottom of the tub, I drastically cut down on my usage of it. It’s weird because I can buy more at anytime, but something about killing a tub of my favorite scent feels… Weird. I don’t know, I can’t explain it.

Anyways, I always feel kind of like a pirate when I use Bay Rum, and I also feel like I’m bringing up pirates in like every other SOTD I post, so let’s go full pirate today! ARRRRRRRRRR!!! Because who doesn't want to smell like they just got done looking for buried treasure? B&M’s spicy, rum-laden lather made me feel like I could conquer the Caribbean and my 9AM meeting simultaneously. Nothing says "I'm serious about hygiene" like smelling like a swashbuckling buccaneer! Post-shave, I doused myself with B&M’s matching Bay Rum Splash. Because if I'm going to smell like a pirate, I might as well commit, right? The scent was so intoxicating, I swear I heard my coworker call for a parlay. But hey, if swords aren’t allowed in the office, smelling like you just came from a sword fight is the next best thing.

Finished it off with Spearhead Shaving's Sea Spice Lime EdT. Because why not add a hint of lime and sea salt to the pirate's life? Yo ho, indeed! The fragrance is like sailing on the Black Pearl in a bottle, minus the sunburns and the skeletons everywhere. The blend of zesty lime, warm spices, and a hint of sea breeze left me feeling refreshed and ready to commandeer the day. A Pirate’s Life for me, indeed. #FOF

Challenge I made my lather super dry today. I’m tripping because that lather is NOT dripping. It’s actually so pasty it’s defying gravity. Believe it or not, I actually still got an okayish shave out of it, thanks to Barrister and Mann’s great soap base. Sure, it wasn’t as good as it could have been, but it wasn’t as bad as I feared either.

My #photocontest theme is: Animals (not alive), kids plush

iamhonestlylying’s Daily Top 5:

In honor of “Near Death Experiences”… My Top 5 Favorite Zombie Franchises:

5.) Zombieland – Adding a little humor to the zombie genre, plus an awesome Bill Murray cameo.

4.) World War Z – A global pandemic that threatens to wipe out humanity. Completely inaccurate and near unwatchable because the movie doesn’t show huge swathes of people calling it a hoax.

3.) Night of the Living Dead - Gotta give credit where credit is due: The Original Gangster of the zombies.

2.) The Walking Dead – The comics were good and first few TV seasons were appointment television… Then A&E realized it was a money printing machine and they ruined it by dragging the main story out too long and adding spin-off after spin-off after spin-off.

1.) 28 Days Later – Classic scenario of a guy who wakes up from a coma and bam! Zombie apocalypse!

June 15 - Working on the Kill

• Brush: Semogue 610 21mm Boar

• Razor: Razorock Mamba

• Blade: Asco Platinum Orange

• Lather: Stirling - Margaritas in the Arctic Soap

• Post Shave: Lucky Tiger Splash

• Post Shave: Noble Otter - Monarch Splash

• Fragrance: Catie's Bubbles - Le Piment de la Vie EdC

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Margaritas in the Arctic is my next soap kill, and it's literally the closest to finishing in my collection.

Some upper-class, sweet and purple goodness of Monarch, and the other sweet n spicy Frenchie of LPV had a nice floral sweet n spicy that I am quite fond of. 8/10

#FOF

June 15, 2024

• Brush: Yaqi - Evil Zebra - 26mm Synthetic
• Razor: Personna - New Angle 70: BBS-0
• Blade: Wilkinson Sword
• Lather: Mickey Lee Soapworks - Souq
• Post Shave: Spearhead Shaving - Spiced Splash
• Fragrance: Le Monde Gourmand – Chai Epice

First off, I was sent this tub of UnObTaNiUm by u/jwoods23 and (ironically) this tub immediately became the tub that is closest to dying in my den. I guess when it does, I can just fire up the Delorian, program the flux capacitor, and go back to when Mickey Lee was still slinging soap and stock up. Wouldn’t that be nice? To have the ability to KNOW the future. Sure, the easy answer is picking the winning lottery numbers, or betting on sporting events or stocks (bitcoin anyone?) but a sneaky good benefit would be knowing when your favorite shaving soap artisan is going to go out of business or will discontinue a scent. Sometimes we get a heads up something is going away, so we can stock up more stuff we’ll never use. And other times something just rides off into the sunset, never to be seen or heard from again. I have no idea which one MLS was because it was gone when I started wetshaving, but I wish we could still buy this magical creation.

Well, as nice as it would be to live go back in time and buy stonks of Souq, that isn’t possible yet. So, until that time comes, I’ll treasure and enjoy what little of it is left here and be grateful that my guy u/jwoods23 wanted to share it with someone. That being said, if anyone who has never tried it wants a smush, I’m happy to send a few out so others can experience the magic of this wonderful scent that will never exist again. There’s not a lot left in this tub, but I’ll share what I can.

The scent of Souq is a wonderful homage to the open-air markets (souqs) of Bahrain. The smell of sweet figs with spices galore. While it’s incredibly unique, pairing it with Spearhead’s Spiced seemed like the right idea. They seem to share a lot of the same spice notes – namely cinnamon and clove – and while Spiced isn’t as sweet smelling as Souq, the do complement each other nicely. To close out the shave, I brought the sweetness back with Le Monde Gourmand’s Chai Epice, which brings back the Fig note from Souq. As well as, musk, wood, and spices. If the soap was like walking in an open air market of Bahrain, the fragrance is like buying chai tea at that market and drinking it in the warm comfort of your own home, under a blanket. It’s more sweet, than it is spicy, and it rounds out the spice experience of today’s shave and a delicious finish. #FOF

Challenge: Sucks to have to waste good, limited soap on a dry shave, yet the judges say “dance monkeys dance” and I say “How high?”

When not doing Lather Games stunts, my lather is usually pretty balanced and hydrated to a nice, dripping sheen. Today, I kept it as dry and it was… Not the best shave. I mean, if every youtube shaver can shave like this daily, I can manage it for a day.

Soap Theme Justification: It’s the most emptiest tub I have. If this tub of Souq could talk…

Relevant Post Shave & Fragrance: Spices Galore!

June 15, 2024 – LG Day 15 – It just so happens that your friend here is only MOSTLY dead. There’s a big difference between mostly dead and all dead.

• Brush: Chisel & Hound v23 Fanchurian
• Razor: Merkur 34C
• Blade: Gillette Nacet
• Lather: Murphy and McNeil – SFWS South Beach
• Post Shave: Stirling Soap Co. – Coconut Lime
• Fragrance: Imaginary Authors – Falling Into The Sea

After my massacre yesterday, I was thinking to myself, “Maybe it’s time for a comfortable shave, just a regular old shave, a shenanigan-free shave.” And then I woke up from my dream and remembered that it’s the Lather Games and that there will be no rest until July first. Hell is empty and all the devils are here.

Unlike many of the noble, committed shavers today, I have never killed a tub. Between typically shaving every other day and my unwavering desire for variety, the closest I have to a tub kill is this 60g puck, which seemed low until I converted it and realized it’s 2.12oz. Embarrassing. I can’t even get halfway through a tub. I am filled with endless shame. I am brough dishonor onto my family. It's only a matter of time before I am disowned and must shed the Bucket name, leaving me to just be "Hug," the shaver who couldn't finish what he started. When I'm gone, my only legacy will be these half-empty tubs, gathering dust, symbols of my failure.

Moving on! M&M’s base is…fine. I really like this scent, though, made for South Florida Wet Shavers, so I use this pretty frequently throughout the summer. Wearing this is like teleporting to a beach where the water is bluer, the sand is whiter, the breeze is cool but the ocean is warm. Coconut and bananas come together in the most perfect sunscreen-like fashion. My bottle of Stirling Coconut Lime also happens to be one of my emptier post-shaves, but it’s getting old and it really doesn’t like to rub into the skin well, just like when I put on sunscreen. It has the same sunscreen/tanning oil coconut scent, but less on-the-nose; the lime is fully lost in the balm format (or because of its age). Finally, Falling into the Sea eschews the idea that the beach has to smell like Banana Boat. Bright citrus, lightly aquatic, comfortingly floral. The lychee is a very nice touch. Nostalgic in a very special way. #FOF

For my pasty lather, let my brush soak while I showered as usual, tub loaded, and spread it on my head with no extra water. Slightly pastier than the proto-lather (if you can even call it that) which I usually build up a lather from right on the dome. No extra water or lather-building today, though. This is what we got. What a delight. To further elucidate just how pasty this lather was, here it is on my razor. My water pressure isn’t enough to get it all off, so I had to take the razor apart after each pass and carefully wipe the blade, ignoring the warning on literally every tuck of blades I’ve seen. The judges have taken the "wet" out of "wetshaving." Who knows what's next.

June 15, 2024

• Brush: Omega Penelli White HI-BRUSH Synthetic
• Razor: Schick Injector
• Blade: Schick Injector
• Lather: Australian Private Reserve – Coeur de Vert

This is by far the closest tub I have to being finished. And honestly, not what I would consider close overall. But I can just barely see the bottom vs the 90+% of everything else. Todays scent is wonderful. It’s so grassy and has a touch of hay. Like a breezy day carrying the scent to you. A light sweetness with a little bit of floral, which I pick out as the violets. This is what I imagine standing in an idealistic prairie with sporadic wild flowers would be like, untouched by man. I imagine a picture of me lying down in the field with a slowly panning out video showing the endlessness of the yellow and green grasses. I can’t say my memory is specifically of that, but it is of untouched grasses in the late spring. Just laying there, taking it all in. It was a hillside adjacent to my local park where it was quiet and away from everyone. My quiet spot when I was little.

Challenge: A shame to waste precious soap on a poor lather but here we are. Pasty it is. And if that wasn’t proof enough, here is me trying to get it off my razor.

Today I found a Prius for my scavenger hunt. So I took out my luggage I had packed up for travel and got my SOTD photo in an amusement park hotel parking lot. Photo credit to the misses.

photocontest

FOF

Edit: Imgur finds my lather erotic, I guess that counts for something.

June 15, 2024 – LG 15: Near Death Experience

• Brush: Chisel and Hound V8
• Razor: Chiseled Face Legacy #CNC
• Blade: Personna Platinum Chrome (12)
• Lather: Stirling Soap Co. – Satsuma
• Post Shave: Stirling Soap Co. – Satsuma
• Fragrance: Stirling Soap Co. – Satsuma

Shaves in the earlier morning, and finally getting to posting probably 12 hours later. First and I believe only trickhole of the games, as all 3 are nearest death, especially the soap and frag. Stirling satsuma is divine. It’s quite simple, but so juicy and bright, and very close to the real fruit. #FOF

For the #PHOTOCONTEST went with fill the frame. Not sure how well I will do while on vacation with the rest of these, probably should have done a harder one today. That said, I do have my travel LG calendar days packed!, so we’ll see what we can still make happen photo wise but will have same set up for about 2 weeks.

For the challenge, best way to get a pasty lather is sunshine outside, so here’s my little setup today. Notice those stellar tomatoes in the mirror. I’m normally a mid hydration guy, so went super pasty today. Also, video proof as well.

As of our sponsor, stellar brushes, cool collabs with HoM. Used my CH V8 today, nice and gelly dense badger. Have a TDR too with a B6 which is one of my absolute faves.

soap brands 15/30, post shave 15/30, frag 15/30, post/frag linked 15/30, software sponsors 11/16, hardware sponsors 7/2, razor hashtags 9/15, brush hashtags 10/15, photo contest 15/30, daily challenges 13/26, special challenges 2/4