July 6, 2023

• Brush: Zenith r/wetshaving Exclusive MOAR Boar – 31mm
• Razor: Gillette Fatboy
• Blade: 7 O’Clock – Super Stainless (Green)
• Lather: Spearhead Shaving Company – Seaforth! Sea Spice Lime
• Post Shave: Spearhead Shaving Company – Seaforth! Sea Spice Lime

I own a total of one (1) full matching set. (u/ItchyPooter would be proud.) Hence, choosing my scent/lather for today was quite easy! Technically, I have two other products (Sea Ice Lime soap and splash), but it felt redundant to shave with both, especially since only one product of each category counts per day. SSL is such a good scent, clearly popular among the sub for a reason, and one of my most oft complimented fragrances.

For my #FOF today, I’m going to break it down per the side contest rubric:

How much are you thinking about your scent choices for a particular theme? Answer: I had one option to meet the theme requirements.

Why did you choose to dickhole (or if you are like me, non dickhole?). Answer: I had to dickhole/trickhole to meet the theme requirements. This is not normally my preference.

How does your scent evolve over the course of your shave and the day. Answer: Unlike many of my fragrances, I find SSL to be fairly consistent over the course of the day, particularly the soap and splash. When using the EdP alone, I definitely notice a shift, and there’s much more subtlety to the individual notes. With the whole trickhole, though? I smell, as my partner describes it, “like man and limes.”

How do your scent choices make you feel? Answer: I love this scent. It brings me joy. It’s a bonus that often I get told I smell nice when I wear SSL, which definitely increases my confidence, but even without this, SSL simply makes me happy.

Can you write out a thoughtful comment/haiku/shitpost to give us an insight into all of this? It does not have to be a million words. Pretty Please – make my life easy. Answer:

—

In scented realms where sweet aromas soar,

a blend of joy does swiftly come to pass,

that Spearhead Shaving’s Sea Spice Lime, adore,

brings contentment with each fragrant class.

Upon my face, a smile begins to bloom,

as blade of steel glides on my cherished skin,

tahiti lime, a scent that does exhume

the praise and kindness from those who breathe in.

A show’r of compliments like summer rain,

each passerby bewitched by fragrance fine,

well favored and yet never sought in vain,

ocean, pepper, cedarwood do shine.

Oh, Seaforth! Sea Spice Lime, my true delight,

a rare concoction bringing joy so bright.

—

The only downside to SSL is the slight curvature of the EDP bottle, making stacking a moderate challenge. Only took ten minutes and several variations of stacking to get it to stay.

July 6, 2023

• Brush: Zenith B16 24mm Boar #OLDWORLD #HOLLOW
• Razor: Gillette – Fatboy #DIAL
• Blade: Wilkinson Sword
• Lather: Chicago Grooming Co. – 40 Soap
• Post Shave: Chicago Grooming Co. – 40 Splash
• Fragrance: Chicago Grooming Co. – 40 EDT
• Music: Prince Swanny - Stacking

I have mixed feelings about today. On the one hand, Chicago Grooming Co.’s 40 is one of my favorite scents. It’s inspired by Tom Ford’s Fucking Fabulous, which I have never smelled, but I can confirm that 40 is absofuckinglutely fabulous. But on the other hand, I want to #ridewithitchy for every day of the Lather Games because matching your soap to your aftershave to your fragrance is indeed bad, sad, and boring. But the Lather Games Djudges bestowed this upon us today, so that’s exactly what I’m going to do. Today is the only day I’m going to match scents, so I’m sorry to the #FOF judges for being uncreative and lame today. My hands are tied. The good news is the scent is awesome. It’s a perfect balance of leather & tonka with a subtle sweetness coming from vanilla and almond and a slight floral of lavender and sage. It is so, so good. If there’s one scent that I don’t mind dickholing to, it’s this one. This scent is my go to when I need to smell good in a formal setting – weddings, funerals, trips to the dollar store, or important meetings… Things like that. I have to leave the house today for work today, and I’m happy the stars aligned with my schedule and I’m smelling ~~remarkable~~ Fucking Fabulous on a non-work from home day.

For my #photocontest, I’m doing light sources because this product deserves to be in the spotlight and I thought adding my desklamp to the stacking would make for a cool pic.

And of course, everyone’s favorite challenge (that we missed last year): Stacking! I was originally going to use a 3-piece razor today, buuuuuttt I figured the butterfly doors from the Fatboy would act as a better stand to balance stuff on, plus the weight and girth of the Fatboy would make for a decent base. Also used this Zenith brush because it is the lightest one I own (thanks to being #hollow) plus it matched the color scheme I was going for. After many falls, I have to say thanks to Chicago Grooming Co for using a well-made splash bottle. The thing literally hit my hardwood floor about 10 times. The first time, my heart skipped a beat. Mostly because I hadn’t shaved yet and I needed to use it today, but also the thought of breaking a bottle of splash on my office floor would make me incredibly sad... But my perseverance prevailed and I was able to balance everything for just long enough to take a couple pics before everything came crashing down. Hopefully this challenge doesn’t serve as a metaphor for my 2023 Lather Games performance – Strong presentation, and trying so hard to hold everything together just long enough to matter, then everything comes crashing down behind the scenes. Could actually be said for my life, as well. Big yikes! ANYWAY, let’s move on…

For my interview today, I chatted with Vida Perez from u/chicagogroomingco. She’s one of the absolute best in the business. You ever get the sense of “I really don’t know this person, but I could absolutely be friends with them”? That’s what I got going back and forth with Vida. She’s so nice, down to earth, and completely got what I was going for with my questions. Thank you so much for playing along, Vida, and making amazing stuff!

10 Questions with… Chicago Grooming Co.

1. It took me far too long to connect the duck dots in the naming of Canard and Darkwing. So, I ask you, as a cartoon duck aficionado: How do you think Scrooge McDuck is able to swim through all those coins?

Loooolll (thanks for that laugh) Scrooge McDuck has been around a long time and practice makes just about anything possible. Plus, I hear ducks are slippery little buggers.

2. On a roadtrip, who should be in charge of the music playlist? The driver or the passenger?

Always the passenger BUT you gotta have some trust in your co-pilot otherwise that playlist might have you rethinking your whole trip.

3. You clearly put a ton of effort into making products that will make your customers’ skin feel good. Other than skin care, what do you do to make yourself feel good?

Hair care! I went from COMPLETELY bald to rocking a lovely poufy head full of hair. Gotta take care of the locks.

4. Of the different scented products you’ve made, what’s your favorite scent that you’ve released?

Hmm, man this is always a tough one...Pucker… Probably because it's so darn fresh and clean

5. It’s not a secret that you are the one making the products for House of Mammoth, how much of you time is spent making and developing your own stuff vs making products for Ben (or others?)?

Lately most of my time is spent in production for House of Mammoth but I have plenty of time for CGCo and other creative pursuits. Around a drop, things can get hectic but after that everything calms down again. It's all manageable.

6. How often does someone think they’re hilarious and hit you with a “Livin’ the Vida Loca” reference? Did this question count as one?

Oh goodness when that song came out EVERYONE thought they were so clever. I got REALLY good at giving a meanie faced hard stare. Nah, you're fine. It was a long time lol

7. What’s the best Deep Dish Pizza in Chicago?

Giordanos, argue with your momma (please don't argue with your mother). I'm sorry Mrs. [Priusaurus’ Last Name], I didn't mean it like that!

8. Women have much larger area to shave, and (generally speaking) women tend to put a greater emphasize on skin care and self-care, yet the wetshaving “hobby” a male dominated. Keeping that in mind, my question is: Why do Chicagoans still call the Willis Tower the Sears Tower?

*Cackle*

Because you just don't go around changing things simply because someone bought something. I mean, seriously!

9. What's next on the horizon for Chicago Grooming Co?

EDP samples, collabs... A little of this, a little of that ... Good times to be had all around

10. How does Chicago Grooming Co. differentiate itself from other shaving soap companies out there?

My goal has always been to make very high quality products accessible to as many people as possible. Whether it's shaving soap, hair care or personal care products, I believe everyone should have an opportunity to try some of the good stuff and I'll continue to do exactly that as long as I can.

2023-07-06 Honoring the Olfactory Oeuvre + Horology

• Brush: West Coast Shaving - Two Tone Synthetic 26mm #PREMIUMPLASTIC
• Razor: Clix E-Z-Flo #UNICORN
• Lather: Spearhead Shaving Company - Seaforth! Black Watch
• Post Shave: Spearhead Shaving Company - Seaforth! Black Watch
• Fragrance: Spearhead Shaving Company - Seaforth! Black Watch
• Blade: Personna Super (2)

Challenge Accepted:
Not only have I outdone myself this time, I think it's very clear I've even outdone u/Tonality!
Behold! Such expert, delicate, and unsuspicious stacking to put u/Tonality to shame! There is no trickery afoot, as the pocket watch clearly demonstrates the direction of gravity! A round bottle of aftershave on its side, mid-stack! The brush, bristles-down and without compromising the structural integrity of the bristles! See it close-up if you do not believe me! Can u/Tonality do that? I think not! Crown your new king of stacking!

(I wasn't too pleased with the photo quality, so I updated the SOTD pic, albeit with a much lamer stacking method. There is no masterful weaving of powerful invisible forces, no expert control of electric currents within the very air. Just the boring vertical-only gravitational force. The much more impressive version is still here, too, though.)

Relevant Post Shave and Fragrance: As required by the daily theme.
Also: black razor, black brush, and black watch to match Black Watch.

Brush:
Sure, it's not completely black, but that's beside the point, contrarian person I just made up! Its bristles are all black, which is remarkable enough, and I made up the rules for whether the brush counts for my points-less theming, and I say it counts! Plus, being that this brush is going for $34.00 after a 20% discount, it also gets the "pricey synthetic" badge.

#FOF

Lather/Post Shave/Fragrance:
As I attempt to document my experiences for #FOF day by day, I am slowly coming to realize that, as a collection, my ramblings may be tied together under a theme of The Haphazard Explorations of an Olfactory Rube. I'm okay with that, because I think there's value in such a perspective. There's no harm in appreciating a scent for what it is,

The human brain is a curious thing; it is very suggestible, and it will often confirm what it expects to be true, regardless of the reality. In my experience, this tends to be true when it comes to my perception of scents. That is, what one (read: I) perceives a scent to be is heavily influenced by what they are (I am) expecting it to be.
For example, Shawn Maher, today's spotlight and the creator of this scent, compares it by metaphor to a pair leather shoes, evoking the leather note of its base. As a result, my mind said, "Alright, we're smelling leather now! Smell that leather!" And it did.

There's of course more to this scent, and that becomes clear to me only through focus. I can be convinced that there is incense, oakmoss, and sandalwood tied in with the leather, although my nose reads it as "flavoring" the leather, if that makes sense.
There is definitely a fruitiness to it, which seems to be the plum; however, I do not believe I detect the jasmine that is said to accompany it. A shame, because I've evidently mentioned my fondness for jasmine a few times already these Games, though I do concede that too much jasmine might threaten Grandma territory.

Of course, this is all just me trying to decipher my own perception of the scent, a clumsy attempt to analyze it. All the while, I can't help but wonder if that's really necessary.

When I take the scent in as whole, and let the description of leather shoes and 1950s department stores form a context around the scent, an image forms in my mind right out of Mrs. Maisel (I stopped after the first or second season, after she ditched Zachary Levi's character for like, no reason). I imagine a particular kind of vintage classiness that "never feels dated but never goes out of style." And that's how I feel when I wear it.

Razor:
While this razor predates the image I described above, it's close enough for me, plus I think it fits well aesthetically (and I have an odd yet mild fascination with Bakelite, possibly just because the word inexplicably has three syllables). I haven't been able to find much about the razor aside from that these were made by one Conrad Razor Blade Company in the 1940s. What I can say about it is that it's a surprisingly good little shaver. It's the kind of thing that makes me think, "man, they really had razors nailed ~~60~~ ~~70~~ 80 years ago!"

#photocontest

Photo: Technology

Speaking of going out of style, it's a real bummer what happened to pocket watches, isn't it? I get it, though; technological advancements in horology allowed smaller wrist-watches to take over, and waistcoats fell out of style, too. But that doesn't stop me from wearing both; the relentless, merciless, all-eviscerating sun does!

July 6, 2023 – Alive with Olfaction

• Brush: AP Shave Co. Cashmere
• Razor: Gillette Superspeed
• Blade: Gillette Nacet (4)
• Lather: House of Mammoth – Alive
• Post Shave: House of Mammoth – Alive
• Fragrance: House of Mammoth – Alive

Today is a good day. Shave was somewhat lessoned by the fact that the cashmere knot does not work great in my hands yet but there are no bad shaves with Alive. I went all in on olfactive overload, literally bathing myself in it with the Alive bath bar.

This theme dictates my choices top to bottom so for #fof I’m going to note Alive was my first dickhole set that grew to become my second trifecta. As I’ve noted before, I went from Stirling sampler to 4 horsemen, which will make one a bit gun-shy about new stuff. I had a used tub of hygge I bought when u/MammothBen posted about his pending Black Friday clearance. Get a free beanie! How could I resist? I looked over the things in the sale, and was sorta cautious. I saw Alive and went “hmm sounds like a fairly safe bet.” TTS estimated a 3 for me, but I also knew it was always a bit low on guesses. (Almond Creme 2.6?!)

Up until now I had 0 matching balms, following u/Itchypooter’s dickhole theory, I had a bunch of generally complimentary to stuff I owned balms but nothing matching. But this was on sale, so I went in. I distinctly remember thinking even at half off blind buying a trifecta was madness, especially since at that point my entire frag collection was a 25ml bottle of YSL l’homme gifted to me 5 years prior. I passed on the frag and would not realize my mistake for some time.

When it arrived, I found the smell pleasant, but didn’t get around to using it. I finally did, and I was sitting at my desk later, frustrated by some paperwork I was tired of and I put my hands to my face and suddenly I smelled it. A scent that said “hey, pick yourself up, you’re alive and that’s a damned good start.”

I used it several more times and realized I needed that whiff of smell through the day wanted and EdP. But by then they were all gone. I stalked the ‘zaar but most of them came in lots and I didn’t want extra stuff. Then a fateful email came, Alive was coming back. I snagged a bottle the morning it launched and haven’t looked back.

Alive and Hygge while being totally different categories of scents, share themes of comfort. But while Hygge surrounds you, protecting you from the outside world, Alive draws you back into it. It reminds you, sure life sucks sometimes, but you’re alive and that’s a damned good start. I come back to it whenever I need this uplifting reminder (which lately is quite a bit.) When this tub gone, I hope Ben’s still selling it so I can buy more.

So, a thank you to u/Mammothben for creating this and so many other scents that have brought me enjoyment or renewed energy these last few months (and for years to come).

OK, emotional time over, after probably getting a negative point for being too wordy. It’s #photocontest time. Went for the “Pets” theme. Also, you’ll see my stacking challenge completed here. This was a fun challenge and when I was talking with my daughter (Preview of hobbies tomorrow, we do photography together so she’s helping on all these) we agreed that stacking in front of the only pet we own was appropriate. Took forever to get that fish in frame, but we did it. The items are not leaning on the aquarium I promise (the brush fell once, luckily it was a seconds brush so I think the scratch was already there.) Also #ROTY

Day 6 - Olfactory Overdose

• Brush: APShaveCo - Butterscotch Handle with Synbad Knot
• Razor: Gillette - Fatboy #DIAL
• Blade: Astra - Green
• Lather: Declaration Grooming - Sunrise on Lasalle
• Post Shave: Declaration Grooming - Sunrise on Lasalle
• Fragrance: Chatillon Lux - Sunrise on Lasalle

In honor of Chatillon Lux and Dickhole Day, I went with Sunrise on Lasalle. This is the most floral scent I own. It is an excellent blend of floral notes. The lather games have challenged me to think about how the scent changes throughout out the day.

Edit- I cut out the info about hobbies. That is for tomorrow. My bad.

ROTY #FOF

• Brush: Vie-Long Cachurro #HORSESASS #OLDWORLD

• Razor: Gillette Old Type #REGUS

• Blade: Bic Chrome Platinum

• Lather: Maurer & Wirtz - Tabac Original

• Post Shave: Maurer & Wirtz - Tabac Original

• Fragrance: Maurer & Wirtz - Tabac Original

Today's Theme: Olfactory Overdose - Tabac soap, aftershave, and eau de cologne

Today's Challenge: Stacking Day - Vertical stack

My theme for today's shave: Nursing Home Sadness #photocontest

So first things first, I had /u/tsrblke tagged in today's brush hashtag section of my LG spreadsheet and I'm not sure why but I'm leaving it there, he's pretty cool.

Alright, with that out of the way, let's talk Tabac, misery, and what it's like growing up in a care home family business. Most of us have read the nursing home sadness copypasta at this point, but I think it'll help to put in perspective why it smells like that. First off, the powdery floral scent from the carnations in Tabac is what really pulls in the rash-preventing wipes and powder that nursing homes homes use to keep your grandparent bedsore-free. Then the neroli, lemon, and bergamot bring forward the memories of Lemon Pledge cleaner that nursing homes use for glass surfaces. And finally, the pine tree needles and aldehydes are reminiscent of Pine Sol cleaner that nursing homes use for pretty much everything else. In truth, the tobacco flower is doing very little heavy lifting in this memory association for most people. Maybe just the faintest whiff of it to remind people of the stressed out Filipino caregivers who sneak the occasional cigarette break once all the residents are generally pacified.

My family owned a small care home business for all of my formative years and then some, so I grew up helping out around the care home, I did anything and everything from lifting residents who fell out of their bed at night back into their hospital beds to clearing out old dressers and walkers that the family of the deceased had no use for, and even occasionally helping hold up the residents who needed to be cleaned more thoroughly than a bed bath could accommodate. It's a grim business, you watch people deteriorate physically and mentally until they die. And you watch that happen over and over for years. So when Olfactory Overdose day came up and I realized my only viable option was to use a Tabac trifecta, I honestly dreaded the prospect. It was a generally unpleasant shave, and the Old Type that I used for "theme" purposes as well as hardware hashtags didn't help.

But the worst part of this shave wasn't the soap scent that reminded me of hearing residents with sundowners' scream out for their families to help them because they had no idea where they were. The worst part of this shave was the absolute garbage-tier Vie Long Cachurro horse brush. Worst animal funk I've ever dealt with and I used it totally raw in this shave. Zero backbone, glue stuck to some of the hairs. Just a bad time in every way. Doesn't matter; acquired LG points. #FOF #ROTY

Edit: Oh right, music. I picked Ozzy Osbourne's Tribute, a live recording of one of legendary guitarist Randy Rhoads' best shows. There was a "boomer metal" idea going into the album choice, but it really is an incredible recording and also something of a piece of history as it documents the peak of one of the greatest guitarists of all time.

Edit 2: putting this here since robodjudge is an imperfect being: /u/tsrblke

DAY 6 LATHER GAMES! RACK EM STACK EM!

• Prep: Water
• Brush: OUMO 30mm SHD G5A Fan knot synthetic
• Razor: Timeless Ti 0.95 SB
• Blade: Minora (15)
• Lather: House of Mammoth - Tobacconist
• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Tobacconist Splash
• Fragrance: House of Mammoth - Tobacconist EdP

​

STACKING PIC OR IT DIDN'T HAPPEN!

​

DAILY CHALLENGE:

I'm kind of annoyed, cause I really wanted to add two more items on top, but after loosing an OSMA(one I opened up half a month ago) and another drop of the EdP(didn't break thank God) I gave it up. It's not the best stack, cause I could have done better, but it'll have to do!

LATHER+SHAVE+WHATEVER ELSE

I chose HoM Tobacconist, cause it IS the 2021 scent of the year, don't care what anyone else says! It is definitely one of my all time favourites!! Furthermore Tusk base is at the top tied with Declaration Grooming. Basically HoM products are top of the top cosmetic and scent wise!

This is gonna be my #FOF in general, cause it's all the same scent.

What is Tobacconist? It is not just some fragrance, no, it is more than that. As the ancient greek philosopher's thoughts were transcending way beyond their time so does this masterpiece. The description says that you should imagine going into a tobacco shop. I say you go into a tobacco shop into the woods, where the shop itself is a house made out of massive tree trunks and when entering you can smell all the different, almost palpable, nuances of Tobacco. What compliments this cocktail of tobacco are the scent notes of dried fruits, amber, spices and a hint of sweetness brough by coumarin. I would not say it is a manly rugged smell, like STAG, cause it is more than that. It is a complex sophisticated scent which makes you stand out. This is one of my most complimented scents I've ever used. Women frolic around me in amazement as soon as I enter a room and ask me "WOW What is that perfume you are wearing...!!?!?!?"

Smelling great and feeling smooth I am gonna finish this comment with a small poem(it's cheesy but it's from MAH HART) for Ben( u/mammothben sorry for tagging you two days in a row)

There once was a man called Ben
He made soaps/afters and EdP's for men
He even told me once he had a hen

His devotion knows no bounds
And what he makes never confound
His fragrances are like musical sounds

Tobacconist took him 2 years to make
There was probably a lot at stake
But he did not make a mistake

May he always make products so fine
Neigh! I should say even more so, divine!
May his character always be so bening

I raise a toast to you, with my cup of red wine!

Cheers Ben!

• Daily Lather Themes: 6/30
• Daily Challenges: 6/30
• Hardware Scavenger Hunt: 10/20
• Hardware Vendor Points: 0/2
• Software Vendor Points: 1/13
• Software Vendor Bonus Point: 0/1
• 30 Different Soap Brands Point: 6/30
• 30 Different Soaps On Theme Bonus Point: 6/30
• 30 Different Post-Shaves Bonus Point: 6/30
• 30 Different Fragrances Bonus Point: 6/30

July 6, 2023 – I am an idiot

• Brush: Böker – Synthetic
• Razor: Valet Autostrop
• Blade: Feather – FHS-10 (2)
• Lather: Southern Witchcrafts – Gravefruit
• Post Shave: Southern Witchcrafts – Gravefruit II
• Fragrance: Southern Witchcrafts – Gravefruit II

FOF

Daily challenge:
First I have to thank u/Teufelskraft for supporting me again with this trifecta. Fragrances of our beloved artisans are either hard to get, or super expensive in europe. My first challenge is in fact two challenges combined. I wanted to shave outside, but also in the kitchen. So either, I shave on the balcony and put a few plates and my grill there to make it more kitchen like, or I open the kitchen window to let the outside come in. I decided to do the later. If you wonder about the perspective, I chose to shave on the floor lying flat. Next I needed lather challenges. The obvious one was to add some ice. The next one was knee lathering. Maybe I ll be successfull this year? No. I cant reach my knee while lying flat on the floor. Damn. As you can see on the pictures, I was already running into problems and I havent even done the first swirl. The ice froze to my brush. I tried to pull the ice cube out, but it would have destroyed my brush. I started to panic. Don’t worry. Just wait till it melts. But you need to get to work, so work with the things you have. I chose to shave and lather with my non dominant hand. Compliments to Southern witchcrafts, that even with ice and a motorical handicapped morron, I was till getting something that was close to lather. The icecube fell out of the brush while I did that. What a relief. On the new to you day, I have used this razor and not again, so maybe we can also count it as new to you? The trifecta was new to me, although I am not unfamiliar with SW. I ll let the djudges decide. Unfortunately this is just a Valet Autostrop and not Rolls, because I wanted the #skindonor achievement. Ohh, before I forget it. As I could not knee lather, I tried armpit lathering. The runny mess, called lather did not change much. Damn ice in lather. Who comes up with these things? You may have noticed, that I am wearing a kitchen apron? Well, I wore it last year when i build my barbershop. Can we count that in? Since it’s stacking day, my setup looked like the following: Setup. In the bowl above my head, there is a wash cloth to get the used lather off my face between the passes. Keep in mind that I cant get up, as we are flat shaving. The bowl above that was there to clean my razor. It was pretty difficult to do that, as I did not know when my razor was in the water. Wait! Why am I wearing a hat? That had been a challenge too. But not in the last LG. This thing screams: I am a tourist. Lets do the first pass. I only get earthy notes from the soap. The grave in Gravefruit is the perfect name for it. Am I even smelling soap, or my armpit? We will never find out. As I am flat on the floor, I can only look towards the ceiling. No mirror, just audio feedback. The Valet was loud! #butterthetoast unlocked. I placed the razor on my stomach, reached behind me into bowl 1 and cleaned my face off lather. On the second pass with watery airbubbles, I realized that the combination of floor and head is annoying. You can not stretch your neck. As I could not see what I am shaving, if I am shaving at all or doing a massacre, I went with what i heard and scrapped off hair by hair until the razor got silent. Time for a photo finish. Do you remember the stacking challenge we had last year? Stacking samples is pretty difficult, but I thought it’s funny if I stack things on myself. There are also sexy feet in the background. Does that count as Den Tour? Last year it did. Turns out that the shave was okay. Of course it was not super close and I had slight irritations, but I guess I own that to the sub. Yesterday you had your worst shave in years with Barbasol, while I got something decent from Palmolive. Today was my turn to shave mediocre at best.

The aftershave was night and day compared to the soap. It was Grapefruit up front with a tiny bit of earth. The fragrance was much more interessting to me. It started off with boath these scents dominant. Then settled down and after an hour you can better distinguish them. Even later it got … werid. In the first sniff it was dominant in Vanilla. The range of the fragrance had shrunk to skin closeness by now. In a second whiff, the fragrance was soapy, bit grapefruit and bit of dark earth. I liked the scent much more at this stage. The earth played wonderfull with the sweet accords.

Edit: I am an idiot. Stacking challenge! Not stack challenges!

LG23-06: Olfactory Overdose

• Brush: Zenith r/wetshaving Moar Boar #CHONK #OLDWORLD
• Razor: Gillette Tech #REGUS
• Blade: Astra SP (12)
• Lather: West Coast Shaving - Chypre - Shaving Soap
• Post Shave: West Coast Shaving - Chypre - Aftershave
• Fragrance: West Coast Shaving - Chypre - EdP
• Passes: WTG, XTG
• Coffee: Ethiopia. Guji, Werka - v: Ethiopia Landraces - p: Natural. Dried on raised beds.
• Music: Woods - City Sun Eater in the River of Light
• LG Tags: #FOF

Let's get this out of the way—I'm dutifully abiding by today's theme, but I don't like it. I don't even use matching sets all that often, let alone trifectas, and I'm feeling totally burned out on this scent already. And that's a shame, because West Coast Shaving Chypre is a personal favorite.

Composed by Chris over at Catie's Bubbles (I think, could be wrong on that), this chypre doesn't remind me all that much of others I've tried, especially the big, animalic, vintage-inspired ones. The packaging is accurate—it's "a citrus resin scent." And it's a strong one at that. The citrus component is thick, and relatively dark, like orange juice reduced down to a syrup. The resins are equally potent but vary in tone between the three products. In a soap form, the citrus takes the lead; I'd guess there's lots of orange in there, but maybe some grapefruit and lemon as well, spiked with something bristly and floral like bergamot or petitgrain. The aftershave is my favorite of the three; the resins are woody in a way they aren't in the other two products, and there's a subtle smokiness to balance the sticky wash of citrus. While I like the fragrance, I think it's the least effective version of this scent; it splits the difference between the soap and the aftershave and on my skin wears linearly. It also goes and goes and goes. WCS Chypre is not a subtle, delicate example of the genre, but it's one of my first wet shaving loves.

And before I go, here's my stack. Eye-hand coordination is not my strong-suit. (Also, if you're still planning out your shave last-minute, choose hardware with squared-off edges. Learn from my mistakes.)

July 6, 2023

• Brush: AP Shave Co handle with DS Cosmetic Horse hair brush #HORSESASS
• Razor: Blackland – Blackbird #CNC
• Blade: Gillette Silver Blue
• Lather: Southern Witchcrafts – Druantia Soap
• Post Shave: Southern Witchcrafts – Druantia Splash
• Fragrance: Southern Witchcrafts – Druantia EdP

If today is Olfactory Overdose Day, then I might need someone to call me an EMT because I’ve overdosed on Southern Witchcrafts! When I’m not participating in Games of Lather, I’m not a huge fragrance person. I’m the type of person that has a few fragrances that I rotate through, so I’m relying heavily on samples to get me through the 30 fragrances in 30 days. And I’m glad I am, because Druantia is absolutely delightful and I’m not sure I buy a sample EdP without the Lather Games scoring system pushing me it expand my horizons. It’s really cool to smell how the scent changes between the soap, splash, and fragrance. It only gets better and better and better with each stage in the process. I think it’s more of a winter scent, so not exactly seasonally appropriate, but it’s woody with a tiny bit of sweetness to it. This scent warms my heart on this already hot and humid July day. #FOF

Stacking! This was a fun little challenge. I think using the sample EdP is definitely an advantage, but my tower likely isn’t as high as other peoples stacks, so that balances out (pun intended). Lessons Learned:

• The Blackbird’s geometry and weight really helped me out here. Originally, I was going to use a different razor today, but with the challenge to stack, I thought the additional heft might help me.
• The cap on the aftershave is slightly convex (or concave? I always get those mixed up – but it wasn’t flat). Taking the cap off the aftershave made this stack possible.
• Horse hair is flexible enough where the razor could easily just plop down in there and stay put (again, thanks to the weight of the Blackbird).
• The flat bottom of the Blackbird made a perfect stoop for the sample EdP.
• Next time, take the blade out of the razor before doing this. I sliced my finger open because I was an idiot and tried to catch it as it was falling. Also, it sliced a few hairs on the brush.
• Luckily, I was already in the bathroom, so I had Band-Aids at the ready and this brush sucks anyway, so the blade cutting a few hairs doesn’t bring a noticeable difference.

July 6, 2023 - Olfactory Overdose - Stack of Tabac

• Brush: Yaqi Cola 22mm Synthetic
• Razor: Gillette Travel Tech J3 #JETSETTER
• Blade: Gillette Rubie (3)
• Lather: Mäurer and Wirtz - Tabac Original
• Post Shave: Mäurer and Wirtz - Tabac Aftershave Lotion
• Fragrance: Mäurer and Wirtz - Tabac Eau De Toilette

#FOF

Today’s Theme:

I have do have some trickholes in my den. Samples of House of Mammoth make those a bit more affordable to add with the soap and post shave products. I also have a few from Barrister and Mann, Summer Break Soaps, Noble Otter, and Declaration Grooming. Normally, I try the soaps first, and then if I liked it, I’d get the splash or balm. I have started getting the EdP/EdT more often in the last year. So if I have all those other options, why the Stank? First, my calendar balanced better with my trifectas from other brands slotted into different days. Second, When I first got the soap, it definitely had some stank, but not unpleasantly so. Once I added the aftershave and then the EdT, the scent opened up more and drove off that funkiness of the soap. I’ve fully embraced the Tabac. Ok not to the point of getting a matching brush like u/djundjila, but my Yaqi Cola brush matches the brown, and the mixed part of the handle is orangish like the stripe. It has become my dedicated Tabac brush. I also like the brush with Tabac because it is a smaller knot, and is easier to load from the tub. With a full complement of Tabac, definitely on theme.

The Shave:

Just like it was a normal Tuesday, I loaded the damp brush with as much soap as it could hold. Then transfer to my trusty kiddie IKEA cereal bowl to finish hydrating. Once I got a soft, wet, but not drippy lather, I proceeded to shaving. This Travel Tech was a bonus razor I got off eBay. I won an auction for an Ever Ready razor, and when it arrived there was Travel Tech in the box with the Ever Ready. It had a red leather case, but it practically disintegrated when I took the razor out. It is not the aluminum handle, but a short heavy little thing. I’m guessing plated brass based on the heft. While the razor head is nice, the short handle makes it a bit awkward to find the angle. Three passes today, and a fine shave is the result.

Sponsor Spotlight:

I first experienced the work of Chatillon Lux and u/hawns in the scents made for Declaration Grooming like Yuzu/Rose/Patchouli. In the last year since the 2022 Lather Games, I have been adding more fragrances to the den. In preparation for this year’s games, I got the sample sets of Chatillon Lux and Maher Olfactive. So far I’ve used a few and am blown away by how much I’ve liked them. If I had the extra cash right now, a full bottle of Treachery would be on its way to my house. I think scent mixing is a magic art. I am better at seeing differences in color than in differentiating the complex components of perfume. One thing I’ve said many times is sometimes you get a new fragrance that completely changes your perceptions of a scent. Y/R/P is one such scent. It opened my eyes to patchouli, and that helping me embrace more scents I may have passed on before.

Today’s Fragance #FOF:

Tabac is a strange beast. The soap itself is where everyone talks about the stank tank. I never found the funk unpleasant, but my wife and daughter both liked that I had a more old fashioned scent that reminds them of my wife’s father. He used mostly drugstore scents, but when I use a more traditional scent, my daughter says I smell like Papa. The smile I’d get from them was enough to keep using it. At first I’d play up the floral by using Thayers - Rose Petal or Lavender, but in the last few months, I finally got the aftershave and EdT. What a difference the medium makes for Tabac’s fragrance! Gone is that stank, but more lavender and citrus comes out. I can’t tell what the rest of it is, but it is much nicer as a trickhole than just the soap.

I thought about trying to write a limerick for Tabac using stank and tank, but then I kept trying to set it in Nantucket and gave up.

Tabac Original,

Normally on a Tuesday,

But good for Thursday.

Today’s Challenge:

Nice thing about Tabac for stacking (photo linked above) is the flat caps and lid. It reminds me of when my daughter was little and we’d make towers with her Duplo bricks. “Make it go high”, my daughter would tell me. We’d make skinny towers that were taller than me. For today’s challenge, I stacked it as high as I could and the Travel Tech made a nice finial on top.

July 6, 2023 – LG 6: Olfactory Overdose

• Brush: r/wetshaving MOAR BOAR #CHONK #OLDWORLD
• Razor: Henson AL13 #CNC
• Blade: Astra SP (Green) (2)
• Lather: Stirling Soap Co. – Haverford
• Post Shave: Stirling Soap Co. – Haverford
• Fragrance: Stirling Soap Co. – Haverford

~~Dickhole Day~~ Olfactory Overdose is always a nice day you don’t have to think too much about, and I’m guilty of having far too many trifectas to choose from. That said, always love a Haverford shave. I think I actually prefer Haverford to TF Tobacco Vanille, but the sillage on the actual one is way better. Price on the Stirling however can’t be beat- I’ll have to get a full bottle. This set (well soap and AS) was actually my first LG prize along with one of their travel cases 3 LGs ago. The balm and frag since added. Apparently dickhole and stacking were paired together 2 years ago. I will say sparkle suds, shave shiny from that era folded just like Entertainment 720. Too ahead of its time. Also, let’s not forget this Haverford classic from the djudicial djudge man himself- one of the top posts I’ve seen in the games.

Haverford is named after the Parks and Rec character Tom Haverford, here’s a great highlight reel of his inventions. It’s sweet and strong off the puck, with lots of caramelized vanilla. It shifts into the tobacco, with dried fruit undertones, and is built on a base of cocoa. There is some spiciness to it, but nothing crazy. The AS and frag are very similar to soap in how they transition, albeit quicker and slower respectively. The AS is also notably very heavy on the vanilla and a bit more spice appears in frag form. #FOF #PHOTOCONTEST (mobile phone, complete with Tom guest starring near the base of the stack).

soap brands 6/30, post shave 6/30, frag 6/30, post/frag linked 6/30, software sponsors 2/15, hardware sponsors 1/2, razor hashtags 4/15, brush hashtags 5/15, photo contest 6/30, daily challenges 5/25, special challenges 1/5

July 6, 2023 – Sonder Tri and All the Yellow

• Brush: Summer Break Soap “Dundy” 26mm Motherlode
• Razor: Blackland Blackbird Lite
• Blade: Gillette Silver Blue
• Lather: House of Mammoth – Sonder
• Post Shave: House of Mammoth – Sonder
• Fragrance: House of Mammoth – Sonder

Sonder is the realization that each random passerby is living a life as vivid and complex as your own—populated with their own ambitions, friends, routines, worries and inherited craziness—an epic story that continues invisibly around you like an anthill sprawling deep underground, with elaborate passageways to thousands of other lives that you’ll never know existed, in which you might appear only once, as an extra sipping coffee in the background, as a blur of traffic passing on the highway, as a lighted window at dusk. I’m sure u/mammothben knew that when he titled it – he’s a thoughtful guy who considers others well. I strive to be similar and, after shaving with Sonder for all of August last year I grew in my affections both for this scent and for the concept of Sonder.

The scent opens beautifully with a complex yet light citrus and then settles down into a soft blend of sandalwood and something green. It tickles the olfactory bulb in all the right places and, in spite of using it for 30 days straight for AA, I have not grown a single percent tired of this scent. It is outstanding.

As for Sonder, well, much could be said about the concept but it is a one that each of us should become familiar with – it’ll help you grow in compassion and empathy in every relationship you have from your own child (who you usually adore) to the neighbors who continue to shoot off fireworks on July 6th (a full two days after they should be done). It takes work, you’ll mess up and forget, but – it’s freeing to realize that just because someone tells you off doesn’t mean they hate you – maybe they had a bad morning or their parent has a chronic illness or any number of things that probably aren’t about you. It changes the way you interact with your spouse because yes, you do forget that they’re a person with a whole life, too – and their life isn’t just about you. It’ll change how you parent – your kids are people, too! And, lastly – it’ll change how you approach these lather games; you’ll understand the judges have way too many posts to read and you don’t have that much interesting stuff to say, anyway – so you’ll mercifully shorten them up.

All that said – consider Sonder. Learn it, live it, let it impact your interactions with all varieties of people. Yes, even the ones you loathe.

And here’s the stack that includes my brand new Summer Break handle (Dundy) that just came in today courtesy of u/rocket455 – it’s got a motherlode in it for now but is worthy of a much better knot than this! My son, who loves yellow, took 1 look at it and immediately exclaimed, "when I'm big and shave, I'm going to use that brush!"

FOF Haiku of the day

Bright shining greenscape
Intoxicating my nose
Could use this always

July 6, 2023 – Olfactory Overdose

• Brush: Semogue SOC Boar #OLDWORLD
• Razor: Gillette Slim Adjustable H4 #DIAL
• Blade: Wizamet (2)
• Lather: House of Mammoth – Mood Indigo
• Post Shave: House of Mammoth – Mood Indigo
• Fragrance: House of Mammoth – Mood Indigo

Challenge: It’s my SOTD pic.

I love Mood Indigo. My first Lather Games, Mammoth soaps were hard to come by. I was sent smooshes of Shire and Mood Indigo and loved both of them. Fortunately, production increased and I was able to buy a trifecta of Mood Indigo later that year. I’ve used this for Austere August, so I can say with confidence that it’s a fragrance I don’t get tired of. It has staying power. Opening the soap was like seeing an old friend. Rich oud and sweet blueberries caught my attention right away. With a little more time, my nose picks up vetiver and black pepper. Black pepper is easy to miss at first. Once I noticed it, I felt like it’s role in the fragrance was pivotal. While the oud is the first thing that grabbed my attention, and the blueberry adds a tantalizing touch, the fragrance isn’t an oud bomb, or even fruity. The black pepper keeps everything in check with a subtle spice.

I smell the fragrance a bit in the balm when I put it in. But, it doesn’t last long. Balm isn’t a great medium for fragrance.

I’ve been wearing the fragrance for about 30 minutes now, and have already gone nose blind. I sprayed it on my wrists and chest. I can smell the oud, blueberry, pepper combo up close, but don’t get any projection.

#FOF