LGSOTD 22-Jun-24

• Brush: Wald - A1 #OLDWORLD #PREMIUMPLASTIC
• Razor: Shield - Predator (GEM) #CNC #MODERNGEM
• Blade: Personna - GEM PTFE
• Lather: Southern Witchcrafts - Boonana
• Post Shave: Southern Witchcrafts - Boonana AS

Spooky Season

I've seen Banana mentioned once too often that it seemed to bury itself in my mind and I felt I needed to give this a go. So here we go with SW Boonana...

Opened the tub and was hit in the face by a not unpleasant hit of banana, but there's more in the background that gives it a bit more character. I couldn't tell you what it was without the scent description, but it actually wasn't bad.

The funniest reaction was from the Mrs, she bloody hates banana, can stand the smell or taste, and unfortunately (or fortunately depending how evil I'm being) that's all she caught from this one.

Won't be a daily user, but I won't throw it out of the den.

Daily Challenge: Halloween

There was zero chance of getting pumpkins here at this time of year. Luckily I just so happened to be intending to making pizza today, so had some peppers laying around. So here's my effort.

Photocontest

This one is aiming at 'Cactus'. Despite my best efforts at the garden centre I couldn't find a banana cactus, which frankly had I managed to find one it would have been better for humour, so sadly this background pic is my best effort.

Spooky shaves all.

Cheers

Marc

Update: 15 hours later and I can still smell this stuff on me, I previously said it 'wasn't bad', but this stuff is amazing. Is it the bourbon that's hanging about? I don't know, but whatever it is I stand corrected, this may actually end up in the regular rotation!

2024-06-22 - Sound and Light

• Lather: Declaration Grooming - Son et Lumière
• Post Shave: Declaration Grooming - Son et Lumière
• Fragrance: Declaration Grooming - Son et Lumière
• Razor: Wolfman Razors - Guerrilla
• Brush: Yaqi Metal Timberwolf

Spooky Season: Many autumn-themed scents don't do much for me, so I was pleased as pepperspray when I saw the description for this scent:

[...] Son et Lumiere is a drizzly autumn walk through a (clean) city.

Unifying Theme: Doin' the triple

Halloween:
I expect a number of carved onions today, possibly with the Toyota emblem carved into them.

Alright, so there's this thing I picked up at a Goodwill a couple years ago for a Games photo. It's a pumpkin and I figure I can carve it with this razor.

I have no idea what it's made of, but it gave the razorsaw hell and it doesn't look like I should be breathing this stuff.

That slice does make it—strictly speaking—successfully carved, but I think I can do better. Before starting, I sawed off the stem in order to better clamp it down, revealing that the thing is hollow.

I wonder.... Hey, it broke!

What is that made of? I don't know how to identify fiberglass, but it doesn't seem to be outside the realm of possibility, so I'm calling that 1 legitimately-scary carved pumpkin.

#FOF
I realize I'm out of FOF now, but I just want to say that Son et Lumière is a contender for my top 5 favorite scents, among Abyss and Tobacconist. It's a rain-smell that doesn't exist (and not just because autumn doesn't exist).

Well, it's not a rain that I'm familiar with, but that's just because I associate rain-smell with creosote. It's criminal that there aren't any scents that feature creosote. But I digress.

I will add that once, when I was wearing this in the creosote-scented rain, I had the distinct impression that I exuded the unmistakable smell of wet dog.

#photocontest I don't think I'd ever encountered he name "Bokeh Balls" before, but you'd be hard-pressed to convince me you didn't have this exact label in mind when you chose to include it in the list.

Great shot.

June 22, 2024

• Brush: Chisel and Hound Brasilia V18
• Razor: Gillette Tech
• Blade: Feather (DE) (5)
• Lather: Talbot Shaving – Authors Ridge
• Post Shave: Talbot Shaving – Authors Ridge
• Fragrance: Stirling Soap Co. – Gatlinburg

Spooky season! When we dust off our fall scents during the hottest month in the northern hemisphere. That’s probably the scariest part there. But we must travel the seasons in a month so here we go.

I got this Author’s Ridge set from u/EldrormR in a PIF train thing. I had never had a Talbot Shaving product before and thought it sounded interesting. And it is a wonderful fall scent, meant to conjure up walking through a cemetery on a New England Fall day. Could you get any more spooky season than that? No. I don’t know if there was a frag, but if so, I don’t have it anyway. So for #fof I’m pairing it with Stirling’s premier (and now discontinued) fall scent Gatlinburg. Now curiously Gatlinburg smells more like a walk through my area of the Ozarks than “Ozark” (which has too much pine). It’s a wonderful cedar scent, a bit brighter than Author’s ridge, but still in that “winter is coming” dark zone. So I’ve done an “all fall” set today.

For #photocontest, let’s return to the story of Cheetah, last seen being arrested for trying to rob u/priusaurus. As we can see he’s now in jail, which my daughter has decided is under the bed, because it’s dark. He’s being guarded so our dino friend can get a shave. But he’s waiting, plotting. It is in fact so dark in there we gave him some external light for the picture. But this one is “Darkness”

For the challenge. It’s hard to come by pumpkins in June. So we had to settle for something thematic to the games: An onion. Behold my u/onionmiasma figurine.. As it turns out carving an onion has logistical problems as they are not solid per se, but layered, and you cry as you do it. I carved it with a utility knife which uses what I think is a type of razor blade (post didn’t specify shaving razor blades!)

Day 22

• Brush: SmilezforMilez – 22mm Synthetic
• Razor: Gillette Executive Fatboy
• Blade: Gillette Silver Blue
• Lather: 345 Soap Co. – Rhumpkin Soap
• Post Shave: 345 Soap Co. – Rhumpkin Splash
• Fragrance: Yves Saint Laurent – Y EdP

If there was an autumn scent that no one asked for it’s this: Pumpkin & Bay Rum, with a little bit of apple added in for good measure. In the soap description, 345 said, ”Embrace the welcome of fall with this warm and balanced scent.” Do you know how to balance the scent of Pumpkin and Bay Rum? If you do, please reach out to 345 Soap Company, because I think they missed the mark with this one.

This scent is… interesting…. The listed scent notes are pumpkin, apple, and bay rum, it’s basically a pumpkin spice bay rum. For the basic bitch pirate, I suppose. I picked this up because it was on clearance and I can see why. It’s a combination that no one asked for, or needed - kinda like those pick-up truck cars in the 1970s. But I’m glad I did, because it is perfect for Spooky Season and to use to get the funk out of new brushes. I don’t reach for this set often, but it’s a must for a day to celebrate all scents that are spooky and spicy!

I matched this set with Y by Yves Saint Laurent because it’s kind of fruity with some spice, just like the soap and splash. Y has prominent Apple, Grapefruit, and Ginger notes, on top of more spicy base. It actually saved the day with its crisp, modern vibe. It's like a breath of fresh air after being trapped in a dungeon run by Pumpkin Spice Pirates. Cheers to Yves Saint Laurent for keeping my dignity intact... somewhat. #FOF

Sidecontest: #photocontest – PIRATES! Went to a place called “Pirates Cove”, so it stands to reason that anyone at Pirates Cove has to be a Pirate, right? So many real-life pirates in this picture! Balancing the shave gear on the was kind of a pain in the ass, so I’m holding onto the splash. Also got a few weird looks from the Pirates ordering food at Pirates Cove. It was almost like they had never seen guy taking pictures of his shave gear to get a Pirate sign in the background before.

Challenge: I carved a Scary Blueberry! He was so scary that no other fruits would go near him. So, I decided he needed a friend. So, I carved a Scary Grape! And they became Scary Best Friends. All is right in their scary world now. 🥰🥰

iamhonestlylying’s Daily Top 5:

In honor of “Spooky Season”… The Top 5 Most Underrated Candies to Get Trick-or-Treating

5.) Rolos – The caramel to chocolate ratio is absolutely perfect.

4.) Sugar Babies – Sure, they may rip out any fillings you have, but they are so good!

3.) Reese’s Take 5 – An under the radar, 5-tool candy. It has it all. Sweet, Caramelly, Crunchy, Peanut Buttery, Pretzel. I know it hasn’t been around as long as Snickers have, but they are so good and criminally underrated.

2.) Mike and Ikes – For when you want a break from chocolate.

1.) Reese’s Pieces – E.T. knew what’s up. I’ll take Reese’s Pieces over M&Ms every day of the week!

(Editors Note: Those fruit flavored Tootsie Rolls. Specifically, the Vanilla Ones would have been included, however, my mom wouldn’t ever let us eat anything like that we got from Trick or Treating because they weren’t hermetically sealed and she was convinced someone would put a razor blade in them. So, I'm not including them on a Halloween candy list but they are 🔥🔥🔥🔥)

Jun. 22, 2024

• Brush: Marco Rinaldi Peacemaker

• Razor: Blackland Sabre

• Blade: Personna GEM PTFE [21]

• Lather: Southern Witchcrafts - Samhain

• Post Shave: Southern Witchcrafts - Samhain
• Fragrance: Southern Witchcrafts - Autumn Ash

Spooky Season is here.

I’ve been looking forward today, I bought Samhain specifically for this challenge and have had it for weeks just waiting to be used. I am not disappointed at all. Sensory overload in the scent department between Samhain and Autumn Ash frag. My wife complimented how I smell and how the bathroom smelled after I was done. She said if they sell candles in these scents buy them all.

My son went backwards this morning. Started throwing up again, but I think it’s because he swallowed to much air while taking his pills. He was gulping air and ginger ale and you guessed it, Linda Blare was in my kitchen. Even one of my dogs gave him a WTF look.He seems to be better now, he took a nap and ate a little and it’s still staying down.

Today’s Daily Challenge. This was a fun one from me I love carving Pumpkins but no chance finding them this time of year in Florida. So I used 2 apples, a strawberry, grapes and a butternut squash. Also used a PAL SE blade on the apples and strawberries and grapes. But I did use a paring knife on the Squash. Here is my carving masterpiece, the Strawberry skull I used grape skins for the eyes. You could not really see the carved out part of the strawberry without the grape skin. The other grapes are just for decoration along with the tomato’s. The one apple I carved like a pumpkin, the other apple I carved to look like a pumpkin.

All time favorite Halloween Candy

1. Baby Ruth
2. Snickers
3. 3 Musketeers
4. Kit Kat
5. Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups

Also Halloween is the ONLY day of the year I know I will not be asked why I wear an eye patch.

Photo Contest: Theme Eyes Speaking of eye patches, I only have one eye, and some have none. So today I embrace the having one in my photo.

#ROTY #FOF #photoContest

June 22, 2024

• Brush: Omega Penelli White HI-BRUSH Synthetic
• Razor: Smartly twin blade disposable #rainbow
• Lather: Southern Witchcrafts – Samhain

Travel shave again. I did not check luggage so here we are but at least the tiny strip of green and the white (which is all the rainbow colors) disposable will get me a #rainbow. I have a new element of scent added with this shave, fire and brimstone that spewed from the sulfurous well water that I used in our cabin. How appropriate. This scent, minus the sulfur, is special to me because it’s the first my wife actually liked. Old spice may have the old spice guy, but Samhain should have a dapper headless horseman wearing this. I would put it as low medium sweet, as the incense, oud, and sandalwood balance out the pumpkin and vanilla. Maybe it’s the other way around. That duality and balance is what makes it so great. The Amber adds the depth of scent that I’m addicted to smelling. The well water may have stunk, but this soap is definitely one of my favorite scents. Overall, this scent evokes a feeling of a dark and comforting night. Rainstorms, cold rainstorms, the kind that chill you to the bone as they soak your boots and socks. Getting covered in mud. Then this scent, Samhain, to the rescue. It’s comforting, sweet encases yourself in the scent and warms you up. You could also say a warm drink scent like coffee or cocoa too but to me it doesn’t have that same feeling as Samhain. So it’s ironic it’s 90+ degrees and so hot my skin sears if I’m outside for more than 5 minutes. What a day for spooky Sunday weather.

Unfortunate that I like my fingers or I would have ripped apart this disposable to carve my apple. But, regardless, challenge complete with the only food with me right now.

Todays theme is the elements: air for my hot air filled surgical glove #photocontest

#fof

June 22, 2024 - Spooky Season

• Brush: ShoreShave Burnt Orange, Tangerine, PearlSwirl T4 Fan 26 mm
• Razor: Blackland Blackbird
• Blade: Wizamet (36)
• Lather: Declaration Grooming - Darkfall
• Post Shave: Southern Witchcrafts - Boonana
• Fragrance: Imaginary Authors - A City On Fire

Challenge: I’ll come back to this if I have time…

Edit: Okay. First, who has a pumpkin in June? Here's an avocado. I carved it with a GEM blade.

Darkfall has a regional, geographic tie-in to where I live. The old L&L was based ~20 miles from my house before moving to Michigan and rebranding to Declaration Grooming. In the fall, it’s very common to smell burn piles. I can hardly leave my house without smelling burning leaves that time of year. The smoke in this fragrance takes me there. The note perfectly mimics the smell of detritus being consumed by flame. The dry soap is very smokey. Once it was lathered, I smelled a warm base consisting of amber, wood, and balsamic notes. It’s a cool fragrance, and somewhat of a novelty. I like the theme. It really captures GA in the fall.

Speaking of GA, Southern Witchcrafts is a GA based brand that makes great soap. Their two most popular fragrances, Autumn Ash, and Samhain, are both fall fragrances. They’re also two of my least favorite fragrances from the brand. Enter Boonana. There are notes of candy banana and lily up top which feel playful and make me think of Halloween candy. Notes of bourbon and tobacco provide warmth and darker sweetness to the mix. There’s a hint of spice from the tobacco. A note of vanilla rounds out the sweeter notes and keeps the banana and bourbon in balance. As I continue to smell this, the pumpkin note takes hold. It smells like the real thing, raw, freshly carved. It’s the note that ties everything together. Honestly, a lot of my criticisms of Autumn Ash could also be leveled at Boonana. It’s very sweet, the banana is artificial, and it can be a bit cloying. But, I like this one. Maybe it’s the Runts I ate as a kid, or my love of bourbon as an adult, but this fragrance is fun.

For the fragrance, I wanted to play off the smoke motif of Darkfall. I chose Imaginary Authors A City On Fire. It’s a little overwhelming at first. It’s deeply smoky. The smoke has a chemical-quality. It’s sort of like charcoal briquettes. There are other notes I smell, but in the context of the fragrance add the prefix “smokey” to them. I smell pine, slightly sour balsamic, and resinous sweet notes. It’s actually an interesting fragrance that's fun to nose through. I wouldn’t buy a full bottle because I don’t know when I would wear it. It’s not the type of fragrance that would draw complements.

#photocontest - fire, to go with the smokey fragrances.

#FOF

Spooky Seanson

• Brush: Yaqi Ferrari
• Razor: Muhle R41
• Blade: Bic
• Lather: Zingari Man - The Merchant

Spicy scent should be eligible.

photocontest

The Elements: Fire

Today’s Challenge:

Halloween

June 22, 2024 – LG 22: Spooky Season

• Brush: Maggard Purple Swirl Synthetic
• Razor: Gillette Tech
• Blade: Voskhod (6)
• Lather: Storybook Soapworks/Australian Private Reserve – Carnivale
• Post Shave: Barrister and Mann – Lyssa
• Fragrance: Stirling Soap Co. – Gatlinburg

All software is fall themed today for our #FOF. Storybook/APR Carnivale is a perfect fall scent. To use their words, “Carnivale. Elegant Fall Molecules.”. Also described as “Carnivale is the story of festivals and celebrations that occur during the cool months of autumn.” I mostly get stone fruit, touch of spice, woods. It opens with dried apricot and plum but I don’t really get the citrus (perhaps in other mediums it comes through better), quickly enveloped by muscatel grapes – though not juicy per se. It’s supported by soft woods and mellow spices, non of which I’d pick out individually. There’s a slight dankness to it, the faintest whiff of jazz cabbage, and you know, r/usernamechecksout. Lyssa was dubbed ‘zombie repellent’, and is another fall scent (Oct 2019 release). It’s quite spicy, with sage and nutmeg leading the charge. There is a floral sweetness though, coming from rose and violets. All resting upon a mossy and patchouli base. Stirling Gatlinburg was a setting out to “make a fall scent that might stay all year long.” It’s woody, peppery, and mossy. Though lavender and bergamot give it some faint brightness to keep it from getting bogged down.

For #PHOTOCONTEST we went with baseball. Got to Wales today. Interestingly enough, my cousins husband who is Welsh is an Oakland As fan and I live in Oakland, small world.

For our challenge, here’s my quick work of a chocolate digestive biscuit, carved with a razor blade.

LG SOTD Jun 22 2024 - Courgette O' Lantern wakes up in the woods and goes Bananas as the Fog Cowers on Hallows

#photocontest

Theme: Wood

• Brush: Black & Yellow Merit 99-5 by Heritage Collection Shaving / AP Shave Faux Boar Synthetic 24mm
• Razor: Henson AL13 - Medium #RUSTYBUTTRUSTY #CNC #RAINBOW
• Blade: Treet - Carbon Steel [1]
• Lather: Southern Witchcrafts - Boonana
• Post Shave: Barrister and Mann - Hallows - Aftershave Splash
• Fragrance: Maher Olfactive - The Fog Cowers (sample)

LET'S START TO TALK ABOUT FOOD

Pumpkins (or "Zucche", in Italian) are mostly an Autumn sight.

During the Summer, they are harvested while they are still young babies: not a full-blown Zucca, but a small Zucchina, also known internationally as Courgette.
The freshest ones are sold together with their flower, which you can use for many recipes.

Then, there are also the round courgettes, harvested while they are still young, just like the long ones. These are sold without flower, so that no protruding element will distract from their promising roundness.
Because of their soft skin, they are destined to be carved, stuffed with other ingredients, and then baked in the oven. A google search will reward you with plenty of options.

THE STORY OF COURGETTE O' LANTERN

Born under the Summer sun, a round courgette was harvested together with her sisters and cousins, all looking the same, all looking forward to the same baked destiny.
The following morning, they were all in a box on the shelf of a greengrocer in the big city.

Throughout the day, all her companions got progressively Picked Up and went away with their new human partners. By the time the greengrocer closed shop, our round courgette found herself left over, all by herself in the big empty box. Suddenly, a deep soothing voice with a sexy foreign accent resounded in the darkness of the closed shop: "What are you doing up here all alone?"

"It's just a matter of time, my partner should be picking me up any minute now..."

The courgette's skin was suddenly reached by a sensuous smell. At first, the sweet scents of flowers and vanilla made her nostalgic for her past life under the sun. Then, a darker accord started to creep in, with notes of tobacco and something boozy, something forbidden...

In the darkness, young courgette barely saw the shape of the tall yellow stranger leaning on to her, then felt a sharp cut on her soft skin, and lost conscience.

She woke up light headed and surrounded by the warm embrace of a variety of woods - some smooth, some rugged. A faint smell of lemon was lingering in the air. "Am I finally meeting my destiny, am I on a chef's chopping table ready to be transformed into a human meal?".

"Your transformation is a thing of the past" - the voice was coming from the branch of Fir that was almost surrounding her with its soft yet spiky embrace - "Can't you feel this smell in the air?".

All around her, beyond the faint lemony resin of the Fir, another sweet yet dark scent was lingering around her soft skin. If the tall yellow stranger at the greengrocer's had seduced her with intoxicating notes of vanilla and booze, this time there were notes of cocoa, and then aromatic green/woody notes of vetiver and cedar.

While trying to smell all this, Courgette felt something different on her skin.

"You have been touched by the Magic of the Rotting Blade", explained Fir. "You are now one of us. Not living, yet not dead".

Courgette's desperate scream was muffled by a thick Fog that was starting to Cower in the woods. The air was filled with more moss and musks, as well as heady flowers from somewhere Beyond.

"Today is All Hallows, the day of the Unliving" said a familiar voice. Round Courgette suddenly noticed that a whole pack of bananas where surrounding her, all lit by an unnatural light.

One of the strangers was still yellow, untouched by decay. She immediately realized it was the same yellow tall stranger who had approached her at the empty green grocer, on that lonely night. The other bananas, however, showed the black streaks of having trespassed the threshold of ripeness.

"Embrace your destiny, you little zucchina" - said Tall Yellow Stranger. The Magic Rotting Blade gave you a new purpose. Your undead name will be Courgette O' Lantern. From now on, your immortal duty is to forever glow in the darkness, luring other fruits to this unholy ground, where they will join us for the rest of eternity"

"But what is this place?" - asked Courgette, with her last glimpse of sanity.

"Just shut up and shine, my dear, you must learn to shine and wait"

"Wait for what?"

"The only thing worth it. The Next Coming of the Once and Future King!"

"Who?"

"They call him the Grave Fruit. That is not dead which can eternal lie, And with strange aeons even death may die"

#FOF

#ROTY

June 22, 2024 - apparently you can carve a cucumber

• Brush: Dogwood Handcrafts w/ 25mm Muhle STF #PREMIUMPLASTIC
• Razor: Karve Christopher Bradley (brass, SB-D)
• Blade: Wizamet
• Lather: Southern Witchcrafts - Boonana
• Post Shave: Barrister and Mann - Braeburn
• Fragrance: Barrister and Mann - Screamin J

All three of these products are on theme today. So we've got relevance by spicy/fall theming. Boonana is explicitly marketed as an Autumn scent. Braeburn mentions "it's a bastion against the coming cold," which, paired with the fact that it's an apple scent made in the US screams that it was intended to be used as a fall scent. Lastly Screamin' J is just spicy in all the best ways. It really tied together the fresh apple of Braeburn with the spices and other fruitiness from Boonana.

Everyone knows that SW soaps perform awesome, so let's talk about the stuff I used today that was new to me. The D plate for the Karve is noticeably different from the C plate, and I'm struggling to get a good shave on my neck with it without irritation. I think it's something I'll be able to fix with practice, but it doesn't make me think good things about the larger blade gap so far.

This is my first time using the Muhle STF knot. I set it a day or two ago, and finally got to use it today. This is probably the best synthetic knots I've used to date. It splays great. The backbone is middling enough that you don't have to mash the thing into your face but you don't crush the knot into your face with the lightest pressure like a Motherlode. The tips are extremely soft, and the knot has effectively no scritch unless you really mash it. Love it.

For the daily challenge I carved an eye into a cucumber so that I could make my pic also meet a photo contest theme. I probably should not have used a GEM blade to do this, far too unwieldy.

Photo contest theme for the day is Eyes. I carved an eye into the cucumber. I'm just trying to hit themes at this point man. #photocontest

June 22, 2024 - Spooky Season

• Prep: Warm Shower
• Brush: Semogue SOC Butterscotch #OLDWORLD
• Razor: Tatara Masamune Handle w/ Nodachi Base and Head #CNC
• Blade: Voskhod (8)
• Lather: Soap Commander - Heritage
• Post Shave: Barrister and Mann - Hallows
• Fragrance: Barrister and Mann - Hallows

I had a great shave with the Tatara today. Soap Commander always performs well enough for me, and the pair with Hallows was perfect. My wife and I celebrated our 14-year anniversary today, and she even commented how she was glad I used Hallows.

Halloween in June?! Fine, here you go. It is not quite a pumpkin, but you may not even know if you squint.

Side Contest: #PHOTOCONTEST—The elements: fire. This evening, I built a fire so the wife and I could spend some time outside talking after the kids went to bed. I figured I might as well take advantage and grab a picture.

Spooky Season

• Brush: Chisel and Hound Vitae Taper w/AP Shave Co. 26mm Pure Bliss Knot
• Razor: Yates Precision Polished Winning Razor #CNC
• Blade: Gillette - 7 O'clock SharpEdge
• Lather: Southern Witchcrafts - Samhain
• Post Shave: Barrister and Mann - Fougere Classique Aftershave Splash
• Fragrance: Maher Olfactive - Santal Auster

Daily Gratitude
Thanks to ShavinginCT for the soap and frag. Thanks to engineeredshave for doing the winning passaround. Thanks to the judges and fabulous people for putting this whole thing together.

Daily Mistakes
Forgetting to press markdown so I had to redo a bit.

Daily Writeup I'll get this straight, this was the worst shave of my life, I'm in the middle of no where with no running water and there are a ton of bugs and i'm really sunburnt. Soap smells nice and today was a good day so meh.

Daily Theme Points I think there are cobwebs on the soap art or something.

Daily Relevant Post Shave & Fragrance Points
This aftershave smells kind of spooky and its green and that is halloween. Frag description says something about rituals or something.

Daily Challenge In the SOTD photo album there is the squash I carved with a duck eating the inside.

Hardware Scavenger Hunt
Nothing new today.

Photo Contest
Fire is an element.

TL;DR
Bad shave, spooky, sunburnt, duck pumpkin, fire, I win rookie of the year thank you very much give me my prize.

Side Contests

photocontest

ROTY