Post 'Saturday Lather Games SOTD Thread - Jun 22, 2024' of challenge 'Feats of Fragrance 2024'

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.

June 22, 2024 – 2024.06.22 SOTD: Lather Games Day 22 – Sppoky Season

• Brush: Paragon Shaving Plisson knot (28mm) with Paragon handle
• Razor: Yates Precision Razors – Winning v2
• Blade: Feather (DE) (2)
• Lather: Stirling Soap Co. – Pumpkin Spice
• Post Shave: Areffa Soap – Crazy Pumpkin
• Fragrance: Southern Witchcrafts – Boonana

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Daily Theme: Spooky Season

Theme justification: Stirling Pumpkin Spice is an autumn/fall scent, hence why Stirling releases it in the fall. Plus, Pumpkin Spice is a fall scent/flavor

Relevant Post Shave & Frag: Areffa Soaps Crazy Pumpkin aftershave & Southern Witchcrafts Boonana EdP. The theme, continuing the fall-esque thought, is sitting on your porch with a pumpkin spice latte on Halloween with your carved pumpkins while you scare trick-or-treaters by screaming, "Boo!" You chuckle as the young kids scream and run away. Maybe becoming a ghost wasn't so bad.

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Scavenger Hunt ~~Justification~~: COMPLETED

Razor facts: N/A

Brush facts: N/A

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Daily/Special Challenge: Halloween

You know, surprisingly, I don't have a pumpkin in my house in the middle of June. So let's see if we can find anything that is carvable. Well, would you look at that. The first thing I see in my fridge is a nice, carvable, onion.. As everyone know, onions are fantastic, so this should be easy.

I take the onion, and a carving board, into my ~~bathroom~~ carving station. My nice Japanese knives would be useless for this. I need to use the sharpest of blades. Always wash your tools before working! Now I'm ready to begin. First step is the peel the skin off. Easy. The sharpest blade on earth was handy for taking the skin off. Next step was to slice the ends off. Again, easy work.

I cut out two eyes to start. It's coming together. Cut a mouth for him, and c'est fini. I shall call him, Mini Miasma!

Let's add some spookiness to Mini Miasma, for a better fit for the theme. There, that's more like it!

P.S.: the reason Mini Miasma has an onion sliver in his mouth is because he's ridding his body of evil onions though his mouth.

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Fragrance description

Pumpkin spice is a nice scent, but I don't use this soap too often. I don't get a burn from it like some, but It's just a scent I have to be in the mood for, you know? It does smell exactly like the good pumpkin spice mix you'd get at the store (or preferably make yourself).

Crazy pumpkin is probably my favorite Areffa scent I've tried. It's like walking through a pumpkin patch at dusk that's full of other flowers. The spice note also brings out the thought of a fire (without the smoke) in the pumpkin patch. I actually like it better than Stirling's Pumpkin Spice scent.

Boonana is fantastic. I get more bourbon and tobacco than banana, but the sweetness of the banana does cut through to make the other scents more palatable. Everything works in tandem to make sure this scent is a fall classic.

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Now onto the shave!

First off, I couldn't let that Feather blade go to waste. They're expensive! So I had to put it back in my razor.(please not that the floss pick is unused for teeth, and only used as a pick to remove some onion from Mini Miasma). All back together, so the shave can begin!

Stirling soap lathers up as expected, providing a nice lather. Shaving with a blade coated in onion juices might not have been the best idea, but at least it didn't seem to cause any issues (we'll see if my face decided to yell at me later for essentially putting onion juices on it).

The splash isn't on the level of NO or other artisans, but it's not bad at all. I'd say upper-mid tier.

Rounding out with Boonana made this shave (scent wise) oddly enjoyable. Love SW's EdPs (and their affordable prices).

Hope everyone enjoys their weekend! :)

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Totals:

• Razor Hashtags: 10/10
• Brush Hashtags: 10/10
• Hardware Sponsor Points: 2/2
• Software Sponsor Points: 13/16
• Number of Lather Brands: 22/30
• Number of Lather Scents: 22/30
• Number of Post Shaves: 22/30
• Number of Frags: 22/30

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Contest Hashtags:

#FOF

#ROTY

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 🔥🔥🔥🔥)

LG 22 - Spooky Season

• Brush: Sawdust Creatio Studio "Battle ship" - Oumo Manchurian Lotus 26mm
• Razor: Henckels Friodur 14
• Lather: Southern Witchcrafts - Druantia
• Post Shave: Southern Witchcrafts - Druantia
• Fragrance: Zara - For Him 2018

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Creepy Bonano has been a witness to today's shave. Take care carving with razor blades can harm your fingers, experience talks.

.#FOF The forest notes with the gourmand vibe of the fungs, orange, and ginger, mixed well with the Zara's sweet sandalwood/cardamon/bergamot accord.

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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

June 22, 2024 - Spooky Season

• Brush: Semogue Owners Club - Cherry Boar
• Razor: Solingen Silver Steel 6/8 Hollow Round Point
• Lather: Red House Farm - Prairie Dog
• Post Shave: Spearhead Shaving Co. - Black Watch Toner
• Fragrance: Jean Paul Gaultier - Le Male EdT #FOF

Spooky Season:

This was a tricky one as I used my today’s sponsor Southern Witchcrafts already in the LG. Samhain is a solid choice for fall. Instead I was scrambling to fit something. As I was perusing the sponsor list, I saw Red House Farm as a sponsor of the No Scrubs side challenge. I have a soap that I won in a PIF from u/Grindermonk, Prairie Dog. I think a soap that evokes a warm fall evening is a good choice for the hottest day so far this year, and solidly fits the theme.

Scary Squash Slicing:

June is not even close to pumpkin season. I thought about sewing up a pumpkin today with some felt, but not sure I’d finish it. I just bought some Honey Crisp Apples this week. They are firm and kind of pumpkin shaped. Time to grab the weapon of choice, a Personna GEM PTFE blade. The scariest thing I could think of was how much time I’m spending doing challenges on Reddit. So I tried to carve a Snoo. The poor guy got absolutely destroyed.

Pro tip for Halloween, if you want to be the best house in your neighborhood. Four words sum it up: Full Sized Candy Bars. When I lived in New Hampshire it was in a great family neighborhood. In September, I saw that Costco had a crazy price on boxes of 30 full sized bars. I ended up over the next few weeks buying 7 of them. Altogether I spent about $70. It was a very good deal that year. Once kids saw we were giving out full sized bars, they went nuts. Several screamed, “This is the best house ever!” It was so much fun giving those out that year. I ended up getting relocated and moved away before the next Halloween and don’t get many kids trick or treating.

Feats Fragrance Kind:

Today was a tricky one, but it worked out to be a treat. Starting from Prairie Dog with base notes of incense and sandalwood, I went to Black Watch which is also built with the same. It adds some leather and oakmoss giving it more earthiness, but that works well with the clary sage and vetiver in Prairie Dog. So far working well to me. It’s a warm fall evening. Those fall days that are called Indian Summer. Leaves are starting to turn, and I’m enjoying it as the real cold weather hasn’t come yet. To cap it off, Le Male also has sandalwood in the base notes, plus vanilla and lavender, which comes back to Prairie Dog. What Le Male adds though is a bit of warm spice from cardamom, cinnamon, and caraway. Cinnamon stands out for me from Le Male. I considered using Black Watch as the fragrance with Prom King as post shave, but I get a bit more spice from the EdT original. That felt like a better progression to me.

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 – LG Day 22 – sp00ky szn but in June

• Brush: Maggard Timberwolf Synthetic 24mm
• Razor: Ever Ready 1912
• Blade: AccuTec Pro Premium
• Lather: Declaration Grooming – Darkfall
• Post Shave: Hub City Soap Co. – Friday Night Lights
• Fragrance: Kerosene – Blackmail

Darkfall, the essence of fall in Georgia a la burning leaves, is pure smoky goodness. My partner would say it smells like smoked meats (she might not be wrong), but once lathered that quality drifts away. The birch tar is strong, but as it fades, a pleasant smoke with warming spices and woods remains. With our splash, we move over to fall in the Midwest, where the local high school football game is a true community event. Or rather, the party after the game. If it were realistic, the prominent marshmallow note would be replaced with eau de Bud Light, but I’m thankful they opted for the vanilla approach. The campfire element is fairly subdued here, and though I usually wish it was stronger, a softer, smoother scent works nicely in this lineup. Blackmail is a lovely finish to the shave, although the region it represents is likely more in fantasy land. Berries and two smoky elements, incense and woodsmoke. Maybe a land where the folks at the bonfires in Friday Night Lights are roasting berries instead of ‘mallows, or an American South where raspberries fall from the trees and are alit with the coming of autumn. #FOF

I’m tempted to take us on a horticultural and capitalistic journey where I explain why pumpkins aren’t available at the supermarket in June, but I’m tired after spending quite a long time carving my masterpiece.

I popped over to the grocery store to get my in-season canvas and sauntered to the shave den to grab my tools. After a test run on the backside with the sole intention of scaring Jeffbot, I got to work. An hour and change later, I’m quite proud of the final result. Quite spooky, if I do say so myself.

June 22, 2024

• Brush: Dogwood Handcrafts X John Butcher - "Mark" - 24mm APShave Co Cashmere Synthetic
• Razor: Gillette Aristocrat Adjustable
• Blade: Wilkinson Sword
• Lather: Southern Witchcrafts – Samhain Soap
• Post Shave: Southern Witchcrafts – Samhain Splash
• Fragrance: Southern Witchcrafts – Samhain EdP

The judges know it’s not pumpkin season, right? So I guess I better carve a the pumpkin of the Summer: A watermelon! I was so excited to carve the little bastard with my kids I completely forgot to take a before picture, so you all are going to have to trust me that I didn’t buy a watermelon that was pre-carved.

Anyway, we carved up a watermelon, and set him up with my gear for a SOTD pic but then I realized he wasn’t quite camera ready. He’s looking a little scraggly. I can’t have my new friend looking not his best in pictures. And it didn’t seem right that I be the only one to shave around here. Let’s clean him up a bit, shall we? You guys know the drill. First comes the lather. Let’s pause for a quick picture to commemorate the occasion. My little melon’s first shave! They grow up so fast. Now, let’s clean you up, buddy. I gave him a BWS shave, wiped him down, and bingo! He looks about 10 years younger, doesn’t he?

A little behind the scenes: This was a fun challenge, judges. My kids had a blast with this one. However, my wife’s sister is visiting from out of town and staying with us while she’s here. Having to explain to her why we bought a watermelon only to scoop out the melon, and carve it up, slather lather all over it, and then shave it was an interesting conversation. She went along with it, but I’m pretty sure she thinks (figured out?) I’m a crazy person. Kitchen shaving with her around tomorrow is gonna be interesting…

Now, on to the #FOF:

In my humble opinion, there is no better Autumn Scent than Samhain. It actually ~~may be~~ is one of my favorite scents in wetshaving, so I’m using a trickhole of it today because it’s the best. It’s warm and inviting, a little gourmand, but still balanced enough for anyone to wear out for any occasion. Not all SW scents may be for me, but the ones that are for me, are phenomenal.

Using Samhain is like stepping outside on a fall morning, where the air is crisp with the aroma of fallen leaves and autumn traditions. Its warm scent envelops me in a wonderful sensory embrace, weaving a story that lingers long after the first whiff. The fragrance opens with the inviting sweetness of spiced pumpkin and nutmeg, reminiscent of a freshly baked pumpkin pie. This initial burst of warmth and comfort is quickly accompanied by the rich notes of bourbon and a hint of tobacco.

As the scent continues to develop, it reveals layers of complexity, reminding me of the scents I would smell trick or treating in New England or attending Harvest Festivals in the fall. Notes of sandalwood, incense, and amber reveal the spirit of a New England harvest festival and I can almost hear the leaves crunching under my feet as I stroll in the cool breeze and listen to kids running and playing. To put a finishing touch on the whole experience, there’s smoky allure of burning embers and aged woods, that transport me to a cozy bonfire under a starlit sky. It's the final whisper of one of my favorite times of year that brings this fall-time shave experience together, leaving me with a sense of both enchantment and nostalgia.

For me, Samhain is more than just a fragrance; it's a journey back through back to the autumns of my childhood – and one I hope my recreate for my kids as they get older. It's a perfect blend of pumpkin and spices, with the crisp whispers of fall leaves, and it absolutely create a captivating symphony for the senses. This scent is Autumn in a bottle.

Challenge: Obviously.

Soap Theme Justification: From SW: “Samhain is a Gaelic festival marking the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter or the ‘darker half’ of the year.” It is celebrated from October 31 to November 1 to welcome in the harvest

Relevant Post Shave & Fragrance: Trickhole.