LGSOTD 23-Jun-24

• Brush: Chisel & Hound - 'Finned' V14 #COMPOSITE #SHD
• Razor: Frederick Reynold - Swayback
• Lather: Hoffman's Shaving Co. - Affogato
• Post Shave: Hoffman's Shaving Co. - Affogato

Today I decided to go with Affogato, a lovely Italian dessert that combines two of my favourite things, espresso and ice cream. Seeing as I was going to shave with it I may as well make myself one as well. The soap is a little sweeter than I would like and needs a bit more espresso in it, but it is Sweet Sunday after all.

Challenge - Kitchen Day It's just my own kitchen but it at least made for a comfortable Sunday shave. You'll have to forgive the random coloured liquid and test tubes, there was crap everywhere from me cooking and this was the most clear space. My daughter was performing "experiments", seeing what happened when mixing different colours liquids.

Photocontest

Considering the day I'm aiming this one at 'Sugar & Sweets', the affogato was delicious, though perhaps a tad early for ice cream.

Have a grand one all.

Cheers

Marc

Looks like butter in a glass lol

June 23, 2024 – Cooking up a shave

• Brush: Aurora Grooming LG 2024 with 26mm AP Shave Co. Pure Bliss #FRANKENBRUSH #PREMIUMPLASTIC #SHD #FAUXFUR #SUBBROOSH
• Razor: Gillette Tech
• Blade: 7 O’Clock – Sharpedge (Yellow) (1)
• Lather: Talent Soap Factory – Fantasy Donut
• Post Shave: Summer Break Soaps – Remote Learning
• Fragrance: Summer Break Soaps – Remote Learning

Final week.

Today’s theme was basically sweets. And u/onionmiasma made a good point “if you have a ringer like Fantasy Donut” why use anything else.” Now I have a smush from u/priusaurus, but I opted to get a full tub because it just smelled so fun.

Pairing it for #fof was a challenge but when I smelled it, I was teleported back to college, when we used to survive on stupid things like donuts and Mountain Dew so Remote Learning it is. But what about the frag. Well, I suppose I should smell like a frat house inhabited by people surviving on donuts, doritos and the Dew, so Remote Learning Frag it is. Keep in mind it’s Sunday, I’m gonna get some odd looks at church. I can just tell them I have horrible indigestion, or BO. Easier than explaining a wet shaving contest. (Yes I put on the frag after the shower. No cowards here!)

The choice for #photocontest was obvious: A donut. Obvious choice, expect a lot of those today. My kids were excited for this SOTD picture because I bought extras.

It seems u/jwoods23 guessed right and today is shave in your kitchen day. So I did. The judges can be thankful I did the dishes first. Of course I can’t set foot in the kitchen in the morning with the chorus of “Dad, I need….” So breakfast was fixed in between strokes. Lather wasn’t quite dripping (yes, I know) so I was able to get the breakfast served without destroying it for my kids. (“But the donuts,” you say, well I got those Saturday morning and they lasted 10 minutes, barely long enough to get the picture. No mirror. Tried to use the oven as a replacement but it was too dirty, so we’ll shave by feel. Oveall not bad, let’s dry off with a thematic towel and enjoy the smoothie!

2024-06-23 - You'll laugh; you'll cry; you'll hurl!

• Lather: Jordan's Shaving Soap - Black Licorice
• Post Shave: Clubman Pinaud - Gent's Gin
• Fragrance: INeKE - Jaipur Chai
• Razor: Treet TTO
• Brush: Omega 11047 Mixed (43mm x 20mm) #MISTURA #SMOLL #RUNT

Sweet Sunday:
I contend that the best way, hands-down, to approach the Games is by straight-up winging it as much as is reasonable. I start nodding off when whichever stunt clearly took planning; it's the Games equivalent of a staged tik-tok.

Do something weird that you didn't have a column for on your calendar spreadsheet! That's what's organic. That's what's fun. That's what's impressive! Sure, get your calendar in order, but even then be open to making some on-the-fly choices. Take today, for instance.

I figure I'm in the minority here, but I'm reasonably confident that I'm not alone when I say that—broadly speaking—the mere words "sugary sweet gourmand" are enough to make me vomit in a profound spectacle that makes the Belaggio look like a Pomeranian's spittle.

But I digress.

Enter Jordan with his Black Licorice; now that's a confection I can get behind!

Except I had left today's aftershave slot empty like, "Meh, Future Ginopono's got that handled no problem!" Fast-forward to Future Ginopono (now Yesterday Ginopono) who was ready to concede and use Blueberry Muffin along with other items that have "Blue" in the name—not to mention the inevitable vomit. But that's when he, thanks to all the blue, noticed Gent's Gin right in the freakin' center of my cabinet like a shining, explicity-consumable-inspired beacon, inviting me to a vomit-free kitchen-shave!

Unifying Theme: Esculents
They're all non-pie things that one ingests through their corresponding pie-hole.

Oh, and Treet because "treat!"

Kitchen:
Yup, that happened.

#FOF
Oh, am I still doing this? Apparently. What's a SOTD without at least some commentary on the scents?

Black Licorice and Gent's Gin are exactly what it says on the ~~tin~~ plastic container. They're also both notoriously divisive. In years past, I was fond of sipping on a juniper bush, and today I have a refreshing glass of strongly anise-flavored beverage in front of me.

Jaipur Chai starts rough, very much on the "sweet" side of gourmand; it seems to me it would be right at home next to one of the pastry-like scents I nearly stuck myself with today.
At this stage, it strikes me as very much like its namesake (or at least the "chai"-labeled items I've been exposed to). The vanilla comes in a bit strong here. It's not altogether awful, though, because that lady definitely knows a nose.

What's this? As the tops level out, I get a strong clove scent! Fuck, yeah! Another divisive scent, but I am a fan. The vanilla remains prominent, though, then the base cream establishes its dominance.

I think it's objectively good, but I'm not a big fan of it.

#photocontest Confection
Ugh, I think I got a cavity just by laying that out.

Day 23

• Brush: Frank Shaving – Silvertip Synthetic 20mm
• Razor: Schick Injector
• Blade: Ted Pella Injector Blades
• Lather: Talent Soap Factory – Cakehole Soap
• Post Shave: Apex Alchemy – Basic AF Splash
• Fragrance: Valentino - Born in Roma Yellow Dream EdP

Thanks to u/Priusaurus for the smush of the absurdly named Talent Soap Factory Cakehole.

I’ve been putting the challenge stuff at the end of my SOTDs, but today, since it’s such a big part of the shave, I’m starting with it. Firstly, I need to paint you a picture. I bet a lot of people won’t remember, but last year, I texted my sister about using my niece’s play kitchen for this challenge, she thought I was on drugs, and as it turned out, I was just really dedicated to my first Lather Games.

This story has been repeated time and time again throughout my family. Everyone has heard it and can probably recite it over and over and over again. It has quickly become part of our family’s lore. Everyone loves this story of me using my niece’s play kitchen to shave for the internets. Now, fast forward to last Christmas, my sister wrapped up the toy kitchen and gave it to me as a gag gift. My niece had outgrown it and she thought she’d be funny and give it to me before giving me my real gift (A Maggard’s Gift Card, thankyouverymuch!) And I’ve been hanging onto this kitchen for almost 6 months, waiting for today: Kitchen day.

Now, I know what you’re probably thinking: No, I don’t have any other kids in my life. So, I’m just the ~~weird~~ completely normal single guy in his 30s, with a toy kitchen in his apartment that I’ve been saving for an internet shaving competition. Completely normal stuff. Explaining it to people that come over has been fun. Imagine going over to visit your single buddy, going to his fridge to get a beer, and you notice he has a toy kitchen in his kitchen. Yeah. That’s been my life for the past 6 months.

Well, who’s crazy now, because I’m using it today and I don’t even need to text my sister to ask her to borrow it! So there! Crazy like a fox!

Anyways, I used the little sink to soak my brush. Then since the little sink doesn’t actually drain, I picked up the kitchen and dumped the water out of the little sink, into my real sink. Total practical. I also decided to use the little sink as a lather bowl and smushed my smush right in there and got to loading and lathering. This tiny sink was, well, tiny. Which is why I’m using the smallest brush I own. Creating a lather was still a giant pain in the ass, but I managed to get a pretty good lather out of this soap. The only thing this tiny kitchen is missing is running water and a tiny mirror.

Speaking of the soap: Cakehole. Because nothing says "start your day right" like smearing your face with something named after a slang term for your mouth. It’s one of those words that sounds kind of dirty, but isn’t, but it still feels like I’m saying something explicit when I say the word “Cakehole.” As I opened the little plastic baggy, a scent so sweet it could give you diabetes wafted out. Think of a bakery explosion, where everything that could possibly have frosting was fused into one sugary scent bomb. If there was ever any confusion what gourmand is, this is gourmand.

Applying the lather felt like slathering a birthday cake directly onto my face – minus the sprinkles, of course. This soap is unlike anything I’ve ever used before. Delicious? Absolutely. Ridiculous? Even more so. After rinsing off the lather and resisting the urge to lick my own face, I used Apex Alchemy’s Basic AF. The name alone sets expectations low, and it delivers in spectacular fashion. It’s okay-ish. It’s scented like a Pumpkin Spice Latte, and was an appropriate finish for Cakehole. Not something I really have any desire to use a lot, but it fit this shave. Basic AF, indeed.

With my face now free of cake and coated in the essence of basic bitchdom, it was time to elevate this experience with Valentino's Born in Roma Yellow Dream. The name evokes visions of grandeur and sophistication, a stark contrast to the "basic" splash I'd just used. The fragrance opened with a burst of juicy pineapple and zesty mandarin, quickly followed by a heart of spicy gingerbread. The gingerbread really tied this whole shave together. It was like walking through an upscale bakery. First the cake, then the P.S.L., and now the gingerbread. The dry down of the cologne revealed a base of vanilla and cedarwood, adding a layer of elegance that felt almost comically out of place with this shave. #FOF

Sidecontest: #photocontest: Elements: Air. The fan blows air.

iamhonestlylying’s Daily Top 5:

In honor of “Sweet Sunday”… The Top 5 Flavors of Cakes/Cupcakes

5.) Chocolate cake with chocolate frosting – Perfect for the chocolate lover in your life. If anyone out there says “It’s too chocolatey” there’s an easy solution: add a scoop of vanilla ice cream!

4.) Pineapple Upside Cake - This cake likes to keep things interesting—literally flipping the script on dessert. It's like the rebel cousin at family gatherings, always bringing a tropical party and saying, "Who needs frosting when you've got caramelized pineapple and cherries on top?"

3.) Red Velvet – I still don’t know what exactly the flavor of Red Velvet actually is, but I know it’s delicious!

2.) Yellow with Chocolate Frosting - The classic duo that’s been together longer than peanut butter and jelly. It's like the golden retriever of cakes—reliable, loved by everyone, and always bringing sunshine to your dessert table. You can set your watch to yellow cake with chocolate frosting.

1.) Funfetti - The cake equivalent of a confetti cannon at a birthday party. It's colorful, tasty, and was more fun than the alternatives. Imagine going with a regular ass white cake when Funfetti is an option? With sprinkles inside and out, tells all the other takes to take a seat and watch how it’s done.

(Editors Note: If you even suggest Carrot Cake, you can fuck right off. Carrot cake sucks. Vegetables don’t belong in desserts, and if you think for a second they do, you’re wrong.)

Jun. 23, 2024

• Brush: Maggard Razors Sky Blue SHD Fan Badger Badger

• Razor: Blackland Sabre

• Blade: Personna GEM PTFE [22]

• Lather: Talent Soap Factory - Fantasy Donut

• Post Shave: Talent Soap Factory - Fantasy Donut

• Fragrance: Lattafa - Khamrah

Sweet Sunday

It’s hot today, 90° with a feels like 98° and humidity 62%, it’s just terrible. It’s not raining but my one Husky has climbed up onto his safe place so that means there’s thunder coming.

Soap and splash fit the theme today no problem. Some might question the frag but this is a super sweet and warm. I normally wear it in colder temperatures so December and January but I broke it out for today. Here is the Perfume Pyramid if anyone is interested in it.

Today’s challenge: My wife truly thinks I’m nuts. She thinks we all are. But here’s video of my kitchen shave. I tried to keep it short but I recorded my lathering in this one so it’s 8 minutes long.

P.S. Yes that’s James our Elf on the Shelf swinging from the Pots and Pans holder. We just never put him away after we broke the news to the youngest about Christmas. Now we keep him around for Magic all year.

Photo Contest: Donuts

#ROTY #FOF #PhotoContest

Sweet Sunday

• Brush: Yaqi Ferrari
• Razor: Muhle R41
• Blade: Bic
• Lather: Ariana & Evans - Peach & Cognac

photocontest

Sugar & Sweets

Today’s Challenge:

Kitchen Day

Congratulations you've been entered into the best shot photography contest!

Judge comment: nice contrasts, good job on filling the frame

June 23, 2024 – LG 23: Sweet Sunday

• Brush: Maggard Purple Swirl Synthetic
• Razor: Gillette Tech
• Blade: Voskhod (7)
• Lather: Apex Alchemy – Nightcrawler
• Post Shave: Apex Alchemy – Nightcrawler
• Fragrance: Imaginary Authors – A Whiff of Waffle Cone

Evening shave of super sweet options. At the cousins in Wales, not sure what drumstick squashies are, but this seemed the perfect sickly sweet precursor face wash for with night crawler today. Night crawler is exactly as advertised, it smells like sour gummy worms. Think blue raspberry candy, whether jolly ranchers, gummies, slurpees. The AS is particularly potent. IA waffle cone is also perfectly matches its namesake. Painfully sweet maple, vanilla, and waffle smelling. Think walking into an ice cream or gelato shop where they have fresh made waffle cones. Lots of caramelized sugar. Everything today is too sweet, but on theme nonetheless. Definitely one of the more interesting pairings this LG. #FOF

For #PHOTOCONTEST went with darkness. Problem is new iPhones just auto fix that. So what is more cliche than photo lens blur darkness when it comes to SOTD photos.

Another daily challenge I sadly did not manage, was not about to shave in the cousins kitchen. Nor did I have a hat. We are close, but that seemed a stretch. So here’s some Hell’s Kitchen NY facts and tie ins for today shave instead. It has a high population of LGTBQIA folks, and June is pride month. Matt Murdoch aka Daredevil is based there and is blind, so I went with darkness for the photo. Noted residence of famed Chef Tony Bourdain, whose favorite dessert was crème caramel, which has the same vibe as today’s frag.

June 23, 2024

• Brush: Omega Penelli White HI-BRUSH Synthetic
• Razor: Smartly twin blade disposable
• Lather: Barrister and Mann – Amazelnut

Today I had a cancelled flight so changed my plans. Luckily, I decided to have one extra days worth of soap just in case. Amazelnut is a sweet gourmand scent that I would be more than happy to smell when waking everyday. It has notes of hazelnut and an added depth of vanilla, French vanilla anyone? When lathered, it brings out the depth of scent. There is some vetiver, and it brings a more perfume-esc quality to the soap which makes it more wearable. For my memory, it brings back a specific coffee/candy shop in my hometown because of the sweet coffee scent. One that was there long before me and kept the 1930-1940s small candy shop decor and vibe. Before I liked coffee to drink, we would get hand mixed soda (my favorite was Vanilla Coke) and in the winter milk steamers (again my favorite was vanilla). The shop is still there today although I haven’t been there in a while. But I’ll always have those memories of 7th and 8th grade after school stops.

I found a bucket at my sisters where I was lucky enough to stay instead of a hotel for the #photocontest

fof

June 23, 2024 - Sweet Sunday

• Brush: Farvour Unicorn Puke APShaveCo Silksmoke 26 mm
• Razor: RazoRock Lupo Silver
• Blade: Wizamet (37)
• Lather: Talent Soap Factory - Cakehole
• Post Shave: Declaration Grooming - Peaches and Scream
• Fragrance: FZOTIC - Corpse Reviver

Theme: All software scents smell like dessert, sweet beverages, or sweets.

Challenge: I tried to use a hand mixer for the lather. The brush went crazy. So, I had to give up on the idea. I used the reflection in the oven door to face lather and shave. Thanks to Starbucks for the rinse cup. It kind of looks like crema.

Today's lather is Cakehole from Talent Soap Factory. Thanks to /u/Priusaurus for the smoosh. Cakehole is marketed as a vanilla cake scent. It’s sweet, but not as much as I expected. There’s vanilla, but it lacks the depth and complexity of vanilla bean. There’s a note of sweet bread. It does smell like cake. It's the standard Duncan Hines boxed cake mix. The soap was good from what I could gather squating in front of the oven. I have enough soap left for another shave. So, I’ll have to test this soap base again at a later date.

I believe this splash is based on a cocktail. Peaches + Scream is very peachy. I’m not sure how the smell of cream exists in fragrance, but this smells (dairy) creamy. Teak is an interesting touch that fits surprisingly well. It’s subtle, and rests beneath the peaches. Hints of bourbon and amber add a touch of warmth and compliment the airy, fruity notes. It's an approachable fragrance. It's not too sweet, or too heavy. I think this is a crowd-pleaser.

Corpse Reviver is an amber vanilla fragrance with lots of gourmand scent notes. I smell an intense dark chocolate note. After a minute or two, the chocolate gives way to brown sugar sweet whiskey, plum/date/fig fruit, and vanilla. Eventually, I get a bit of an animalic note. But, it doesn’t change much over time. This fragrance is decadent. I love the heavy dose of dark chocolate. It’s not an everyday scent. But, it would be fitting for a night out.

#photocontest - air

#FOF

Is this photoshopped? If not, this is a spectacular shot.

June 23, 2024 - Sweet Sunday

• Prep: Warm Shower
• Brush: AKA Brushworx - 26mm Cashmere Fan
• Razor: Yaqi Pink Razor #RAINBOW
• Blade: Voskhod (9)
• Lather: Catie's Bubbles - Saturday Morning
• Post Shave: Summer Break Soaps - Remote Learning
• Fragrance: Summer Break Soaps - Remote Learning

I pulled out the trusty mirror again for today's kitchen shave. Nothing special today except the now-normal "not this again" from the kids. Great performance from Catie's Bubble's sugary sweet Saturday Morning. Paired it with the equally sugary sweet Remote Learning aftershave and the Remote Learning fragrance, which matches the aftershave in name.

Side Contest: #PHOTOCONTEST - Sugar and Sweets

Sweet Sunday

• Brush: Chisel and Hound Vitae Taper w/AP Shave Co. 26mm Pure Bliss Knot
• Razor: Yates Precision Polished Winning Razor #CNC
• Razor: Blackland Blackbird Brass SB Long Handle #CNC
• Blade: Personna - Comfort Coated
• Lather: Elysian Soap Shop - Pineapple Ambrosia
• Post Shave: Barrister and Mann - Presto Aftershave Splash
• Fragrance: Zoologist - Squid

Daily Video

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

Daily Mistakes
I should have done the dishes so I could get better angle.

Daily Writeup Pretty great shave today, I decided to go for a comparison shave with a passaround razor and my birb, great razors all around but I prefer the shave feel of the Birb, both end up BBS so meh. Sadly I couldn't smell the soap because I'm sick rn but good soap anyway. Vid is a bit long today so I'm trying to echo the main points here to save y'all some time.

Daily Theme Points It got Jello on the label!

Daily Relevant Post Shave & Fragrance Points
Both super edible smelling stuff, hard to explain without smellovision but I tried to convey in vid.

Daily Challenge Kitchen shave is a lot better than yesterday's farm shave lol, vid has proof of microwave corner.

Hardware Scavenger Hunt
Nothing new today.

Photo Contest
Sugar & sweets, marshmallows!

TL;DR
Chores, comparison, sick, jello, microwave, marshmallows, I win rookie of the year thank you very much give me my prize.

Side Contests

photocontest

ROTY

June 23, 2024 - donuts again?

• Brush: Zenith 28mm Unbleached Boar
• Razor: Karve Christopher Bradley (brass, SB-D)
• Blade: Wizamet
• Lather: Talent Soap Factory - Cakehole
• Post Shave: Noble Otter - The Noir et Vanille
• Fragrance: Imaginary Authors - A Whiff of Wafflecone

Huge shoutout to /u/Priusaurus for today's soap smush. This stuff is pure cake batter. Very gourmand. The frag is also very gourmand, I got to spend all day smelling like an ice cream parlor, and I loved it. Lastly the splash also meets our gourmand criteria as a tea inspired scent featuring black tea, vanilla, and, for some reason, strawberries extremely prominently. I really don't understand why this isn't a strawberry scent when it's a main component to my nose.

Today's shave went well. I'm getting better with the D plate on this Karve. This is my first time using TSF, and the base is good enough that I want a tub, but it's not so good I'm willing to buy a random scent. Going to have to find one that really captivates me and Cakehole is not it. I hate this scent. This is what cakes should smell like, not people. This is weird because I absolutely love A Whiff of Wafflecone. I think it's something about Cakehole being a thing that just smells like cake, where Wafflecone evokes a mood and experience. Wafflecone is better at being a metaphor, while Cakehole is just cake. I hope that makes sense.

I shaved in my kitchen. It went fine. I'm used to shaving without a mirror at this point thanks to these challenges. It also helps that I normally shave without my glasses on, so it's not like I can see myself in the mirror anyways.

Today's photo contest theme is Sugar & Sweets. We're double dipping on the donuts to hit this theme, but this time I've got fancy donuts. I oringally was going to use the doll shaped like a person to create a serial killer scene, but they didn't have any with eyes at the donut shop this afternoon, so they don't look enough like people for that. Oh well. #photocontest