LGSOTD 25-Jun-24

• Brush: Semogue - TSN Final Edition 2023 #OLDWORLD
• Razor: Charcoal Goods - Gen 3 Everyday #CNC
• Blade: Wizamet - Super Iridium
• Lather: The Personal Barber - Nutcracker
• Post Shave: Barts - Ben More Lotion
• Fragrance: Barts - Ben More EDP

This Christmas Soap is supposed to smell a bit like biscuits. I get it in the background but being for Christmas I want to be smacked in the face by it! Ah well, not to worry. I do love a bit of barts balm though, inexpensive and no nonsense performance.

Challenge: Shave in a Hat Admittedly I was going to lather in then don the hat, but I didn't have time for two showers this morning before work. So here's my ugly mug in my treasured RWC 2015 hat!

Photocontest

Forgive me for this one, aiming this one at 'Prius', once again missed opportunities earlier on in the calender forced my hand.

Have a grand shave all!

Cheers

Marc

June 25, 2024

• Brush: Zenith r/wetshaving Exclusive Moar Boar 31mm
• Razor: Gillette Tech
• Blade: 7 O’Clock – Sharpedge (Yellow) (3)
• Lather: Siliski Soaps – Santa’s Pipe
• Post Shave: House of Mammoth – Santa Noir
• Fragrance: Imaginary Authors – Memoirs of a Trespasser

Christmas in June. I know it’s more traditionally called “Christmas in July” but since the academic fiscal year ends in June, and you spend all your remaining annual funds at that point, this formulation rings well to me. I’m using a lot of gifted things in this shave, an PIF’d tech, Pif’s soap smushes. I broke out MOAR BOAR, which while not PIF’d was graciously brokered to me by u/j33pguy13 and I consider it a gift of sorts.

For #photocontest I’ve done Bokeh Balls. I have a 50mm f1.8 lens that does Bokeh so well. So, I pulled it out with some Christmas lights for this challenge to really highlight the Bokeh. (Ender Dragon was the request of my son. Who am I to say no to that?)

My #fof is a little more esoteric. Last year when this theme came up and someone used Memoirs, I couldn’t help but think “’Memoirs of a Trespasser’ would be the name of Santa’s autobiography.” So, in a sense this is a Santa themed shave from start to finish, Santa’s Pipe, Santa Noir and Santa’s Memoirs. Moreso though, this shave brings sweet smells (honey, vanilla, orange) through the entire shave, while not being particularly too sweet in any one area (Santa’s Pipe is balanced by the Patchouli and Tobacco, Santa Noir by the sandalwood and musk, and Memoirs by the oak barrel.) A good shave to enter the final days of the games. (Though IA stuff tends to go quickly on my skin.)

Challenge: I imagine the judges were asking for a Santa Hat, but I couldn’t find ours on short notice. Though I’ll be shocked if “Santasaurus” does not make a second-year appearance. While I don’t have a santa hat, I have the next best thing, my [House of Mammoth beanie. u/mammothben threw these in with Black Friday orders back in 2022. This was my first full tub order after I bought the used Hygge that I killed earlier in the games. It was an Alive dickhole set (balm, because my face was not liking splashes back then.) This was the moment I fell in love with scents. I got a snapback hat to get over the free beanie threshold, but the beanie became my favorite of the two. The stitching on the logo needed some trimming but, I used to help with my mom’s embroidery machine so that was pretty straightforward. I snipped the stray threads to clean it up and make the logo pop better. Beanie immediately became my “winter hat” and has accompanied me on many holiday light displays and driveway shoveling.

Edit: I was reminded reading posts that I also lathered in my baseball helmet ice cream bowl. So hats were everywhere!

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

Judge comment:it's a decent shot but could with being tighter, perhaps remove the sample tub

Day 25

• Brush: Dogwood Handcrafts – Svolvaer Brush with 28mm Maggards SHD Badger
• Razor: Silver Star Vintage DE
• Blade: Gillette Silver Blue
• Lather: K Shave Works - Jingle Bell Spice Soap
• Post Shave: Stirling Soap Co. - Christmas Eve Splash
• Fragrance: Chatillon Lux - Confluence EdT

Jingle Bell Spice is minty and sweet. It reminds me of this Peppermint Bark that my mom makes every Christmas ever since I was a little kid. I don’t see vanilla listed in the scent notes, but I swear it’s there. Or maybe I just associate the smell of Christmas and candycanes with that, so my brain is filling in the blank. Either way, it’s a wonderful Christmas scent. As I lather it up, I’m dreaming of… Mowing my dad’s lawn later today because it’s June… But also… A… Sleigh ride with the snow gently falling and I have a cup of hot cocoa to warm me from the inside out! The soap made a rich, creamy lather that smells like a warm, spiced blanket on my skin. The aroma is intoxicating, like a holiday market in full swing. As I worked the lather, I swear I heard the jingle bells and the distant sound of carolers... And my neighbor using his weedwacker because it's June.

For the splash, I used Stirling’s Christmas Eve. To me, this smells the place my family would go and cut down Christmas Trees as a kid. The instant it hits my skin, it's as if Christmas has exploded in my bathroom. The scent of fir trees, winter air, and a hint of Christmas spiciness envelops me, leaving a refreshing and festive tingle. The sting Stirling's splashes give me makes my face feel like it's been kissed by the North Pole breeze.

For the final touch, I spritz on Chatillon Lux – Confluence EdT. The fragrance is the scent of a Christmas Tree Farm, as far as I’m concerned. Reminds me of walking through the farm, looking for the perfect Christmas Tree to cut down, that my dad will inevitably curse when we bring it home and realize the tree is too big for our living room. It’s a great balance of embodying the essence of a winter forest mingled with the joy of holiday festivities. All in all, these scents were maaaaaaybe a bit much for a day I’m planning on mowing the lawn, buuuuuut perfect for a Christmas in June shave! #FOF

Sidecontest: #photocontest: Bokeh Balls

Challenge: I did indeed wear a hat while shaving. You’ll have to trust me on this.

iamhonestlylying’s Daily Top 5:

In honor of “Christmas in July, but in June”… The Top 5 Worst Christmas Traditions

5.) Black Friday/Commercialization of the Holiday – Ughhhh! There was a time when Black Friday had good deals, but I feel like that has come and gone. And the over-commercialization of Christmas is the worst. I already feel like everyone is trying to sell me something and that gets worse during the Holidays.

4.) Christmas cards – Christmas cards are weird for a single dude to send out. And I never know what to do when I get them, like okay, I open it up, look at the picture of you, your wife, and you’re 2.4 kids, add it to the pile until I inevitably throw them all away in 3 weeks. And the people that just send a Christmas card of just their dogs are the worst. You know who you are.

3.) Inflatable yard decorations – Mostly because of how sad and depressing they look during the day.

2.) Ugly Christmas Sweaters – It’s not funny or ironic anymore. It’s just annoying.

1.) Elf on a Shelf – Oh here’s this creepy elf that gets into mischief and mayhem while you’re asleep, and you can’t touch him, and he’s watching you so Santa doesn’t have to because he’s too busy to watch you misbehave, Timmy. I hate this new “tradition” with a passion and I don’t even have kids.

2024-06-25 - Noble Amassment of Hats

• Lather: Noble Otter - Northern Elixir
• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Santa Noir
• Fragrance: House of Mammoth - Santa Noir
• Razor: Wolfman Razors - Guerrilla
• Bru​sh: Yaqi Metal Timbewolf
• Brush: Yaqi Metal Timberwolf

Unifying Theme: Xmas in June
There were multiple occasions that I almost moved Santa Noir off of this day, but I think I'da been pretty screwed, so I didn't.

Xmas in June:
Do you guys remember when it used to get even a little bit cold during the months associated with winter? Man, some of you might even be too young to remember. That's a bummer of a thought.

Bring back that cool winter air!
— Noble Otter, Northern Elixir

Hat Day: HELL YES
I have never been more excited about an LG challenge than this!

A couple Games ago, Hat Day was reportedly just a placeholder challenge that was never intended to be used because—get this—it was deemed too ridiculous. Go ahead and read that again: Too ridiculous for the Lather Games

Clearly, though, this is the best challenge ever devised, and I'm not just saying that because I have way too fucking many hats. In fact, I procured almost all of my hats in the time since LG2023. In fact in fact, 6 of those hats arrived at my house from Poland only yesterday! It's even more bonkers when you consider that nearly all of them are completely unsuitable for warm weather! The weather is always warm!

For today's challenge, I obviously had to wear one of these hats, but I knew that wouldn't cut it.

So I shaved with ~~19~~ 16 hats... simultaneously.

#FOF
My focus today was on hats, but I'll say that the mintiness of Northern Elixir isn't a bad lead-in to Santa Noir.

#photocontest DIY
Yesterday, I put up the last of some wall-mounted shelves and stuff for Artemis, so I figured why not use one of those shelves.

June 25, 2024 - Christmas in July

• Brush: Summer Break Soaps Sheridan APShaveCo Synbad 26 mm
• Razor: Blackland Blackbird
• Blade: Wizamet (39)
• Lather: House of Mammoth - Santa Noir
• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Hygge
• Fragrance: Barrister and Mann - Vespers

Challenge: Fresh lid. I’ve only worn this to try it on. It still has the stickers.

Theme: The soap has santa in the name and the mammoth is wearing a santa hat. Hygge’s ad copy states “Sharp evergreens provide a wintry freshness, while amber, frankincense, and castoreum provide warmth and depth. We hope this scent will warm and lift your spirits even when it’s dark and cold,” which sounds on theme to me. Vespers is Christmas themed, as seen in the ad copy.

House of Mammoth r/wetshaving exclusive Santa Noir (stylized Santa~~l~~ Noir) is the follow up to the extremely limited (UnObTaInIuM) collaboration with Australian Private Reserve, Santal Noir. As you might have gathered from the name, the base of this fragrance is a sandalwood accord. The sandalwood is prominent, especially off the tub. The sandalwood is accented by notes of balsam fir, spruce, dried fruit, jasmine, and oakmoss, which establish the Christmas theme. Those accents come out more when the soap is lathered. But, this fragrance is still too sandalwood heavy to nail the Christmas motif. That said, it’s a great sandalwood frag that’s appropriate all winter long.

Hygge is in my top three House of Mammoth fragrances. There’s a top note of sweet citrus. I quickly run up against green spicy notes of juniper and fir, mixed with musky oakmoss. Digging a bit deeper, notes of amber and castoreum add depth and intrigue. Unfortunately for me today, balm is a terrible medium for fragrance. The smell didn’t last long at all, limiting my enjoyment of this fabulous fragrance. Hygge is everything I want in a wintery fragrance. It’s more wintery to me than Santa Noir. The fresh spicy notes hit just right. The citrus brings just enough sweetness. And the base notes are warm and attractive.

My introduction to Vespers came in the form of a fragrance decant PIF from /u/merikus. I liked it so much I bought a trifecta on the ‘zaar. The first thing I notice after spraying it on is a fragrant warm spicy note of cardamom. The opening is aromatic. I smell lots of green spicy notes. Tart and fruity cranberry accentuates the cardamom. Eventually, I get to a note of fir. I love the mousse de saxe in this. I think it’s one of Will’s best uses of the accord. It creates a depth of balsamic, resinous, leathery notes that allow the aromatic and fresh spicy notes to really pop. This fragrance is so much fun. It’s joyful! I’m kind of enamored with it.

#photocontest - Bokeh balls. This was tricky with a smartphone camera. I spent more time and effort on this than I did chasing birds yesterday.

#FOF

Christmas in July, but in June

• Brush: Yaqi Ferrari
• Razor: R41
• Blade: BIC
• Lather: Barrister and Mann - Beaudelaire

BM’s Santa skull justifies its seasonal theme

photocontest

The Elements: Air

Today’s Challenge:

Shave in a Hat

Jun. 25, 2024

• Brush: Summer Break 28mm Knight Knot

• Razor: Red Impe 5/8 Blade

• Lather: Barrister & Mann - Promises

• Post Shave: Barrister & Mann - Promises

• Fragrance: Christian Dior - Fahrenheit

Christmas in July, but in June

Went to my other Cardiologist today, told me me to keep doing what I’m doing and he will see me in a year. That right there for me and my family is the best Christmas in July, but in June gift we could ask for. I think my boy is finally over what was going on with him so that’s also great news today.

Today’s shave is another one I’ve been looking forward to. I love B&M Promises. It when I use it, it really does remind me of north east winter smells. Going to family up in north west Jersey in the winter or family up in Scranton, PA riding snowmobiles and getting snowed in Yeah I miss those days. It was also my first ever straight razor shave. The impe is on loan from u/infernalinternal and now I’m looking at straights. YoU WiLl sAve MoNEy It’S soOoOoOOooooOOO MuCH CheAPeR..

I chose Dior Fahrenheit for today. It has always had the reputation of smelling like gasoline and you do pick that up some and Promises has that same note.

Soap Justification: From BM website “Winter is a special time in Upstate New York. Deer season opens, folks fire up their wood stoves, and the mountains become dusted with caps of glittering snow.

But, more exciting than any of those, the snowmobile trails open again. Promises is an ode to this most exhilarating time of the year, the smell of a warm drink from a thermos while out on the trail with friends. Notes of orange and bergamot are suffused with the warmth of real honey, whiskey lactone, peat, and nutmeg. To finish it off, we’ve incorporated the strange, rubbery, industrial character of a high grade saffron molecule to give the scent the feel of being out on the trail with idling sleds all around.

Promises is a slice of Northeastern wintertime. Let it snow!”

Today’s Challenge: Shave with a hat on

Here is a short video proof of Hat and straight

Photo Contest: Theme Bokeh Balls Also keeping with todays lather theme, yes I hung Christmas lights up in my bathroom

#ROTY #FOF #PhotoContest

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

Judge comment:I like balls

June 25, 2024 – LG 25: Xmas in June

• Brush: Rx Shaving Maggard Synthetic
• Razor: 3D Printed Half DE
• Blade: Personna Platinum Chrome (5)
• Lather: Summer Break Soaps – Winter Break
• Post Shave: Barrister and Mann- Dickens Revisited
• Fragrance: House of Mammoth – Santa Noir

SBS winter break is great! It’s a bit piney, with a touch of spice. I believe it’s nutmeg, which is perfect for holidays. Dickens revisited is sweet and cherry centric. It is a winter release and has a snowman on it. Santa Noir is an evergreen tree, crisp scent. Straight cold air and pine forests here. All wonderful winter scents in their own right. #FOF

For #PHOTOCONTEST we went with water vehicles. Today’s photo features the HMS Belfast which is parked on the River Thames. Despite starting the morning in Wales, made quite a trek in London along the South Bank today to see this beauty. Glimpse of tower bridge there too.

There’s a heatwave here in London, and I don’t have a hat, but I did wear a beanie, so that should count. I was tempted to go into the kitchen a few days late… for reasons.

Christmas in July, but in June

• Brush: Chisel and Hound Vitae Taper w/AP Shave Co. 26mm Pure Bliss Knot
• Razor: Blackland Blackbird Brass SB Long Handle #CNC
• Blade: Personna - Comfort Coated
• Lather: House of Mammoth - Santa Noir
• Post Shave: Stirling Soap Co. - Christmas Eve Aftershave Splash
• Fragrance: American Perfumer - Tapestry

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

Daily Mistakes
I should have shaved earlier so I would have more time to write this.

Daily Writeup Merry Christmas! Fast fast shave and writeup because I leave for work in 10 minutes. Good shave, first time using HoM anything and it is good. First time using this aftershave and it really feels like Christmas.

Daily Theme Points Santa is a Christmas guy.

Daily Relevant Post Shave & Fragrance Points
Aftershave has Christmas in the name. Frag talks all about the holidays in description.

Daily Challenge Me in my mom's old tuque from when she lived in Canada, it has a maple leaf on it but picture isn't angled at it and I don't have time to take another pic.

Hardware Scavenger Hunt
Nothing new today.

Photo Contest
EYES, this photo took a while to take and then my mom walked in and looked at me all weird because I was on the floor doing this lol.

TL;DR
Speed, new stuff, christmas, tuque, eyes, I win rookie of the year thank you very much give me my prize.

Side Contests #photocontest #ROTY

June 25, 2024

• Brush: Muninn Woodworks purple burl AP Shave Co. 24mm MiG
• Razor: Schick Injector
• Blade: Schick Injector
• Lather: Noble Otter – Tis the Season
• Post Shave: Noble Otter – Tis the Season

Today I used the holiday scent tis the season from noble otter. I’ve described it before as a whoville Christmas scent, just really over the top Christmas. With lights and decorations, even the label looks like it smells. To me it is loud. It has sweet raspberry and bright rosemary, a touch of Christmas florals probably from the freesia. Clearly has the typical Christmas tree balsam for scent but mixed so well with the other notes, it shines. This scent reminds me of malls, complete with the encompassing scent of the holidays. Sometimes it can be comforting like miracle on 34th street but this one is like the malls in jingle all the way, if you like movies. If not, go watch them because they are classics (or at least one of them). Chaotic but bright lights and still the holidays. I love it.

My hat: because I love hats, this includes pass one with a Boston Red Sox hat, then a Tilley hiking hat, then a Peruvian traditional llama hair hat. I like unique hats.

fof

for the photo contest, we have bokeh balls which I admittedly had to google what they are and figure how the heck to make them with a phone camera. I think I did a decent 6/10 job if I don’t say so myself #photocontest

June 25, 2024 - Christmas in July, but in June

• Prep: Warm Shower
• Brush: Yaqi Red Marble 26mm Tux
• Razor: Blackland Blackbird Stainless #CNC
• Blade: Voskhod (11)
• Lather: House of Mammoth - Santa Noir
• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Santa Noir
• Fragrance: House of Mammoth - Fu Dao

This is undoubtedly one of my favorite Christmas scents and an amazing performer, as always. All software is linked by being on theme today. Today's daily challenge has been one of my favorites for the last couple of years, and I had to default to the red top hat again because something about watching myself shave in a big red hat starts my day off right. Not to mention, I could not find the Santa hat I had been looking for the night before bed.

Side Challenge: #PHOTOCONTEST - Bokeh Balls

June 25, 2024 - a taste of the dragon's hoard

• Brush: Dogwood Handcrafts w/ 25mm Muhle STF
• Razor: Karve Christopher Bradley (brass, SB-D)
• Blade: Wizamet
• Lather: Noble Otter - The Night Before
• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Santa Noir
• Fragrance: House of Mammoth - Santa Noir

Full Christmas shave on this glorious 25th evening of June. All three pieces of software are marketed at christmas, making them both thematic and relevant to one another.

Head shave tonight. Noble Otter is probably my favorite base for head shaving. It's very easy to load and gets super slick very fast. It's also really hard to over water, which is good because it's really easy to use way too much water on accident while headshaving. Because of the daily challenge I shaved wearing a mask. It was fine? It basically just meant that I couldn't really enjoy the smell of this soap. This puck is already low on the scent strength and the mask didn't help. One thing the mask may have contributed to is that I cut my ear with one of the blade tabs tonight. First time I've ever done that. Need to pay more attention to where the ears are with the exposed tabs on this razor I guess. I actually have to avoid them now.

I'm so glad I shaved at night with this post shave though. I used the frag this morning before going out, and I think I finally understand what it means for a scent to be season specific. The heat made me absolutely hate this scent today. Wearing this all day really sucked. That said, I do love the scent, so I'm glad I got to use the post shave at night when it's not ruined by the heat of the day.

Photo contest theme for today is Darkness. My dog likes to sleep under the bed on days where it's really really hot outside. This is the coolest room in the house, and I guess that is the coolest spot in the room. I recently bought a big tub to store soaps in so that I could better organize the closet with just the soaps I'm using for whatever season it is. You can't see it in the image, but right behind the dog is that tub of soap. In my head he's the dragon protecting the literal hoard of gold in the dark dungeon known as "under the bed." #photocontest

(I took the blade out of the razor before putting it anywhere near my dog. He was never in any danger, i promise.)