June 29

• Brush: Maggard 30mm Synthetic
• Razor: Silver Star Vintage DE
• Blade: Gillette Silver Blue
• Lather: Sir Henry’s – Black Tie LVS Soap
• Post Shave: Sir Henry’s – Black Tie LVS Splash
• Fragrance: Diesel – Only the Brave Street EdT

When I learned what sandalwood smells like, I thought kind of smells like a lot of typical “masculine” fragrances. Like if something doesn’t smell manly enough, let’s throw some sandalwood in there to make it more tolerable for the masses. If something is too “manly”? Let’s toss a little lavender or vanilla in there to soften it a bit!

“Hey, what do we have here? This is a perfectly, nice, inoffensive, generic fragrance! Let’s sell it!”

And that’s kind of the impression I get with Black Tie LVS. The LVS stands for Lavender, Vanilla, and Sandalwood.

The lavender shows through right away and it is tied to Vanilla, but underneath that tasty floral sweetness is the sandalwood to turn the volume down a little bit and make it more masculine. It’s a really nice scent the checks a lot of boxes and I think I can use something like this year-round. But honestly, I barely use it because the scent is just… Not special. There’s nothing wrong with it, but it never calls to me. Sir Henry’s performs alright, but not my favorite soap base either. I guess I’m as I’m typing this out, I’m realizing why I barely ever reach for this set.

I finished the shave with Diesel – Only The Brave Street because it’s woody and spicy, so I thought it would help bring out the sandalwood from the Black Tie LVS. Here’s where the magic happens. The sandalwood in this fragrance is the backbone of a scent that beautifully bridges the gap from the splash to the fragrance. It’s bold and has a little vanilla that makes it subtly sweet and it’s got that unmistakable woody undertone. It’s the perfect partner in crime for Sir Henry’s, adding an extra layer of depth to a day celebrating sandalwood.#FOF

Sidecontest: #photocontest – Humor. Software telling shaving jokes.

Challenge: You judges HAVE been keeping score, right? I think u/Priusaurus did the damn thing again. Last year, it seemed like u/OnionMiasma was really close, but this year, I don’t think anyone was playing at the same level he was. I said it last year, and I’ll say it again this year: If Prius doesn’t win, we riot.

For the photocontest, I hope my Summer Break Soaps pic (the current sidebar) has a shot at best photo, but Chrono’s lego pic was great too.

And for ROTY: I think u/bmac92.

For FOF: No idea.

iamhonestlylying’s Daily Top 5:

In honor of “Do our homework for us”… My Top 5 Posts of the 2024 Lather Games

5.) u/chronnoisseur42O turning himself purple

4.) u/MrTangerinesky builds lather using a lifed car tire brush

3.) u/Priusaurus takes public shaves to a new level and shaves at his office copier for Dupe Day

2.) u/hugbckt lathers his head with a kitchen gadget, then shaves with a big ass knife and meat cleaver

1.) u/Priusaurus shaves his legs, in the car, with his kids in the back seat after trolling everyone into thinking he wasn’t going to do the challenge

2024-06-29 - Sandalwood

• Lather: Haslinger - Sandelholz
• Post Shave: Stirling Soap Co. - Oud Sigma
• Fragrance: Stirling Soap Co. - Oud Sigma
• Razor: Wolfman Razors - Guerrilla
• Brush: Yaqi Metal Timberwolf

Unifying Theme: Wood

Sandalwood: That's what Sandelholz means.

Do our homework: "Do our homework" has never made sense. Why not reframe this as something like "Sportsmanship" or "Fellow Player Appreciation"? Focusing on the judges detracts from that.

Then again, the judge notes lead me to believe that at least one judge has a habit of assuming ill intent behind earnest gestures of good faith, suggesting they may need all the help they can get.

I haven't been following a lot of the activity during these Games. I know u/Priusaurus had prepared a whole list of things in advance, which may or may not have been derailed by daily challenges.

I have the impression that u/tsrblke has been doing good things, although—by my own fault, not his—I couldn't tell you what, except that he probably established himself as a contender for that "Friend of the Games" before it was even announced.

Also, a nod to u/batmanbrady: I wasn't sure what to expect, what with his account being created only just before the Games. It was cool to see him with pretty good posts, and then he unwittingly triggered a whole thing by mentioning his brother-in-law.

#FOF
I'd tried exactly one solely-sandalwood scent before this, and I didn't care for it. Sandelholz succeeds in being not only inoffensive, but classically soothing.

Oud Sigma is a scent that I bought the whole trio of solely because I was overcome with excitement by the name. As scents go, it's not bad, but its overlap with Razorock's Tuscan Oud leads me to the conclusion that I do not much care for oud.

#photocontest Pirates
I nearly forgot that I meant to break out the Jolly Rogers again before the end of the month.

June 29, 2024

• Brush: Declaration Grooming - Jefferson Thaw B16 - 28mm Artisan Tied Badger
• Razor: Wolfman - WR2 1.15 w/WRH2
• Blade: Wilkinson Sword
• Lather: Stirling Soap Co. – Vanilla Sandalwood Soap
• Post Shave: Stirling Soap Co. – Vanilla Sandalwood Splash
• Fragrance: Tumi - Kinetic [--:-- GMT] EdP

^(If) I did it.

Is anyone here able to pinpoint one moment when their world almost came crumbling down? One moment where you realized that from that point on, nothing could ever possibly be the same? One moment, where you were accused of something so absolutely horrific, and you feared your good name and reputation that is beyond reproach may have been forever sullied?

We'll folks, I can tell you exactly when that moment was for me. It happened yesterday at 4:50PM EST. It was when u/Enndeegee pointed out to the world that I have hands. Big beautiful hands, that can both hold a shaving brush AND slather ~~lather~~ Nacho Cheese Sauce all over my face.

And because I used my big beautiful hands to lather on Wildcare Wednesday, Mr. Scrub, u/Enndeegee brought forth the accusation that could alter the very fabric of these Lather Games. An accusation so bold, it made all of r/wetshaving, stop and begin to wonder if I am a legitimate Champion or an I someone that plays fast and loose with the rules. You know the type of person he means, right? The type of person who would remove a vendor from a DNB list in exchange for free soap. Last year’s first runner-up, u/OnionMiasma, even called for me to have my title vacated and for me to give up my 2023 prize. As an act of defiance, I am using my 2023 prize brush today. These are incredibly serious accusations and something that no one should take lightly.

You see, I entered my hands as my brush for my SOTD markdown on Wildcard Wednesday, and since I didn’t pay money for my hands, he maintains they automatically became my least expensive “brush” in my den, and as such, I needed to use my hands as a brush for yesterday’s frugal shave to earn the Special Challenge’s .5 bonus points. But I didn’t. I used a brush from Dollar Tree that cost $1.25. And I can see how a simpleton like NDG would say something like that. And we all know that u/Enndeegee can’t spell, but I didn’t know he couldn’t read either. The rules to Frugal Friday clearly state: “Products obtained at a discount or for free should use their everyday price for this calculation rather than their discounted price.”

Sure, I didn’t pay money for these beautiful hands, but the fact I obtained them for free does not factor into The Frugal Friday Rules. Their everyday price is what matters. And I challenge anyone, anyone at all, to procure a set of hands like mine for less than the $1.25 I paid for my Dollar Tree brush. Do you want to know the actual value of hands? Well, I could just throw out any number, but I’ll let the lawyers at Parker Waichman LLP tell you: The USA National Average is $144,930 per hand. And remember, I entered both hands as part of my den, so we’re looking at a value of $289,860.

So, Mr. Scrub, please enlighten me: Which value is higher? $1.25 or $289,860?

I know you don’t usually think about things in American Freedom Dollars, so I’ll give you a minute to do the math. Don’t forget to carry the 1.

$1.25 is lower. The Assured for Men Dollar Tree Brush is indeed the least expensive brush in my shaving den. I rest my case. You can see yourself out.

I expect a full apology, and will be seeking damages for the pain and suffering I’ve experienced since your post. My reputation has suffered incalculable harm and all the little shavers that once looked up to me, may never see their Champion the same way again. I don’t know how you sleep at night. You should be ashamed of yourself.

Please don't bother replying. you're getting on my tits now.

BTW – I’m confused. Are you Los Dupe now? Or is he on your side? Are you still hunting him? Am I Los Dupe? Do we know? You have a lot of loose ends to tie up and the Games end tomorrow. You’re running out of time on this.

For the #FOF thing: The scent of Stirling’s Vanilla Sandalwood is a beautiful harmony of creamy vanilla and rich sandalwood. The sandalwood added an earthy depth to the sweet vanilla, creating a scent that is both comforting, sophisticated, and a little sweet. The scent is like a warm hug lingering just long enough to keep me enveloped in its cozy embrace. The sandalwood here is perfectly balanced with the vanilla, neither overpowering the other, but instead dancing together in olfactory harmony. To cap off the shave, I opted for TUMI Kinetic [--:-- GMT]. The frag took the sandalwood experience to a new level, infusing it with vibrant spice notes that complemented the smoky vanilla and sandalwood base. The sandalwood in Kinetic [--:-- GMT] truly shines through to provided a robust, grounding note that carried the sweet and spicy elements with damn near perfection. This was an absolute joy for me to use.

Challenge: I don’t know who won, but I can tell you that I hope I did. I’ve been going all out and never taking my foot off the gas. And I’ve been trying to play like I’m behind and have nothing to lose. I made it known that I want to be the Tom Brady of The Lather Games, so hopefully I showed that every single day. The competition has been tough - u/hugbckt truly stepped up this year and demonstrated what he’s capable of and u/MrTangerinesky played a stellar (well behaved) game as well. He is one of the most creative people on this sub and his brain works in a way that is great for The Lather Games. Avoiding Spite Shaves was probably better for both of us, even if it wasn’t as much fun… But winning is fun too. I wouldn’t be shocked if either one of those guys won. At this point, we all have done just about all we can do. One more day, shavers and shavettes! What a great ride it’s been!

For ROTY, it’s going to be u/bmac92.

For FOF, I think u/hugbckt.

For Photocontest: No comment.

My favorite posts (that weren’t mine): u/chronnoisseur42O turning himself purple, u/hugbckt’s Christmas Story, damn near everything that u/MrTangerinesky does

Soap Theme Justification: What’s that word after Vanilla? Oh yes, it’s Sandalwood! It’s right there in the name.

Relevant Post Shave & Fragrance: Tumi’s Kinetic [--:-- GMT] has a base of two scent notes: Smoky Vanilla & Sandalwood, which is obviously the two scent notes in the soap and splash I used.

June 29, 2024 – 2024.06.29 SOTD: Lather Games Day 29 – Sandalwood Saturday

• Brush: Paragon Shaving Plisson knot (28mm) with Paragon handle
• Razor: Aylsworth Drakkant
• Blade: Wizamet
• Lather: Proraso – Sandalwood
• Post Shave: Spearhead Shaving Company – Seaforth! Spiced
• Fragrance: House of Mammoth – Fu Dao

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Daily Theme: Sandalwood Saturday

Theme justification: I'm using Proraso Sandalwood with Shea Butter](https://maggardrazors.com/products/proraso-sandalwood-with-shea-butter-shaving-soap-5-2oz), colloquially known as Proraso Red. Its scent is sandalwood.

Relevant Post Shave & Frag: Red is the theme for the day. All the software in today's shave have red as their main color: Proraso Red (as linked above), Spearhead Seaforth! Spiced aftershave toner, and House of 福 (Fú Dào). Red all around.

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Scavenger Hunt ~~Justification~~: COMPLETED

Razor facts: N/A

Brush facts: N/A

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Daily/Special Challenge: Do Our Homework Day

There have been lots of great posts this year. My favorites have been:

• /u/hugbckt turning himself into a cupcake
• /u/cowzilla3 writing a song about /u/OnionMiasma
• /u/Priusaurus doing leg day after saying he wasn't going to do leg day

There are several more, but those made me chuckle the most.

As for the contests:

FOF: I have to say /u/hugbckt has it for me. His descriptions have been great.

ROTY: I'd like to say myself, since I'm competing in the contest, but if I don't win, I think /u/bacconchop has done a good job.

Photo scavenger hunt: /u/tsrblke photos have stood out to me.

Lather Games winner: Gotta give it to /u/hugbckt. Why? His posts have been great, on theme, witty, and funny. Plus, we don't need a repeat winner. /u/Priusaurus has done extremely well, though, and if he did win it would be deserved.

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Fragrance description

Proraso Red is a lightly scented sandalwood, which I did enjoy. It's not bad at all

Seaforth! Spiced is pretty much a classic around here, and for a reason. The mandarin and cinnamon stand out to me.

This is the first time I've worn Fú Dào. Wow. The first thing that hits me is gunpowder, and a lot of it. Perfect July 4th scent, IMO. After the gunpowder dies down, the other notes start to sign through, and it reminds me of a community celebration. Takes me back to blowing up watermelons with m80s with my cousins when I was a kid.

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Now onto the shave!

Thanks to /u/Eructate for the smush. First time using Proraso, and it's not bad. Not my favorite, but if it is all I had I'd probably be content. Did a 3-pass shave with the Drakkant and a Wizament and ended up with a smooth face and neck. No irritation to be seen.

Hard to believe that this is the penultimate shave for The 2024 Lather Games.

Tomorrow is going to be a big one. :)

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Totals:

• Razor Hashtags: 10/10
• Brush Hashtags: 10/10
• Hardware Sponsor Points: 2/2
• Software Sponsor Points: 16/16
• Number of Lather Brands: 29/30
• Number of Lather Scents: 29/30
• Number of Post Shaves: 29/30
• Number of Frags: 29/30

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Contest Hashtags:

#FOF

#ROTY

June 29, 2024 – Sandal(wood)s and Shorts

• Brush: Aurora Grooming LG 2024 with 26mm AP Shave Co. Pure Bliss #FRANKENBRUSH #PREMIUMPLASTIC #SHD #FAUXFUR #SUBBROOSH
• Razor: Gillette Slim
• Blade: 7 O’Clock – Sharpedge (Yellow) (3)
• Lather: Stone Cottage Soapworks – Coconut Sandalwood
• Post Shave: D.R. Harris – Sandalwood
• Fragrance: House of Mammoth – Sonder

Sandalwood. I probably couldn’t identify if in a lineup if you asked. But this soap is called Coconut Sandalwood, so it fits the theme.

When thinking about today, I thought of sandals, shorts and beaches. So naturally here, on the penultimate day of Lather Games is where I stuck the planned leg shave, I promised u/newtothethis. Just because the judges made me shave my legs once does not mean I’m skipping this one. So, my legs will be smooth going into the 4th of July Holiday. (Judges take note, you sprung it too early. Imagine if everyone had gotten to the second to last day then realized they had to shave their legs for shorts and sandal(wood) season.

For #fof, I’m pulling Sandalwood through the shave. Obviously the first 2 are sandalwood focused. I get a lot of sandalwood off Sonder too (or what I think is sandalwood, again I’m bad it). It’s probably the base notes just pouring through my sus nose. It’s in the notes, so every part of this lineup has a sandalwood element.

For #photocontest here’s a soccer ball. How does it tie in, listen I pulled 28 days through the theme very well and I was out of ideas for this one. They can’t all be bangers. This one is just straight up gotta get the points. Or we can say “sandals, foot, football.” Your choice. I saved the challenge for last because it’s the hardest. I think for ROTY u/bmac92 has been killing it. He’s thrown himself into this first year with gusto.

For #fof, u/hugbckt beat me last year he’s going to beat me again. (Also, Sorry wally, my #fof posts have been lackluster this year. Granted they were lackluster last year, and you gave me 3rd.) For #photocontest, best shot will be u/chronnoisseur42O, as his photography is on point. I’d give myself overall winner, but looking at the notes it appears they may have DQ’d my use of the empty tub for “trash.” It’s fine, we’ll stick with me.

For the overall winner, I put together a good game, but I think this is a runoff between u/priusaurus and u/hugbckt. Both are killing it. I’m hoping for 3rd, but u/MrTangerinsky and the aforementioned u/bmac92 are both bringing strong games too. So we’ll see. It was a tough year. Yes, both u/onionmiasma and u/RedMosquitoMM (two huge competitors) turned judge. Several others in last year’s top 5 had to slow down to trips and such, but we are going to net about 5-7 more average daily shaves than last year suggesting several more new competitors that kept it fresh. So the real winner is the sub, which will hopefully see this activity uptick continue.

We also have the Airbud contest, no idea who wins there since it happens in DMs. And the Friend of the Sub Award is new this year. I don’t want to look like I’m pandering there so we’ll stick with u/onionmiasma as most helpful and forgo predicting the other categories. I do like that idea though and hope it continues.

Last, but not least, the No Scrubs. I wish everyone could get a tub of the soap. I can’t decipher the scoring, so I have no guess. I’d like to think I’ve done well? Of all the prizes at stake, I feel like u/grindermonk bear soap is the most special somehow.

June 29, 2024

• Brush: Yaqi Bali 24mm Synthetic
• Razor: Bic Metal
• Lather: Edwin Jaeger - Sandalwood
• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Santa~~l~~ Noir
• Fragrance: Maher Olfactive - Santal Austere Extrait de Parfum #FOF

Today’s Two:

Edwin Jaeger Sandalwood, Santa Noir, and Santal Austere are all Sandalwood forward scents. Shaving from hotel today and noticed we have a view of the Front Range. I can even make out the Flatirons. I was inspired to make my SOTD selection into a mountain peak.

Doing the djudges work:

There has been a lot going on this year. I started the month trying to read everything, but the last week or so been working on a Q2 closing meeting, so harder to sneak in time during work for Reddit.

Right out of the gate u/Priusaurus came out strong declaring himself the champion last year for a reason. -1 point for not working in getting confused for a Target employee during that shave. Red shirt and Khakis? I accidentally wore similar to the Target in Dubuque IA. Never again, people kept asking for help, and giving confused looks when I said that I didn’t work there. Maybe he was channeling Jake from State Farm.

Next was the beef between u/OnionMiasma and u/cowzilla3 over the missing dupe smoosh. Just brilliant shitposting while the feud was going.

My MVP for the games is u/tsrblke. I think if you add up all his comments and memes, no one else came close to being as active and engaged as him. Make him a djudge next year so we can all move up one.

Others to mention, last years no scrub list was fun, and this year there is some bear fat on the line. Thanks to u/Enndeegee, u/OnionMiasma, and u/grindermonk for making the side challenge happen.

u/Newtothethis rated so many leg shaves, but left out mine. 🤨 I will say my lower legs have very little hair, so maybe not as big a challenge. I did shave up to my boxers, and no blood this time. Seriously though, putting in a ton that day, and last year all the help with how to shave legs.

My award for the most verbose goes to u/alg82.

Adding u/chronnosseur420 once again for #FOF

Today’s fragrance:

I am typing this up in a hotel near the Denver airport. I f’d up my original plan for today, but 1/3 stayed. Edwin Jaeger - Sandalwood sample I picked up last year. I’d planned on trickholing Santa Noir, but had to pivot when my planning research turned out to be missing a key fact.

Pre-games I stumbled upon a short documentary about the production of sandalwood oils. Crazy that this stuff costs more than printer ink per ml. This sandalwood soap is a pretty light level of fragrance. Just a mild creamy woodiness. Santa Noir is a lot more complex than a simple single scent, but there is no denying this is a sandalwood scent. It adds some Xmas elements but with sandalwood instead of the evergreen scents of pine/spruce/fir. Absolutely a great scent for Xmas, but not amiss whenever you want. Santal Austere takes the sandalwood into darker, muskier territory. Really this is accidentally better than my planned shave. Each step layered more onto the base sandalwood.

FOF

LG 29 - Sandalwood Saturday

• Brush: Aylsworth Razors - The Altare - Oumo HMW Silver Tip
• Razor: Filarmonica 13 Novodur
• Lather: Eufros - Santal Yuzu
• Post Shave: Eufros - Santal Yuzu Balm
• Fragrance: Zara - Vibrant Leather & Sandalwood Elixir

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Luxury shave, after the frugal day. My face feels great.

.#FOF Sandalwood flood, smooth creamy wood like an old library's wood shelf.

.#Challenge Respect u/kind_simian! for the great work of summarizing the achievements of the participants. My main source of information has been the LatherCast, until now. Thank you,man! You have my vote.

.#photocontest Darkness Animal (leather background)

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June 29, 2024 – LG 29: Sandalwood Saturday

• Brush: Maggard Purple Swirl Synthetic
• Razor: Gillette Tech
• Blade: Voskhod (12)
• Lather: Captain’s Choice – Sandalwood
• Post Shave: Declaration Grooming – Cerberus Liniment
• Fragrance: House of Mammoth – Sandalorian

All the wood today. Generally speaking sandalwood or wood scents on their own are not my go to, but I know they are found as base notes in so many frags I do appreciate. The cap choice is honestly quite mellow, but it’s also an old sample that could be losing its steam. Cerberus is bold, dark, and has like a rich stone fruit jammy resin thing going on. Sandalorian is like that on steroids, as it was also the precursor to cerberus. Despite its dark depth, there is an airy quality to it keeping it from bogging you down, almost as if the two suns on tatooine never set at the same time. #FOF

For #PHOTOCONTEST there is wood floor, some cool wooden coffee table legs I thought were pretty neat, and some wooden wall. Sadly the latter are painted which seems blasphemous for the old Victorian flat the photo was taken in.

For today’s challenge I reckon I won’t have the most informed opinion, as I’ll admit following other people hasn’t been happening as much this year while I’m traveling. It’s sort of a shame as I feel that is where a lot of the joy and community (or spite shaves) come from during LG. Since I’m managing shaves while traveling, that should be automatic effort points for me, just sayin’. In terms of possible winners, I’d wager u/Priusaurus stands a good chance at defending his crown. That said I feel like u/MrTangerineSky has been great this year again, u/impressive_donut114 put up another solid run. Seems like u/tsrblke is doing well too. Lastly, u/hugbckt has been good as well, and has my nod for #FOF likely too. For photo contest I think u/crossan1983 has put up a lot of nice shots. I really liked u/iamhonestlylying’s cannonball photo too. Can’t say how well people have been doing all the categories for photos. ROTY u/bacconchop had his mom filming which is so wholesome and legendary at the same time, so I say him. u/bmac92 seems to have done well too.

Jun. 29, 2024

• Brush: Paladin Sumo

• Razor: Blackland Blackbird

• Blade: Personna Lab Blue [6]

• Lather: D.R. Harris - Sandalwood

• Post Shave: Proraso - Eucalyptus

• Fragrance: Bath & Body Works - Black Tie

Sandalwood Saturday.

I had no Sandalwood forward soaps when the calendar came out so I grabbed the D.R. Harris sample from Maggards. Oh what a boring shave. Really no noticeable scent. Lathers fine, slickness was there but just boring. The Proraso Eucalyptus was fine, nice smell reminded me of my step grandfather, I guess this is what he used to use, so that put a smile on my face. B&B Black Tie is the most Sandalwood scented fragrance that I own. If there is another Sandalwood day for LG25 I have to be better prepared.

Todays Daily Challenge Overall Winner I really have no idea who is going to win it all but from reading everyday I think it’s coming down to u/Priusaurus, u/hugbckt or u/Mrtangerinsky.

ROTY Even though I am a participant in this years ROTY I think it’s u/bmac92 all the way. I’ve enjoyed reading his posts everyday.

FOF I have not paid attention and honestly even though I am participating in it, I have not really been paying attention and I know even though after tomorrow I will be 30/30 I really did not put much effort into my FOF posts.

Photo contest

This one I have paid attention to because I think out of everything this is the one side challenge I really worked at but I’m not exactly sure how the scoring is going to be on this one because everyone did a fantastic job. But for photo of the year I think the nod goes to either

u/schontzm for this one

Or

u/chronnoisseur42O for this one

That’s all I got

Photo challenge theme Steampunk Searching for the right art for today’s picture has given me inspiration for my next tattoo.

#ROTY #FOF #Photocontest

June 29, 2024

• Brush: Stirling x Zenith 510SE-XL
• Razor: Blackland Blackbird
• Blade: Gillette Nacet
• Lather: Stirling Soap Co. – Vanilla Sandalwood

Today, vanilla sandalwood is on theme by prominently displaying sandalwood. This is Hawaiian sandalwood, which has a woody sweetness to it compared to the more spicy and peppery, cologne-esc woodiness that sometimes comes through. It is smooth and the sweet sandalwood is a great simple pairing for vanilla (which is one of my favorite notes anyway). Not sugary sweet either, even with the vanilla which is a plus. I would describe it smooth but not going as far as fully saying buttery or creamy, with the vanilla just adding to the smoothness. Light enough for summer, warm enough for winter, good year round. Edit: almost forgot my memory! This scent, along with a couple others reminds me of how I went nuts with samples from Stirling to get an idea of scents and simple scents. This, sandalwood, Christmas Eve, witchy woman, and probably 10 others. It’s a testament to how awesome Stirling is to have that many options and allowing people to try them out. Every time I use a Stirling sample, I can’t help but think I have another 12 waiting for me.

For my top contestant picks….its tough. I think u/hugbckt, u/mrtangerinsky, u/priusaurus, u/impressive_donut114, and u/tsrblke would be my overall top 5 picks for consistency but there are honestly a few others who could bump anyone from the top 5. For ROTY, u/bmac92 for again consistency. For photocontest, going with u/crossan1983 and u/chronnoisseur420. For fof, I actually haven’t followed as closely as I should have so I will go with u/enndeegee. Airbud contest is going to be an upset and will likely be u/onionmiasma. Favorite post overall is barbershop day with u/whosgotthepudding and turning his home into a barbershop using only barbershop scents. Biggest shaft of the games is u/alg82 – the portal screwed u/alg82 over.

I went on a journey to a summer camp to make sure I got the requisite theme: water vehicles. And made sure it was plural, as demanded by the literal reading of the rules for #photocontest

fof

June 29, 2024 – LG Day 29 – Sandalwood Saturday

• Brush: Shave Forge 24mm Horse Hair x Muninn Woodworks Handle #HORSESASS #FRANKENBRUSH
• Razor: Schick Injector
• Blade: Ted Pella Single Edge Injector
• Lather: Cella – Buongiorno al Sandalo
• Post Shave: Epsilon – Scottish Spirit
• Fragrance: West Third Brand – Smoked Sandalwood

Today’s shave is very far out of my comfort zone in terms of fragrances. Despite sandalwood being super popular in fragrances, there’s something about it that’s not quite my jam. However, I think I’ve come to the point that I can tell when a sandalwood scent is “good.” And I can say with a great deal of certainty that Train Emoji Cella is good. I had initially assumed that this would be a straight sandalwood scent based on the name, but rather, Buongiorno al Sandalo does an excellent job at building an accord that highlights the sandalwood. Greater that the sum of its parts and whatnot. The 🚂🚂🚂 gang knew what they were doing when they a) started the train and b) got Maggard to start selling this. I’m thankful that it’s strong, because Scottish Spirit…just doesn’t do it for me. I’m not sure why this is still in my den. It has sandalwood in the mix to be on theme, but it’s not as sandalwood-forward as I want it to be. After some googling, I believe it’s supposed to give the impression of Scotch whiskey, but in practice is not doing so particularly well. It’s a bit directionless to my nose. Finally, WTB Smoked Sandalwood brings us back firmly to the theme of the day. The cedarwood in the base notes comes off as a bit stronger than the sandalwood to me, which is a pity considering the name. It’s a very different take on sandalwood than the Cella; it’s smoky and spicy, with a particular herbaceousness to it which is quite delightful, while the Cella is a highly aromatic take with an unmistakeable sandalwood base. #FOF

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I certainly couldn’t say who’s winning this. I can say that these are not the words of someone who is confident he is going to win.

I look forward to the Lather Games every year. They are the pinnacle of this community. The Games are joyful, fun, and silly, but inspire such passion, hard work, collaboration, and creativity. Some highlights for me in the past month include:

• Everything u/enndeegee has done. I know he’s playing his own version of the Games and hence can’t win, but has posted some of the funniest and most creative content this month. A particular favorite for me is the Los Dupe nonsense.
• u/tsrblke and his cardboard Prius, which led me to have to decide if it counted as a model or a “real think” for the photocontest
• u/iamhonestlylying and their top 5 lists
• u/throwa-waaaay and their outdoor shave technicality. Granted, this is the type of thing that leads to the Air Bud Rule.
• u/Crossan1983 and u/tsrblke being willing to have their little ones drag a blade across their faces
• u/Priusaurus and his commitment to public shaves (especially the one at his office)
• u/Impressive_Donut114 and his commitment to daily videos, all of which I will get around to watching one day
• u/jeffm54321 and u/alg82 and their commitment to conciseness and playing their own version of the Games
• u/FireDragonMonkey and their acrostic poems
• Spite Shaves and friendly ribbing
• Every time someone shaved or lathered with a non-traditional implement
• u/loudmusicboy and his very New England den tour (and for putting up with my BS)
• All the sincere posts, particularly the Father’s Day post by u/BossHoggins10 and the Christmas post by u/jwoods23
• Users who actually know how to make good memes
• u/Priusaurus eating lather so I didn’t have to
• u/Newtothethis for sticking around despite a frightening lack of gender diversity in the Games this year
• Everyone who engages beyond just posting, especially u/tsrblke, the king of engagement
• u/enndeegee creating a thoughtful award for every single participant today

I’ve had a blast this year. Thanks to everybody for the wonderful memories.

June 29, 2024 - Sandalwood Saturday

• Brush: Zenith B15 #OLDWORLD
• Razor: Eldrormr MM24 #FLIPTOP #MODERNGEM
• Blade: GEM PTFE (1)
• Lather: Barrister and Mann - Sandalwood
• Post Shave: Proraso - Sandalwood
• Fragrance: Maher Olfactive - Santal Auster

Challenge: You can have a pop-quiz, but pop-homework-assignment makes no sense. However, I knew this day was coming, and I’ve been trying to make note of good posts.

u/bmac92 is killing it in the ROTY race. u/bacconchop is also in the running.
u/Environmental-Gap380 has done a good job with fof thoughts.
u/ginopono has taken some incredible photos for the photocontest.
It’s always hard to tell who’s winning the games. Sometimes, I hear certain players mentioned a lot on the podcast. I feel like I’m not doing well because my name doesn’t come up. But, those legendary points don’t always result in top place finishes. u/Priusaurus has made a strong (and verbose) effort in his attempt at a repeat victory. However, there’s strong competition from the likes of u/hugbckt, u/2SaintsDude, and u/bmac92.

Theme: Soap is called Sandalwood. Aftershave is called Sandalwood. Frag is called Santal (Sandalwood) Auster.

My lather today is Barrister and Mann Sandalwood in the Soft Hearts base. Sandalwood is a classic men’s fragrance. This soap is the only straight sandalwood I have much experience with (I’ve used Proraso once). The fragrance is rich and has a dryness similar to notes of teak I've smelled in other fragrances (Torchwood, anyone?). It’s very woody. It’s simple, masculine, and smells amazing.

I shaved with a smoosh of Proraso Red/Sandalwood for sandalwood day last year. I also had a sample of the aftershave from Maggard’s. I can’t find the aftershave sample. I may have added it to the Big Box of Samples and forgotten about it. So, I ordered a bottle from the rainforest store to make sure it would get here in time. Proraso’s Sandalwood fragrance is light. I smell a citrusy lemon oil top note. It’s kind of boring, and doesn’t have much staying power. The splash isn’t very moisturizing. But, it feels nice on my face post-shave.

For Sandalwood Saturday I’ve chosen Maher Olfactive Santal Auster for the fragrance. The sandalwood is creamy and kind of sweet. It's bolstered by oud which contributes to the impression of creaminess. After the dry down, an earthy note of vetiver. A powerful amber note wafts to nostrils. It's deeply resinous, almost sulfuric. After a couple of hours, the oud is slightly stronger than the sandalwood, but both are still present. The base smells richly balsamic. There are traces of vetiver. This is the polar opposite of Proraso Sandalwood. Proraso is a simple, light, sandalwood which veers sharply away from heavy notes. Santal Auster builds off of sandalwood to create a rich, dark, balsamic fragrance with a procession of woody, earthy, and resinous notes. It feels intimate.

#photocontest - Baseball

#FOF