July 13, 2023

• Brush: Böker – Synthetic
• Razor: Valet Autostrop
• Blade: Feather – FHS-10 (4)
• Lather: Zingari – The Royal
• Post Shave: Hags – Aftermath
• Fragrance: Zadig & Voltaire – This is him

#FOF

Incense and patchoulli are very rare in my den, but I got the royal from Maggards for these games.
Although I often had trouble with Zingari soap and precision lathering it, I got more confidence in my skill since my last try. I started my lathering like in the manual. Pretty dry almond sized soap and damp brush. After a few seconds I added water slowly and bam! I had wonderfull Zingari lather. It does not take much water, from my experience.
Leather and incense are easy to spot when lathered. Honestly, I was afraid it might sting in my nose. Who smelled Cuero Oscuro knows that leather scents can do that and incense gave some people a headache when we went to church in school. But Shawn (excuse me for taking the liberty of calling him by his first name), wouldn’t be himself if he did not care about it. The spices and wine (I would not be able to name it blind) avoid the sting in the nose. It clearly has Shawn Mahers handwriting and lines up with his work of Electric Mayhem and Black Watch. Shaving wise, I had my ups and downs with the razor again. Difficulties to find the right angle, where it shaves (at all). My neck is not as clean shaven as I would like it to be. The geometry of the razor makes it impossible to shave directly under the nose, no matter how I pull my skin or make silly faces. But I chose it, since it was made in Great Britain and matches my song choice later.
The aftershave was pretty simple. It starts with bergamot and slight incense notes. The bergamot is overwhelming it, though. It takes time for the incense to develop and be present.
The fragrance has incense as a heart note, but only after 5 hours on my skin, I could find it once.
It’s commented as a hit under the radar in german perfume forums. Yes, it is different, but not really my thing. For my nose, this is too unisex, almost feminine. The notes of vanilla, grapefruit, pepper and sandalwood fade into each other, that its ingredients look interchangeable. How would I picture someone who fits this perfume? Maybe the art or fashion student. Wearing a lot of black, skinny jeans, glasses and a bit too long hair with a skinny body. Thats just not me.

Daily Challenge:

You probably know that I am a huge fan of the synthwave genre and want to highlight an artist here (not again the midnight).
Ollie Wride – Victoria Why did I pick that song? I have a few songs (well, basically the whole genre where there are vocals in the songs) running on repeat. My job was to connect one of those songs to the soap, not vice versa.
England had a Queen Victoria, who had the longest reign before Queen Elisabeth took that record for herself.
And a Queen is royal. Royal -> Queen -> Victoria.

July 13, 2023 – Free Love!

• Brush: AP Shave Co. Cashmere
• Razor: Gillette Superspeed
• Blade: 7 O’Clock – Sharpedge (Yellow) (5)
• Lather: Tallow + Steel – Shag
• Post Shave: Tallow + Steel – Shag
• Fragrance: Maher Olfactive – Nefertiti

Hippie day. Today is the day we go back to the free love times with our patchouli and incense. In honor of free love movement today’s soap has been shared around. From the original pif couresty of u/35048467, I then doled out close to 10 smushes of this soap. I hope to see a lot of them today (a few we’re holding out for Christmas eve in July). This soap was from 120inna55’s collection and while my time here does not overlap at all with his, I read through many of his reviews when the collection went on sale. The first “full” tubs I bought (Summer Storm, which I bought because of his review, Ghost Town Barber, and Hygge) came from this sale in fact. So, while no longer with us, he’s very much still an influencer in this community even to us noobs. I hope he’d have approved of this effort to tie together this community in what’s could be a small as hoc group shave. I hope to see some tags so I can count, but I might hit 10% of total shaves today from this tub.

For #fof, I used the Shag splash and layered on Nefertiti. With it’s “jazz cigarette” accord, I felt like it most naturally kept to the theme. After all patchouli and pot are old friends. As a practical matter, the patchouli is doing what it is supposed to do and totally covering up any of the frag scent. No one will be any the wiser of the jazz cigarette! I’m safe. Thought my wife is wondering why our bathroom smells like hippie, so this may not have been the smartest decoy.

Entering into the vehicle theme of the #photocontest. My daughter’s RC car is called “petal power” and just continues our 60s theme. I love the composition, but the technical side needs work. I chose the cashmere brush because while not a 60s thing per se, playing off the material names (“shag” means many things but here we’ll use it in the style of carpet) seemed interesting. I have had 0 luck with this knot so far. But after u/merikus converted me to GUTL yesterday, I used it again here (and will continue to GUTL with different brushes!) scooping and developing a proto lather helps this knot shine. My previous lathers with it have been thin, runny and scarce. This time I had a fluffy abundant (has to wash a bunch down the sink) lather leading to a great shave. GUTL forever!

For the challenge: I may be going for #ROTY this year but after this shave I feel like an old hippie (performed live in 1986.)

Edited, fixed some links.

2023-07-13 Look out! Jive turkeys!

• Brush: Zenith B35 Moar Boar #CHONK #OLDWORLD
• Razor: Nameless Straight 3/4" #STR8SNOB #ALLNATURAL
• Lather: St. James of London - Mandarin & Patchouli
• Post Shave: Stirling Soap Co. - D503
• Fragrance: Chatillon Lux - Yuzu/Rose/Patchouli

An ill-advised caffeine bender began last Sunday, and I think I'm finally back to normal.
Patchouli's right in the name of today's lather and there's the width of the razor.

Relevant Post-shave and Fragrance: This sample came with a matching pre-shave oil instead of aftershave (like most other scents in Maggard's St. James sampler), so I chose a citrusy aftershave to link to the mandarin of Mandarin & Patchouli. More importantly, though, the aftershave's label is also orange, like that of the cream's pouch thingy.
Also, the label for the fragrance is orange! At least, the label of the corresponding soap is orange...
Oh, hey, wouldja look at that, the label of the fragrance vial is, too! That definitely had nothing to do with the orange highlighter that I had lying around after the draw-a-label challenge, no sir. And yeah, sure, it shares the citrus and patchouli highlights.

I also felt like the straight was appropriate to today's theme, because... it's a hippie-y thing? Definitely a hipster thing, which I'm well aware is similar by name alone. I'm convinced, though, that there's a continuum with beatnik-hippie-hipster, which brings me to...

Challenge Accepted: Regina Spektor's early album 11:11 is full of what I think of as beatnik vibes. I'm not about to just plop the whole album here, nor am I going to present the standout track from the album, Pavlov's Daughter, because that's nearly 8 minutes long.
Instead, here's the much shorter Wasteside, which is strong with beatnikiness, with its string bass and the lyrically-painted picture of aimless characters. Bonus for the mention of barbershops, too.

#FOF
This list of scents and scent notes that make me say "I have no idea" is pretty long. All I really knew about patchouli is that Patton Oswalt is not a fan. So I bought a cheap few mL of patchouli oil to find out what all the fuss was about.

Frankly, I like it. I am a fan. I don't see what the problem is, or why I've seen it described here as "stanky" (which, by the way, seems like it should be more semantically narrow than "stink," and yet the usage seems to suggest it's nearly interchangeable. But I digress.

The patchouli is strong with this cream, so much so that I'm not sure why they even bothered to put "mandarin" in the name. By the end of the first pass, my opinion of patchouli completely changed. I am not a fan. I was glad to be free of the stank (a word that I've just now decided is 100% appropriate and indeed a subcategory of "stink") when it came time for the D-503, which provided a relatively subtle transition thanks to the otherwise-overpowered mandarin of the cream. The YRP at the top, being lighter on patchouli, made me feel like I was finally free of the stank.

#photocontest

Photo: Vegetables
That's right, a mandarin is a vegetable. I'm not even joking or trying any loopholes; it was made pretty clear that the fruit/vegatable themes aren't tied to particular definitions thereof, and vegetables include all edible plant matter, including [...] fruits. There sure is a bunch of plant-based photo themes!

July 13, 2023

• Brush: Dogwood Handcrafts X John Butcher 24mm Tuxedo Knot
• Razor: Rockwell 6s
• Blade: Wilkinson Sword
• Lather: Elysian – Patchouli Peach
• Post Shave: House of Mammoth – Smash Splash
• Fragrance: Dolce & Gabbana - K
• Music: The Presidents of the United States of America - Peaches

Happy Hippy Dippy Baloney Day! After an eventful day yesterday, I decided to shave in the comforts of my own bathroom again today. Being asked to leave the place your shaving is no fun, and I’m in no hurry to repeat that experience again anytime soon. Here, no one will ask me to leave – other than my wife or my kids, but let’s not get into that right now.

Instead, let’s get into some Patchouli! I’m generally not a big fan of straight up patchouli. It’s a bit too earthy/musky for my liking. However, when it’s combined with other scents, it can really bring a nice characteristic to a party of other scents.

Today, I’m rocking with Patchouli Peach from Elysian Soap Shop today. I first found out about Elysian about 8-9 months ago, I’ve since become a fan of what she makes. In my interview today, I chatted with Shannon from Elysian, and while she has a lot of gourmand scents (which I am all about) the one I used today, Patchouli Peach is not gourmand at all. This one is nice, bright, spicy, and fairly complex. The patchouli does a great job of toning down the sweetness of peach notes and then there’s a little bit of Pink Peppercorn & Ginger to spice things up a little bit. Very, very nice for the Summer, when the living’s easy.

I decided to ride the Peach wave and use Smash, by HoM and B&M. The splash elevates the Peach Game from the soap and is absolutely wonderful. It brought a wonderful, sweet finish to patchouli-perfuminess of Patchouli Peach. To put a nice bow on the scents for the day, I ended up using K by Dolce & Gabbana, which has some citrus notes to complement the #FOF of today’s Peach-A-Palooza I experienced during the shave and also sits on a base of patchouli to bring today’s theme home.

DISCLAIMER: Did I pay for this soap? Nope. Shannon sent it to me gratis. I’ve bought multiple sets from her and was originally planning on highlighting her Maple Coffee scent (which I did purchase from her) on “Death Before Decaf” Day. So, we did the interview, and all was well. When I thanked her, I told her I planned on posting her interview on July 9th when I used Maple Coffee. And she asked if I could use a different soap because that was a seasonal release and she would send me a scent that she currently has for sale if I’d use that instead. I thought about it, and looked at the calendar, and thought about it again. And I told her that (1) I’m not a shavefluencer (2) no one listens to my opinion, so don’t expect any uptick in sales whatsoever, and (3) I’d have to disclose I didn’t pay for it. She was fine with all that, so here we are. I absolutely, 100% love what she makes and her sending me a free soap doesn’t change that.

PS – By accepting a free soap, does that make me an influencer now? Make sure to SMASH that like and subscribe button!

For the #photocontest it’s fruit. Kind of an easy choice with Patchouli Peach & Smash.

And today’s challenge is one I do every day. Every SOTD I do in the Lather Games, has a relevant musical selection. Today, I included Peaches by The Presidents of the United States of America because I started with Patchouli Peach and ended up taking it from there.

And now for my interview today, I chatted with Shannon Logan, from Elysian Soap Shop. I first came across her because she had a bunch of scents that called to me (like Maple Coffee or Salted Caramel) and I blind bought a set or two. I loved the scents and the performance. It’s been cool to see her company already grow and watch her grow as an artisan, offering more complex scents now, and she’s also using high-walled plastic tubs now vs the tins she started with. Huge win for those that like to load from the tub, like me. She was excited to participate in this series and provides a lot of good insight for origin story, as well as telling us what kind of Peanut Butter she prefers. I’m happy to present to you:

10 Questions with… Elysian Soap Shop

1. How did you get started making shaving soaps and fragrances?

During the pandemic I saw the fragility of our supply chains and just-in-time delivery and started wondering what kind of business could operate only on local supply chains alone in case of a major disruption. I felt that soap was the most resilient because you can make it simple using only two ingredients like olive oil or tallow, or as complicated and fancy as you like with butters and oils imported from around the world. Also, people always need soap, so learning soapmaking seemed like a really useful skill to acquire.

I released my first bath soaps in January of 2022 and I sent one to a friend of mine. She told me she had the best shave of her life. So, I thought, why not create a men's shaving soap as well? The wet shaving community found my shaving soap and since then I've pretty much been on a wild ride.

2. The dictionary tells me “Elysian” means relating to or characteristic of heaven or paradise. A little confident in your soaps? 😉

When I was thinking of names, I wanted to evoke the feeling people should get when they use my soaps--a pleasurable and uplifting experience. From the overwhelming positive feedback I've gotten, my confidence has definitely grown a lot since the beginning.

3. I’m such a lover of gourmand scents, so your soaps are right up my alley and I’ve really enjoyed the soaps of yours that I’ve purchased. How do you decide which scents you are going to make?

Like Willy Wonka: pure imagination.

4. Speaking of gourmand, what are your thoughts on making a pepperoni-pizza scented shave soap?

I'm Italian-American and this is blasphemy.

5. You’ve been in business about a year and a half. What has surprised you the most since starting Elysian?

I had no idea there was this global revivalist movement around wetshaving. I was pleasantly shocked to discover this huge subculture of men and women who enjoy traditional grooming rituals so much. As far as hobbies go, this is such a wholesome and positive one--how can you not love it?

6. How has the reception of the wet shaving community been since you’ve started your company?

Better than I could have ever dreamed.

7. What’s your best-selling soap? And does that surprise you?

Cherie Tobacco, and no that doesn't really surprise me. It's a smell many of us associate with pipes and tobacconists and being around our fathers and grandfathers.

8. Pick one: Crunchy Peanut Butter or Smooth?

Crunchy.

9. When you’re not making soaps, what do you like to do for fun?

Hike with my dog, take naps, and bake.

10. How does Elysian Soap Shop differentiate itself from other shaving soap companies out there?

My goal is to bring dignity back into self care rituals, elevate the shaving experience, and honor timetested traditions. What makes Elysian different? My labels aren't flashy or edgy, I wanted a timeless collectible look because I plan on Elysian being around a long time. This is also why you won't see me jumping on trends or making dupes of existing fragrances, I want to create new experiences that will hopefully become classics. I pay more attention to customer service and spend less time on advertising. I want l customers to feel like a prince (or princess) when they order something from me.

July 13, 2023 – LG Day 13 – Far Out, Man!

• Brush: Stirling Two-Band Synthetic 24mm
• Razor: Karve CB SB-B
• Blade: Lord Classic (3)
• Lather: Murphy and McNeil – Ouroboros
• Post Shave: Stirling Soap Co. – Glastonbury
• Fragrance: Comme des Garçons – Incense Series 3: Avignon

I really love hippy dippy scents. Incense is one of my favorite fragrance categories, and patchouli is an undercurrent in a ton of soaps and frags I own (and the two have a significant overlap). Ouroboros is an interesting one. Murphy & McNeil doesn’t make my favorite base, and I struggled to get a good lather this morning, but I got there with some patience (moar water moar soap). I’m not really sure how the self-devouring serpent is connected to a soap that’s really just amber, patchouli, and incense, but you gotta name a soap something. It’s a very warm and sweet incense, somewhat like nag champa, probably as such because of the amber and vanilla. It definitely fits the theme, but it’s not necessarily my favorite incense- or patchouli-centric product I own. Glastonbury felt like a good pairing, as it’s heavier on the patchouli than it is the incense, and as indicated in the product description, is definitely evocative of hippies and music festivals. It smells like the hippie shops i’ve been into in Maine and Vermont (e.g. Mexicali Blues), and honestly smells a lot like my former roommate who is very much more into the real deal “hippy dippy baloney.” Really craving the particular type of incense I like most, I immediately went for CDG Avignon. The frankincense, myrrh, and everything else in this fragrance is incredibly evocative of the Catholic church I grew up in, which brings forth a lot of nostalgia of when I was a kid and life was much easier. At this point in the day, it’s mostly faded off, leaving vanilla with only a touch of incense left (unless I shove my wrist into my nose), but it’s a pleasant drive down. This is one that I will probably get a full bottle of when I have the funds to splurge. #FOF

Keeping with the hippy dippy theme, my song today is Everything is Permanent by Dawes (Spotify | YouTube). My partner is much more into the classic jam bands, particularly Grateful Dead, so I was excited to share this album from one of my favorite bands with her when the album recently came out. Dawes is a folk-rock/dad-rock band that has had a lot of evolution over their career, and the nine minute long, jam band-esque songs in this album were a surprise to me, but are really thoroughly enjoyable. This song is my favorite.

Day 12 - Hippy Dippy Baloney

• Brush: Maggard Razors - Black Resin Handle Synthetic Shaving Brush
• Razor: Karve - CB
• Blade: Astra - Green
• Lather: Wholly Kaw - King Of Oud
• Post Shave: Wholly Kaw - King Of Oud Balm
• Fragrance: Declaration Grooming - Daemon

I didn't have anything Patchouli forward, so I focused on the incense part. King Of Oud has Patchouli in it, but the focus is on fragrant woods. I am happy to argue that Agarwood and Sandalwood are original incense. It has been used as an incense as early as 1400 B.C.E. Fast forward, it is mentioned in the bible with Frankincense and Myrrh(Why I picked Daemon).

Included in this shave, I burned/enjoyed a sliver of Wild Nagaland Agarwood. I didn't spray the fragrance until later. I didn't want it to compete with the wood. I picked Daemon because it features another OG incense, Frankincense.

For the song, check out Get Inspired by Genesis Owusu. Maybe it will inspire you.

ROTY #FOF

July 13, 2023

• Brush: Frank Shaving – 20mm Silver Tip Synthetic
• Razor: VC & Co - Diamondine 5/8 Straight #ALLNATURAL
• Lather: Declaration Grooming & Chatillon Lux – Yuzu/Rose/Patchouli
• Post Shave: Dr. Jon’s – Rose of Phrygia Splash
• Fragrance: Gucci – Guilty EdP Pour Homme

Today, I’m feeling like a flowery hippy. Flower power rise up! If I’m being honest, I actually don’t get a ton of patchouli in this soap, but if I’m talking to my Lather Games judge: “HOLY MOLY THERE IS SO MUCH PATCHOULI IN HERE!!!!” But the thing that matters is: Shawn Maher, who developed this scent thought there was enough in Patchouli in here to highlight it in the name, so that should more than cover the theme of the day. Is it better to trust the word of the guy using it or the guy who created the damn thing? Exactly.

I’m still not 100% comfortable with straight razors, but I’m trying to get as many scavenger hunt points as possible, as well as expand my shaving horizon, so I took my time and did okay with this straight. No major cuts or anything and actually had pretty good results. I have no idea if the wooden scales are original or done by someone else, but it does feel really cool in my hand. I like it a lot more than the plastic scales on my other straight razors.

Before buying this sample, I didn’t know what Yuzu was, and I’m pretty sure I’ve never smelled one in real life, but the interwebs tells me it’s a tart citrus fruit that is: sweeter than a grapefruit, more bitter than an orange, more tart than a lemon, and is light and refreshing. Okay. Now that that picture is painted, I have to admit, I mostly smell Rose from Yuzu/Rose/Patchouli. If I close my eyes and try REALLY hard I can make out a slight citrus, but Rose is the star of the show with this soap. And for that reason, I finished the shave with Rose of Phrygia. Had to google Phrygia too: it’s an ancient district in west-central Anatolia (modern day Asian Turkey) between the 12th century BC and the 7th century BC. They apparently had a massive rose garden in Macedonia named after King Midas. Unsure if that King sold mufflers and did oil changes as well. I AM sure, however, that this splash goes quite good with the Yuzo/Rose/Patchouli. The splash has an earthiness to it that makes the splash so much more than just rose scents.

And finally, to bring this home, I sprayed on Gucci’s Guilty, which features Fresh Rose, Hot Chili Peppers, and Cedar. This is a really nice fragrance to go with Rose of Phrygia & Yuzu Rose Patchouli, because of the common Rose connection, but I can’t see myself wearing this on a regular basis. It’s a bit too floral for my liking on a regular day. #FOF

CHALLENGE

For my song of the day, I choose Kiss from a Rose by Seal. I know I should probably pick something more related to patchouli like Phish or the Grateful Dead…. But I really get a lot of Rose from Yuzu/Rose/Patchouli so I’m going with roses all day! I remember loving this music video as a kid because it had clips from Batman Forever, which was a bad Batman movie, looking back, but I loved anything Batman as a kid. Still do.

July 13, 2023 – Hippy Dippy Baloney

• Brush: Wild West Brush Works Purple Swirl w/ Oumo SHD Manchuria 28mm
• Razor: Razorock Game Changer .84
• Blade: Wizamet (8)
• Lather: Siliski Soaps – Incense
• Post Shave: Epsilon – Blue Mediterranean
• Fragrance: Dior – Fahrenheit

Challenge: I’m using a soap called Incense, so the song Incense and Peppermints is the first thing that came to mind. I don’t listen to much music from this era. I’m familiar with the song from, and associate it with, the movie Austin Powers, which I watched repeatedly as a teenager. The movie parodies hippie culture just as much if not more so than James Bond films. I haven’t watched it in a long time, but I think the song plays during a flashback of a party in Austin’s hippie pad.

Thanks to for the smoosh. It’s a shame Siliski closed down. This is a really good soap. I don’t have many memories of incense. This is a genre that’s harder for me to know what I’m smelling. Siliski Incense smells pretty much like every store I’ve ever walked into that sold glass pipes and bongs. The fragrance is earthy, dirty, musty, a bit spicy, and smells like some sort of tree bark. It’s not my favorite thing, but I don’t hate it.

I bought this sample of Epsilon Blue Mediterranean specifically for today. The fragrance is a dupe of Floid Blue, which I’m not familiar with. The description states “The Blue Mediterranean fragrance will surprise you with main notes of patchouli.” When I first put it on, it was hard for me to get past the smell of menthol. Now that it’s dried down a bit, I definitely smell patchouli. This fragrance is less hippy and more of a cool powdery barbershop. It’s a bit minty, earthy, and dirty. But it’s mellowed out by some floral notes. I smell lavender.

I chose Dior Fahrenheit today because there’s a patchouli base note listed on its fragrantica page. The fragrance is leathery, floral, slightly woody, and spicy with a bit of musk. The floral notes are soft and feel fresh. The spice is mostly nutmeg and patchouli, and there’s a consistent pairing of musk and amber.

After about 30 minutes, the floral notes start to become more prominent. The spicy notes feel softer. The amber is stronger. More woody notes come through. I smell cedar.

I like this fragrance a lot. It does a great job of taking what are typically heavy fragrance notes and makes them feel fresh and aromatic. There’s a strong juxtaposition between veg tanned leather and fresh flowers. The fragrance is on the masculine side due to the spicy, musky notes. This one is better suited to colder weather, which we don’t get a lot of in the south east. One day, I would like to get a full bottle of this.

#FOF

LG23-13: Hippy Dippy Baloney

• Brush: Zenith B36 #SMOLL
• Razor: Alpha Shaving Works Outlaw Cu
• Blade: Astra SP (26)
• Lather: Siliski Soaps - Incense - Shaving Soap
• Post Shave: Long Rifle Soap Co. - Voyageur - Shave Tonic
• Fragrance: La Curie - Incendo
• Passes: WTG, XTG
• Coffee: Ethiopia. Guji, Werka - v: Ethiopia Landraces - p: Natural. Dried on raised beds.
• Music: Weyes Blood - Titanic Rising
• LG Tags: #FOF

Few songs make me think of round-sunglasses, paisley shirts, and fields of sandaled teens more than John Phillips’s “Twelve Thirty (Young Girls Are Coming to the Canyon)”. This song smells like incense, patchouli, long hair in the sun, and expanded consciousness mannnnnn. The Mamas & the Papas wrote and popularized the song, though it’s been covered a few times, both standards-style (as is super common in American folk music) and by later artists looking to channel their inner flower child. More interesting is its recent use in media. Despite being an unusually pretty two-part harmony, Hollywood started taking advantage of the song’s ominous overtones, using it as an effective signifier of ‘60s cults in the Manson Family vein. The back to back combo of 2018’s Bad Times at the El Royale and 2019’s Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood sealed the song’s fate. Now that first bar of the piano melody plays and I immediately picture Chris Hemsworth chewing the scenery.

You may have noticed I included a different selection for my usual SOTD music entry; it’s on theme, but has nothing to do with “Twelve Thirty”. I considered using a Weyes Blood track for today’s challenge, since she’s released plenty of material that nods to ’60s folk and ’70s AM radio, but her songs often feel inseparable from the album on which they’re released. For example, the otherworldly arpeggios that open “Movies” aren’t nearly as impactful if they don’t flow from the radiant expansion at the end of “Something to Believe” and the “Titanic Rising” interlude. Regardless, Titanic Rising is excellent incense, low-lights, and whisky music. I get the impression both incense and patchouli are Natalie Mering’s style.

For today’s shave, I stuck close to the theme’s parameters, using Siliski’s Incense soap, a patchouli aftershave, and an incense frag straight from the towering woods of the Pacific Northwest. Siliski’s take on incense is incredibly dry. Combining frankincense, myrrh, mastic, and elemi, it smells exactly like the name suggests, and wouldn’t be out of place in liturgy, sacrament, or ceremony. Voyageur has a few more facets, adding sandalwood and oakmoss to a healthy dose of patchouli. Like I mentioned yesterday, I love a simple aftershave that’s got more going on than a single note. Combine straight-up incense and Voyageur’s earthiness and you end up with La Curie Incendo. Equally as dry as the incense in Siliski’s soap, Incendo’s incense smolders and billows over a pine-needle covered forest floor, escaping the dark shroud of fir to a speckled black sky. It highlights incense, pine, cedar, and vetiver in equal measure.

• Brush: Naked Armor Mahogany Wood Shaving Brush #SMOLL #RUNT

• Razor: Gillette Travel Tech #JETSETTER

• Blade: Bic Chrome Platinum

• Lather: Turtleship Shaving - Patchouli

• Post Shave: Chatillon Lux - Yuzu/Rose/Patchouli

• Fragrance: Chatillon Lux - Yuzu/Rose/Patchouli

My theme for today's shave: Patchouli

I'm traveling for a buds stag party and shaving in between outings so no thoughtful writeup today. #photocontest #FOF #ROTY

DAY 13 LATHER GAMES! MAKE LATHER NOT FOAM!

• Prep: Water
• Brush: DS Cosmetics 30mm Tuxedo Knot
• Razor: Univinlions Chinese AC Kamisori #KAMISORI
• Blade: Chinese(3)
• Lather: Abbate Y La Mantia - Matteo 9,11
• Post Shave: Abbate Y La Mantia - Matteo 9,11 splash
• Fragrance: Chanel - Bleu de Chanel

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PIC OR IT DIDN'T HAPPEN

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SOAP

I know yesterday was fluffy day... But this was way worse than I remembered/expected... Don't know about Abbate Y La Mantia's new(kind of) hard base, but this is from the older ones, around 2 years ago and it sucks ass......

But more importantly when I tried it for the first time 2 years ago I was impressed with the scent, I had never before smelled something that quite so different from the other scents. It literally smelled like an Eastern Orthodox church. We here in Bulgaria burn candles, for the living and the dead, also myrrh and frankincense are burned in the church so it transports you there while you shave, at least it does for me.

RAZOR:

This was the first time I think I used a Kamisori style razor, and it was quite pleasant and comfortable to use. The Japanese really knew what they were doing when doing this design, still yet to try a real Kamisori, but that day will come eventually! Very stable shave overall, quite happy with how it turned out!!

DAILY CHALLENGE:

Well since I already knew what the soap+after combo would be and how the scent made me feel, I went for the boring professional route!

Mozart - Requiem in D minor K. 626

Since I am a slow shaver, I did put it on during the shave and got through more than half of it. Now most of you might think, 50 minutes!?!?!? Ain't nobody got time for that. And it is true in this age that everything moves so fast and things are getting shorter, look at Youtube shorts... But I am a professional classical musician and it brings me great joy to be able to appreciate such genius works as the one I am sharing with you.

I'm gonna give a bit of explanation for those who might be interested or don't know:

• What is a Requiem?
  A Requiem or Requiem Mass, also known as Mass for the dead is a Mass of the Catholic Church offered for the repose of the soul or souls of one or more deceased persons, using a particular form of the Roman Missal. It is usually celebrated in the context of a funeral.
• Is there only one Requiem?
  Nope, many famous composers have written Requiems like: Haydn, Brahms, Berlioz, Verdi.
• What's so special about this one?
  Well, many things. It was the last piece that Mozart wrote. He wrote it/dictated it on his dying bed. It's complexity and sacral combination of sounds make it the most unique out of all the Requiems. It was was finished by Franz Sussmayr a year after Mozart's death. And many more things!
• Is it possible to get a Requiem written for you after you die?
  YES! But you have to win the Lather Games first! That is one of the criteria that was decided couple of hundred years ago!

#FOF

It's really hard to find something that matches the scent of an Eastern Orthodox church, but the closest I can get is Bleu de Chanel. It's almost on the verge of non-existing, especially in the beginning but you can get a whiff of it, having in mind it's a base note, you have to wait for a bit for the scent to develop and actually get the incense to be more dominant. Can't say I'm really pleased with this combo, but I try to tie the products, scent wise, the best I can...

• Daily Lather Themes: 13/30
• Daily Challenges: 13/30
• Hardware Scavenger Hunt: 12/20
• Hardware Vendor Points: 1/2
• Software Vendor Points: 6/13
• Software Vendor Bonus Point: 0/1
• 30 Different Soap Brands Point: 13/30
• 30 Different Soaps On Theme Bonus Point: 13/30
• 30 Different Post-Shaves Bonus Point: 13/30
• 30 Different Fragrances Bonus Point: 13/30

July 13, 2023 – LG 13: Hippy Dippie Baloney

• Brush: Dogwood 30mm Synbad #CHONK #COMPOSITE
• Razor: Gillette Ball End Tech #REGUS
• Blade: Astra SP (Green) (8)
• Lather: Siliski Soaps – Incense
• Post Shave: Chatillon Lux – Yuzu/Rose/Patchouli
• Fragrance: Spearhead Shaving Company – Seaforth! Black Watch

If only my user name checks out worked for todays #PHOTOCONTEST, instead we went with literature. Electric Kool Aid Acid Test and On the Road are both quintessential hippy books, making for a nice themed back drop. As for a song for todays challenge, I’ll go with Buffalo Springfield’s “For What it’s Worth”. Often pegged as an anti war song (and what’s more hippy than that) and used as such in entertainment media, it actually has a pretty interesting background. The gist of it is Stephen Stills wrote it about Sunset Strip Curfew riots, or “hippy riots,” where counterculture folks clashed with police. Many believed said curfew infringed upon their civil rights, and numerous of these civil disturbances occurred through the 60s.

For todays #FOF I went with Siliski’s incense. Hell, it’s right there in the name. It’s quite dry, and made up of frankincense, myrrh, elemi, and mastic. Simply put, it smells like its namesake, whether you’re walking into a ceremony at church or into a head shop with ~~bongs~~ water pipes and fuzzy black light posters. I followed it up with the much brighter YRP, after all, couldn’t be hippy without some flower power in there. Sweet rose and mildly tangy citrus are the stars, but they do fade to a bit of woody patchouli underneath (I think more so in frag form where the scent lingers way longer). Lastly, back to another heavy hitter in black watch. Rich, jammy plum, slight jasmine on top, I don’t really get the citrus. Plenty of strong incense, and mossy woods. The leather is quite manageable, as I find it can often be too intense or overpowering for my nose in a fragrance. I actually got several comments on it today with just a singular spray. From the GF in the other room, “wow that’s strong.” At work, it’s just me and a couple people planning for start of school year. I got settled in my office and our lovely business manager walked in and said, “ooohh, you wearing some nice cologne today, smells good.” FWIW (hey, that was my song today!), I sometimes compliment her perfume because she wears some decent citrus and floral stuff sometimes. Her comments prompted the attention of another coworker to come smell, who also approved.

In case djudges need more razor picks. This one actually came in a cool kit from a coworker when she changed schools. We were at a little pool gathering of work friends, and she commented about getting a safety razor to use for her legs to some coworkers (elementary ed is dominated by ladies). It was a perfect segue for me to over share all my cool stuff, but they appreciated it. I even got her some soap samples and a brush since she just had the razor. So the gift was quite heartwarming, and made in England, which is where me mums from so it was quite thoughtful.

soap brands 13/30, post shave 13/30, frag 12/30, post/frag linked 13/30, software sponsors 6/15, hardware sponsors 2/2, razor hashtags 7/15, brush hashtags 8/15, photo contest 13/30, daily challenges 11/25, special challenges 2/5

July 13, 2023 - Hippy Hippy Shave

• Brush: Oumo Passion Warhammer 29mm 5th Anniversary Fan
• Razor: Ever Ready 1912 Chain Handle #TWINS
• Blade: Personna GEM PTFE
• Lather: Declaration Grooming - Yuzu/Rose/Patchouli - Chatillon Lux collaboration
• Post Shave: Declaration Grooming - Yuzu/Rose/Patchouli Splash - Chatillon Lux collaboration
• Fragrance: Chatillon Lux - Yuzu/Rose/Patchouli EdP

FOF

Today’s theme:

I went to a college that is a bastion of the modern hippy culture, CU Boulder. Back when I went there (holy crap it is almost 30 years since I graduated), patchouli was a frequent fragrance encountered on campus. I did not like it much then. For me, patchouli is like musks, a little is great, but too much can be gagging. Well, this trifecta of YRP is a fantastic patchouli scent.

Today’s Challenge:

Why just pick one song? I decided that I’d find songs that feature the three named scents in my choice for today. Rose is the easiest, found a few instances for patchouli, but yuzu was tough. Then I found there is a an Asian group called Yuzu that has been featured on some soundtracks.

Yuzu

Rose

Patchouli

Bonus Incense

Today’s shave:

I got this Ever Ready razor a while ago, but hadn’t cleaned it up yet. Some dish soap and a soft toothbrush to get as much gunk off. Still some tea stains here and there, but clean enough for a shave. Maybe a soak in the ultrasonic cleaner to get the stubborn bits to lift off will be done later. Like the GEM version, it is a pretty mild shaver. It is not as loud as a MMOC or Ever Ready Shovelhead. Since this soap is one I like a lot, my second hungriest brush was perfect for the shave. A generous scoop of lather into the bowl, and much water added before I got it dialed in to where I wanted it. This brush absolutely swells and is a massive puffball of lather when I load it up. I had an irritation free shave. That oopsy with the kamisori was felt for a couple days, but it was better tonight. 3 full passes tonight, very good shave.

Today’s fragrance:

This was the first day I had picked out for the calendar. It is an obvious choice of course, but still it is a fantastic patchouli based scent. That magician at Chatillon Lux turned one of my least favorite scents into one I love. Of course it is a predominantly patchouli scent, but not a solid wall of patchouli like my past experience of people using it. The citrus comes out stronger once I started lathering. The rose is a background floral for me. I can smell it there, but I have to tease it out to get more than just “floral” smell. Rose is that way for me. It isn’t like lavender or lilac which my nose can usually recognize right away. The yuzu sweetens things up with a clean citrus note. Obviously since I trickholed the scent today, there is no real conflict of the scents, just more of it. Right now, the EdP and splash are giving a stronger yuzu/rose scent. Those notes faded from the lather pretty quickly, leaving a mild patchouli scent until I added the post shave and fragrance. Scents are going to get harder to match the more I’m using up my samples for most days. I only have two firmly in mind for later shaves, so more experiments left this month.

Today’s Haiku

Patchouli balanced,

By the fruity, floral notes,

Is so delightful.

July 13, 2023 – Patchouli Sucks

• Brush: Summer Break Soap “Dundy” 26mm Motherlode
• Razor: Blackland Blackbird Lite
• Blade: Gillette Silver Blue
• Lather: Tallow + Steel – Shag
• Post Shave: Stirling Soap Co. – Island Man

My intention was to take a quick shower, shave, write this up, and go to bed. It’s been a long day and I’m tired. But, well, Shag is absolutely awful so I had to switch some of those things around. My long day got longer as I was forced to shave and then shower like some kind of monster.

u/tsrblke ran a very generous PIF and smushed a bunch of this out last month to help those of us in need of a Patchouli scent. I had assumed he was just being kind. I now know that he’s just a wise man and wanted this forsaken soap out of his house and this was an easy way to do that while looking like the good guy. Well, sir, I’m onto you because what you sent to my house is nothing short of an abomination. Literally as bad as a turd covered in burnt hair - nothing like desire.

It lathered fine and my shave was smooth as efficient. I used a synthetic brush because there is NO WAY I want that stank on a badger, letalone a badger as nice as a B16 or V19. No, sir, that will not be happening.

So, shaved, should have held my breath, then showered and scrubbed that garbage off my face. Upon exiting the shower, I found my wife’s favorite scent – Island Man – and splashed that on me. No one should have to smell that horror, let alone the woman I love most. Island man is clean, delicious, and delightful – it could not be more opposite than Shag, thank goodness.

Anyway. I do appreciate the smush being sent and this is the beauty and pain that is the lather games – never would I have ever learned how bad something can be if it weren’t for this beautiful competition; and, well, that’s both a beautiful and painful reality.

I was considering something nice to play during this shave, but, I realized that the most appropriate song to go with this shave in particular would have to be I hate everything about you. I dedicate this to you, T+S Shag. You’re awful. And yes, I know this song is about being conflicted and hating everything about someone and yet loving them. To be clear, the only line that applies in this situation is “I hate everything about you.” But, it’s true. And, this song takes me back to high school and unlike many of you I look back fondly on those days. My life certainly didn’t peak in high school, but, I have some great memories with some great friends and music like this from the early 2000s really plays on the feels.

FOF Haiku of the day

Patchouli is nast’
Island Man puts up the mast
Antithetical