2023-07-17 The Beast with Three ~~Backs~~ Heads

• Brush: Yaqi - Metal Timberwolf
• Razor: Qshave Adjustable
• Lather: Declaration Grooming - Cerberus
• Post Shave: Cloe - Alum block
• Fragrance: Chatillon Lux - Agua Fresca
• Blade: Astra Platinum (1)
• Razor: Rockwell 6S
• Razor: Weishi Butterfly

Relevant Post-shave and Fragrance:
Agua Fresca: Not only is this scent part of a Declaration collaboration, but it features the stone-fruit apricot, while Cerberus highlights stone-fruit.
Alum because I, too, am a team player!

Challenge Accepted: To find out the brand of this alum, I had to look up my order from... phew, 25 months ago. Here's the thing, though: the brand doesn't matter. It's the same stuff.

What? I mean, uh—Oh, man, how I wish I had paid 30-40% more for a block of something that is entirely indistinguishable from what I have! Everyone knows that if the package says OSMA then it automatically improves the quality of the otherwise chemically-identical block of potassium alum inside! Oh, why did I not think to pay more for nothing?! Oh, great despair!

In other news, I have found that storing one's alum block standing up on its end instead of laying it on its side helps to keep it from melting away as quickly as it might otherwise, and also helps to keep its surface smooth. Maybe this is obvious and well known, and it's likely (and encouraged) that someone will chime in with a better alternative.

#FOF
I don't tend to hold back when praising Ben; he's created some of my favorite scents (I don't think I've mentioned in a while how amazing Tobacconist is). I'm no sycophant, though, and I must be honest: my nose doesn't care for this. I think it's the fruit. The scent is almost viscous in a way that I find unpleasant. I now realize that it's been a recurring thing for me during this year's Games that I don't care for fruity scents, and it seems to me that the stone fruit is what Cerberus is all about. Agua Fresca, too: all about the fruit, albeit lighter (is it the melon?), without viscosity. Obviously (I hope), this is only a matter of my opinion and olfactory preferences. I'm sure they're both lovely for those who like fruit. Yuck.

#photocontest
Photo: Vehicles
Might as well knock this theme out, especially since the little Cerberus guy looks like it could be a bobblehead. That's set up on the dashboard of my car, in case it weren't obvious. I am, might I add, very pleased with how the colors turned out working together here.

It is pure coincidence that this is my fourth SOTD that relates to Greek mythology; I did not plan it, and I don't otherwise have a particular affinity (or aversion) thereto, but here we are. Side note: it was only the other day that I learned that our triple-noggin'd canine friend was the offspring of two snake/serpent monster things, because that makes sense.
Three heads? Three razor heads? Three razors!
I made 3 passes for today's shave, eache one with a different razor: First the Qshave Futur knockoff, because it's kind of clumsy and is definitely represented by the goofy third head. The Rockwell followed, and then the Weishi.

Now, I'm pretty sure I'm not channeling u/cowzilla3 here, but I'm pretty sure there ain't no rule says I can't use multiple razors in a single shave, especially since doing so is not in the spirit of some exploitative advantage (as would be the case for, say, mixed lathers, frankenrazors, or multiple hashtags).

July 17, 2023

• Brush: Oumo Pandora – 28mm Badger
• Razor: Valet Autostrop – VC2 #SELFSHARPENING
• Blade: Feather FHS-10
• Lather: Storybook Soapworks & APR - Carnivale
• Post Shave: Barrister and Mann – Bay Rum Splash
• Fragrance: Chatillon Lux – Sni Mato
• Music: Spice Girls – 2 Become 1

Personally, I love the collaborations in this hobby. In many industries, someone that sells the same product as you would be seen as a competitor, but collaborations remind us that there is a mutual respect among artisans. There are many, many, many times where together they can develop something that is better than either one would produce on their own. Business-Buzzword-Bingo calls this “synergy”, but I call it awesome. It’s great to see our favorite artisans work together to develop the things we love. Everyone wins.

Today, I’m using Carnivale by Storybooks Soapworks & APR. Sadly, Dan from APR has passed away. And Storybook Soapworks is out of business. So, I really appreciate u/worbx sending me a smoosh. Because once it’s all used up, it’ll be just like u/MrTangerinesky’s chances of winning Lather Games: Nonexistent. To tie that theme together, for my #photocontest, I’m including an extinct animal: my fossil of a Phacops Trilobite from the Devonian Period. This little guy was crawling on the bottom of the ocean floor 400 MILLION YEARS AGO! Coincidentally, that’s approximately the last time u/MrTangerinesky had a worthwhile Lather Games Post….

The scent of Carnivale is interesting. It’s warm and kinda spicy and a little fruity. Smells like a fall fragrance to me. Almost reminds me of the craft fairs my mom used to take me to as a kid. To take those spicy notes to another level for my splash, I used the best Bay Rum on the market: Barrister and Mann’s. Actually, worked nicely together. Then, I was feeling kinda crazy and sprayed a little Sni Mato from Chatillon Lux on. I don’t think Sni Mato and Bay Rum have any scent notes in common, but from a #FOF perspective, they worked okay together. Sni Mato is floral, yet earthy, and on a base of cocoa and Bay Rum is obviously spicy. Anyone that’s ever consumed Cinnamon-Chocolate knows that’s a great combination, so it’s not THAT crazy these two scents would play well with each other. Floral-Earthy-Spicy is a great combo, IMO.

DISCLAIMER: I got this splash for free from last year’s lather games prize.

And as far as the challenge goes, I will do anything for Lather Games, but I won’t do that. I don’t own alum and have never used it. Never much saw the point or value from it. I’m trying to keep my face from drying out, so putting a salt block on it never made sense to me. If I was to ever, ever, ever, use alum, I would 100% buy Osma, the only luxury alum. Buuuutttt…. That’s not going to happen today.

And for my interview today, I have a dude who knows all about collaborations. Shawn Maher has worked with so, so many wetshaving artisans out there, as well as being the guy behind Chatillon Lux and The Maher Olfactive. I’d bet everyone reading this has used and loved the scent of several products scented by Shawn. I was so excited that Shawn agreed to take part in this series and play along with my questions. So, thank you so much, u/hawns! And Shawn – You likely missed the post, but I haven’t seen you sign up for our group buy for Doritos Soap and Mountain Dew Splash yet! For a guy who’s developed some of the most amazing scents in our hobby, you really missed the boat on this idea! ;-)

10 Questions with… Shawn Maher

1) I read that you got started in perfumery by blending essential oils to create a fragrance for a face balm you made for yourself. Most people would simply go to the store and buy whatever they have there, but you built something for yourself. Have you always been a do-it-yourself go-getter, like that?

Yeah, I've always kind of been like that. I used to be in a band where I wrote all the songs, booked all the shows, was in charge of scheduling practices and paying rent at the practice space and also was the one who had the van. Now, my main job (associate creative director of copywriting at an ad agency) requires me to learn new stuff all the time, including how retina and corneal surgery works, how welding and plasma cutting works, the scientific process for optimizing industrial janitorial services, and how shoes are manufactured, just to name a few. Plus, I was always the kind of student who got As and worked ahead when I found it interesting but got Cs and never did my homework when I didn't. But when something interests me, I go in whole-ass, never half-ass.

2) It’s actually stunning how many fragrances you’ve created within this wetshaving hobby of ours. Do you have one you are most proud of?

I would say the scents I'm most proud of usually aren't scents in shaving products since all the small nuances kind of get destroyed by the base. It's like trying to watch a movie on a screen covered in vaseline or watch something through a rusty screen, dirty windows and seven bushes. However, I would say La Petite Prairie would be the scent I'm most proud of that was made to be in a wetshaving product.

3) Spearhead Shaving’s Spiced (which you created) is one of my favorite scents. Who is your favorite Spice Girl?

I was in high school when the Spice Girls came out, and in band my trombone section thought it was really funny to annoy people by playing the instrumental hook for Wannabe. I always wondered if there was a reason why Scary Spice was scary other than because she's Black?

4) Do you have a tally of how many scents you’ve created since starting Chatillon Lux & Maher Olfactive?

I never remember them all, especially due to one-offs. It's probably been at least three dozen. Probably more, I would say, considering there are almost two dozen active scents in both lineups. Memory and organization have never been my strong suits. I like to think that's because I am always moving forward and never in the past...but probably just because I'm scatterbrained.

5) Do you have any scent notes that you don’t like working with or refuse to work with?

I'll work with anything, but I don't have the slightest interest in making scents that smell like what's already out there. So many people were pissed because they saw a coffee note in 1904 and just assumed it would smell like the generic sweet latte scent that so many people have done already. My brother in Christ, if you want that scent, then go with one of the ten million options that already exist. I don't know if there's a single note out there that I wouldn't work with. I think everything has its place if used correctly.

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(INTERVIEW CONTINUES IN THE REPLY)

July 17, 2023 – Team Work Makes the Dream Work

• Brush: Zenith r/wetshaving Exclusive Moar Boar 31mm #chonk
• Razor: Gillette Superspeed
• Blade: 7 O’Clock – Sharpedge (Yellow) (8)
• Lather: Declaration Grooming – Weinstrasse
• Post Shave: House of Mammoth – Smash
• Fragrance: Chatillon Lux – Weinstrasse

Collaborations. Where would this hobby be without them. Almost everything used today was either a collaboration or a part of one (the frag being the base scent for the soap collaboration.) Even Moar Boar was a collaboration of several members of this sub. By the by, moar boar is not a GUTL brush. As soon as I tried to put the proto lather on my face of started to lather. This brush was made for faces and faces only.

On to #fof. So let’s talk about this scent. Wientresse. Ah the Wientrasse. If GLS was the stomping grounds of my teenage years, then the wientrasse was my mid to late 20s. A lovely spot down MO-94 with wineries every few miles. So many memories. My wife told me we were having our second kid at one of these wineries. I connected the soap and frag with another booze themed collaboration, Smash from HoM and B&M. It worked very well. The cherry and peach of smash played off the reisling scented soap. So what’s wrong? The wientrasse doesn’t smell like reisling. Sure the wineries make some reisling but the speciality is Norton, which is a native grape, and earthy and dry. Not sweet like reisling. And Norton is one of my favorite wines. (Sometimes it’s called Cynthiana). And whether you knew it or not, norton root stock is basically the main stock behind European grapes too. Now you’re asking “why is is so adamant about this? He said reisling is great too.” It is, and frankly I love this scent. So why? Simply because reisling is more associated with Hermann, which is not really on the wientrasse. But Augusta is, and Augusta was the first place in the nation to get appellation. (Certification as a recognized growing area). Take that Napa valley. So my concern here is 2 fold. First pride for the area and second u/hawns, could you make a norton inspired scent? EdT may be a bit much but maybe something for a splash?

Rant over, #photocontest. This is for history. But it’s also a collaboration! Written by a Russell and Burch, this book forms the basis for all modern animal research ethics and regulations, including the 1984 animal welfare act. My dissertation is an updating if this work. Russell was a zoologist and Burch was, an expert in the humanities, making this some interesting reading as they weave science with, I shit you not, a citation from Alice in Wonderland. It’s amazingly well done for being from the 50s, and my updates are to correct die developments in underlying ethical theory (the rise of principlsim). They weave Darwin and other stuff through the work. When I found a 1st edition for $30 I had to pick it up. It also meant I had the only first edition in the department meaning my mentor had to check my cites with my book.

OK still doing #ROTY but vacation has started (I’m at the amtrak station now waiting for a late train. So risk is high but gonna succeed. All my shaves are planned, SOTD pics pretaken. Let’s gooooooo.

Edited oh right the challenge. I think so little about alum I forgot. I know it's the source of flame wars here. I don't use it except for my stypic pencil. So I rubbed that on my neck where I have problems. It stung. It did nothing else.

• Brush: Chisel & Hound Kuai Taper w/ V18 Fanchurian 26mm

• Razor: Muhle Rocca R94

• Blade: Bic Chrome Platinum

• Lather: Declaration Grooming - Cerberus

• Post Shave: Declaration Grooming - Cerberus

• Fragrance: Imaginary Authors - Memoirs of A Tresspasser

Today's Theme: Happy Together - I chose Cerberus for today's collab theme for all the reasons several others chose this soap. Unlike those people though, I used the aftershave liniment which carries the scent exceptionally well for a pseudo-balm.

Today's Challenge: Osma Day - I have Osma, but it is not the Osma that everyone else gets. /u/j33pguy13 harangued me for buying "lame unscented soap that dries your skin" but who's laughing now. I rubbed this puck of alum shaving soap on my skin in the usual portion of a shave routine where others would rub alum stones on their skin. It was ok. I did not lather it, so DQ police can buzz off. I simply rubbed Osma alum crystals on my face.

My theme for today's shave: Guard Dog

So in the myth of Cerberus, the three headed dog guards the entrance to Hades. Though it's generally supposed to be a big, scary guard dog, pretty much every time cerberus shows up in media it's actually quite a good boy. Cerberus in pop culture reminds me of my own dog, who's 75 pounds of pure muscle with a big ol' head. He can be a bit intimidating to people who aren't familiar with big dogs, but he's a total meatball and very sweet. I do feel better leaving my fiancee for a weekend when I know she's going to be with our big meatball of a dog. Maybe Hades just felt safer with a big dog around too.

Memoirs of a Tresspasser felt like it'd be a fun nod to the guard dog motif and it's a nice scent that kind of reminds me of Gratiot League Square. For a "collaboration" themed album I picked an old compilation album that has a bunch of songs from random small time bands. #photocontest #FOF #ROTY

July 17, 2023 – Osma is Illuminati substance to control minds

• Brush: Böker – Synthetic
• Razor: Boker King cutter
• Lather: Declaration Grooming – Cerberus
• Post Shave: Declaration Grooming – Cerberus
• Fragrance: House of Mammoth – Voices

I still remember the hype about this release. It was more crazy than the second coming of Jesus. Sold within a minute. Some people got a refund of their aftershave, as it was already sold out. But there was a second batch. I had an alarm clock to get the release and buy the shirt (lovely shirt).

FOF

Dg makes awesome soap base and the scent is fantastic. Stone fruit, sandalwood and raisins blend together to a make me want to sit down with some dark chocolate in my leather chair in front off the chimnes, read a book and talk to my dad about cars. The aftershave is pretty similar and gave me a heartly welcome as I got on my motorcycle and put my helmet on. Inside the helmet, I could enjoy the scent of Cerberus once again. The shave was okay. I had little irritation on my neck and not the closest shave. I am still out of practice with my straights. As fragrance I used Voices today, as its a collaboration between podcatsers and a soap artisan. In my opinion, thats a great fit. I bought the soap on my motorcycle trip through east europe. 1200 km to get some HoM fragrance. Would do again. Bought it in 7scents (name of the shop) and it fits the shops theme so well. The shop is filled with more niche perfumes. Voices does barely develop its scent, and thats great. You have that mango sticky rice and the sensation of tropical heat. I have no idea how the later is possible, but its there and stays like that for hours. After around 6 hours, the damp tropic sensation fades away and I am left with a fenomenal mango wood aroma. So good. I hope my nose gets more used to the fragrance and I ll enjoy it more in august.

Daily Challenge:
Do not use Osma. Be warned! In 1776 Adam Weishaupt founded the order of the illuminati in germany . His original plan included age of enlighnenment typical anti church ideas. Later they wrote in their general statutes: “The order of the day, is to put an end to the machinations of the purveyors of injustice, to control them without dominating them.” The Illuminati stopped recruiting students and expanded their circle to include the powerful and rich, for example in the Masonic lodge. One of them was Adolph Freiherr Knigge. Today his name is synonymous with good manners in all of germany. How could you control the masses, he asked himself? His idea was to start by daily rituals. See, you can miss a lecture, you can miss your secret society meeting, but you will likely not skip to be well groomed. Unfortunately, Knigge did not find a way to truly control people. But the Illuminati do not think in years, rather in generations and lifetimes. Knigge chose to lay the foundation for his idea. He wrote a book about the bahavior among humans and chose to be the name of good manners. That book was almost put on the index by the vatican in 1820. By that time, the Illuminati had already infiltrated the spiritual powerhouses and could prevent that. More than 100 years later, Italy and Germany build an alliance in second world war. With inhumane cruel secret forbidden experiments they accelerated the knowledge about medicine and anatomy. Officially, the Illuminati were gone by that time. But we know better. A secret society with such prominent members, would not die. Via the documentation of the military doctors, the Illuminati found the substance that should bring them closer to control the masses, without dominating them. Alum! But why would people use salt on wounds? In the thirty year long war, it was a common torture to put salt on peoples feet and let goats lick that off. Their raw tongues opened the skin and the salt would add unbearable pain. Knigge paved the way! You should always be well groomed. The Illuminati, now in possession of Alum just had to find a good marketing. Like a good drug dealer knows, make the celebrities addicted and use the trickle down effect. Osma alum, the only luxury alum was born. You want proove? I ll give you proof. It’s right here, among us. Have you ever mentioned alum in presence of u/merikus without him answering like a robot? You can almost hear his eyes fade out while he says it. The ultimate marketing gag from the Illuminati. And for their devilish plan, they found the perfect stage. OUR lathergames. Year by year Osma gets promoted. Of course merikus would make free commercial for Osma. He IS an Illuminati! Need more proof? Did you know that Merikus recently bought a few squares of soil and is now harvesting plants? Why would you do that? Because he knows the rich and super powerfull will accelerate our economy into the great reset. Like the psycho historics of the Foundation sci fi books would predict, the first years after the great reset will lead to unrests among societies. When currencys and whole countries collapse, its better to have some land and be able to feed yourself with own grewn food. Case closed

LG23-17: Happy Together

• Brush: Mammoth x Voigt & Cop Smash 28mm VC01 Super Badger
• Razor: Charcoal Goods Level 2
• Blade: Astra SP (12)
• Lather: Chicago Grooming Co. / House of Mammoth - Armonía - Shaving Soap
• Post Shave: London Razors / Summer Break Soaps - Coffee & Contemplation - Aftershave
• Fragrance: House of Mammoth / Barrister and Mann - Smash
• Alum: Osma, the luxury alum, because I'm worth it
• Passes: WTG, XTG
• Coffee: Ethiopia. Guji, Werka - v: Ethiopia Landraces - p: Natural. Dried on raised beds.
• Music: Run the Jewels 2
• LG Tags: #FOF

For today's shave, I tried to pack in as many collaborations as possible. I couldn't think of a razor that met the theme, but I did use my killer Mammoth x Voigt & Cop Smash brush, and the brass Charcoal Goods matches the brass ring around the handle. I use them as a pair regularly (🦣 Mammoth Monday 🦣 gang represent!). I lathered a Chicago Grooming Co. / House of Mammoth soap, splashed on a London Razors / Summer Break Soaps aftershave, and sprayed on a House of Mammoth / Barrister and Mann fragrance.

For my music selection, I considered a pop collaboration (Broken Bells), country (Waxahatchee and Jess Williamson as Plains or the Parton-Ronstadt-Harris Trio record), or one of the 2013 Homme/Turner collaborations (if I had to choose, I'd go ...Like Clockwork over AM), but settled on El-P and Killer Mike's Run the Jewels. That first proper album slapped from the start and holds up a decade later. The sound is glitchy, the pacing frenetic, and the bars hurled with sneering, barbed precision. The woozy production can shake a room; the filthy one-liners get everyone screaming along. And I remember when Run the Jewels 2 dropped—it reminds me of good people.

For my soap, I lathered up Vida's whimsically-labeled collaboration with u/mammothben. Armonía combines a strong, pungent tobacco with an equally substantial fougère base, and I can't think of any other wet shaving scents like it (except for Shire, which is differentiated by spice, violet, and a sunnier mood). The fougère aspect of Armonía is rugged, dry, and woody (lots of lavender and cedar); it smells modern, but isn't a fresh, bright-green composition. The blending is excellent, the two aspects of this scent bleeding together smoothly in a way that doesn't obscure the personality of either. Plus, I'd forgotten how good Darkwing is. What a shave!

Which brings me to today's challenge. I don't use alum on my skin anymore, but I do have a block of Osma from years ago. I used it to tighten up my skin post shave, then cleaned up my gear before—correctly—rinsing all the alum off. I can put up with that feeling in the summer but hate it in the winter when my skin doesn’t need any help feeling tightened or highlighting redness and irritation. That's not to say alum is useless. I always have it on hand to make my fingertips tacky when handling a slippery razor (Sabre, Legacy, polished handles) and deodorant stones are great as long as you shower daily. Alum is alum tho’. Don’t @ me.

The transition from lather to aftershave and fragrance was not a smooth one. There's nothing fougère-like about Coffee and Contemplation. It's not green at all, though it is woody. There's no tobacco. However, Coffee & Contemplation is a comfortable fit with Smash. Like many "coffee" scents in wet shaving, it smells more of mocha than freshly-brewed black coffee, leading with creamy cocoa and vanilla. There's a Russian leather note to darken things up and I notice the cedar in the splash. That woodiness is a natural segue to the bourbon in Smash's peach cocktail, and London Razors' chocolaty take on coffee adds another dimension to the opening fruity-floral accord. I'm reminded of Armonía by the time Smash dries down, the tobacco dry and persistent under lingering boozy peach.

All three of these scents are heavy for a humid summer day, and the latter two are more sweet than I'd prefer to wear between May and September. I’m pretty sure fragrances wear sweeter on my skin, making products intended to be sweet overwhelming. Or I’m sensitive to sweetness and assume everyone else smells the same. Regardless, while the green fougère aspect of Armonía clashes with my gourmand aftershave and splash, it’s an equally full-bodied scent, and the pungent tobacco note alludes to the subtler one in Smash. The combination worked out surprisingly well.

July 17, 2023 – LG Day 17 – Together Again

• Brush: RazoRock 400 Plissoft Synthetic
• Razor: Gillette Gold Ball-End Tech
• Blade: Gillette Rubie (1)
• Lather: Zingari – Mousse Illuminée
• Post Shave: Southern Witchcrafts – Carpathia
• Fragrance: Maya Njie – Nordic Cedar

A delightful collaboration between Zingari Man and Rogue Perfumery today. This is a really wonderful scent that I wish I had grabbed a sample of the actual fragrance for. Today would’ve been a great excuse for it, but I just didn’t plan ahead well enough. I’ll keep it fairly short. The lather was a little bit weak, but I think that was user error on my part as I haven’t used ZM very much, and I probably just needed moar water moar soap. The fragrance was, as mentioned, a delight. Carpathia added some dank, wet stone, which felt appropriate given the significant note of moss in the soap. I struggled a bit to figure out what fragrance to use, but out of my options in my den, Nordic Cedar was the best fit. The perfumer describes it as earthy, due to the patchouly, but the base of cedarwood and musk is what I get most, which certainly fits the mid notes and base notes of Mousse Illuminée. The match works, but just doesn’t emphasize the moss, which I think is so cool about this particular lather scent. #FOF

And now, I present you some properly cringe-worthy jokes about alum:

Where does u/jeffm54321 store his SOTD pics? >!In a photo alum!!<

What’s the difference between a chef and an alum user? >!Where they put the salt.!<

What do you call someone who uses Osma alum to help their skin? >!Delusional. !<

Why did the alum user get a job as a dermatologist? >!Because he wanted to help people with their skin problems, even if he couldn’t help his own.!<

July 17, 2023

• Brush: Boti Totem Pineapple Swirls with Green Tuxedo 25mm Synthetic Knot
• Razor: Gillette Executive Fatboy
• Blade: Gillette Silver Blue
• Lather: House of Mammoth with Barrister and Mann – Smash Soap
• Post Shave: House of Mammoth with Barrister and Mann – Smash Splash
• Fragrance: Tiffany & Co – Love

Smash came out pretty much when I was getting started wetshaving and I believe was the first full size set I bought after I ran through my first stirling sample. So this one will always be a winner for me. I’ve since learned that the guy behind House of Mammoth is a really stand-up guy. Donating a portion from each sale to charities. On every tub, it says “End Human Trafficking” and I think it’s awesome this guy uses up valuable space on the products he sells to help stand up for people that can’t stand up for themselves. My hat’s off to Mammoth Soaps for seemingly doing the write thing, even when no one is asking you to. It doesn’t hurt that his soaps are absolutely fire! And he worked with Barrister and Mann for this release, who I also really like. Together, they created an absolutely wonderful soap and scent!

I paired this set with Love from Tiffany & Co because I thought the warm woody nature of Love would be good with the bourbon from Smash, because, well, bourbon is made in wood barrels. It’s a good scent and a nice, inviting combination. It’s also fitting because I LOVE Smash! #FOF

CHALLENGE

I’ve never used alum and don’t think I need it. Honestly, if my starter kit came with it, I may have given it a go, but from what I saw what people on the internet were saying, the consensus seemed to be that it was unnecessary and honestly, I think I’m doing just fine without it.

Day 17 - Happy Together

• Brush: Maggard - Black and White Synthetic Knot Homemade handle
• Razor: Baili - BR179
• Blade: Astra - Green
• Lather: Declaration Grooming/Chatillon Lux - Sunrise on Lasalle
• Post Shave: Declaration Grooming/Chatillon Lux - Sunrise on Lasalle
• Fragrance: Regime Des Fleurs - Rock River Melody

Osma Day... I... Have never used an alum block. I am not against it, I just never purchased one. Describing it as "salt on your skin after you shave" doesn't sounds appealing to me. I am not sold on alum blocks.

For the fragrance, I wanted to pick something that played nicely with the Sunrise on Lasalle. I picked Rock River Melody from the description. This is the first time I have smelled/used it. They paired nicely. The RRM brought it some more green and amberey notes.

ROTY #FOF

DAY 17 LATHER GAMES! HAPPY TOGETHER WITH MY OSMA

• Prep: Water
• Brush: DS Cosmetics 30mm Tuxedo Knot
• Razor: Blackland Vector
• Blade: Chinese(6)
• Lather: Zingari Man - Mousse Illuminee
• Post Shave: Zingari Man - Mousse Illuminee
• Fragrance: Pino Silvestre - Pino Silvestre Original

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PIC OR IT DIDN'T HAPPEN

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Right time to get back to normal Lather Games for a bit!

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INTRO

Collaboration day! I think that one of the most amazing things in our hobby is how tight the community is, even vendor wise and how people just want more and more collabs!!! Some of the best things produced are the love child of two awesome artisans, OR 3! Three artisans working on one product!?!?! That's amazing!

SOAP

We all know how good Heather's soaps and scents are! Rambler and Navigator, FIREEEEE!!!!

This one is no exception, it even goes beyond that! Rouge Perfumery has created an amazing scent which made my face squint at disgust at first(I think it was too much cypress at once), but when you give it some time to open up, oh boy is it so good! It's mature, like whiskey, fresh like lemons, and deep like Confucius! Soaps like this one really made this hobby even more awesome! Looking forward to many more collabs, especially one between A&E+PAA, that would be the best!

Cerberus Fougere is also another favorite of mine, it's even a TRI-COLLAB! I would have wanted to use it today, but LG Callendar...

I see some people have used the whole Cerberus trifecta and it won't screw up their 30 different things, which is quite ingenious! I hope to try the original Cerberus one day!

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DAILY CHALLENGE

Well that better challenge than showing how much you love OSMA!! I won't bore you with empty words of my love for OSMA, I did enough odes and poems so far!

Actions are stronger than words(Did I say time to get back to normal)

THIS is how I show my love for OSMA!(kids don't do this)

That's right, I have been an OSMA addict my whole active shave life.... I even tried OA(Osma Anonymous) but that led to nowhere! I can't even imagine having a shave without it, I've never skipped using it ever since I started! It's just how it makes you feel, the smoothness, the lacking of dryness like other crappy alum.... It just gives meaning to my life, I can't stop myself!!!

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SPITE SHAVE™

u/Priusaurus yo buddy what happened, did I come at you too hard yesterday?!?! No comeback? And if you call your post today a comeback, you clearly haven't seen one!! Silly remarks about points, I GET ALL THE POINTS BROTHER!!!

Awww don't cry, not all of us can be manly and snort alum in their free time! I imagine how your pride and ego crumbled like my OSMA alum when I dropped it(RIP 14.06.2023)... I'll leave you alone though, guess you can't handle it...

#FOF

For today I chose Pino Silvestre cause I wanted to add a bit more forest to the whole experience. Why more forest, well more coniferous forest to be exact cause this one definitely gives me the deciduous vibes, and somehow MI points my nose towards a fawn strolling through a coniferous forest. So while mixing totally opposite type of forests I do feel the combination works great!

• Daily Lather Themes: 17/30
• Daily Challenges: 17/30
• Hardware Scavenger Hunt: 14/20
• Hardware Vendor Points: 1/2
• Software Vendor Points: 8/13
• Software Vendor Bonus Point: 0/1
• 30 Different Soap Brands Point: 17/30
• 30 Different Soaps On Theme Bonus Point: 17/30
• 30 Different Post-Shaves Bonus Point: 17/30
• 30 Different Fragrances Bonus Point: 17/30

July 17, 2023 - Happy Together

• Brush: Oumo Passion Warhammer
• Razor: Karve CB C Solid Bar
• Blade: Gillette Minora Stainless
• Lather: House of Mammoth - Smash
• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Smash Splash
• Non Luxury Alum: Green Blok
• Fragrance: House of Mammoth - Smash
• Cocktail: Bourbon Peach Smash

FOF

Happy Together:

Well, now I’ve got the Turtles song stuck in my brain. Maybe the cocktail will drive it out. Smash is a wonderful collaboration of those geniuses behind House of Mammoth and Barrister and Mann. They were probably having cocktails at a secret meeting of the shaving illuminati, and said “Let’s make this cocktail into a scent!” Some mixing and magic later, we got Smash. I went for the trifecta + cocktail. I made a bunch of these at my sister’s house last year for Thanksgiving. Unfortunately November isn’t a great time for peaches, so frozen had to do. I picked up a box of peaches at Costco after work tonight.

Today’s Challenge:

I don’t know which is more divisive in the community, using Osma or GUTL. I land firmly in the middle on alum use. I tried it when I was newer to wetshaving, but was pretty meh about it. I still keep it since it does a decent job of stopping the weepers. Today’s use of alum wasn’t bad. A bit drying, but no stinging from it or the splash. I might need a bit of lotion later.

Today’s Sponsor Spotlight:

I’ve already read many great praises of House of Mammoth, and I have to echo them. Last year, I used Alive for Austere August: soap, splash, and balm. If you don’t have it, pick it up if you get the chance. I finally killed the tub from last year just before the LG started this month, but I already had a spare. One thing I can’t praise enough is their commitment to charity. I still haven’t won a raffle, but I’ll keep trying. Even if I don’t win, I feel ok since I helped them raise more money. I do regret not jumping to get the Voices soap when I was more financially stable, but hopefully things will turn around soon, and I can get the soap at least. I also foolishly let Jitterbug slip from my grasp. I had it in my cart for about a week, and when I finally decided to go for it, too late. Not like that feeds the FOMO at all. There are a few artisans making shaving software that I will blind buy, and have not regretted or been underwhelmed by what I got. House of Mammoth so far has exceeded my expectations every time I decide to go for it. They also give me something to look forward to on Mondays. (Except when points are involved.)

Fragrance of the day:

Smash is a set that I wanted as soon as the release was announced. Also, decided I had to try the cocktail when u/mammothben included the recipe in the announcement. So a new liquor was added to the cabinet, a small bottle of St. Germain. BTW, the cocktailis awesome, and so is the scent that resulted from the collaboration with u/BostonPhotoTourist. The soap gives me a slightly smoky scent of the bourbon and tobacco with a slight hint of the peach. The splash brings up the peach and sweetness. The EdP brings out even more peach and sugar, but I can still get the bourbon and tobacco. The scent notes include hedione, but not sure what that should smell like. Fragrantica says it is a “fresh floral fragrance reminiscent of jasmine with green nuances.” I think that is representing the St. Germain in the cocktail. It smells floral and herbal. Having read the description, I’m not quite isolating it from the tobacco and bourbon.

I might be a bit off on the recipe but here is a haiku of my cocktail:

Muddle peach, sugar,

Add St. Germain, Bourbon, ice,

soda splash - enjoy!

July 17, 2023 – Admiral is goated

• Brush: Dogwood Handcrafts Declaration Grooming B16
• Razor: Blackland Blackbird Lite
• Blade: Gillette Silver Blue (0)
• Lather: Declaration Grooming – Admiral
• Post Shave: Chatillon Lux – Admiral
• Fragrance: Chatillon Lux – Admiral

We’re leaving on a 12-13 day trip tomorrow so this post will be brief – still some last minute details to take care of!

There isn’t a better collab out there than Declaration and Chatillon doing Admiral. The only thing that could make this glorious trifecta better is if they would bring it back in Milksteak. It’s just that good.

Osma is luxury and while I’ve moved away from fully slathering it on my face after every shave because the painful feedback is not worth it, when I do get a little bleeding I’m very glad I have the Osma around. To avoid the terrible-ness that is that feedback, tonight I added it after my aftershave and that seemed to tone it down just a bit, which was a nice change.

Went with the Dogwood/Declaration B16 for another collab in this one and, as always, just excellent. I know it’s hotly debated, but, it’s hard to imagine something beating B16.

Anyway – that’s all for now, folks, have a great night!

FOF Haiku of the day

Admiral is best
wife loves that smokey river need that Milksteak tub

July 17, 2023 – Happy Together

• Brush: Dogwood Handcrafts Matterhorn w/ Maggard 28mm SHD #COMPOSITE #SHD
• Razor: RazoRock Lupo SS .72 #CNC
• Blade: Wizamet (12)
• Lather: Declaration Grooming – Cerberus
• Post Shave: Declaration Grooming – Cerberus
• Fragrance: Declaration Grooming – Cerberus

Challenge: Rub salt on my face? Why stop there? Everyone who knows a bit about cooking knows salt is only half of the basic seasoning regiment.

After only getting a sample size decant of Sandalorian, I was hyped when Cerberus was announced. It might not be exact, but it’s 90-95% there. For this release, House of Mammoth made the fragrance, Noble Otter contributed their aftershave formula, and Declaration Grooming provided the soap, bottled the fragrance, and sold everything through their site. Since this is a three way collaboration, it was given the name Cerberus after the three headed dog from Greek mythology, most famous for portraying Fluffy in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.

Cerberus smells so good. The fragrance presents well in all three products. Big juicy fruits mesh perfectly with sandalwood. The fruit smells like bright juicy apricot. The sandalwood note is on the dry side. There’s a note that's warm and sweet that helps blend the two.

After about half an hour, the edt smells less bright, and less fruity. The apricot is mostly gone. The warm sweetness has amped up. It smells like honey. There’s something resinous in there, too.

While I’m glad to have this in my den, I’ve definitely been reluctant to use it. Upon reference my shaving spreadsheet, I’ve only used this soap a couple of times, and the aftershave and fragrance one or two additional times. Having unobtainium is a double edged sword.

#FOF

July 17, 2023 – LG 17: Happy Together

• Brush: Dogwood Handcrafts Coprolite B15
• Razor: Tatara Nodachi Handle/Top Cap Masamune OC, Plated by London Razors
• Blade: Astra SP (Green) (11)
• Lather: Zingari – Mousse Illuminée
• Post Shave: Noble Otter – Cerberus Fougere
• Fragrance: Rogue Perfumery – Mousse Illuminée

Not only was my soap and AS a collab. But my brush is a Dogwood and DG collab and my razor Tatara and London Razors collab, just saying. The frag, which I actually had before the soap, of course then became a collab between rogue and zingari for the soap.

Per the podcast, I’ll spell out the connection today, since perhaps not as clear: mossy, resinous, green. #FOF. In soap form, mousse illuminee is very stunted compared to the frag. I would say it’s a fairly easy going and a “safe” soap, whereas the fragrance packs a bit too much of a punch on application. Super resinous, mossy, and I’d venture to call it medicinal- but like questionable ancient medieval medicine. It’s sharp and bitter. Dried down not my favorite, but a safer warm woods, like walking into a sun baked forest or meadow. The Cerberus fougere, although dark compared to man fougeres, has a bright apricot note upon application. Then it delves into the mossy undergrowth, spice (I get anise), and the sappy resins. A bit balsamic and herbaceous.

As for the challenge, never used alum, never will. Why rub salt all over your face? In my video I went for an even stupider alternative.

I’ll be honest, I was really struggling for a #PHOTOCONTEST for today. So I revisited the list to see what I had left that I hadn’t already slated for a day. I was at a loss, as I idly waited, hoping a bird would land nearby, or a squirrel for that wild animals shot. After what felt like 30min of no luck despite hearing chirps, my lightbulb went off. I started rewatching Suits as some background noise while the GF was away this weekend, good background noise show as I can’t watch “our” shows while she’s away. In Suits, we have non other than The Duchess of Sussex herself (aka Meghan Markle for you plebs out there). I just clicked on an episode, waited for a scene, and bam, ROYALS.

soap brands 17/30, post shave 17/30, frag 17/30, post/frag linked 17/30, software sponsors 9/13, hardware sponsors 2/2, razor hashtags 9/15, brush hashtags 8/15, photo contest 17/30, daily challenges 15/25, special challenges 2/5