LGSOTD 23-July

• Brush: Chisel and Hound - Casanova V11 #SHD #COMPOSITE
• Razor: Gillette - ‘New’ LC    
• Blade: Wizamet - Super Iridium   
• Lather: Spearhead Shaving - Seaforth Black Watch  
• Post Shave: Spearhead Shaving - Seaforth Black Watch AS

Considering the majority of my days are spent working from home, any comments I receive tend to be from the other half and my 4 year old daughter.  One thing’s for sure, neither are shy about letting me know when they don't like something, full on scrunched face, hand over nose type reaction. However, not quite so forthcoming when it is something that they really like.  So to receive any comments on any of the scents is a big thing so it sticks out, so far it’s close between this one, GN Ernest, A&E Vanille de Tabac, B&M Reserve Spice, Eucris, Fougere Nemeta and Shulton Old Spice.  All very different at least to me (barring reserve Spice and Old).  

So rather than going on a guess I popped them all out for them to have a smell off, this was already a risky endeavour as I don't think the Mrs has any real idea of how much gear I have and as mentioned she's commented more times about things she doesn't like but I think I got away with it. It seemed to be a close one but this one won out, though there were discussions and compromises. The wife loves slightly darker leather type scents and the daughter unsurprisingly likes slightly sweeter. So the leather on this appeals to the Mrs and the fruity plum appears to be what my daughter enjoys. As ever I can't go into the notes as I just don't pick them out, but my daughters comment on black watch was "It's delicious, I want to eat it all up.", so I think that's a winner! If the EDT ever makes it this side of the pond I will pick it up, alternatively I'm going to have to go searching for a close match. 

For the challenge I've tried to get pics, but the lighting is terrible. It would have been easier with a bowl but thought I'd stick with my normal effort and see what I could pull off. It's all quite dark, but a pic of the brush after first application, shot building it on and squeezed out after the 3rd pass today. This soap let's you know quickly when you don't have enough water, sticks to the razor like glue, and there was none of that.

Hope everyone has a grand day. 

Cheers

Marc

ROTY

PhotoContest

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

• Razor: Blackland Blackbird

• Blade: Bic Chrome Platinum

• Lather: Noble Otter - Northern Elixir

• Post Shave: Spearhead Shaving Co. - Seaforth Black Watch

• Fragrance: Chatillon Lux - Admiral

Today's Theme: What is that enchanting aroma? - The specific combination of Northern Elixir and Black Watch is what my fiancee calls "the sexy soap." She doesn't pay particularly close attention to the specifics of this wild and wacky hobby of mine, but if I use one without the other she's totally unimpressed, whereas the combination of the two is her absolute favorite on me.

Today's Challenge: Lather Audit - So I'm a strong believer that the zero-bubble greek yogurt crowd is severely under-hydrating their lather. But if you must, you're welcome to poke fun at my lather.

My theme for today's shave: Small Coastal Towns

So with Northern Elixir and Black Watch already set up for today, the question was how would I tie it all together in a final fragrance? Well, despite Northern Elixir and Black Watch sharing pretty much zero scent notes, one of the things they do share is a sort of coastal vibe. Both remind me of cold mornings on the Pacific coast down in San Luis Obispo where the sea spray and rocky terrain mingle in heavy fog every morning. So I picked Admiral, which is more of a riverboat scent than a coastal scent, but kind of calls to mind the smell of a coffee shop's exterior. Yes, I know that sentence sounds like a ChatGPT response, but bear with me. Admiral kind of smells like the kind of small town coffee shop's exterior where you just know all they serve is lavender lattes and old books.

OK maybe I am just a confused robot, but today's fragrance progression really does take me back to getting coffee in a small town just off the Pacific Coast Highway somewhere between Monterey and SLO where the weather is rarely hot and the mornings are always foggy.

For music, I picked Sonata Arctica's Silence. My personal favorite of theirs, although Winterhearts Guild probably gets more play from their fanbase. Great power metal album that is all about pushing through hard times, heartbreak, and the inner machinations of a stalker. If that doesn't interest you then I don't want to be your friend. #photocontest #FOF #ROTY

July 23, 2023 – My Children are my only complimenters.

• Brush: Zenith r/wetshaving Exclusive Moar Boar 31mm
• Razor: Gillette Superspeed
• Blade: 7 O’Clock – Sharpedge (Yellow) (1)
• Lather: Chiseled Face – Banana
• Post Shave: Zingari Man – Traditionalist
• Fragrance: Creed – Aventus Cologne

Ok. Before any not u/j33pguy13 judge reaches for the DQ button, allow me to explain. This is not a wild gambit to get u/j33pguy13 to give me a legendary point. I had thought this out before I knew he was gonna be a judge. Today’s theme is “product that gets you the most compliments.” Now a Creed dupe or something classy from HoM would be an easy play. But also not me. I work from home 3 days a week, and my wife doesn’t care much for my fragrance choices. But if yesterday’s SOTD video showed anything it’s that my kids get a kick out of this whole thing and are always telling me what’s good, what’s bad and what they want to lather and pretend with. So I let them choose and this is the result. They love the banana. It beats out other fruit scents (Runaway) and flower scents (Rose of Phyrgria) which are distant second and 3rd accordingly. But wait there’s more! My #fof today is my craziest. Now u/pridetwo beat me to banana split yesterday, but, with due respect, it was sorta Meh (banana and an ice cream cone who serves a split in a cone?) So let me walk you through this: banana, obvious here. Traditionalist: the vanilla and musk here smell EXACTLY like the mix you put in a frozen custard machine. (The cream and eggs give an oddly musky tone to the vanilla.) Now Shawn Maher perfumed this, and he pulls from his STL experience, maybe this was intentional, maybe it’s my sus nose. But that’s what I get. Finally the Aventus Cologne. It’s not as pineapple forward as Aventus regular, but it’s citrus fruity, and it works to complete the stack. That’s right, this is my kids’ favorite set: the banana split. Complete with ice cream smells. (My wife likes the adventus too so 1 for 3).

Challenge: CF is the only soap I exclusively face lather and exclusively with a boar brush. So here’s some pics of my face and my brush. Go ahead sub, roast me, give me 1s!

For #photocontest. On the surface this looks llke a horrible SOTD post. And as a display of gear it is. The creed is basically hidden. But it was challenging to get. Since today is about my kids I bent the no kids rule to be no kids’ faces. This is my entry for “society” and can be seen 2 ways. The background is my son pretending to shave his face with my empty 96R. So it’s either shaving (something many people do every day) or parenting (also something many people do every day.) After leg day he wanted to get a picture and video shaving too. He also asked if he was gonna “win the games. ” And he’s using banana soap of course. I will refrain from the argument he’s an honorary sub member and that this should count for 30 points.)

OK #ROTY folks, home stretch, last week coming up. Let’s finish strong. No more dropouts.

Edit: many embarrassing typos.

2023-07-23 What's that smell?

• Brush: Yaqi Metal Timberwolf
• Razor: Gillette Travel Tech (J3: 1964) #JETSETTER
• Lather: Stirling Soap Co. - Oro Valley
• Post Shave: Stirling Soap Co. - Oro Valley
• Fragrance: Stirling Soap Co. - Oro Valley

Relevant Post-Shave and Fragrance: Trickhole.

What is that enchanting aroma?:
Wait, you guys are getting compliments?
I'm just going to make the excuse that I don't generally have a habit of getting close enough to people—wait, uh, close enough in physical proximity for them to get a whiff. Yeah, that's it. Not the other thing.
That said, I have presented my ridiculous soap-filled cabinet to a small few people who, after smelling a number of scents therein, request a re-sniff of Oro Valley, agreeing that it is indeed phenomenal.

#FOF
Oro Valley is a dupe of Tom Ford's Ombre Leather. Honestly, the main reason I bought this is because of the name (it's not the first time I bought a soap for this reason, and it was far from the last), plus the promise of jasmine seemed, well, promising. I assume that u/stirlingsoap chose the name because they wanted something to evoke the US southwest and isn't so close to Tuscan to cause confusion, plus Valley has an idyllic connotation to it. I couldn't help but want to find out what kind of scent Stirling would name after such a place. Once it hit my nostrils, I immediately got the whole set.
That was the direction of causality: I was curious because of the name, and after that I fell in love with the scent. Don't want anyone thinking I chose this for today just because of the place for which it's named (that part's just convenient).

I assume that the noses under which I've shoved this scent appreciate it for the same reasons that I do. My overall impression is that the leather is masculine and earthy without being too dark or rugged. Cardamom is quite prominent; it is close to being too much, but it mellows out after not too long. It seems to fill a transitional space between the leather and jasmine—so much so that I hesitate to say I can pick the jasmine out, but I believe it's there.

Side note: if you're following along (why would you?), you may recall that I had a couple other run-ins with cardamom earlier this month, at which point I was like, "I don't even know what this is!" I since just went and grabbed a jar of the cardamom spice and bam I know what it smells like. It seems obvious, but if you—like me—feel uncertain with a lot of scents, just find the thing in isolation and (if you can) compare it to scents that purport to contain that scent note. It came in super handy yesterday, when I was hesitant about the berry-ness of Spitfire, and then it was super-obvious that that scent is packed with juniper after I stuck a bunch of juniper berries up my nostrils.

Challenge Accepted

#photocontest
Photo: Scenery

I took a little trip to the soap's namesake.

There's still going to be an "outside" challenge eventually, isn't there? I was really hoping it was going to be today. We've finally started getting some rain, lowering our high to 107/42 today (during the past week, we hit 113/45 for a couple days). Obviously, I brought some drinking water—ahem, some drinking water. It turned out not being too bad, though; I left before the sun, and there was also generous cloud-cover.
(Edit: As I update this in the afternoon, now back at home, it's 110 with a "feels like" of 111 (like that matters). It's fucking death out there. Technically cooler than last week, though.)

I had no idea where I was going to go, but I noticed a sign for a state park. I thought that sounded promising, but I noped out of there after seeing signs about park fees and then a scary-looking ranger began to emerge from the ranger station. Nah, I'm sure he was a friendly chap, but I still left. I decided instead to go to the empty parking lot of a government subcontractor I briefly worked for a few years ago. I'm totally revealing too much information about myself now, but oh well.

It's too bad the depth of field in my phone's camera is limited, but watcha gonna do? I shaved there in the parking lot, eyeing a lone white van that also happened to be there for some reason, and that big bag of water came in quite handy.

Congratulations 🎉 you've been selected for the best photo contest 😊

Reason: an actual landscape

July 23, 2023

• Brush: Thäter Faux Ivory 29mm 2-band Silvertip
• Razor: C.V. Heljestrand MK 31 11/16 Söderfors Extra Specialstål Full Hollow (Straight Shave 276)
• Lather: Shulton - Old Spice - Soap
• Post Shave: Shulton - Old Spice - Aftershave
• Post Shave: Thayers - Cucumber - Toner

2 passes. Face lather. Excellent shave.

---

Today's shave was immersive. I was just carried away with the process and the experience of shaving with this setup. I just cannot believe how good this Söderfors MK 31 is. It is levels above my normal MK 31 which, in itself, is a great razor. This one is a grail razor. [ I say this every time I use this razor. It is that astonishing. ]

Then there is a soap that is probably more than 40 years old. I have the box it came in and there's no date code. I believe date codes were mandated in the late '70s. Yes, this soap is not on par with the Wholly Kaws and the Zingaris in terms of skin nutrients, but when lathered heavily and pushed with hydration it performs extraordinarily well. More than slick enough for straight razor shaving.

The aftershave is 40 years old. The box has a date code of 1983. Still kicking. I was a regular Old Spice user in those days. Smells right to me now.

Then there's today's theme. I am spoiled for choice for scents that get very positive reactions. I could have gone with Black Watch, or Signature Rosé, or any of the Saponificio Varesino products I have. Then there's all of the Stirling dupes. I get great response from Bleu Man (aka Deep Blue Sea). But really (and I think u/Cowzilla3 would agree), there's only one correct selection to meet today's theme. Old Spice.

What do people like about it? I honestly think that a part of it was marketing from the old days. It is distinctive, though. Today, whenever I use it. I get comments (admittedly from those challenged for youth) about how nice and nostalgic the scent is. [ Real Old Spice has a strong scent. It's hard to miss even for those whose senses might be on the wain. ]

Photo contest theme: History. Look at this setup! I truly hope I don't have to justify the association with vintage Old Spice and shaving history (in the US).

#photocontest

Congratulations 🎉 you've been selected for the best photo contest 😊

Reason: simplicity itself!

Jul 23, 2023 - "What IS that enchanting aroma?"

• Prep: Klar - Activated Charcoal - Face Soap
• Brush: Trotter Handcrafts Space Portal 25mm Mühle STF
• Razor: Wolfman Razors WR4 (Aluminum)
• Blade: Feather Artist Club Professional [2]
• Lather: Southern Witchcrafts - Boonana - Soap
• Post Shave: Southern Witchcrafts - Boonana - Aftershave (Alcohol Free)
• Fragrance: Southern Witchcrafts - Boonana - Eau de Parfum

Banana two days in a row. Nice! Southern Witchcrafts' Boonana is the scent that has been the most complimented this year. It's always interesting the reactions I get when I answer their question about the name of the scent. They don't quite understand the spooky connection, and sometimes don't really notice the banana note until it's pointed out. Either way, this scent is amazing, and plenty of other people agree.

I decided today would be a good day to try out this new aluminum WR4 head that I used on the Razorock SS handle. I'm not sure if the balance was exactly right, but it's a remarkable shaver. I took it slow and used short strokes.

Lather Audit Challenge

Rating: 4.5/5

Edit: #photocontest banana

Nice shot. Good contrast.

July 23, 2023

• Brush: TerraFirma Soapery Deep Blue - Oumo Best 3 Color Synthetic 28mm
• Razor: Gillette Tech
• Blade: Feather
• Lather: Hoffman’s Shaving Company – Cooookie Monster Soap
• Post Shave: Elysian – Maple Coffee Splash
• Fragrance: Hoffman’s Shaving Company – Affogato EdP
• Music: Sesame Street – C is for Cookie

First things first. I want to address the figurative mammoth in the room and call for a truce with u/MrTangerinesky. Wacky shaving hijinks are funny, but our Spite Shave feud clearly went too far yesterday and shaving while driving is not a good idea. So, I wave the white flag of surrender and hereby withdraw from this feud. I don’t want to be the reason anyone does anything potentially dangerous. From here on out, I’m gonna stay in my lane - and be thankful that you stayed in your lane yesterday.

Now, onto the regular post:

What is this enchanting aroma? It’s chocolate chip cookies! As the self-proclaimed Gourmand King, this shouldn’t surprise anyone following my posts. I love products that smell like delicious food *Cough, cough*. I fully recognize that a chocolate chip cookie soap isn’t for everyone, but it’s probably my favorite. Smells just like chocolate chip cookies and reminds me of my childhood, just crushing Chips-Ahoy and drowning each one in a glass of milk. As soon as I open the tub, I’m hit with a sensory blast of nostalgia. This is such a fun soap to shave with. And my wife and kids love it too. Some time ago, my wife asked how our favorite artisans can make soaps that smell like cookies or coffee or rocket pops, and I honestly don’t have a good answer. Science, I guess. But everyone in my household loves when I shave with fun, delicious scents like Coookie Monster.

I decided to stick to gourmand and use Elysian’s Maple Coffee Splash for the common theme of delicious things I want to put in my mouth today. This splash is way sweeter than I usually drink my coffee, but it smells wonderful and is a great addition to a chocolate chip cookie soap. And finally, for today’s fragrance I’m riding with Hoffman’s again, and matching the coffee splash with a different coffee frag and using Affogato EdP. It smells AWESOME! Coffee, cream and sugar – yum, yum, yum. None of these scents are the most sophisticated or most complicated in my den, but I love all three them and I get complements when I wear them. If you walked by me today, I’d smell like an upscale bakery or fancy coffee shop. #FOF win for The Gourmand King!

Quick sidenote: Did you guys know that cookies are a “sometimes food” for the Cookie Monster now?? And he only eats ONE AT A TIME??? I was reading a Sesame Street book to my toddlers and was flabbergasted when Cookie Monster started talking about eating apples, bananas, peas, corn, and healthy food! It’s not right. He’s not the “Well-Balanced-Diet Monster”. He’s the COOKIE MONSTER. He has one job and it’s to eat cookies nonstop! Ughhhh… Poor Cookie Monster…

For the challenge, audit this lather!

My #photocontest is dedicated to r/wicked_edge. Blurry Photo: Check. Feather Blades: Check. Picture of my neck: Check. Razor baseplate installed upside down: Check (but hard to see because it’s blurry because it’s wickededge).

P.S. – The fact I had to actually type out that first paragraph seems like fake life to me.

I was fortunate enough to talk to Robert Cipolla, who started Hoffman’s Shaving Company a year ago this month. The fun scents drew me into his offering and I’ve been hooked since I first tried his stuff last November. His soap base is really good and he is pumping out a ton of unique scent options. When I reached out to Robert, he asked for a phone call, instead of doing this over email because it’s more personal. That’s the type of guy he is. He and I spent like 30 minutes on the phone shooting the shit about shaving, our shared traits, and his company. It was honestly an absolute delight and I really appreciate the time he gave me for this silly series. Super nice dude who is doing his best to make his mark in a crowded space. He’s not on reddit, so I can’t tag him, but he reminded me a lot of the guys I know in real life. Really down to earth and appreciative for the people that support him.

10 Questions with… Hoffman’s Shaving Company

1) The artwork on your labels is very cool. Do you design the labels yourself, or does someone else do that for you?

I design them all. Sometimes I have an illustrator do the color work because there’s not enough hours in the day. But 90% of it is all in house. I’m a graphic designer by trade, and web designer and marketer, so it kinda makes sense to me. I like scents. I like artwork. That’s kinda how I built it. We try to make it fun and tell a story.

2) Your scents are fun. My favorite one, Coooki Monster, smells like chocolate chip cookies. You also have one that smells like Red Candy Fish and another scented like a Root Beer Float. Which is your favorite scent?

Ooof… I have my heart in all of them. Gourmand would have to be Red Hallow. It’s a red maple and French vanilla – it’s a phenomenal, phenomenal scent. Regular scentwise… I gotta go with Burn the Ships. Or The Great Reset. It’s like a Barbershop on steroids.

3) The Root Beer Float scent is called “Space Boy”. What do you think the most difficult part of being an astronaut would be?

Not making it home. I want this to be a two-way trip, you know? And also I gotta know if I’m allowed to bring my shave stuff!

4) Did scientists do Pluto wrong by stripping it of its status as a Planet?

I don’t think anybody gives a shit. If I can’t see it, I’m not concerned about it.

5) When I previously ordered from you, you included a Swedish Fish in the order, which was delicious and appreciated. Why Swedish Fish?

I have fond memories of walking the boardwalk as a child with my dad and everytime we would go to the boardwalk at Seaside, NJ, I would try to win this 5lb box of Swedish Fish. And we’re all chasing that nostalgia and I want people to knonw we’re a fun company and make getting a package from us fun and exciting.

6) You also have a Swedish Fish scented soap/splash/EDP, so you seem to be up for anything. Are there any scent notes you won’t produce because you’re not a fan of them?

Anything menthol. I want nothing to do with it. Hate it, hate it, hate it.

And I’ve had people ask me to do a motor oil scent and I’m just like “Noooooope”

INTERVIEW CONTINUED IN THE REPLY

July 23, 2023 – Lather Games day 23 – AKA Just sea spiced lime

• Brush: Dogwood Synthetic – AP Shave co. G5A
• Razor: Wolfman WR2 – DC 1.25 WRH7
• Blade: Astra SP (Green) (8)
• Lather: Spearhead Shaving Company – Seaforth! Sea Spice Lime
• Post Shave: Spearhead Shaving Company – Seaforth! Sea Spice Lime
• Fragrance: Spearhead Shaving Company – Seaforth! Sea Spice Lime

Sea spiced lime has always done it for me. Fantastic summer scent says everyone. I’m heading out to dinner then a show. It’s Nuits d’Afrique festival here right now with amazing outdoor stages and lots of great music. And I’ll smell fantastic too.

Great shave to prep me for that 100 degree weather out there. My lather is good. You do not have to see it. Hope you had a lovely weekend.

#Photocontest

How is this brush floating there? Magnets? Wire? Black magic?

Jul. 23, 2023 - Smelling good in the neighborhood

• Prep: CeraVe - Hydrating Facial Cleanser

• Brush: Zenith r/Wetshaving Exclusive MOAR BOAR

• Razor: Karve Christopher Bradley SB-C

• Blade: Astra Green

• Lather: Wholly Kaw - Cedrati

• Post Shave: Spearhead - Seaforth! Sea Spice Lime Toner

• Fragrance: House of Mammoth - Sonder

There are quite a few scents that could qualify for this theme but this pairing evokes a great memory from last fall. This is the exact setup that I wore for my little sister’s wedding last year and I got several comments that day from my family about it! Cedrati is “uplifting fresh and citrus with woody notes forming the anchor” and pairs really nicely with Sonder and its “bright citrus opening…and a delicious creamy woody base.” These two play really well together but then I’ll pair Sonder with basically anything because it’s just that damn good! SSL toner just magnified the citrus theme of the day and is the next top contender for complements!

This is the only Wholly Kaw tub that I have, for whatever reason I haven’t really tried many of their stuff. I know that this one is a dupe scent which doesn’t bother me but would be nice if they put that on their product description. The Siero base is pretty good and while I don’t use it often, I think I will pass the audit of today! All of the proof I need is this picture of my lather running down my arm.

Todays #photocontest theme is #drinks. Built a little soda fountain station complete with cups, condiments and a trash can!

July 23, 2023 – LG 23: Enchanting Aroma

• Brush: CaYuen Maple Opal 26mm Silvertip
• Razor: GEM MMOC #BRASSING
• Blade: Personna GEM PTFE (33)
• Lather: Southern Witchcrafts – Fougere Nemeta
• Post Shave: Southern Witchcrafts – Fougere Nemeta
• Fragrance: Southern Witchcrafts – Fougere Nemeta

I think I get the most compliments on this because it is a fairly safe, albeit unique, scent. It’s captivating without being too adventurous to the average person. As much as we love the world of perfumery here from our fragrancers and soap makers, there are a lot that aren’t for everybody. Off the top of my head, I’ve gotten compliments on this from GF, her parents, my parents, my brother and his partner, and 2 co-workers. This set was a PIF during LG for label artwork I drew, 2 years ago from u/youarebreakingthings. I almost immediately got the EDT to add. The razor a PIF from u/eructate. Here’s some pics of the brassing, not a ton but there.

As for #FOF, fougere nemata is a crisp and green scent. It has its noticeable strawberry addition, smelling of not just the ripe fruit but of a warm plant that’s been basking in the sun. There is a slight bitterness, perhaps the petitgrain. Plenty of sharp lavender florals but more subtle blossoms too. Anchored all by a mossy base, with some woody vetiver.

For my #PHOTOCONTEST, I went with insects. Some ants passing through. Just in case you can’t see them in the photo, here’s a short video, easier with movement. Lastly, here todays lather audit. I’ll be honest, ‘‘twas a touch dry even for me.

soap brands 23/30, post shave 23/30, frag 23/30, post/frag linked 23/30, software sponsors 12/13, hardware sponsors 2/2, razor hashtags 10/15, brush hashtags 10/15, photo contest 23/30, daily challenges 20/25, special challenges 3/5