July 30, 2023 #photocontest

• Brush: Semogue SOC Taj Resin Boar (República Portuguesa)
• Razor: Karve Overlander SS (Canada)
• Blade: Bolzano Superinox (Deutschland)
• Lather: Summer Break Soaps - Teacher’s Pet (USA)
• Post Shave: LÚCIDO Aftershave Lotion (日本 Nihon)
• Non-Osma Alum: IHA Kantasi Styptic Pen (Türkiye)

Easy one for me, I live in Australia and all my soaps are US made. I wish I lived in the US… In-N-Out Burgers… free shipping and alcohol splashes…

Teacher’s Pet... everyone’s favourite apple scented soap? I swear I was very serious and a good student in school. Now, not so much… (NSFW)

Music:
“adios” - JAWNY Spotify / YouTube

My 2023 Lather Games playlist

Nice.

LGSOTD 30-July

• Brush: Wolf Whiskers - Boti 2 Band Fan
• Razor: Blackland - Blackbird #CNC  
• Blade: Wizamet - Super Iridium 
• Lather: Gentleman's Nod - Ernest  
• Post Shave: Gentleman's Nod - Ernest AS
• Fragrance: Gentleman's Nod - Ernest EDP

Well farewell Lather Games 2023, being my first effort it's been a challenge. Looking at everyone's posts each day I can see I've missed some of the intent of the daily themes and challenges and haven't gone wild like I should have, regardless though I've participated in my own way and thoroughly enjoyed it. As mentioned in an earlier post it has encouraged me to try and jump in where I can in a more active way. 

For the daily theme and daily challenge, I'm from the UK, specifically North Wales. So my Razor, Brush, and Software are all from the USA. My blades are from Russia. On top of this one, the shave itself is taking place in Turkey, all my gear arrived intact for the final day and for the kick off to Austere August (happy days!), so my first introduction to the rest of the residents here is of me (the nutcase) taking pictures of his shaving gear at the beach, had to be done, decent enough view from the room and my first package holiday. I'm used to winging it but needed a bit more organising with the little one in tow.

Thank you to the organisers/judges, the efforts you've gone to with just arranging everything, weekly entertaining podcasts, interesting challenges and feedback. It's very much appreciated, and to all the participants, both in what you've actually done and the efforts in your posts, thoroughly enjoyable. 

Have a grand one all, and I'll see you for Austere August. 

Cheers

Marc

#ROTY  #PhotoContest

• Brush: Omega 63171

• Razor: Muhle Rocca R94

• Blade: Bic Chrome Platinum

• Lather: Australian Private Reserve - Lixiviant

• Post Shave: Rubicon Formulations - Old Spice Original

• Fragrance: Dolce & Gabbana - Light Blue

Today's Theme: Bon Voyage Lather Games - the tub says "Handmade in Australia" and I'm in the USA

Tody's Challenge: World Traveler - I managed to get this one with the help from some friends (detail in my theme writeup).

Omega brush from Italy, Muhle Rocca from Germany, Bic Chrome Platinum from Greece, APR from Australia, Old Spice Original from India, D&G from France, pridetwo from USA.

My theme for today's shave: The Generosity of Others

As I contemplated the end of the lather games, I decided that possibly one of the best parts of this community is how generous everyone is to each other - with their time, their trust, and sometimes with their soaps. So my soap, post shave,and fragrance are all the result of someone being generous to me.

/u/zimora sent me the tub of Lixiviant on a whim when I mentioned in discord that I'd like to try APR one day. No questions asked, just offered up something so that I could try a bucket list worthy soapmaker. Thank you /u/zimora.

/u/undream22 saw me pining for Indian-market Old Spice splash because of the recommendation by /u/cowzilla3 in IRC and basically said, "I know a guy, and Old Spice sells better than artisan stuff anyway so I'll go drop five thousand dollars to make your indian old spice dreams happen." Thank you /u/undream22.

Lastly, for my fragrance, my fiancee has been supportive and accommodating of my shenanigans all month. Last night, when I told her I might need to go to the mall to pull an /u/onionmiasma and use a tester to get my daily challenge points, she volunteered her own perfume sample made in France so that I could complete the challenge without too much stress. Thank you.

So as the Lather Games draw to a close, I'd like to be a little introspective if you'll indulge me this. I'd like to congratulate everyone who participated, even if you didn't make the whole month or get all the points. You were part of what made this year's games special and you should be proud of that. Even when the competition was fierce, and our personal lives got so difficult that it felt like that we were all alone, we didn't stop moving forward.

Things got weird, and we rose above it. Some days, the Lather Games challenges felt like an exercise in self harm. Other days, the games were the only thing that kept us sane.

We all took on a little bit of each other, and saw each other as we hoped we could be seen.

Even the djudges, despite our attempts to bend the rules, were always happy to keep the games going and give us all something we could enjoy together. Even when they were certainly frustrated with us behind the scenes.

So as we all exit the lather games together, let's remember that we are (not) alone. We have each other in this community, and even if we get to the end of it all and turn into orange juice, we can still choose to rock out and choose to be happy when happiness is a choice and not a default.

Thank you for coming to my TED talk. #photocontest #FOF #ROTY

July 30, 2023 – LG Airlines Flight 30

• Brush: Zenith r/wetshaving Exclusive Moar Boar 31mm (Italy)
• Razor: Gillette Tech (England)
• Blade: Gillette Nacet (2) (Russia)
• Lather: Tabac – Original (Germany)
• Post Shave: Nivea – Sensitive Post Shave Balm (Mexico)
• Fragrance: Givenchy – Gentlemen’s Society (France)

fof #photocontest (masterpiece)

Sir, I’m going to need your passport.

Huh? I’m going into my bathroom, how exactly does that leave US soil.

Per the terms of today’s challenge, this shave is a tour of Europe with a brief jaunt into Mexico.

Still passport?

Just roll with the bit.

Fine but as much as I’ve given up privacy these games I’m not stupidly posting a picture of my passport.

That’s sufficient. We’ll be rolling through countries as they appear in your shave. First up us England, where your tech was made.

Helpfully stamped on the back to avoid any confusion with those US techs. There’s a picture in my #regus hashtag post, should anyone care to verify.

Next up would be Russia, where Nacets are made, but the airspace is just a bit… unsettled. We’ll hang around the Finnish border.

Smart move. When looking for blades I was stunned how many were made in Russia. Seems like Russia and China output the bulk of DE blades. My preferred 7 o’clock yellows are also made there.

Next we have the brush, as everyone knows the Moar Boar is an Italian creation.

Yep, and quite the beast, let me just get out my scuttle…

Sir, that would kick you out of this challenge, it’s US made.

C’mon, I’m just loading the smush with it, they don’t have to even know. It’s not listed.

Sir, you’re literally typing out your internal monolog. They know.

Damnit.

Luckily your old standby, baseball helmet ice cream bowl is stamped with made in China.

Oh joy.

For the purposes of this tour though it doesn’t count. So next up is Germany. The home of Tabac.

Somehow only the Germans could make depression in a shave soap. So German soap, Italian brush. Good thing a German/Italian collaboration has never gone bad.

Shaving dad jokes? At least you didn’t use the feather blade.

I figured incorporating Russia and England balances the scales a bit.

Sigh. Let’s move on. That smush is getting small, hopefully Moar Boar doesn’t eat….hey put down that Nivea!

Why? It’s made in Mexico? Also the tabac smush lives another day.

Yes, the balm qualifies but logistically that’s a pain, we’re gonna so the frag next. It’s from France.

Does…Does it matter how we travel on the imaginary journey?

Yes, now shut up or I’ll make you wait actual travel time before applying balm for the bit. We could have done this in Flight Simulator.

OK, ok, sheesh. French cologne, a sample that came with one of my wife’s Ulta orders, sounds expensive.

Actually, all those Maher Olafactive testers you were using were much more expensive. It’s not even in the same universe as Creed or other big brands.

Smells nice enough, can I put on the balm now?

Since Nivea is made in Mexico, an entirely different continent, it’s out on your dresser. Think of it as a flight transfer.

We’ll thanks.

Don’t forget to check your area for any luggage you may have forgotten. This is after all the final flight of LG 2023.

Yep, bittersweet. Thanks, internal monolog!

Anytime, glad to help with internet points. Think you pulled off #ROTY with your antics?

It’s in the judges’ hands now.

Honestly, I think you lost to u/pridetwo.

Exactly what I expected my internal monolog to say.

I hit the character limit to be continued below.

LG23-30: Bon Voyage, Lather Games!

• Brush: Мужской Материк 26mm Zenith Boar
• Razor: Blutt Rasur BR-1 0.99
• Blade: Kai Blue (2)
• Lather: Los Jabones De Joserra - Orris Root - Shaving Soap
• Post Shave: Oaken Lab - Serious Moonlight - After Shave
• Fragrance: Jo Malone London - Peony & Blush Suede - Cologne
• Passes: WTG, XTG
• Coffee: Peru. San Ignancio, Cajamarca. - v: Caturra, Pache, Typica - p: Washed
• Music: Super Furry Animals - Rings Around the World
• LG Tags: #FOF, #photocontest for that "story/thematic" theme

We did it everyone! Lots of planning, smush mailing, and prep, thirty shaves, thirty posts, plus lots of chatter on the SOTD threads and community apps. If you're one of our essential event planners or judges, you did all the work in the background to make this thing happen, often while playing along. As always, a huge thank you. The Lather Games are always a highlight of the year and 2023 was no exception.

My final shave of the month is a globe-trotter; each product from a different country, crossing several continents, and none of them are from the United States, where I live. Regarding my photo, this archival map is extremely out of date—apologies for anything problematic. Listed in SOTD formatting order, starting with the hardware:

• Brush: This red wood Мужской Материк handle hails from Russia. It's among the most comfortable handles I own and I love the saturated color. I paired it with a Zenith boar knot from Italy—shoutout to u/djundjila for the hookup. I've tried a few loose boar knots and none of them top the Zenith's density.
• Razor: This Blutt BR-1 is made in Switzerland. It's impeccably crafted out of 316L and looks terrific even without the polished finish. Another shout-out goes to u/djundjila!
• Blade: I unwrapped this blade from Japan for the second time. It was a better pairing with the BR-1 than the Astra SP I've been using.

My soap, aftershave, and fragrance are all from different countries, and are also all leathery florals. Again, in SOTD order:

• Lather: Los Jabones De Joserra (LJDJ) soaps are made in Spain. I like the performance, but the pricing seems high for CONUS shavers. This sandalwood and iris scent would have worked for yesterday's theme as well and it's the least leathery of today's three.
• Post Shave: Oaken Lab's aftershaves are "handcrafted in Indonesia". Ironically for us Stateside shavers, Serious Moonlight is the scent of a night drive through the Los Angeles hills.
• Fragrance: I'm new to this Jo Malone cologne, but I don't have a French florals and leather perfume, and my wife has this sample made in England with peonies and suede leather right there in the name. I thought Canadian house Zoologist was going to come through for me, but I haven't picked up a sample of Northern Cardinal (bergamot, rose, and leather) yet. Same goes for Etat Libre d’Orange Putain des Palaces.

And the rest:

• Coffee: These Peruvian beans put a pin down in South America.
• Music: Super Furry Animals hail from Cardiff, Wales and Rings Around the World captures today's theme perfectly.

All three of today's scents are floral with varying degrees of leather.

The LJDJ Orris Root scent has the least leather of the three, focusing on sandalwood and spiced iris, sometimes highlighting the suede-quality of its namesake flower. The sandalwood is a lovely foil to the fleshy-green floral accord; woody cedar helps the iris read as flower in bloom, versus freshly-applied lipstick. Lathering makes the scent warm and open, spiced sandalwood moving up in the mix.

Serious Moonlight is the most interesting of the three, the smell of lovingly maintained leather combined with sulfurous asphalt to suggest a (bright red, according to the label) car cruising down the highway. Oud, leather, and tar would be gnarly on their own, but the warm breeze rushing by is hazy with lush jasmine; Oaken Lab lists a black tea, coconut, and vanilla accord, which surely brings the scent its overall smoothness, though I can't pick out those notes individually. Most surprising is a pomelo note, first listed but more subtle in the mix. That fruity note brightens the entire blend, shaping the rubbery oud, and lifting the scent from tire-level to head out the window. It's a shame the fragrance isn't available outside of Indonesia.

I finished my shave with a spritz of Jo Malone's flirty Peony & Blush Suede. This perfume is unabashedly pretty, focusing on a heart of peony blossom that's soft, honeyed, and delicate. Jo Malone claims there's a crisp red apple note in the opening, which I don't pick out, though I'd guess it's what brings this perfume some added sweetness. The "supple" leather base wraps the floral accord in powdery texture; as that gossamer opening dries down, the suede is more obvious, though not particularly engaging. I like a floral with more hard edges and a leather with more presence. More concerning is how this combined with Serious Moonlight; Mrs. Mosquito says I smell like the front entrance to a Macy's department store, in the display-stuffed liminal space between cosmetics and shoes. Not a compliment.

And with that, we've arrived at the end of Lather Games 2023! I hope our newcomers had a blast, our judges had plenty of good material to critique, and our spectators enjoyed the show. I'm going to take a nap.

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

Reason: love a map

2023-07-28 Safe Travels, Don't Die!

• Brush: Yaqi - Metal Timberwolf
  China
• Razor: "Germany"
  Germany
• Lather: Abbate Y La Manta - Blue Tobacco
  Italy
• Post Shave: Løthur Grooming - Oregon
  United Kingdom
• Fragrance: Guy Laroche - Drakkar Noir
  France
• u/ginopono
  United States

Bon Voyage/Buon Viaggio/Gut Reise/旅行愉快:
Soap is from Italy. I'm from the most backward developed country in the world.

Challenge Accepted: Places of origin listed above.
It occurred to me this morning that I could conceivably trek down to Mexico for a Games-final huzzah, but the list of reasons not to do that is long. I won't be surprised if someone does cross a national border today, though, particularly in the Schengen area.

Relevant Post-Shave and Fragrance: As required by the challenge. Also, pleasing black/silver color scheme.

I grabbed Blue Tobacco around last year's Games, motivated by a stupid as-many-tobacco-soaps-as-I-can thing, but I ended up using Garibaldi instead. For today, my original choice was Earth of Mankind, because it's a bit special to me, but the colors Blue Tobacco's tin work better here and it says travel right on it! How perfect is that?

#FOF The tobacco note seems to be the same as that of Garibaldi, and both strike me as being in the neighborhood of Tobacconist's, so that's a win. It allegedly also has eucalyptus, but either the tobacco or menthol drowns it out. I think it is a very good thing that it does not smell like a tobacco-y Proraso Green.

Oregon I also picked up last year, largely because I very much want/plan to relocate to the PNW (Pacific Northwest). I had my eye on Oregon as a destination, but everything I've heard indicated that it has become a terrifying place in the past few years. I had been planning a trip there in January of this year, but I set my sights a bit more northward and scoped out the Seattle area instead. I still feel like the summers there are hotter than I'd like. I do not care for being warm.

Oregon (the scent) is a "tribute to Wonderwood by CDM". FFS why does no one just say what these abbreviations are? Comme des Garçons. Oh, pardon me. COMME des GARÇONS. But with an asterisk as the cédille for some reason.
I haven't used Oregon much since I got it, and I do like the Oregon scent, but this aftershave seems oddly inconsistent. The last time I smeared this on my face, it immediately took me back to Cascadia. This time, it almost didn't have any scent at all. Perhaps it's a matter of how it interacts with the preceding scent, and Blue Tobacco is quite understated itself.

Drakkar Noir I think was the first fragrance-fragrance that I ever bought. Let's see, how is it classifi—oh, fougère. Of course. Dammit. As if it weren't bad enough that is has a reputation.

I'm probably inclined to just renounce everything I've learned over the past month about fragrances, which admittedly is not a lot, but huge compared to where I was at the start. I don't think I care about picking out scent notes, or what's a fougère or a chèvre or an aromatic (which is kind of a batshit label when talking about different aromas, I might add). I just want to appreciate scents holistically without the need to analyze the components. There's nothing wrong with that!

I can't deny the practical convenience of say, being able to inform a purchase decision based on scent notes and such, but if I ever manage to stop buying so much damn soap because, dude, how many years do you think the soap you already have with last, then that won't be an issue anytime soon. Certainly not next year when the new Games calendar comes out and I try to work out what I can cover with what I already have...

#photocontest
Photo: Mobile Phones
Not quite as shoe-horned as some have needed to be, so that's good.

July 30, 2023 – Lather games day 30 – AKA Au revoir les amis!

• Brush: r/wetshaving Zentih MOAR BOAR 31mm
• Razor: Blackland Vector
• Blade: Feather Pro (AC) (10)
• Lather: Moon Soaps – Trade Winds
• Post Shave: Moon Soaps – Trade Winds

So this is it, eh? Proud that I was able to shave every day this month and use 30 different brands of soap. The rest… not my best showing, but always fun to play along.

Trade Winds is not as popular as it should be IMO. Great base from Moon Soaps and the scent is absolutely one of my favorites. Especially great for summertime. Moon Soaps are from California, my razor is also from Blackland in California. Blade was made in Japan and much brush in Italy. I am in Canada so I think that all makes sense for the last daily challenge. That’s all. Happy summer to you!

#PhotoContest

July 30, 2023 – LG 30: Bon Voyage

• Brush: r/wetshaving Zentih MOAR BOAR 31mm
• Razor: Tatara Nodachi with Masamune OC Plate
• Blade: Ladas (2)
• Lather: Jabones de Joserra – Kush
• Post Shave: Henri et Victoria – Cognac and Cuban Cigars
• Fragrance: Viktor and Rolf – Spicebomb

Alright, brush from Italy 🇮🇹, razor from Portugal 🇵🇹, blade from Russia 🇷🇺, soap from Spain 🇪🇸, aftershave from Canada 🇨🇦, fragrance from Netherlands 🇳🇱. I hail from the United States 🇺🇸, more specifically California. Today I opted to shave in the city I currently live in, which is Oakland in front of a cool mural by a local artist and fellow educator (not that I know them personally well). The mural depicts stylized versions of BART trains, Oakland Port cranes, and the Bay Bridge which connects Oakland to the better known but less cool (MOIMO) San Francisco. Loaded all the supplies and managed to convince MsChronn to come film me, so I tried to be extra short. Shaving in public is not for me. The street was busier than I like, but at least mostly cars and less pedestrians, and a helicopter. Horrible hydration and dismal spotty shave.

I feel like the fact they are all from different countries is what links them, but the scents also pair quite well from a #FOF standpoint too. They all have citrus top notes with some tobacco in the base, often complimented by some wood, leather, or spice. Kush is a dupe of Nasomatto Black Afagano. It opens with tart lemon and grapefruit but quickly moves to darker accords. Warm, resinous, woody notes then move to a dark woody incense base. Cognac and Cuban cigars brings a bit more spice, touch of zesty lemon, and sweet cognac. It is anchored and muddied by leather, smoke, and tobacco, giving the unmistakable old cigar lounge aroma. Lastly, Spicebomb punches citrus and cinnamon spice from the get go, with hints of pepper. It is sweeter than one might expect and than I remember. It moves to worn out leather and a tobacco reminiscent of an almost caramel/toffee like whiskey.

For #PHOTOCONTEST we close out with urban/architecture. Figured all my products are from around the world, so I’d use an urban art/graffiti mural where I currently live as my backdrop.

soap brands 30/30, post shave 30/30, frag 30/30, post/frag linked 30/30, software sponsors 13/13, hardware sponsors 2/2, razor hashtags 11/15, brush hashtags 10/15, photo contest 30/30, daily challenges 5/25, special challenges 5/5

Jul. 30, 2023 - The end of the Games as we know it!

• Brush: Zenith r/Wetshaving Exclusive MOAR BOAR

• Razor: Karve Christopher Bradley SB-C

• Blade: Astra Green (2)

• Lather: Australian Private Reserve - Fenchurch

• Post Shave: Nivea Mens - Sensitive Aftershave Balm

• Fragrance: Terre d’Hermes - Eau Tres Fraiche

Let’s get the challenge out of the way first today. I’m US born and raised so everything from today is not from my home country and made in all different countries.

Brush: Italy

Razor: Canada

Blade: Russia

Lather: Australia

Post: German company, made in Mexico

Frag: France

I can’t believe that this month is already over! This was my 3rd time doing the Games and it went by the quickest of the three. It might be because of the traveling that I had to do during this month and couldn’t dive into each thread every day. It’s always a blast but I’m definitely looking forward AA when I don’t have to bounce around between unfamiliar bases as much. Just will be Wecking my face on a daily basis!

Thank you judges so much for putting this on! I know it’s a shit ton of work but it is greatly appreciated! As my post yesterday showed, the amount of effort some people put into their posts is astounding and I love it! The people are the reason why this community is so incredible!

My last #photocontest of the month is Story/Thematic theme! I got (almost) everything together from my whole month of building for today to remind me of the month! I actually ran out of room on the table and there also are some things that didn’t survive to the end of the month. Here is the album of every days build! I had a ton of fun and really just took this challenge to myself!

July 30, 2023

• Brush: Yaqi Evil Zebra – 26mm Synthetic Brush - China
• Razor: Karve Copper, Plate C - Canada
• Blade: Wilkinson Sword - Germany
• Lather: Boellis - Soap - Italy
• Post Shave: Master Soap Creations – Apricot Pie - South Africa
• Fragrance: Guerlain - L'Homme Idéal - France
• Music: Puff Daddy ft Notorious B.I.G. and Mase – Been Around the World

I love the expression: “Travel is the only thing you buy that makes you richer.” It gives you a chance to see fascinating/historically important sites, meet a lot of interesting people, and to experience other cultures and the food that goes along with each. Traveling really helps gain the perspective that we are all sharing this giant rock called Earth, flying through the Universe, trying to exist among one another. It shouldn’t be hard, yet it is.

One of my favorite parts of traveling getting to try the different foods that different countries have to offer. Food connects us all. In China, the most considerate way you can greet someone is by asking them, “Chrh guo luh ma?” which translates to “Have you eaten?”

So today, for our final day of the Lather Games, I’m went in my car to go on an international food tour and eat a different food from every country represented in my set-up today. For clarity, I'm from the United States. Speaking of #photocontest category is vehicles.

The first stop: France for my fragrance: Guerlain - L'Homme Idéal. A great way to start the day, I arrived at Làkon Paris Pàtisserie. Got myself a French Roast Coffee, an almond croissant, and a vanilla macaron. Given the scents of the shave today, these pastries were spot on and sitting outside on this beautiful day is a great way to kick off my day of eating food from around the world.

Next up: South Africa for the post-shave: MSC – Apricot Pie Splash. This one was more difficult. There are no South African restaurants anywhere around me. From my searching, the only South African restaurant in my state closed a couple years ago (shout-out Covid). Which is a shame, because I was hoping to eat some Bobotie today. The next best thing I have found as a specialty food store that stocks the South African favorite Bledie Lekker Droewors – which is basically dried sausage jerky made from beef and lamb. Very common in South Africa, and gives me a much-needed protein boost to take on the day today. I don’t have time to waste, so I eat these in the car enroute to my next destination.

Now, I hop back in my car and drive into Boston. I can knock out most of set-up in the best city in the world. I park my car downtown and walk to my first stop.

For China, we have my Yaqi brush: I go to Chinatown. I love this area of the City. Having been to China a few years ago, this area is actually a somewhat fair representation of China – crowded, strong sense of community, and delicious, cheap food. Went to a hole in the wall that had a decent amount of people going into and out of it. Picked up a Steamed Pork Bun and Chinese drink. I enjoyed it in a park, where I was surrounded by people speaking Cantonese as they gambled, smoked, and seemed to enjoy each other’s company.

Next stop: Canada for my Karve Razor. Poutine! And I’m told the poutine at Saus in Boston is authentically Canadian. If I didn’t know better and had to guess who decided to take French Fries and smother them with gravy and cheese curds, I gotta admit, Quebec would not be the first place that came to mind, yet here we are. And I’m forever grateful for them because this is delicious! By the time I eat my poutine and leave Saus.

I’m feeling very full, but I can’t stop now.

For my lather: Italy, thanks for a smoosh courtesy of u/J33pGuy13 of Boellis. So off I go to Boston’s North End. This is like our Little Italy. Except we don’t call it Little Italy. It’s the North End. This is where people who immigrated from Italy all decided to live in the early 20th Century. And of all the iconic establishments, Mike’s Pastry’s has got to be #1. I once again, took inspiration from the scents of my shave stuff today and got a box of Italian cookies and a cannoli (because Mike’s has the absolute best cannolis). I despise going here on the weekends, especially in the summer, because it’s packed with tourists. But it’s packed for a reason AND it’s the Lather Games! Sidenote: as I held up the little baggy with my white smoosh for the photo, I realized just how much it looks like I’m holding up a bag of something illegal. Glad I didn’t cause any incidents today. I took my treats to a nearby park to enjoy them.

Now, with all that out of the way, it’s time to shave. But where? Shaving at one of the many Embassies in Boston seems like a bad idea. And Boston’s World Trade Center is okay, but it’s not as aesthetically pleasing as I would like. No. The airport? No, that’s too obvious for international day. Seems like a second-place idea and using running water for a shave on the final day seems boring. I bet someone else will have that lame idea. I need something unique! It has to be the Oldest Park in the United States: Boston Common, in the shadows of the Massachusetts State House. For those who have never been the Boston Common, it is a beautiful 50-acre park located in downtown Boston. Through the years, it has served many purposes: it started in the 1600s as a place for cattle to graze, became a site where Puritanical punishments occurred, and then during the Revolutionary War, it was here that the British Army made camp before the Battles of Lexington and Concord. It’s also where Charles Lindbergh promoted commercial aviation, while Martin Luther King Jr led Anti-Vietnam War and civil rights rallies in the 1960s. In 1979, Pope John Paul II gave Mass to a gathered crowd. And, now, it will forever be known as the place where Priusaurus had his last shave of the 2023 Lather Games.

I found a nice spot, under a tree, and with the Massachusetts State House directly behind me, and got set up. I’m feeling a little sad this is my last Lather Games shave of the month. I’ve given it my all this month and it’s hard to believe it’s coming to an end. But I’ll have time to reflect tomorrow. Now it’s time to shave. There’s a lot of people out and about, enjoying their day. Luckily, any shame I once had has long disappeared during these Games and I had a very enjoyable two-pass shave.

The scents of my shave, were once again sweet, as the self-proclaimed Gourmand King strikes again with an almond centric day. Boellis has a delicious almond scent which carried into nicely into the Apricot Pie aftershave splash, which features apricot, almond and vanilla. Then L'Homme Idéal also has a sweet almond scent to it, but the builds on that with citrus fruit and a woody base. Not bad at all for a nice #FOF shave in The Common.

About 6 hours after I left for the day. I feel full & bloated, but have sense of accomplishment, knowing I did everything I possibly could to compete for the top spot this year.

But wait, there’s more! I haven’t yet honored the blade I used today: My Wilkinson Sword blade from Germany. And I, like most people in the Lather Games, take vehicle safety very seriously, so I decided to consume this final piece of the puzzle at home. After my kids went to bed, I poured myself a nice, cold, refreshing German beer from the oldest brewery in the world – Weihenstephaner.

And it is with this, that I give a figurative toast to everyone who competed in the 9th Annual Lather Games. We had a lot of fun, with a tiny bit of spite mixed in. To the djudges, organizers, and sponsors – THANK YOU!!! This marathon would not be possible without you. To the artisans who agreed to take part in my interview series – thank you so, so, so very much. You are literally the best on the planet at what you do, and the fact so many took the time to answer 10 silly questions is truly humbling. And to my fellow participants: I told you on day one you were all playing for second place. Hopefully that ends up being true, but even if it doesn’t, it was a hell of a ride!

Peace, Love, and Hakuna Matata.