June 1 - A RAWRing Good Time - Day 9

• Brush: Semogue 610 21mm Boar

• Razor: Gillette Flare Tip Super Speed F1

• Blade: Sharp Star Platinum

• Lather: Noble Otter - RAWR Soap

• Post Shave: Lucky Tiger Splash

• Post Shave: Mickey Lee Soapworks - The Kraken Splash

• Fragrance: Acqua di Parma - Fico di Amalfi EdP

---

Literally last night I decided I'd take place in this year's Lather Games, but solely for the Feats of Fragrance. I didn't take place last year, and intended to do the same again due to focusing only on my soap kill goal. But, I already put more thought than most average folks about my daily smellgood selection and write about my thoughts on them a few times a week. So why not keep doing what I'm already doing? I have no intention to win anything, just want to share my thoughts. I am a Scribe after all.

RAWR is a light, floral-ish, citrusy soap. It's gonna be here for another two weeks or so, and I am thankful that it's a relatively versatile scent, thus I can do my pairings with little worry of fragrance clashing. Sweet.

The Kraken is a clean, barbershop splash that has a salty twist. The clean saltiness works wonders for setting the stage for the Mediterranean Fico di Amalfi; a breezy citrus reminiscent of walking along the Amalfi coast. The salt of the splash and aromatic freshness of the fragrance are a fantastic pairing that evoke happiness, calm, and good vibes. I dig it.

#FOF

June 1, 2024 – LG Day 1 – Bonjour, Lather Games!

• Brush: AP Shave Co. Pure Bliss SHD 24mm x Heritage Collection Merit 99-4 Handle #RESURRECTIONBRUSH #SHD
• Razor: Supply Single Edge
• Blade: Black Label Injector
• Lather: AA Shaving – Wapiti
• Post Shave: Stirling Soap Co. – Island Man
• Fragrance: Zoologist Perfumes – Squid

I have come down from the mountain and out of the forest to wish all of you hearty and joyful salutations. The Lather Games have begun – the tenth annual and my third. Lets clear up some answers to my fans’ frequently asked questions: No, I will not be shaving my beard. Yes, I will be shaving my head, like my brothers in arms u/hairykopite, u/Impressive_Donut114, and others. No, I will not be taking it easy. And most importantly: Yes, I will be drinking lather, and consuming who knows what else. My appetite cannot and will not be sated.

Onto the heart of the matter. AA makes an impressive base. It whipped up easily (especially for my first go at it) and made for a very nice shave (at least in theory), which was surprising to me coming from a brand that nobody in the sub seems to have heard of before a month ago. Thanks to our overlord u/OnionMiasma for sending out approximately three thousand smushes of this stuff.

I was not as impressed with my first injector shave. My favorite part was easily the loading of the blade. Boy oh boy, that is way more fun than your traditional DE or SE razor. My excitement ended there. It took me quite a while to figure out an efficient angle, because the “NickStop Technology” is a bit much. I’m not knocking injectors altogether. I’ll try a Schick or some other lauded brand, but I don’t have much interest in trying the Supply again. Thanks to u/Tonality for the loan.

Finally, my favorite part: the fragrances, or as we call them in my hometown, the smiffs. We begin today with an attempt by Wapiti to evoke the Ho rainforest, with trees inundated with a deluge of precipitation, but which effectively comes off as ozonic all the way through (to my nose). There is a hint of woods, but unfortunately any opportunity for a woody dry down is prevented by the prompt application of Island Man, which doubles down on the aquatic notes but much sweeter, joined by a hefty dose of coconut and jasmine, rounded out by other notes that have become less distinct in this aged and now-empty splash sample. We have shifted from the rainforest to the sea, which makes for a beautiful segue to Squid, which, full disclosure, I adore. The salty, inky opening triples down on the aquatic theme today, but is quickly followed by a beautiful smoky, resinous blend with a background, oceanic quality. Altogether, a true delight. #FOF

Day 1

• Brush: Dogwood Handcrafts – Svolaer 2023 LG Prize #COMPOSITE #FRANKENBRUSH
• Razor: Maggard Razors Shavette
• Blade: Half of a Gillette Silver Blue
• Lather: Jordan’s – Lime
• Post Shave: Henri et Victoria - Lime
• Fragrance: Chatillon Lux - 1904

A month or two ago, Jordan’s Soap offered a sample pack of their stuff for like $3, so I obviously took them up on it. And shortly after the 3ish weeks it took to get to me, the Lather Games announcement happened and I just knew I had to hold off on using any of that Jordan’s pack until today. The soap itself was… Fine. Nothing special. Today was my first time ever using a shavette, so I wish I used a better soap for this. I’ll have to try the shavette again, later in the games, using a higher quality soap, because I did not really love today’s shave. I’ve used a straight razor before and I was thinking the shavette would be similar. And it is, but actually not. It wasn’t nearly as enjoyable as a straight. Off the samples, the all of Jordan’s soaps smell very sweet and the lime scent was actually enjoyable. But I don't think I'll be buying a tub of Jordans anytime soon. There are many companies out there who make products that I enjoy much, much more than I enjoyed this.

Plus, I’m honestly not sure I trust this company. On their DNP post advertising the sample pack, a brand new reddit account, u/Aggravating_Mud_9954, made its first comment EVER to announce to the world they just bought 3 tubs. The only comment this account made since then was about Canadian coins. Is it a good time to mention Jordan’s is a Canadian company? 👀

This whole company strikes me as someone who just discovered wetshaving, saw the swimming pools of money a lot of the top artisans are swimming in, and decided to try it on their own before learning the ins and outs of soapmaking, scent profiles, or the wetshaving hobby itself.

It’s bad when on Jordan’s own website FAQs, under “Why Choose Jordan’s?”, the answer is “Our products actually work.” Ummm… Hey Jordan – this is your time to differentiate your product from the zillions of shaving soaps out there! If your biggest selling point is that your shaving soap is a shaving soap, we have problems. The way you put “Our product actually works” as the biggest selling point makes it seem like even you are surprised it works. When in reality, the biggest surprise will be if this company is around long enough to make it to see the 2025 Lather Games.

For #FOF, the lime scented splash was clearly the move with lime soap, and for the fragrance, I chose Chatillon Lux 1904, which features a nice lime note. With all of today’s lime, scurvy doesn’t stand a chance with me.

Between the lime, and the saltiness I have toward Jordan’s, we’re just a shot of Tequila away from a tasty margarita!

photocontest theme is: Trash

imhonestlylying’s Daily Top 5: In honour of “Bonjour Lather Games!”… The Top 5 most fun sounding greetings in languages other than English:

1. Ciao bella! (Italian) – Something about it just sounds romantic!
2. Namaste. (Hindi) – You going out tonight? Namaste at home instead.
3. Sorrey! (Canadian) – Thanks how Canucks say hello, right?
4. Konnichiwa! (Japanese) – Upbeat and cheery!
5. Jambo! (Swahili) – Impossible not to smile if someone greets you with a Jambo!

June 1, 2024 – HERE WE GO!!!!

• Brush: New Men Shaving Brush - Black Badger Hair #WEDONTNEEDNOSTINKINGBADGERS #SMOLL #RUNT
• Razor: Schick Injector
• Blade: Schick Injector (1)
• Lather: Eleven – Cedar, Vetiver & Sweetgrass
• Post Shave: Chiseled Face – Cedar & Spice
• Fragrance: Ralph Lauren – Ralph’s Club

:Looks around: Am I in the right place?

So here we are, LG2024. The 10th Lather Games apparently. New judges, new themes, new everything.

I thought I’d try something new myself, so rather than run this completely solo, I teamed up with u/Admirable-Nobody-946 and u/AdWorried2804. We shared a dens of hardware and software (side note getting hardware and software to and from the Philippines is hard) and bounced ideas off each other. There may be some loosely organized team shenanigans. (Emphasis on loosely). See when I pitched this all that time ago, I described it as a sort of “racing team” taking queues from NASCAR where team share resources but race independently, while still drafting and blocking for their team members. Also taking a queue from Ricky Bobby I’m all in this year, gunning for first. So look out u/priusaurus!

Now when I was brainstorming ideas to launch this, I was planning on getting in my car, going down the highway and shaving. I-44 ain’t the autobahn but it’s close. But then, we had to go get a u/Mrtangerinesky rule, which ruled that out. (Plus my lead foot got me a speeding ticket last weekend anyway). Fine fine, I’ll have my wife drive me around while I hang out the passenger side… wait no, that is against a different set of rules

Ok then, we’ll use the power of our imaginations. I put my kids to work with a giant box, and they turned it into a racing Prius! Take a look at this beauty (Yes, racing Prius, take that #photocontest, using the power of imagination I have a Prius racing car in my photo for that theme.). We’re gonna shave in it. In my TV room, with my daughter documenting taking pictures. Does it make sense? No. Then why? Because Lather Games. Luckily, I have never used an injector before so I’m not trying to use a weck or anything packed in this ~~tiny box~~ totally real racing machine. Also let’s use a new brush, a cheapo badger $7.89 from Walmart who says it’s badger) for the points. (It lost more hairs than u/shavinginCT’s B17). The shave went ok, lather sucked, because new brush and a soap I've never used before is a bad combo when the brush is cheap. I forgot I had no mirror downstairs and had to finish upstairs.

I’m also doing #FoF again this year, because why not. For today’s approach I pulled the Cedar note through the entire shave, a nice soap with subtle ceder notes in the back, to the feeling of being stuffed in a ceder chest with the splash, and back to the subtle cedar base with the Ralph’s club. A sort of cedar bell curve of sorts. It plays better than I expected. The Ralph’s club needed a bit of cedar punch up IMHO, and the splash should have helped it there but frankly overwhelmed my senses entirely.

June 1, 2024 – Lather Games Day 1: Bonjour, Lather Games

• Brush: ERSKINE 19mm Synthetic #RUNT #SMOLL
• Razor: Weck Hair Shaper #WECKONISTA
• Blade: Personna Hair Shaper (1)
• Lather: A A Shaving – Wapiti
• Post Shave: Abbate y La Mantia – Ishtar
• Fragrance: Mancera – Amber & Roses

---

Daily Theme: Bonjour, Lather Games!

Theme justification: A A Shaving is a brand I have never used before

Relevant Post Shave & Frag: I’m continuing the theme of “new to me” products. I have not used Abbate Y La Mantia aftershaves or Mancera frags before.

---

Scavenger Hunt Justification:

Razor: It’s a weck, with a Personna blade

Brush: It’s 19mm with a 48mm loft. (Here is where I was going to link the etsy page where I purchased it, but it no longer shows the description. I have reached out to Aaron of TalentSoapFactory for confirmation should the judges require it.) Edit: He responded and confirmed: https://i.imgur.com/BxESWR5.png

---

Daily/Special Challenge: New all the things!

WARNING: PICTURES IN THIS SECTION MARKED #NSFW DUE TO MINOR BLOOD. NOTHING TERRIBLE, BUT I’M STILL GIVING A WARNING.

This is my first time using a weck razor. WTF. Not only did I give my face a decent gash, but I even cut my finger. Why on Earth would anyone want to shave with these things? All of those who did this for AA last August are pure masochist. This was by far my worst experience shaving since I started down the wetshaving rabbit hole, and I pray that I never have to do it again. It did produce a “good enough” shave in terms of visual hair removal, so I guess there is that.

---

Frag description

Mancera Amber & Roses

First, I have to start off by saying that this frag and aftershave do not mix at all. Amber and Oud are both tree based resin, there is a difference. Can I adiquitely explain said differences? No, not really. The rose from Mancera overpowers the Amber to my nose, so as of right now that is all I can smell. Maybe the amber and oud cancelled each other out? Not sure. I was not a fan of Ishtar when I put it on. So as I sit, I just smell like a musky bouquet of flowers.

---

Last year I watched the Lather Games from the sidelines. I have to say, it was incredible enjoyable to see the action. Watching /u/Priusaurus get kicked out of a restaurant and /u/OnionMiasma shave with motor oil showed me that I am not as crazy as most of you. I’m not as delusional; I know I will not be winning these games. That doesn’t meant that I won’t be trying my best. I just have a different set of skills.

I’ll be doing my best to avoid embarrassing myself, but I’ll be raising my own level where I can. That’s all I can do, and it’s good enough for me!

So to all my fellow Lather Gamers out there, here’s to you! Let’s have a fun month!

---

Totals:

Razor Hasthtags: 1/10
Brush Hasthtags: 2/10
Hardware Sponsor Points: x/2
Software Sponsor Points: 1/16
Number of Lather Brands: 1/30
Number of Lather Scents: 1/30
Number of Post Shaves: 1/30
Number of Frags: 1/30

---

Contest Hasthtags:

#FOF

#ROTY

2024-06-01 - Let's Get it Started in Here

• Lather: A A Shaving - The Hunt
• Razor: Schick Injector #RUSTYBUTTRUSTY
• Brush: Qshave Pure Badger #WEDONTNEEDNOSTINKINGBADGERS
• Post Shave: Lothur - Oregon
• Fragrance: INeKE - Idyllwild

Pack it up, boys and ladies! You're reading the first post of this year's Games' winner! Seriously, give up now. That way, I can half-ass this thing and still come out on top!

I'm not really planning on exerting much effort this time around, but I still find myself starting this June with several new tubs of soap that I don't need, because I'll be damned if I'm not going to fill the calendar! What's that? No, you're the one with a problem!

Side note: Did you know that June is Men's Mental Health Awareness Month? Just want to put that out there, because certain members of this sub think it's a funny little joke to shit on people who try to support men's mental health.

Bonjour, Lather Games: With three new sponsors this year, none of which I've previously tried, it just came down to a roll of a three-sided die. Or whichever one I didn't pick for a different day. I don't know; roll a two-sided die. Either way, A A Shaving is new to me.

Challenge Accepted: Purchased shortly after last year's Games, this razor sat in a drawer for about 9 months, like some backward gestation before the end of my injector virginity... "Injector virginity." Um... Huh.

Anyway, it took me no more than a handful of seconds to work out the angle at which to hold it, but I do not like that the head has nearly no mass at all; I prefer a more massive head. Um.... Huh.

Side note: That's a pretty sweet patina. I'm not sure why there's been such an emphasis on rust for patinas (patinae?), much less the emphasis on green coloration; I have the impression that there was a chain of false transitivity somewhere. You can have a non-green patina on clean, rust-free metal. But, if you insist, it's literally rusty, too.

Unifying theme: Wooded West-coast Locales
Oregon and Idyllwild are obviously named after such locations, and The Hunt is inspired by the woods of Cascadia. Incidentally, I was literally planning on relocating to the PNW this summer, but I'm going to remain for a while longer here in the Wasteland of Fire and Death, where it has already been summer for several months and will be for many more.

But I digress.

#FOF
Anyway, the scent of pine is dominant in The Hunt, with what I take to be ozone imparting a welcome, damp airiness. Leather, moss, and musk keep it grounded, even dark.

Oregon presents a brighter green, perhaps—I suspect—from a greater prominence of citrus notes. It represents a rather stark contrast to The Hunt's depth.

Idyllwild is also lighter than The Hunt, but is also more generally woody, rather than being so pine-heavy. Idyllwild includes a smokiness that balances well with its lightness, which makes me realize that Oregon doesn't seem to ground its own aggressive brightness.

#photocontest Birds
I have mixed feelings about this contest. On the one hand, the photos are one of my favorite parts of the Games. On the other hand, I was so insistent on hitting all of the themes in last year's contest that I feel my photos suffered for it. So I'm still doing this, but I'm not hunting for all the things (no pun intended), especially if I think I have an otherwise good photo. This one just happens to have a bird.

June 1, 2024 - New All The Things

• Brush: Zenith 506U XS Horse Hair #HORSESASS #OLDWORLD
• Razor: Ralf Aust 6/8 Square Point w/ Horn Scales #STR8SNOB
• Lather: Talent Soap Factory - Wolf Mother
• Post Shave: Noble Otter - Jasmine Green Tea Splash
• Fragrance: Michael Malul - Jet Black Intense EdP

FOF

New All The Things:

I bought the Talent Soap Factory soaps back on a Black Friday sale. I waited until the LG to actually use it. The brush I bought from the Your Shaving anniversary sale, and is my first horse hair brush. The Noble Otter splash is a recent purchase and was still sealed until this morning. The fragrance is a sample I got in a recent order, and the brand and scent are new to me. When I saw the calendar, there was a gaping hole on day 1. Every category of razor I’d pretty much tried. Except straight razor, that is. When I got a bonus last month, I decided it was time to learn with a real straight.

Theme and Challenge:

Everything used today is a new brand, product, type of razor, and/or scent for me.

The Shave:

I have 70+ shaves on Weck/Kismet hair shapers, but this is my first shave with an old fashioned straight. I figured learn honing too, so I have some inexpensive straights I got from Ebay that need varying levels of work. However, I didn’t want my first straight shave to be with an amateur edge from me. I splurged on this straight from Maggard Razors, and Brad honed it for me. So what does a crazy idiot like me decide to do for his first straight shave? Why shave off the sides of an untrimmed full beard of course! I normally only shave my neck and trim around the cheeks daily. I told my wife my plans, and after some head shaking, she asked me to keep the goatee. I guess she doesn’t want to see my chin. For the shave, I thought the brush was very soft already, so I just got it wet and started building lather with a generous scoop of soap. Ok, first mistake, I didn’t soak the brush for a few minutes. The horse is thirstier than any boar I’ve used. I needed a lot of water, and the brush kept soaking everything up. Still I persisted and eventually got enough for a couple passes. Second mistake, I’ve been spoiled in only breaking in bleached or pretty clean boars. The brush stank of barnyard when it got wet. This wasn’t a “Raw Hog” challenge so why didn’t I prep the brush more? It also shed a fair amount. Third mistake, I should have brought up a paper towel to clean the razor as I went, instead of rinsing off the piles of lather and beard. My sink got a little clogged. I kept things slow and steady, still have all my skin, no blood loss, and my earlobes are still there. I think I’ll enjoy the next straight shave more though. If you are going to shave off a beard without trimming first, a straight is definitely the way to go.

Fragrance:

I was pretty limited in my restrictions to keep it all new to me. I picked Wolf Mother from my Talent soaps, that were purchased ages ago and waiting patiently for a turn, because it had some gourmand/beverage notes that would work with the jasmine green tea. Of course the horse hair destroyed the scent of the soap, so any of them would have worked. Jasmine Green Tea is a nice clean scent with hits of citrus and the earthiness of green tea. I like that scent. Wolf Mother, I love off the puck, so next time it will get a better chance to add to the fragrances. The EdP sample was nice smelling and has some compatible notes, but it leans more to traditional cologne and fougere. It does not complement the other choices. If I were giving it a US letter grade, I’d say today’s choices merit a C+. It passes, but didn’t wow me.

Sponsor time:

I have one brush so far from AP Shaving. It’s a G5A SHD, and is the best synthetic I’ve used. Ordering was easy, and no issues with shipping. I’d definitely recommend picking up a brush or two.

2024-06-01 LG SOTD

• Brush: Semogue 2015 HD (22x55mm Badger) #OLDWORLD #SHD
• Razor: Wolfman WR2 #CNC #SPOOKY
• Blade: I don't even know what's in there, I forgot to check - maybe Astra Blue?
• Lather: The Goodfellas Smile - Amber Fougère
• Post Shave: Faberge - Brut
• Fragrance: Jean Paul Gaultier - Le Male

I'm back bitches (for 30 days (probably (we'll see)))

So one of the lame things about being LG staff and doing things like "deciding what the theme is every day and what criteria you need to meet to earn points" is that you have an "unfair advantage" when it comes time to "Play The Games," so you aren't eligible to win any prizes

On the other hand

If there are no prizes for judges then the points don't matter and I can do whatever the fuck I want all month without crippling my chances to win a prize

So I'm gonna be on theme in solidarity with y'all, but fuck everything else. 30 brands? 30 different dumb aftershaves? Etcetera? WHY? I want to enjoy my summer and just use stuff I enjoy, not be a slave to weird rules

Anyway, Ahem:

This vegan soap from The Goodfellas Smile (a brand I have never used before today) is in their latest "AJ-1" base, which is short for the modest doses of "argan oil and jojoba" they include in the formula. It's basically a classic Italian style croap recipe - heavy on stearic acid, coconut oil, and almond oil. Softer than any other soap I've used, nearly a cream; loaded less than half as many swirls in the tub than normal and still had plenty of lather for 3+ passes. Works up quickly, lots of volume, but still pretty wet instead of airy, which is a good thing. Slickness was decent, secondary slickness was acceptable. Post-shave is acceptable now in summer but would probably require the assistance of a good balm in winter.

Scent is... interesting. Despite their marketing I'd say this scent is more reminiscent of something from the late '60s than something from the 21st century. Fresh / fresh-spicy, aromatic green, a weird vanilla that strikes me as not quite vanilla - maybe heliotrope?, a little medicinal, a little Nag Champa-y, a bit grainy-textured in scent... really riding the fine edge between "nice and classy" and "this belongs in a bathroom." Reminds me somewhat of of Brut, Canoe, maybe some hints of Clubman, but doesn't smell like a direct descendant of any of them. Published scent notes (now that I read them) include orange, eucalyptus, basil, aldehydes, lavender, orchid, heliotrope (ah, yup, there we go), hawthorn, geranium, rose, musk, vanilla, coumarin, tonka, woods, amber, and patchouli; so yup, pretty significant cross-over in fragrance accords with the three aforementioned classic scents. Good homage to the pre-Paco Rabanne fougère genre.

I followed it up with some Brut splash (because I had some on-hand at my shave shelf and it seemed like a logical choice) and finally a spritz of Le Male, a proper modern amber fougère with its amber-vanilla-sandalwood drydown and its industry-redefining massive overdose of laundry musks (apparently something like 76% of the entire fragrance formula). Good mix with the TGS and Brut. Nicely complementary without actually occupying the same olfactory space.

#FOF , good luck y'all

(lol just kidding about FOF (or am I? (naw I definitely am, I got too much other stuff going on to write an essay every day)))

New All the things

Today Scent

• Brush: Smilezformilez Black Badger #WEDONTNEEDNOSTINKINGBADGERS
• Razor: Enders Speed Razor
• Blade: Enders
• Lather: Palmira Sapun Za Brijanje
• Post Shave: Don Draper Green
• Fragrance: Alpa Eau de Cologne Fougére

Fast First Shave.... I struggled to have a close shave with this machine, constantly buffing to cut the beard. The black badger brush is another experience to live, using a hedgehog for lathering is the closest experience.

.#photocontest Fill the frame

.#FOF The oldest scented shave, feel like grandpa.

June 1, 2024

• Brush: 2023 Lather Games Champion Trophy with AP Shave Co 26mm SilkSmoke Synthetic Knot #FRANKENBRUSH #COMPOSITE #TOLL
• Razor: Rolls Razor #FOREVERSAFETY #STAINLESSLESS
• Blade: Rolls
• Lather: AA Shaving – Wapiti Soap
• Post Shave: WSP - Mahogany Splash
• Fragrance: Jovan - Sex Appeal

What’s the best way to kick off my quest to become the first ever back-to-back Lather Games Champion? I need to set the tone from day one. Let every last one of you know that I am not taking it easy this year. If you want to take this trophy from me, you’re gonna have to pry it from my slippery, lathered hands. I will not lay down and I certainly will not back down. No, I won’t back down! You could stand me up at the Gates of Hell… But… I won’t back down.

What’s the best way to set the tone and let your opponents know that you mean business? As I oft do, I look to history to help guide me, since we all know history has a way of repeating itself. I think back to an event that set the tone for something great. Something at set the tone for a lot of our ancestors. Something that set the tone for the foundation of my country. An event that made us THE United Fucking States of America!!! The place where WE first let u/enndeegee’s Great-Great-Great-Great Grandparents know that we aren’t gonna take their bullshit anymore! The British think they can tax our tea?? Get out of here with that nonsense! Good luck collecting taxes from the bottom of the fucking Boston Harbor! That’s right. Priusaurus’ Lather Games 2024 Shave Numero Uno took place at the site of the Boston Tea Party. The place that set the stage for the American Revolution is the same place setting the stage for Lather Games X: Priusaurus’ Revenge: Part Deux: ~~Electric Boogaloo~~ Defending the Crown™.

What was once called “Griffin’s Wharf” is now (appropriately) called “Independence Wharf” and there’s a marker that memorializes the night a group of colonists banded together and tossed 342 chests full of tea into the Boston Harbor, giving a figurative middle figure to King George, u/enndeegee’s family, and taxation without representation. And that’s the same energy I’m working with today! And to really drive the point home, I nicely packed up a special brush to use today. It’s a little big, but I was proud to unwrap this badboy as my brush today. I’m not going to lie to you. As far as brushes go, this isn’t the most comfortable one in my den, but the goal today is intimidation, not comfort. I can have good, comfortable shaves starting in July, as I gaze at my Championship Trophy for another year. Now, it’s time to get to work.

I find a spot on a bench, overlooking a replica of the ship that the badasses threw tea off (called The Beaver), and lathered up my smoosh of Wapiti, that was so generously sent by u/OnionMiasma. And I’m just gonna throw this out there to start. This brush is NOT ideal for making a lather in a travel bowl. It’s my first-time using AA Shaving and I have them fighting with one arm tied behind their back before lather ever hits my face because the brush is unwieldy. Next, the homeless guy sleeping on the bench next to me started making noise, so I was rushing more than I would have liked. And finally, never used a Rolls Razor before and likely never will again. I honed it on my own stones to the best of my ability (which admittedly isn’t that great) but there’s a reason why they stopped making these things. Tough draw for AA Shaving. Might as well tie the other arm behind their back, and maybe a leg too. The first time I use them and it’s also the maiden voyage with these two contraptions for brush and razor. And it’s outside, trying to use the selfie mode on my camera as a mirror. But… That’s the way Lather Games be sometimes. Unsurprisingly, as I shaved, I got a few looks from people passing by, but once again: That’s the way Lather Games be sometimes. Got a somewhat serviceable shave and managed not to slice myself open. Gonna be an awesome month!

Oh yeah, and a friendly little reminder for my fellow competitors this year: You come at the King, you best not miss. Priusaurus’ Revenge: Part Deux: Defending the Crown™ starts today.

#FOF: Against my better judgement, I’m tossing my hat into the ring for FOF again this year, despite having no idea what I’m doing. Sorry u/wallygator88! Not the best start, if I’m being honest. When I lathered it, Wapiti smelled mostly aquatic to me, and I was expecting a bit more woodiness based on the scent notes. I brought WSP Mahogony as a splash, expecting the woody-spicy splash to complement the wood notes in the soap, but it just didn’t jive like I hoped. The fragrance, Sex Appeal, was used mostly for the double-entendre, but also does have a sandalwood note and actually it doesn’t smell too bad. The spiciness of it actually pairs pretty good with the splash and it almost has an Old-Spice-esque vibe to it. The splash and frag really made this a woodtastic shave!

Special Challenge: Never used a Rolls before. And back in the drawer it goes. #neveragain #unlessitsforachallenge

Soap theme justification: Never used AA Shaving before

Relevant Post Shave & Fragrance: All scents have an over-abundance of wood 👀

Jun. 1, 2024
Brush: Rubberset #HOLLOW #FRANKENBRUSH * Razor: Schick Injector L1
Blade: Schick Injector [1]
Lather: Wholly Kaw - Denarius * Post Shave: House Of Mammoth - Tobacconist
Fragrance: Stirling - EMP

My first ever Lather games so what better way to start off then by using everything I have never used before. Wholly Kaw first time using anything from them. When I told someone I was using Denarius he said ooooof, I knew it was going to be strong scented from just smelling the sample but honestly I love it and I will be buying a full tub. First time using an injector, I got it in a lot purchase and never thought of using it till today. The Rubberset, never used one before today, it’s on loan but he might be getting a DM asking how much he wants for it. Now I have used HOM products before but I’ve never used Tobacconist before. Finally, the Stirling EMP, I have never used any frags from Stirling I really like this one. So for the day of firsts, I am pretty happy.

Fragrance choice, honestly I normally think these things through but today, it was just a grab and spray.

#ROTY #FOF #photocontest

Black and White

Shared from My Shave Den for iOS

June 1, 2024 – LG 1: Bonjour, Lather Games

• Brush: Summer Break Soaps B9A #SHD
• Razor: SXDGS No. 152 #STR8SNOB
• Lather: AA Shaving – Wapiti
• Post Shave: Noble Otter – Firefighter
• Fragrance: Ineke – Derring Do

WSDB had a hiccup, so write up take two, FFS. Let’s just say I probably could have gotten a better shave today using a cheese grater or mandolin, but it was not shave in the kitchen day. Especially, since this purchase came from the small boutique where everyone goes for quality shave gear…amazon. Today was my first time using a straight razor, so it seemed wise to try and catch it on video. I did cut the video short so you wouldn’t have to watch me through all ~20+ min trying. Long story short, this shave had more intense tugging than my teenage years. Escaped with about 6 nicks and a patchwork quilt of remaining stubble and razor burn.

I’d never tried AA shaving, hadn’t even heard of it until seeing it as a sponsor. Thankfully, judge u/onionmiasma ~~colluded~~ sent me some to use as a new brand. Good scent, and I’ll refrain from commenting on performance considering the circumstances. Wapiti a clean aquatic forward scent on a base of woods, modeled on the forests of the Pacific Northwest. I can get a similar vibe near me in coastal Santa Cruz mountains, and they nailed the ambiance of those hikes in scent form. NO firefighter and Ineke Derring Do are other aquatic forward scents also on a woody base, with a cedar line through all 3 as well. They are clean, crisp, and a safe wear for all occasions. #FOF

For today’s #PHOTOCONTEST trash seemed fitting, just like this razor. Ironically, I think it qualifies for str8snob.

soap brands 1/30, post shave 1/30, frag 1/30, post/frag linked 1/30, software sponsors 1/16, hardware sponsors 2/2, razor hashtags 1/15, brush hashtags 1/15, photo contest 1/30, daily challenges 0/25, special challenges 1/5

June 1, 2024 - Bonjour, Lather Games!

• Brush: Bundubeard Sekelbos Hoss #HORSESASS
• Razor: Weck Hair Shaper #WECKONISTA
• Blade: Kismet (1)
• Lather: Soap Commander - Optimism
• Post Shave: Floid - The Genuine
• Fragrance: Spearhead Shaving Company - Seaforth! Black Watch

Challenge: I used a new to me soap, blade format, brush, and aftershave.

This was a long day. I spent 10 hours working a sound gig with no internet after getting up extra early to shave before I left. I wrote up most of this offline in docs.

Thanks to /u/Priusaurus for the smoosh. This is my first time using Soap Commander. Optimism is difficult to nail down. It smells a bit like green tea with a touch of bergamot. It also smells a bit like menthol. I was expecting more fruit. There's not much here. I'm having trouble picking up enough soap. It's drying out on my face and feels thin. I'm not impressed with this lather. I'm not feeling optimistic about Soap Commander after this shave. Coming back to this ~14 hours later: smelling my soap bowl, I can see how this is supposed to be pear. The fragrance comes off artificial in a Starburst kind of way.

This is also my first time shaving with a hair shaper. Thanks to /u/jwoods23 for the Kismet. I initially bought this Weck for Austere August. However, I wanted to do Rawhoggin and picked a soap that was easy to lather, but wasn't the best for slickness. I didn't want to do a full month of hair shaper shaves with that soap. So, I chickened out and never used it. This isn't my style of razor. I've tried using a straight razor once or twice, and have used a Kamisori shavette less than a dozen times. The Weck wasn't great, but wasn't terrible, either. My cheeks were easy. My neck was a bit more difficult. Shaving my chin was a challenge. My gotee was impossible. I couldn't get the razor to glide on my skin. When using “no pressure” the razor got stuck. With a bit of pressure it shaves well. But, I feel like I'm doing something wrong.

This is my first time using this new Bundubeard brush. The handle is beautiful and comfortable. The knot is a little scratchy. Backbone is low to mid; a bit more then my silver tip. I tend to mash knots a bit when face lathering. This is definitely more of a “just the tips” kind of brush. Flow-through is good. The knot gelled and stuck together splayed out after a bit of face lathering. This is the first brush I would say truly has a funky smell.

Floid aftershave is also new to me. It's hard to get a read on the fragrance. It dissipated very quickly. It's your standard barbershop fair. It dried quickly and had a touch of cooling. It doesn't feel like there's much in the way of skin-food. I'd classify this as a traditional mass-produced aftershave. Following up: Now that I'm home and can spray a bit on a Kleenex this is your standard powdery, musky, barbershop with the addition of menthol.

I picked Black Watch to match the plum and bergamot notes of optimism. This is a fragrance I like to wear casually. It's a leather heavy fragrance that works best in colder months. Warm spice blend seamlessly with the leather, while sweet plum keeps it from being too heavy. After an hour and a half I'm getting lots of leather and can still smell the plum. Three and a half hours after application it's mostly leather. There's some sweetness, but it's not differently distinctly plum at this point. Black Watch is a refined fragrance that's dressed down. I don't need to be wearing a dress shirt for it to appropriate. But, the shirt needs to have a few buttons.

#photocontest Animal (not alive). The monkey is not alive. I checked.

#FOF

June 1, 2024

• Brush: Chisel and Hound Resolute V20
• Razor: Karve CB SB-D
• Blade: Personna Lab Blue
• Lather: Henri et Victoria – Oud wood
• Post Shave: House of Mammoth – Alive

This LG, I am thinking of a different way to participate, in the spirit of why I have been attracted to wetshaving and this experience as a whole. I love the memories that each scent evokes, and probably why I have such a hard on for soaps/scents over hardware. So I will give a brief memory that each reminds me of, while hopefully simultaneously not wasting djudges time. This was bought well over a year ago (and never used) to help me understand and identify what oud wood smells of. My initial thought: unscented. Now: a delicate perfumy and woody depth, something I recognize in women’s scents over men’s. An undertone, not a star. But needed for a complete scent. Overall it reminds me of my journey to decipher the cacophony of noise that complex scents have. Like that time period, where everything is new to me, this soap brand and scent which I have never used exemplifies all that this hobby has to offer and all that I love about it. I wish you all the best of the LG, and to participate how you all see fit. Thanks all for organizing and donating – this sub really is special because of the friendship and interaction like this. Here is my “money” shot for the #photocontest #FOF

Edit: forgot to add the AS – Alive because that is how I feel for day 1 of the LG.