June 1, 2024

• Brush: Aurora Grooming LG24 Synthetic ("Lux Emerald Green") #SUBBROOSH

• Razor: Shumate Trusty (w/ orange scales, orange tang) #RAINBOW #RUSTYBUTTRUSTY

• Lather: AA Shaving - Wapiti (smush courtesy of u/OnionMiasma!)

• Post Shave: Wholly Kaw - Ikigai

• Fragrance: Atelier Cologne - Bergemote Soleil

"Got me a movie, I want you to know..."

Losing your virginity can be awkward and fumbling. At least that's been my experience. This is my first Lather Games. It's also, because of the Daily Challenge, my first ever attempt to shave with a straight razor. The Shumate was purchased used (and ostensibly shave-ready) on Ebay. It didn't seem to pass the "hair test," and after several minutes of careful stropping I went into the shave apprehensive.

In the end I'm proud of myself. Despite struggling with the angle of the blade, I managed to cleanly shave the flatter, accessible parts of my face—sideburns and cheeks—with only one nick, before bailing when I got to the jawline and chin. Too precarious for the time being. Whenever the blade was near the upper part of the face, near the eye sockets, I found myself thinking of the film Un Chien Andalou.

Lather, Post Shave, and Fragrance items were all used by me for the first time. Wapiti has a wonderful misty, atmospheric vibe, but also a note I can't quite place (like a more pleasant version of chlorine?) With Ikigai I get vanilla and musk more than any other notes.

Brush Strokes is a SOTD coda wherein I highlight a single work of art that, somehow or other, I perceive to be on-theme. Today's work is Tintoretto's Presentation of the Virgin, which hangs in the church of Madonna dell'Orto in Venice. It's a striking image that seems at once grounded and immediate, while also affording a distinct sensation of ascent, or possibly transcendence.

ROTY

June 2, 2024

• Brush: Commonwealth 'CW' Badger, purchased on Ebay #WEDONTNEEDNOSTINKINGBADGERS
• Razor: Fatip Piccolo Slant Closed Comb
• Blade: Gillette Super Platinum (Black) (2)
• Lather: Barrister and Mann - Spice
• Post Shave: Barrister and Mann - Bay Rum
• Fragrance: Jovoy Paris - Pavillon Rouge

I avoided Barrister and Mann initially, thinking they were British. But they were mentioned on the sub so frequently that I eventually caved. Spice was the first sample I tried. The lather was better that anything I'd achieved up to that point. To stay on theme I added a splash of B&M Bay Rum, and finally a touch of Pavillon Rouge, which is ostensibly a pirate-themed fragrance.

Jovoy Paris makes fancy perfumes that are somewhat baroque and conceptual. They're expensive (I can only afford samples) and some (such as Private Label, which smells like a musty library) don't last long. Pavillon Rouge is boozy and smokey, with notes of rum, whiskey, and the lash (well maybe less of that)—and it has some staying power.

Priusaurus was the first to respond to my request for a smush (thanks Priusaurus!)—and obligingly offered to send other smushes as well. It's great to have the r/Wetshaving vets around here be so welcoming to newcomers.

Brush Strokes will usually feature paintings, illustrations, and other art-museum type art, because that's what I'm most familiar with. But today's work is movie clip: the final montage from Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011), directed by Tomas Alfredson (the Swedish filmmaker who also directed Let the Right One In).

The connection with today's theme is the song that accompanies the montage: "La Mer," sung in French by Julio Iglesias. On the surface it's a cheerful song—kinda like proto-yacht rock—in contrast to the montage itself, in which we glimpse the less-than-happy fates of many of the film's characters. The irony of that contrast lends added depth to the song—suggesting that the longing happiness far away, somewhere beyond the sea, might remain unfulfilled.

EDIT: edited to try and make a bullet list

EDIT: edited again to fix a couple of typos

ROTY

June 3, 2024

• Brush: Zenith Boar 24 x 48 mm #SMOLL #OLDWORLD
• Razor: Fatip Piccolo Slant Closed Comb
• Blade: Gillette Super Platinum (Black) (3)
• Lather: House of Mammoth - Dammusi
• Post Shave: Master Soap Creations - Light Blue
• Fragrance: Chanel - Bleu de Chanel

For today's theme I'd planned to use Wholly Kaw, since donkey milk is listed as one of the ingredients. That would count, right? I was unsure. Milk has fat; but milk and fat aren't the same thing. Is donkey milk considered a tallow ingredient? I decided to play it safe, noting a number of posts featuring HoM soaps, but none featuring Wholly Kaw.

It was hot here today, so I went with Dammusi. The aftershave and fragrance were both chosen to complement the soap—though Dammusi has this great mineral or stone note that I don't associate with a lot of fragrances (Light Blue by Master Soap Creations is supposed to be a dupe of Dolce & Gabanna Light Blue). As for the Bleu de Chanel, I get a pronounced melon-y note that isn't listed.

I haven't tried using alum on my face. When I first heard of alum it was in art history class. The professor described alum as a fixative for dyes (used for sizing—preparing a paper or some other surface for drawing). A woman in the class said she used alum in cooking, to which the prof responded "I hope not!" as if to suggest alum is toxic. I learned later that alum is used in cooking, at least in small amounts. But yes, if you eat an entire bowl of salt it'll be bad for you.

Brush Strokes features two very different works of art on the theme of meat. First is Joachim Beuckeler's painting The Four Elements: Fire, a work from the 16th century that depicts various kinds of meat being prepared in a kitchen. Like many other works from the period that depict everyday life, this painting is often interpreted as a religious allegory—an interpretation bolstered by the presence of Jesus Himself, framed in the doorway in the background. It's a painting that contrasts the Flesh and the Spirit, with flesh given prominence, at least from the viewer's perspective.

The other work is this famous and tantalizing tromple l'oeil pork belly, made out of jasper, said to have once been in the Qing Dynasty imperial collection.

#ROTY

June 4, 2024

• Brush: Sterling Soap Company Finest Badger 24mm Fan Knot
• Razor: Fatip Piccolo Slant Closed Comb
• Blade: Gillette Super Platinum (Black) (4)
• Lather: Wholly Kaw - Pompelmo
• Post Shave: Gentelman's Nod - Zarahoff Rose
• Fragrance: Hermès - Pamplemousse Rose

Grapefruit is amazing. Especially the peel. If you haven't tried it, I recommend using grapefruit peel as a garnish for drinks (like in a Manhattan).

Both the lather and the aftershave above are single note. Zarahoff Rose is the most potent, fragrance-y aftershave I've come across—it's a bit much. Sort of like rose water, incense, and spices filling up an entire room. Pamplemousse Rose, while not single note, was intended to harmonize the previous two.

The featured work in today's edition of Brush Strokes is Nebraska, a 1960s minimalist painting by Brice Marden.

I'm still learning about bases. Thus far I'm partial to Omnibus—was surprised by someone's comment earlier today implying that opinions on the sub are divided.

#ROTY

EDIT: added ROTY tag

June 5, 2024

• Brush: n/a
• Razor: Fatip Piccolo Slant Closed Comb
• Blade: Gillette Super Platinum (Black) (5)
• Lather: Barbasol - Soothing Aloe
• Post Shave: Lider Aftershave Lotion
• Fragrance: Antonio Puig - Sybaris

I haven't used canned goop for 30 years. Back high school I used Noxzema "Sensitive Skin" in a red can, and I become convince it was causing/exacerbating acne. So I switched to ordinary soap, usually a bar of Dove, which brings us up (almost) to the present.

Honestly tonight's shave didn't go badly. It's like the canned goop scientists have the optimal level of slickness dialed in. And the Barbasol "Soothing Aloe" didn't smell as bad as I expected.

The Lider aftershave was meant to complement the mass-produced/widely available part of the theme. At least it looks/smells like it could be available at drugstores in Poland. The Sybaris, on the other hand, was chosen because it smells medicinal to me, a bit like band-aids.

On the mass-produced side of things, Brush Strokes today features a photograph titled 99 Cent, by the German photographer Andreas Gursky.

ROTY

June 6, 2024

• Brush: Aurora Grooming LG24 Synthetic ("Lux Emerald Green") #SUBBROOSH
• Razor: Fatip Piccolo Slant Closed Comb
• Lather: Cooper & French - White Tea and Ginger
• Post Shave: Barrister and Mann - Cheshire
• Fragrance: Hermès - Terre d'Hermès Eau Givrée

"Is this bergamot I'm getting, Chef?" (The Menu, 2022)

Long before bergamot became a joke, I was transfixed by something in Earl Grey tea. It was only recently that I learned it's something called bergamot. Nobody eats bergamot oranges, but bergamot oils go into fragrances and drinks. You can even buy bergamot bitters on Etsy, as I did (recommended).

In today's SOTD, bergamot is represented by B&M Cheshire aftershave, which is based on Earl Grey teas. The lather, on the other hand, is from Cooper & French, is based on white tea with ginger. Terre d'Hermès Eau Givrée has to me a pronounced ginger note (not present in the standard Terre d'Hermès), which here is meant to complement the fragrance of the soap.

Today's Brush Strokes post features an ancient rhyton, or drinking vessel, said to be from 4th century CE Iran or Afghanistan. Every time I walk by this is the Smithsonian I wish I could drink out of it.

#ROTY

June 7, 2024

• Brush: Aurora Grooming LG24 Synthetic ("Lux Emerald Green") #SUBBROOSH
• Razor: Fatip Piccolo Slant Closed Comb
• Blade: Schick Stainless (1)
• Lather: Martin de Candre - Vetyver
• Post Shave: Spearhead - Sea Spice Lime (toner)
• Fragrance: Ramon Monegal - Umbra

Happy to use my Aurora Grooming LG24 Special Edition brush for the second shave in a row. It’s a big year for Auroras, according to recent headlines.

I can’t say that I really “get” vetiver. I’m still developing a nose for it. It’s a complicated smell that usually gets combined with other ingredients and notes, and no two versions of “vetiver” that I’ve smelled thus far have been the same. It’s been interesting to read other’s reactions to vetiver in today’s SOTD thread—I’m glad to know I’m not alone in finding vetiver complicated and at times off-putting.

Before getting into wet shaving I got interested in fragrances. And with fragrances, especially men’s fragrances, vetiver is everywhere. The fragrance I chose today, Ramon Monegal Umbra, is one of the first fragrance samples I ever bought. The description claimed that it combines grapefruit and Haitian vetiver alongside other notes. I expected to like it, but found it’s a beast of a fragrance that makes my eyes burn even when worn in small quantities.

By contrast, Martin de Candre Vetyver struck me as bright, fragrant, “green” type of smell, not unlike mint or menthol. The perfumer Jean-Claude Ellena (see link below) suggests that certain prized varieties of vetiver oil give off “a characteristic scent of matchstick and sulfur.” Strangely enough, during today’s shave I detected other nuances in the MdC soap alongside the green, minty qualities—a kind of underlying burning or smokey smell.

As it happens, I don’t have a vetiver-forward aftershave, so I went with Spearhead Sea Spice Lime. I think the citrus element complements the vetiver in the MdC soap. I was curious as to why, and for this I turn to the authority a recent, exhaustive book on smells, Harold McGee’s Nose Dive, published in 2020. (I recommend this book to anyone who wants to read a lot about smells. Just be prepared—it’s not a book exclusively about pleasant smells or perfumery. The first hundred pages or so discuss the early universe and the origins of life, along with bodily secretions and excretions).

McGee suggests that some of the most frequently used smells in perfumery—smells associated with citrus peel, pine and cedar, and vetiver root (among others)—share underlying molecules known as terpenes or terpenoids. Quantities of terpinene and pinene, for example, help to give lime peel its distinctive scent.

The origins of these molecules seem to lie in ecological warfare between plant and animal species. “It appears that volatile terpenoids may well have been developed for signaling by early land insects, then adopted as insect-confusing defenses by early land plants . . . They work so well against insect pests—and spoilage and disease microbes—that our ancestors enlisted them thousands of years ago to care for their dwellings and their own bodies.” (Nose Dive, p. 163)

Vetiver is especially complex: its oils “have been found to contain more than three hundred mostly unusual terpenoids and their products, including zizaenones. This remarkable diversity appears to result in part from bacteria living in the vetiver roots, where they transform relatively few plant-produced molecules into a more diverse set, perhaps to fend off their own microbial competitors.” (Nose Dive, p. 463)

Today’s featured work in Brush Strokes is by the graphic designer and illustrator Karin Doering-Froger, representing the vetiver plant. It’s one of her many illustrations for the Atlas of Perfumed Botany, with text written by the master perfumer Jean-Claude Ellena. The writing is breezy, engaging, and informative on the subject of fragrances (the link includes two excerpts from the book, one on patchouli and one on vetiver).

#ROTY

June 8, 2024

• Brush: Zenith Boar 24 x 48 mm #SMOLL #OLDWORLD
• Razor: Fatip Piccolo Slant Closed Comb
• Blade: Schick Stainless
• Lather: Maggard Razors – Tobacco & Leather
• Post Shave: Spearhead - Black Watch (splash)
• Fragrance: Chris Rusak – Beast Mode EdT

None of my individual Maggard orders have been exorbitant, but they definitely add up. The most recent order was mostly samples, both soaps and aftershaves, to try and fill out my LG 2024 schedule.

In addition to using a Maggard soap, the aftershave and fragrance both represent small businesses. Spearhead is well-known to r/Wetshaving—frequent mentions of the Seaforth! line on this sub led me to try both Sea Spice Lime and Black Watch. Black Watch also has leather as one of its notes, so I thought it would pair with the Maggard Tobacco & Leather—and I was right!

Chris Rusak is an independent perfumer based (I believe) in LA. He’s produced some unusual, challenging scents, one of which is called After Every Ounce of Joy Leaves My Body. It smells like pine and gasoline. Today I went with a different fragrance called Beast Mode, which has some unusual “gourmand” qualities (such as licorice) which I think mesh well with the notes in Black Watch.

Today’s edition of Brush Strokes features a woodblock-printed image by Katsushika Hokusai, from his series Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji (which also includes the famous Great Wave off Kanagawa ). This print frames Mt. Fuji in the far distance, while in the foreground highlighting a craftsman at his work.

#ROTY

EDIT: for formatting, links, and ROTY tag

June 9, 2024

• Brush: Commonwealth ‘CW’ Badger, purchased for cheap on Ebay
• Razor: Fatip Piccolo Slant Closed Comb
• Blade: Schick Stainless
• Lather: Chiseled Face - Ghost Town Barber
• Post Shave: Murphy and McNeil - Nantahala
• Fragrance: Geo. F. Trumper - Eucris EdP

Oakmoss. It’s not a moss, it’s a species of lichen. It’s also hard to describe what it smells like. For some reason it reminds me of antique wood. It has a dry, kind of varnish-y quality to it. I have trouble associating the smell with anything fresh or youthful. It’s distinguished, not playful or spontaneous.

Some “barbershop” scents incorporate oakmoss (or something meant to approximate it—real oakmoss can cause skin irritation). But in most barbershop scents oakmoss is mixed with other notes to create complex, layered fragrances. So along with the intensity of oakmoss you get brighter notes such as fruits and florals, as well as green notes and spices. One commonality among barbershop scents I’ve tried is that they tend to have a lot of notes listed.

Ghost Town Barber, of course, is marketed as a barbershop scent. Chiseled Face says it contains oakmoss, along with other intense notes such as smoke and gunpower. The soap produced a good lather and overall I like how it smells.

Murphy and McNeil Nantahala is not marketed as a barbershop scent. It does have a backcountry theme (referencing the mountains of Western North Carolina) which complements the ‘Old West’ imagery associated with Ghost Town Barber. And it has a lot going on (14 or more notes, according to the artisan), from fruits and florals to pepper and patchouli to wood and water. I can’t claim to have picked up on every single one of the notes in the aftershave, but I like it and think it could be classified (if one cares to do so) as a barbershop-adjacent scent. It gives off a fresher, airier richness than contrasts with the dusty, smokey old-timeiness of Ghost Town Barber.

And that brings us to the first ‘barbershop’ fragrance I ever tried: Geo. F. Trumper Eucris Eau de Parfum. This one definitely contains oakmoss (rumors online claim that they still use genuine oakmoss despite the health warnings), along with other rich and potent notes such as sandalwood, musk, and cumin. So yeah, the vibe would be a serious, old-school barbershop of perhaps a century ago. Dream of the 1890s.

On the pop quiz I got 2 of 37 (the first two). I couldn’t figure out how to type in the answers or skip ahead.

There are a lot of paintings of barbershops. There are moody, reflective barbershop paintings by Edward Hopper and Norman Rockwell, as well as cartoonish ones with cats, dogs, or other human and animal caricatures. Many of the examples online, however, showcase the convivial, communal aspect of barbershops that's traditionally (not to say exclusively) been associated with Black America. The example I chose for today’s edition of Brush Strokes is a drawing made in 1946 by the great, prolific artist Jacob Lawrence.

#ROTY

June 10, 2024

• Brush: Stirling Soap Company Finest Badger 24mm Fan Knot
• Razor: Fatip Piccolo Slant Closed Comb
• Blade: Astra Green (1)
• Lather: Declaration Grooming + Chatillon Lux Collaboration – 88 Chestnut St.
• Post Shave: Cella – Riserva Fresco
• Fragrance: Yves Saint Laurent – L’Homme Ultime

Fine shave. Love the brightness of 88 Chestnut St. I chose Cella Riserva Fresco aftershave not because it’s a collaboration, but because it suits the current transition (where I live, at least) from spring into summer. In addition to the citrus in both the soap and the aftershave, Cella Riserva has herbal notes such as basil and jasmine that lend some lushness and depth.

Wasn’t sure if I had any collaborative fragrances (that is, fragrances marketed as collaborations between houses). Upon checking, however, I discovered that YSL L’Homme Ultime, a scent that happens to go quite well with the two above, is the work of three perfumers (or “noses” as they sometimes say): Anne Flipo, Dominique Ropion, and Juliette Karagueuzoglou. A trio of noses, if you will.

Song about Being Happy…Together

As one of Adam Sandler’s characters famously mused, “Some of us will never find true love.” But that’s not what we’re here to talk about today. For me, the song that comes to mind when I think “Happy Together” is one by the Carpenters…about praising Satan. Just kidding. It’s this song (as performed by Shonen Knife).

POST 1/2

#ROTY

June 11, 2024

• Brush: Zenith Boar 24 x 48 mm
• Razor: Fatip Piccolo Slant Closed Comb
• Blade: Astra Superior Platinum (Green) (2)
• Lather: Noble Otter - Queen
• Post Shave: Thayer’s – Rose Petal Toner
• Fragrance: Andy Tauer – No. 2 L’air du désert Marocain

Honeysuckle Rose

Yesterday’s SOTD posts were fun because music. Glad to find out there are a few jazz aficionados around here.

My SOTD post from yesterday got a bit carried away, at least in terms of length. Today I’ll try to be more concise.

So for springtime-y scented soap I went with Noble Otter Queen, which the artisan describes as “learning more feminine,” and which has honey and floral notes. I contend that honey and flowers are springtime-y. I thought the scent might smell cloying, but it wasn’t. It has a soft honey fragrance, like the honey cake you get at your local Armenian bakery.

The aftershave is also an understated floral scent, Thayer’s Rose Petal Toner. I topped things off with a more challenging scent: L’air du désert Marocain by the Swiss perfumer Andy Tauer. I haven’t smelled anything else quite like it. It combines spice notes (coriander and cumin—which occasionally veer toward smelling like armpits) with an open, breezy quality. Does that sound like a springtime scent to you? To me it didn’t, but the manufacturer recommends it (“especially”) for springtime. It does have leafy and floral notes: petitgrain (leave and stems from a species of bitter orange tree), along with jasmine and rockrose.

I’m couldn’t participate in the today’s challenge due to most of my shave products being samples.

Brush Strokes: Early Spring edition

The most famous Chinese painting is known as Early Spring. It’s dated to 1072 CE and attributed to court painter named of Guo Xi. It’s a landscape painting, yet unlike any other landscape painting. I recommend going on Wikimedia Commons and examining a hi-res image this masterpiece.

#ROTY

June 12, 2024

• Brush: Commonwealth 'CW' Badger, purchased on Ebay #WEDONTNEEDNOSTINKINGBADGERS
• Razor: Fatip Piccolo Slant Closed Comb
• Blade: Astra Superior Platinum (Green) (3)
• Lather: Geo. F. Trumper – Eucris Soft Shaving Cream
• Post Shave: Løthur – Samber
• Fragrance: Jovoy Paris – Private Label

Of sandalwood and oakmoss, shave dens and cream art

A den isn’t built in a day. I don’t really have den to speak of. It’s more like hovel. Or a storage closet with bathroom cleaning supplies. But for the sake of the daily challenge I’ve posted a before SOTD and an after SOTD photo.

Geo. F. Trumper of London make Eucris, of which I have the Eau de Parfum. They also make “Hard Shaving Soap” and a “Soft Shaving Cream” versions of the scent. In my initial foray into the hobby I was about to buy the hard soap, but online reviews by wet shavers—who can sometimes be opinionated—suggested that the hard soap doesn’t perform well.

Today the soft soap worked just fine. I put it in the bowl, added a bit of water, and got a decent lather. In some ways I prefer the scent as a shaving cream, which is more diffuse and understated than the rich, heavy scent of the EdP.

I chose Løthur Samber as the aftershave because like Eucris it has a sandalwood note. Today’s fragrance is Jovoy Private Label, which I’d previously described as smelling like a musty library. Upon smelling it for the first time in ages, I’d revise my assessment: it smells like a wood-paneled musty library with a bowl of fruit in it. According to the perfumer, Private Label has notes of papyrus(!) along with sandalwood.

In potentially useful art related news, this video shows how kids can make art using shaving cream.

#ROTY

I don't get the joke, but the photos in he den tour seem like they should be one.

June 13, 2024

• Brush: Aurora Grooming LG24 Synthetic ("Lux Emerald Green") #SUBBROOSH
• Razor: Fatip Piccolo Slant Closed Comb
• Blade: Astra Superior Platinum (Green) (4)
• Lather: Stirling Soap Co. – Arkadia
• Post Shave: Fine Accoutrements – Italian Citrus
• Fragrance: Oil Perfumery – Uomo Born In Roma

Stirling’s Arkadia imitates the scent of Terre d’Hermès. Citrus is a prominent note in TdH, so I paired the soap with Fine Accoutrements Italian Citrus aftershave. For the fragrance I used dupe of Valentino Uomo Born In Roma from Oil Perfumery. Haven't tried the actual Born in Roma fragrance, but based on the dupe it seems to be a light, fresh, and pleasing scent with aquatic as well as mineral-y notes. I like it enough to want a sample of the real thing to compare.

Daily Challenge: In yesterday’s SOTD I linked to a video that shows how to make shaving cream art. u/Enndeegee replied suggesting I create by own shaving cream art, and that if I don't Endeegee will “scrub” me (whatever that means). So earlier today I went about incorporating lather into an image of the Sterling Arkadia label.

It didn’t go well. Not that it started off badly. I got some art materials, then got my shaving materials, and proceeded to whip up a generous Arkadia lather using my custom Aurora Grooming LG24 synthetic. Next I spread the lather out on a plate and began painstakingly adding watercolor paint in an attempt to imitate the design of the label.

The way it works is you make a template out of shaving cream, and when it's ready you lay a piece of paper on top of the template to transfer the design. Like printmaking.

In the video I shared yesterday the shaving cream art is abstract, with swirly or wavy patters resembling colorfully marbled paper. Looking back I should’ve gone that route (the splattered paint backgrounds on some Declaration Grooming labels might’ve worked). When the design is abstract, it doesn’t matter if during the transfer process the image gets smudged or reversed (as it inevitably will be).

Like other Stirling labels, the Arkadia label is graphic design based, dominated by text and precisely detailed motifs. This proved more than I could handle.

I got this far. The text is too large, and obviously isn’t centered properly. By this point I was running out of time, so I decided to transfer the image to paper and just put a Sterling decal on the finished product. I had vision of a satisfying multimedia work.

Unfortunately, in the transfer process (NSFW) things really went south.

It looks like a cartoon chicken got run over.

Apologies to the good people Stirling. I love your products and won't misuse them again anytime soon.

#ROTY

Expectations vs Reality

June 13, 2024

• Brush: Stirling Soap Co. Finest Badger 24 mm Fan Knot
• Razor: Fatip Piccolo Slant Closed Comb
• Blade: Astra Superior Platinum (Green) (5)
• Lather: Master Soap Creations – Frosted Lavender
• Post Shave: House of Mammoth – Uitwaaien  
• Fragrance: Mountblanc – Explorer

Stacking

These stacks they keep me down, so I build some more

—Fugazi, “Stacks”

Today I put things in a stack. Went better than expected. Especially considering yesterday’s monstrosity.

Stay Frosty

For soap I used Master Soap Creations Frosted Lavender. I don’t use menthol products (Orbit was too intense for me). MSC FroLav was so frosty that while making the lather I could already feel it on my face (or so I suspected—maybe psychosomatic). When I applied, though, it didn’t seem that cold. Initially. Then it got cold. Stayed cold. Stayed with me.

Uitwaaien aftershave seemed a good pairing. Has an unusual cooling effect immediately evident.

Mountblanc Explorer isn’t cold by itself. It’s actually got a funky/armpit note. But Mount Blanc—I assume Mount Blanc has snow on it. And it's a mountain—so cold. And "Explorer" could imply venturing to some distant, cold place. Let us face ourselves. We are Hyperboreans; we already know how far off we live. Beyond the north, ice, and death—our life, our happiness.

Cracked Ice

In today’s edition of Brush Strokes I wanted to feature the cartoon character Chilly Willy. But I have to instead share this remarkable diptych, depicting cracked ice, painted by the Kyoto artist Maruyama Ōkyo. This was painted in the late 18th century. It’s just ice. With cracks in it.

#ROTY

June 15, 2024

• Brush: Commonwealth 'CW' Badger, purchased on Ebay
• Razor: Fatip Piccolo Slant Closed Comb
• Blade: Astra Superior Platinum (Green) (6)
• Lather: Spearhead – Seaforth! Black Watch
• Post Shave: The Club – Poison Hemlock
• Fragrance: Chris Rusak – After Every Ounce of Joy (Leave My Body)

I have only one tub of shaving soap (everything else is samples). This made the decision easy—it can only be Spearhead Black Watch, which smells (to me) like a sort of dessert. Recent developments with the tub have portended the proverbial Ring of Death. Prior to tonight’s shave the Ring of Death first glimmered. Tonight, however, I avoided dilating the aperture, preferring instead to work the periphery.

Ever had a near-death experience? I have…twice. Once a goat knocked me off a cliff. The other… I won’t describe the other instance.

Theme-wise, I’m interpreting “Near death” as “on the verge of death.” Hence Poison Hemlock, an aftershave from The Club (an outfit that seems to be affiliated with A&E— though how affiliated I have yet to determine). Poison Hemlock is the weirdest aftershave I’ve ever smelled. It’s more cocktail than aftershave. Blood orange, pine tar, and (supposedly) actual hemlock(?!?). It packs a punch.

Chris Rusak After Every Ounce of Joy (Leave My Body) was described by someone online as the smell of being in a car accident. In fairness, admirers of the fragrance insist that it’s not more than this—according to a more favorable description, it smells like repairing an engine in a pine forest in the fog. Midnight Stag devotees take note!

Brush Strokes today features the The Death of Socrates as painted by Jacques Louis David. Socrates, of course, was condemned to death and forced to drink hemlock. This French Revolution-era painting turns Socrates into something of a superhero, fearlessly overcoming injustice and unreason in a single melodramatic flourish. A more humanizing (and who knows, more realistic?) portrait was furnished by Raphael in The School of Athens, wherein Socrates is depicted not as a hero but as one among many in a crowded field, in his natural element, discussing, disputing—as one who tirelessly argues and questions.

#ROTY

June 16, 2024

• Brush: Albright Rubberset Boar (said to be a family heirloom) #HOLLOW
• Razor: Fatip Piccolo Slant Closed Comb
• Blade: Feather – New Hi Stainless
• Lather: Cella – Riserva Fresco
• Post Shave: Aqua Velva – Classic Ice Blue
• Fragrance: Creed - Royal Mayfair

To me, Cella Riserva Fresco smells old fashioned and kind of musty, like mothballs. Fortunately the musty smell dissipated somewhat when lathering, and the overall lather quality was good. Fine shave while using a Feather blade for the first time. This was also my first ever use of Aqua Velva. I chose Creed Royal Mayfair specifically for the mothball element. The marketing says it smells like a Gin & Tonic, which with the right ingredients is a great, fresh smell. But but the Royal Mayfair I just get musty lime and mothballs. So not "full bottle worthy" (as they say on r/fragrance), especially considering a full bottle would cost $350 or more.

Hope everyone had a great Father's Day! Today's featured work of art is Rembrandt's Return of the Prodigal Son.

#ROTY

June 17, 2024

• Brush: Zenith Boar 24 x 48 mm
• Razor: Fatip Piccolo Slant Closed Comb
• Blade: Feather - New Hi Stainless (2)
• Lather: Catie’s Bubbles - Pine Barrens
• Post Shave: Chiseled Face - Summer Storm
• Fragrance: Di Ser - Tsuzumi Boshi

Went with Catie’s Bubbles, in keeping with the no-animal-ingredients theme. All the scents I used today showcase various facets of pine, cypress, and other woody notes. Summer Storm aftershave is pine-forward. Di Ser is a Japanese perfumer that claims to use only natural ingredients. Their stuff is expensive (I’m using a sample acquired from Luckyscent). Tsuzumi Boshi doesn’t last long— at least on my skin—but it has an entirely distinct character.

Today’s featured work of art is by Giuseppe Arcimboldo, who assembled trippy portraits out of fruit, vegetable, and plant components. The example shown here is a portrait of Emperor Rudolf II of Habsburg as Vertumnus.

#ROTY

June 18, 2024

• Brush: Aurora Grooming LG24 Synthetic ("Lux Emerald Green") #SUBBROOSH
• Razor: Fatip Piccolo Slant Closed Comb
• Blade: Feather - New Hi Stainless (3)
• Lather: Williams – Mug Shaving Soap
• Post Shave: Taylor of Old Bond Street – Mr. Taylor
• Fragrance: Frederic Malle – French Lover

This is my third day using a feather blade, and I got a fair number of nicks. So that’s my r/Wicked_Edge moment (continued below)

For today's SOTD I obtained a puck of Williams Mug soap. The lather wasn’t bad, though it was on the foamy side. The puck itself had a soft, mild vanilla-y scent; the lather didn’t really have a scent at all.

Without a splash or fragrance that fit the “no long in business" aspect of the theme, I decided to get conceptual. Williams smells (almost) like nothing, so I decided to follow it with two potentially overpowering scents—in this way Williams is being effaced, erased, re-interred, reburied.

I hadn’t used anything from Taylor of OBS. The Mr. Taylor aftershave sounderd promising—like a fougère / barbershop-type scent with a lot going on. Fragrance-wise, it didn’t disappoint—smelled sharp, potent and stung like all get out. Yow! Bracing. Instead of soothing the nicks, though, it seemed to make them bleed more. That’s not what an aftershave is supposed to do!

Frederic Malle French Lover is an unusual fragrance. I remembered it as having a powdery smell, but this time it revealed a green, atmospheric character reminiscent in some ways of HoM Shire. Leafy, but also earthy and damp. It's a polarizing scent, as can be seen from the reviews over at Fragrantica. Everything from "lovely green vegetal" to "clean fresh meditative vibe" to "night embraces in the back of a taxi, in the best possible way" to "cloves in a zoo cage." I'm beginning to think fragrance is subjective.

Today in Brush Strokes we feature a painting of a skull, attributed to the great monk-painter Itō Jakuchu. It's believed to have been painted in 1794.

#ROTY

June 19, 2024

• Brush: Albright Rubberset Boar #HOLLOW
• Razor: Fatip Piccolo Slant Closed Comb
• Blade: Feather - New Hi Stainless (4)
• Lather: Chicago Grooming Co. - AG 1889
• Post Shave: Barrister & Mann - Lavender
• Fragrance: Creed - Green Irish Tweed

I'm using CGC AG 1889 thanks to u/chronnoisseur420, who sent me a smush! Turns out the soap is a r/Wetshaving exclusive as well. I selected B&M Lavender because like CGC it represents a Union state. But I didn't know what to do for the fragrance. I went with something from England, Creed Green Irish Tweed. Why England? Well, beginning in the late 18th century, England (or certain people in England) played a prominent role in the abolitionist movement.

This brings me to today's edition of Brush Strokes, which features the best-known image associated with abolitionism, a medallion created by the 1780s by the decorative artist Josiah Wedgwood. The chronology and roles of abolitionist movements in England versus the U.S. have been a subject of controversy, particularly since the publication of the 1619 Project. I'm not qualified to comment, but this article by the historian Sean Wilentz lays out the issues in some detail.

#ROTY

June 20, 2024 

Brush: Commonwealth ’CW’ Badger 

Razor: Fatip Piccolo Slant Closed Comb 

Blade: Gillette - Nacet 

Lather:Summer Break Soaps - Cannonball  

Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Dammusi  

Fragrance: Goldfield & Banks - Pacific Rock Moss 

For the second day in row, I'm using a smush sent courtesy of u/chronnoisseur420 . This time it’s SBS Cannonball! First time trying soap from SBS—I think I’m a convert. HoM Dammusi is definitely summery. Goldfield & Banks Pacific Rock Moss is an oceanic scent from the Land of Oz.  

Was at a concert tonight (Wilco) and got really sweaty. Without music life would be a mistake.   

#ROTY

EDIT: formatting, hopefully 

June 21, 2024

• Brush: Aurora Grooming LG24 Synthetic ("Lux Emerald Green") #SUBBROOSH
• Razor: GEM Damaskeene (tentatively to be named “Screwy” pending upcoming retrofit)
• Blade: Personna GEM
• Lather: Los Jabrones de Joserra - Spanish Fern
• Post Shave: Spearhead - Seaforth! Heather aftershave
• Fragrance: Tom Ford - Fougère Platine

I’m curious why they call themselves Los Jabrones de Joserra. Although they're Spanish, seaching "Joserra" brings up instead Josera, is a German pet food company. “Jabroni” obviously has several negative (if jocular) shades of meaning. Anyway, Spanish Fern is a type of fougère: among its listed notes are lavender, oakmoss, and courmarin (aka tonka bean). There’s also a prominent minty note. The soap produced a nice lather (this was my first use of anything by this artisan).

Thank you to several people who responded with helpful advice about GEM razors. I like the razor I bought (for about fifteen dollars), but unfortunately the small, horizontal latch in the middle that helps hold the blade in place is slightly loose. I was able to shave with it, but it needs fixing.

The aftershave and the perfume offer a study in how different “fougère” fragrances can smell. Seaforth! Heather is warm, mild, and approachable. Fougère Platine is sharp, astringent, and makes my eyes water (despite that, I like the smell, or at least want to like it).  

Lying here amidst clover

While searching the sky for a plover

Perplexed by delay

to post scent of the day

I can’t wait for this month to be over

Some images of ferns and fern parts (such as this prothallus) remind me of diagrams of neurons, nerve cells, etc. drawn by Santiago Ramón y Cajal (1852–1934).

ROTY

EDIT: a word

June 22, 2024

• Brush: Stirling Soap Co. Finest Badger 24mm Fan Knot
• Razor: “Screwy” (GEM Damaskeene)
• Blade: Personna GEM
• Lather: Southern Witchcrafts - Autumn Ash
• Post Shave: Captain’s Choice - Cat o’ Nine Tails
• Fragrance: Oriza L. Legrand - Chypre Mousse

Meet Screwy the Damaskeene Razor. Screwy is over 100 years old. Screwy has been a good razor but is showing his age. Specifically, the latch-thingy in the middle of his head, meant to hold the blade in place, has weakened. This seems to have affected Screwy’s mental state—lately he's displayed certain disturbing tendencies (see below).

Today’s I went with Southern Witchcrafts Autumn Ash. SW was one of the first shave soaps I tried, and certainly the most offbeat in terms of scent. In addition to Autumn Ash, I got samples of Carpathia, Valley of Ashes, Necromantic, Fougere Nemeta, and Lycanthropy (the latter two, I believe, have since been discontinued).

I chose Captain’s Choice Cat o’ Nine Tails because the name sounded sinister and Halloween-y. It turns out to be a reference to seafaring—the notorious lash—with the fragrance being warm, spicy, and boozy.

Oriza L. Legrand Chypre Mousse is among the strangest fragrances I’ve tried. It’s been around since 1914 (even longer than Screwy) and has a kind of baroque complexity and sumptuousness that one doesn’t encounter much these days. I wouldn’t normally have chosen it for today’s theme, but the artisan describes it as an autumn scent. It has earthy, fecund qualities—the smell of undergrowth—that echo some of the dirt and mildew notes in Autumn Ash.

As a razor Screwy has performed well since arriving two days ago. Jamming a screw into his head has helped to keep the latch in place. Last night, however, he went on a rampage. He murdered an orange, devoured its insides, and then proceeded to make a mask out of the orange’s skin and wear it. This seems needlessly sadistic and evil. No sure where things go from here.

For an autumnal painting I’ve selected “A Corner of the Park at Bellevue, Autumn, Sunset” a 1902 painting by Henri Rousseau.

#ROTY

Users razor "screwy" makes mask out of skin and wears it. (Just an orange peel, but, sadistic razor nonetheless)

June 23, 2024

• Brush: Aurora Grooming LG24 Synthetic ("Lux Emerald Green") #SUBBROOSH
• Razor: Fatip Piccolo Slant Closed Comb
• Blade: Gillette - Nacet (2)
• Lather: Talent Soap Factory - Fantasy Donut
• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Smash
• Fragrance: Tom Ford - Cherry Smoke

For the Daily Challenge I commandeered my niece’s kitchenette. Was able to take a SOTD photo before getting kicked out. My niece put me on childcare duty (she has three babies).

The TSF Fantasy Donut smush arrived courtesy of the Reigning Lather Games Champion u/Priusaurus! Great to have vets around here encouraging the newcomers.

Fantasy Donut smells like a very sugary, glazed donut (with sprinkles). And what a lather! Easily one of the top 5 lathers I’ve attained thus far—virtually effortless.

I like to pair booze with desserts (especially rye whisky with pecan squares, for some reason) so I chose HoM Smash. The peach note was much more pronounced to me than the bourbon. But peach is great in desserts too.

Cherry also works well in desserts, so I chose Tom Ford Cherry Smoke. I had high hopes for this one (cherry + smoke—what’s not to like?). Unfortunately to me it smells less like cherry or smoke and more like the restroom at a moderately fancy Indian restaurant.

Today in Brush Strokes we feature the sculptural works of Janine Antoni, who works in chocolate and (wait for it)…LATHER!

#ROTY

June 24, 2024

• Brush: Zenith Boar 24 x 48 mm
• Razor: GEM Damaskeene (“Screwy”) #FLIPTOP 
• Blade: Personna GEM (3)
• Lather: eleven – Organic Sweet Orange
• Post Shave: Proraso – Eucalyptus and Menthol aftershave
• Fragrance: Hermès – Terre d’Hermès EdP

For the second time during these Games I was graciously given a boost by u/OnionMiasma , who sent me a smush of Eleven Organic Sweet Orange (he also sent me the smush of AA Wapiti that I used on Day 1). The orange smell here is fairly subtle, especially after whipping up a lather. I followed that with Proraso Green aftershave which was much more intense—definitely bracing and cool. Finally I used the famous Terre d’Hermès EdP, which has a wonderful mix of contrasting notes, both earthy and citrusy, with orange being especially noticeable.

The mix of eucalyptus with citrus may need some explaining. I never thought the smells had much in common. On trips to California we drove once or twice through a grove of eucalyptus trees—a memorable experience just for the overpowering fragrance. Since then I’ve come to like grapefruit a lot, both the pulp and the peel, especially in drinks.

It turns out that grapefruit peel has distinct characteristics, different from grapefruit pulp or juice. In his book Nose Dive Harold McGee writes: “Citrus fruits have split personalities: the peel and interior have very different structures, flavors, and culinary uses.” But among lemons, oranges, limes, and other citrus fruits, only grapefruit peel has significant quantities of eucalyptol, the molecule found in eucalyptus leaves (as well in leaves of the camphor laurel and bay laurel).

Finally, grapefruit (Citrus x paradisi) originated as a hybrid, created by crossing pomelo with … wait for it… sweet orange.

Daily Challenge

Many people today picked Spearhead, which is a great choice, but I always want to pick something different from everyone else. So it seems sensible to choose Eleven, whose recent releases have bold, colorful graphic designs on their packaging (good for depicting citrus fruits). In addition to Sweet Orange, Eleven already has Lime & Basil and Sicilian Lemon. My suggestion would be a eucalyptus-grapefruit scented soap. Maybe with other scents mixed in.

Today in Brush Strokes we feature a botanical painting by the Florentine artist Bartolomeo Bimbi. If you click on the image you can see a much larger version, including the legend at the bottom which names the various citrus fruits depicted.

#ROTY

June 25, 2024

• Brush: Commonwealth 'CW' Badger, purchased on Ebay
• Razor: Fatip Piccolo Slant Closed Comb
• Blade: Gillette - Nacet
• Lather: MacDuff’s - Santa’s Cheer
• Post Shave: Barrister & Mann - Spice
• Fragrance: Profumum Roma - Arso

MacDuff’s Santa’s Cheer is the second of two smushes kindly sent to me by u/Priusaurus! This was my first ever use of a MacDuff’s soap. The soap smells like an amazing gingerbread muffin. Good lather, and one of the most pleasant spicy scents I’ve tried. The choice of B&M Spice was to complement the warn, rich, spicy notes in the MacDuff’s soap—above all the nutmeg. In contrast, Arso by Profumum (or Profvmvm) Roma emphasizes the evergreen side of winter scents, with pronounced notes of pine and cedar.

Behold a painting of pine trees in mist, one of pair of folding screens, painted near the end of the sixteenth century by Hasegawa Tõhaku.

“That man hatless."

I misplaced my pimp hat & ensemble. Really I looked everywhere for it. Next time.

As penance, here’s a harrowing assessment of an anonymous hatless man.

Pick a man, any man. That man there. See him. That man hatless. You know his opinion of the world. You can read it in his face, in his stance. Yet his complaint that a man’s life is no bargain masks the actual case with him. Which is that men will not do as he wishes them to. Never have done, never will do. That’s the way of things with him and his life is so balked about by difficulty and become so altered of its intended architecture that he is little more than a walking hovel hardly fit to house the human spirit at all. Can he say, such a man, that there is no malign thing set against him? That there is no power and no force and no cause? What manner of heretic could doubt agency and claimant alike? Can he believe that the wreckage of his existence is unentailed? No liens, no creditors? That the gods of vengeance and of compassion alike lie sleeping in their crypt and whether our cries are for an accounting or for the destruction of the ledgers altogether they must evoke only the same silence and that it is this silence which will prevail? To whom is he talking, man? Cant you see him?

--Cormac McCarthy, Blood Meridian

#ROTY

June 26, 2024

• Brush: Aurora Grooming LG24 Synthetic ("Lux Emerald Green")
• Razor: “Screwy” (GEM Damaskeene)
• Blade: Personna GEM (4)
• Lather: Kirkland Signature - Organic Fruit and Vegetable Pouch, Apple Strawberry Spinach
• Post Shave: Martini (Kirkland Signature London Dry Gin, Noilly Prat Extra Dry Vermouth, Regan’s Orange Bitters, lemon twist)
• Fragrance: rosemary sprig

The organic fruit and vegetable pouch is baby food, similar to apple sauce.

Pros:   • BPA free    • Gluten free     • cooling effect     • you can eat it

Cons: • lubrication is inconsistent    • leaves unusual residue

The martini was bracing. Lemon and juniper notes were complemented by a fresh rosemary spring that I rubbed on my face.

Daily Challenge

Thus far I've only cleaned my razors with a Q-tip and mild dish soap. I did buy some baby oil to maintain the straight razors, but I haven't used those much.

Art

Walter De Maria, Lightning Field, 1977, installation

#ROTY

EDIT: formatting

June 27, 2024 – 資訊泛濫 (Information overload)

Shave setup 1 (medium shot)

Shave setup 2 (close up)

• Brush: Aurora Grooming LG24 Synthetic ("Lux Emerald Green")
• Razor: “Screwy” (GEM Damaskeene)
• Blade: Personna GEM (5)
• Lather: Zingari Man (x Maher Olafactive) - The Gent (eucalyptus, grapefruit peels, lime, neroli; musk, woods, hay, jasmine, citrus, coumarin, herbs; musk [sic], woods [sic], amber, rose)
• Post Shave: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag (Russian leather, motor oil, Hoppe’s #9, birch tar, oakmoss, gasoline, smoke, cedar, cade, bergamot, vanilla)
• Fragrance: Carthusia - Uomo (lemon, bergamot, freesia, green leaves; lily of the valley, jasmine, geranium, cedarwood, patchouli; sandal, oakmoss, amber, white musk)

Devil Take the Hindmost

Chastened by u/Enndeegee ‘s Carleton-air-ball gif in yesterday's SOTD, I decided to shave and post earlier in the evening. (Geez Enndeegee, do you also go to marathons and heckle stragglers?)

Voila un homme

I didn’t plan it this way, but the lather, aftershave, and fragrance all allude to themes of masculinity. Even the names suggest masculinity. “The Gent.” “Uomo.” “Midnight Stag.” (If there was any question about the latter, the smell more than made up for it.)

To me, the smell of Zingari Man The Gent closely approximates Geo. F. Trumper Eucris. It’s rich. It’s intense. It’s a lot. It smells fancy, if decidedly old-school.

Midnight Stag is a completely different beast. Had heard a lot about it around these parts and it lived up to its reputation. This contains Village People levels of masculinity. For the first time, though, I noticed that in terms of scent, oakmoss and gasoline have strange affinities. Like an raw, earthy, suffocating quality that’s still somehow fragrant.

Carthusia Uomo is the freshest, most summer-ready fragrance out of the group, though it too is complex, with richer notes including sandalwood and oakmoss.

And now, the Prime Minister…sinister

For the Daily Challenge I tried my best to shave with my non-dominant (i.e. left) hand—which started off okay. Screwy (my razor) did great. But I caught a few nicks in problem areas and eventually resorted to using the dominant hand. Still, I might try using the NDH again in future shaves.

Brush Strokes features a cartoon about masculinity by the ingenious Honoré Daumier (1808–1879).

#ROTY

June 28, 2024 – Frugal Friday, Home Surgery Edition

• Brush: Commonwealth 'CW' Badger, purchased on Ebay
• Razor: Krisp Beauty DE safety razor, purchased on Ebay
• Blade: Gillette – Super Stainless (Green)
• Lather: Proraso – Shaving Cream for Sensitive Skin (White)
• Post Shave: Clubman Pinaud – Aftershave Lotion
• Fragrance: Sensual Scents by Lin – Perfume Oil (dupe of Ferragamo Incanto)

Frugality, Poverty, and Home Surgery

“Ah Poverty, you slut! Why do you stay? Why love me when I hate you?” (Theognis, 6th century BCE)

For some reason I’m inclined to associate today’s theme with poverty, even though frugality and poverty are of course not the same thing. That probably says something about me.

I also wasn’t sure how to made an on-theme SOTD picture, but then I remembered that earlier today I performed minor home surgery (urgent care is too far away). So in addition to the usual shaving supplies, the picture shows rudimentary home surgical tools used—safety pin, Feather blades, matches, bandages, antiseptic ointment.

Daily Challenge

For the shave I used Proraso White. I don’t excel at math but I ran the calculations and Proraso cream appears much cheaper per gram that even my most inexpensive shaving soap (Shannon’s). As it happens this tube of Proraso represents my foray into wet shaving less than a year ago, as does the CW brush and Krisp Beauty razor that I purchased off Ebay. I was worried that wet shaving might not take (I’ve always had sensitive skin), so didn’t wanna spend lots of money up front. The Clubman Pinaud is (I think) the cheapest aftershave I own, and the fragrance I’m using is a dupe available from this Etsy seller.

Brush Stokes

There are countless depictions of Diogenes the Cynic, who’s variously shown living in a barrel, carrying a lantern during daytime, or meeting Alexander (scroll down for an adorable painting with the human figures replaced by dogs). I'd like to highlight this 1882 example by the English painter John William Waterhouse because I like the way it depicts the philosopher dwelling in his barrel.

#ROTY

June 29, 2024 – Sandalwood Saturday

• Brush: Aurora Grooming LG24 Synthetic ("Lux Emerald Green")
• Razor: "Screwy" (GEM Damaskeene)
• Blade: Personna GEM (6)
• Lather: Captain's Choice - Sandalwood
• Post Shave: Castle Forbes - Cedarwood and Sandalwood Aftershave Balm
• Fragrance: Geo. F. Trumper - Eucris EdP

Sandalwood is everywhere, but it's also very rare.

I could get tired of this scent, but today it was a nice change. Captain's Choice Sandalwood has a gentle fragrance but smells authentic (at least to me). I'd never tried anything from Castle Forbes. The sample was pricey (8 bucks from Maggard's), but it has a robust woody scent and the balm has no alcohol or menthol. Very soothing. Geo. F. Trumper Eucris EdP has a sandalwood note mixed in with many others, and is a bit overpowering. It's a barbershop scent from a bygone era (Zingari Man's The Gent smells somewhat similar).

Daily Challenge

ROTY feels already decided, doesn't it? bmac is the consensus favorite to win. Personally I'm rooting for MudAccording. Like many others though, I'd be happy to see bacconchop come away with the title.

Brush Strokes today features a beautiful illustration from a seventeenth-century Persian manuscript entitled Khamsa (Quintet) by Nizami (d.1209); Bahram Gur and the Princess in the Sandalwood Pavilion.

ROTY

EDIT: something something ROTY tag formatting

June 30, 2024 – Closing Ceremony

• Brush: Commonwealth 'CW' Badger, purchased on Ebay (China)
• Razor: Fatip Piccolo Slant Closed Comb (Italy)
• Blade: Gillette - Nacet (Russia)
• Lather: Tallow & Steel - Shag (Canada)
• Post Shave: Master Soap Creations - Alien (South Africa)
• Fragrance: Jovoy Paris - Incident Diplomatique (France)

Thanks to u/tsrblke for the T&S Shag smush! I'm ending the games as I began, with a smush sent to me by another member of the sub. This support and camaraderie has been one of the highlights of the Lather Games.

For the Daily Challenge I used items from different nations (see above). I'm born and raised in the USA.

Names of two items used reference foreignness and foreign affairs (Alien and Incident Diplomatique). I guess you could throw in Tallow & Steel’s Shag, if indeed this r/Wetshaving exclusive soap is a reference to Austin Powers, International Man of Mystery. In any case, Shag made for a harmonious, if heady, brew in combination with the other two scents, particularly the vetiver and patchouli of Incident Diplomatique.

The final edition of Brush Strokes features Stadia II by Ethiopian-American artist Julie Mehretu. It’s a huge abstract work, energetic and lively if somewhat ambiguous, that depicts what looks like a large stadium during an international athletic event. An arena of conflict, competition, and community, simultaneously and always.

/ #ROTY

EDIT: apparently if you mention Austin Powers on reddit for any reason a bot invites you to join r/ohbehave where you can enjoy posts such as this