July 2, 2023 – LG23 Day 2: Don’t Have a Cow, Man! But how can I make butter for my toast?

• Brush: Maggard Midnight Blue G5 26mm #PREMIUMPLASTIC #FAUXFUR
• Razor: EldrormR Industries MM24
• Blade: Personna GEM PTFE (1)
• Preshave: Golden Irish – Spreadable Butter
• Preshave: Turano – Pane Turano
• Lather: Zingari – The Traditionalist
• Post Shave: Proraso – Sandalwood
• Fragrance: Guerlain – Santal Royale

I think I was having a cow. In the dream I had Friday night. Right before the Games. We were anxiously awaiting the start of the Maggard Meetup. The opening event was some rando motivational speaker that I had no idea about why he was there. It was motivational, alright. I couldn’t actually see what was going on, but we all were hyped up. By the buzz in the next room, things were getting exciting and that is where I needed to be. But why?? Inside the cavernous, empty room were presumably Brad Maggard and hippyish, black-plastic-spectacled person named Andrew, who spoke with an accent and half-way resembled a supervisor I had at a job 30 years ago. What the…!?! I paid good money for this?!? I got pretty bent out of shape about it. Right away Brad changes his tone going into sales pitch mode. As if to reassure me, he says to, “follow the maze,” whatever the hell that means. Passageways open in the walls and the already grayish room goes dark and that’s probably when the dog kicked me in the back as she was hogging the covers. Again.

So much for waking up in the middle of the night to check the opening of the Games.

What a difference a day makes. This morning was night and day over the plucky skin donation from day one. Like a stout team of oxen pulling a sharp plow through an unturned field, so did the u/EldrormR Industries MM24 cut through the plot of whiskers on my face. And that field, when planted, did produce the bountiful acres of flowing ryegrass upon which the herds of Kerry cattle did happily graze. And the milk those happy cows produced was churned into sweet, creamy goodness that melteth in the crannies of the toast upon which it was spread this joyful morn before my shave.

This morning is almost entirely a PIF shave: Soap from Maggard Meetup, Splash from the Ohio Meetup, Fragrance from the u/scarpux traveling box of samples (which will travel again!) The sandalwood journey from start to finish was exquisite and I particularly enjoyed the opening notes of the Guerlain Santal Royale which I found to be reminiscent of the benzenous sweetness of gasoline as it gave way to a green woody essence.

Here’s to a happy shave and perusing last year’s posts by u/RedMosquitoMM to pay an appropriate tribute tomorrow!

EDIT: forgot my damn hashtags…again. #photocontest

July 9, 2023 – LG23 Day 8: DEATH ☠️ before DECAF

• Brush: Wild West Brushworks Hallows Maggard SHD 26mm #SHD
• Razor: Gillette Fat Handle Gold Tech Post-war
• Blade: Astra SP (Green) (1)
• Lather: Hendrix Classics & Co – Roasted
• Post Shave: Barrister and Mann – Leviathan
• Fragrance: Barrister and Mann – Leviathan

Daily Challenge
The only kitchen I have is my own.

Coffee and I have a long-standing love-hate relationship. I was a tea drinker until I got to college and started hitting the hard stuff. At first with lots of powdered Coffee-Mate and sugar. The Java got me through countless all-nighters, some of which were the studying kind. Then it became the Saturday morning connection when visiting the in-laws. There was always a pot at the ready. It wasn’t until later that I would be taken to the dark side and back. I was working at a start-up venture of Highlights for Children and it was a back alley garage operation. Six people trying to build a nation-wide operation on a shoe-string budget. The nice thing was the coffee station. At my lowest point, I was sucking down three pots a day, and we worked 10-hour days. It was inevitable that I ended up thinking I was having a heart attack one Saturday evening. A friend of mine had just finished his med school cardiac rotation and he took me to the hospital. Thankfully it wasn’t a heart attack, but I spent a week wired to a Holter monitor and a directive to lay off the coffee. I got myself back under control, but now my problem is just gastric. Too much acidity and I’m a wreck. But grab the bull by the horns, if we must. Cheers!

Tying it all together
I had put the Leviathan out of rotation for awhile and today reminded me why I love it. And it is a fitting finish for the creamy, caramel sweetness of Roasted. It makes me look forward to cooler months.

PHOTOCONTEST Drinks

wow. really great composition

July 10, 2023 – LG23 Day 10: Musical Monday

• Brush: AP Shave Co. – Rose Gold Flake – 28mm Cashmere
• Razor: Gillette – Atra
• Blade: Personna Twin Pivot (10)
• Lather: Dr. Jon’s – Runaway
• Post Shave: Dr. Jon’s – Runaway
• Fragrance: Banana Republic – Dark Cherry & Amber

A musical instrument is not hard to find in the Donut114 household. Off the top of my head, there are at least 2 dozen, including one of Junior_Donut’s guitars, which made the perfect accoutrement for today’s photo.

As a kid, I was always a sucker for the bad girls. Anyone remember The Facts of Life which ran on NBC from 1979-1988? All those private school girls and who did I have the hots for? Motorcycle riding Jo Polniaczek. Before Jo it was Leather Tuscadero on Happy Days. And of course I rocked out to Joan Jett and the Blackhearts. Here’s where I become the butt of Billy Crystal’s bit he made from real-life question, “Daddy, is it true that Paul McCartney was in a band before Wings?”

Before I knew anything about the debaucherous lives of rock stars (or in this case their pervy producer) Joan Jett, Lita Ford, Sandy West, and Micki Steele (later of The Bangles) formed first teen-girl punk band, The Runaways. Debauchery aside, the cherry, carnation, clover, leather, and musk of Dr. Jon’s Runaway really captures the essence of rock and roll. It’s a shame it is now Unobtanium.

Any 70’s rock star shave has to be done with a Gillette Atra, so out from the shower mine came. I’m kind enough to let Mrs_Donut use it as her daily driver. Damn, if it wasn’t worse than shaving with the Rolls. Well, maybe not, but I could have changed the cartridge.

Tying it all together
Banana Republic Dark Cherry & Amber is a warm, sweet, gourmand scent that perfectly augments the notes of Runaway. Though it is marketed for men and women, it is another of the test fragrances I acquired that I find to be too feminine. Maybe in the right circumstance, like a Lita Ford concert, it would work.

Daily Challenge
One thing I was never, and that is an illustrator. Yet I seem to have enough creativity to make due once in awhile. Enjoy this pencil drawing of Runaway.

EDIT: #photocontest music

July 14, 2023 – LG23 Day 14: Frigid Friday

• Brush: Shave Forge Celestial Blue G5C 24mm
• Razor: Gillette Travel Tech K-4
• Blade: Gillette Super Stainless (1)
• Lather: Spearhead Shaving Co. – Seaforth! Sea Ice Lime
• Post Shave: Spearhead Shaving Co. – Sea Ice Lime
• Fragrance: Juliette Has a Gun – Moscow Mule – EdT

Day one on the road coming to you from lovely southeastern Ohio and putting the Travel Tech to official use. I can’t say I’d enjoy it every day, but in a pinch it works. That said, having to shave ATG right off the bat for the Daily Challenge was not all that nice. Keep in mind, I have never used, nor researched the vintage Super Stainless blades. I found the one that came with the razor to be a bit harsh. I’m glad today was Frigid Friday and I opted for ice water to accentuate the theme of the day. The numbing effect of the synthetic menthol and ice water probably saved me from more severe razor burn.

I test shot a few SOTD photos as possible scavenger hunt contenders, one being for #photocontest r/Wicked_Edge. Had I skipped the ice water…. Before my shave though, I spied a pair of Whitetail fawns and a doe coming out of the woods for #photocontest wild animals. So I did what any self respecting shaver would do… ran and grabbed my stuff to take a not-quite-properly-framed photo with the subject matter of the contest so defocused in the background that no judge in their right mind would believe what I was submitting. The image remaining in my mind is way better, and by the way, I’ll be relaxing by that pool soon enough.

The fragrant finish
Sea Ice Lime and it’s warmer cousin are quite possibly my favorite rendition of lime, hands down. I had a few leftover limey samples from the past two years and I wasn’t really thrilled about pairing them up. That said, I set out to find something new and Moscow Mule from Juliette Has a Gun is very delicious and delightful, just as it’s namesake drink. Now, mind you, I thought I was getting a men’s fragrance, but I think it turns out not to be. It does have enough lime to carry like it is a fitting partner for SIL. I only have a small spray sampler, so no great loss. If you and your significant other like to go twinsies on fragrances, this would be a fitting choice.

EDIT: Formatting and photo links

July 25, 2023 – LG23 Day 25: Sapo’s Christmas in Djuly Revenge

• Brush: AKA Brushworx “Mr. Green J33p” Oumo ACE 26mm
• Razor: Gillette Contract Tech
• Blade: Astra SP (Green) (4)
• Lather: House of Mammoth – Santa Noir
• Post Shave: House of Mammoth – Santa Noir
• Fragrance: House of Mammoth – Santa Noir

My friend Sapo was a bit unnerved that he was not mentioned in the Week 3 Lather Games Podcast. He makes his return to ̶e̶n̶a̶c̶t̶ ̶h̶i̶s̶ ̶r̶e̶v̶e̶n̶g̶e̶ ̶o̶n̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶D̶j̶u̶d̶g̶e̶s̶ help me with the Daily Challenge

Merry Christmas in Djuly! Christmas is always bittersweet for me. It harkens back to 1977. In December that year I lost my grandfather. My shaving buddy, if you will. Whenever we visited I got to watch him shave with his Remington Electric and I was always the recipient of a splash of English Leather. That included when he visited us, as he brought it in his travel kit. Fast forward to 2007 and it was in December that I lost my grandmother. Thankfully I still have memories, fleeting as they may be.

Today’s shave is a fantastic trio from u/mammothben and came out at Christmas time last year. A well done tribute to pine, if you ask me, and a great shave despite the vengeful outcome from Sapo.

Stay tuned for tomorrow’s annual visit to Djonut’s Djelicatessen!

Edit: #PHOTOCONTEST LIGHT

How festive...