u/RedMosquitoMM's SOTDs for challenge 'Feats of Fragrance 2023'

LG23-02 - Don't have a Cow, Man!

• Brush: Maggard Razors 24mm Synthetic
• Razor: Edwin Jagger DE86
• Blade: Astra SP (24)
• Lather: Southern Witchcrafts - Desairology - Shave Soap
• Post Shave: Dr. Jon's - Blood Oath - Aftershave
• Fragrance: DSH - Become the Shaman
• Passes: WTG, XTG
• Coffee: Traveling and therefor whatever's in the Mr. Coffee
• Music: Brightblack Morning Light
• LG Tags: #FOF

Today's theme is one of the more utilitarian days on the Lather Games calendar, but it's one of my favorites, because it's a useful reminder of how good vegan shaving soaps are these days. When I first started getting into the hobby, I had this inaccurate misconception that tallow-based soaps were inherently better than their vegan alternatives. That's simply not true.

The Southern Witchcrafts soap base is arguably the very best evidence of this; it's slick, kind to the skin, a breeze to lather, and quick to rinse off, all at a modest price-point. On top of the soap quality, the perfumery is intentional, varied, and opinionated—what the very best artisans bring to the table. I really should use their products more often, because I'm delighted every time I do.

For today's SOTD I started with the brand's unusual take on barbershop scents. I love how Desairology starts with some expected notes—musk, a bit of citrus, oakmoss—and then interprets the scent of a barbershop through the lens of ritual and apothecary, applying poultices and balms, burning holy resins and smudging white sage. Desairology competes with Valley of Ashes as my favorite Southern Witchcrafts composition and defines the barbershop category for me with just a few other wet shaving standouts.

I just have the one razor with me in my travel kit (an Edwin Jagger DE, my very first) so I couldn't Butter the Toast, but I happily simplified my shave and stuck to one side of the blade. Spinning the razor around always feels like an unnecessary pain in the butt anyway.

Continuing with the idea of chanted rites, protective sachets, and the power of ancient medicine, I sprayed on some aftershave from my sample of Blood Oath. Dr. Jon's was one of the other wet shaving artisans producing top-tier vegan products up until a few months back; it's a shame they had to close up shop and I wanted to make sure I included the brand in my Lather Games calendar. Unfortunately, while Blood Oath is a perfect thematic match to Desairology and an interesting scent, I'm happy it fades quickly. I don't mind its medicinal, herbal qualities, but I think it's a combination of ho wood and marjoram that smells overwhelmingly musty to my nose and the citrus isn't the bright, cheery, easy-to-love zest of solar citrus. Still, it's on theme for both the Lather Games and my SOTD.

I finished up my shave with a perfect segue and ideal capstone. Like Desairology, Become the Shaman highlights burnt palo santo incense, enhanced a bit by "copal, tobacco, and sappy milkweed." I enjoy it's straightforward progression and dramatic imagery—I can see the scene in my mind's eye. Dawn is at her best when working in a conceptual, avant garde mode.

LG23-06: Olfactory Overdose

• Brush: Zenith r/wetshaving Moar Boar #CHONK #OLDWORLD
• Razor: Gillette Tech #REGUS
• Blade: Astra SP (12)
• Lather: West Coast Shaving - Chypre - Shaving Soap
• Post Shave: West Coast Shaving - Chypre - Aftershave
• Fragrance: West Coast Shaving - Chypre - EdP
• Passes: WTG, XTG
• Coffee: Ethiopia. Guji, Werka - v: Ethiopia Landraces - p: Natural. Dried on raised beds.
• Music: Woods - City Sun Eater in the River of Light
• LG Tags: #FOF

Let's get this out of the way—I'm dutifully abiding by today's theme, but I don't like it. I don't even use matching sets all that often, let alone trifectas, and I'm feeling totally burned out on this scent already. And that's a shame, because West Coast Shaving Chypre is a personal favorite.

Composed by Chris over at Catie's Bubbles (I think, could be wrong on that), this chypre doesn't remind me all that much of others I've tried, especially the big, animalic, vintage-inspired ones. The packaging is accurate—it's "a citrus resin scent." And it's a strong one at that. The citrus component is thick, and relatively dark, like orange juice reduced down to a syrup. The resins are equally potent but vary in tone between the three products. In a soap form, the citrus takes the lead; I'd guess there's lots of orange in there, but maybe some grapefruit and lemon as well, spiked with something bristly and floral like bergamot or petitgrain. The aftershave is my favorite of the three; the resins are woody in a way they aren't in the other two products, and there's a subtle smokiness to balance the sticky wash of citrus. While I like the fragrance, I think it's the least effective version of this scent; it splits the difference between the soap and the aftershave and on my skin wears linearly. It also goes and goes and goes. WCS Chypre is not a subtle, delicate example of the genre, but it's one of my first wet shaving loves.

And before I go, here's my stack. Eye-hand coordination is not my strong-suit. (Also, if you're still planning out your shave last-minute, choose hardware with squared-off edges. Learn from my mistakes.)

LG23-07: Fremen Friday

• Brush: Chisel and Hound 26mm G5 #PREMIUMPLASTIC
• Razor: GEM Junior 1912 #BRASSING
• Blade: GEM (7)
• Lather: Barrister and Mann - Mélange - Shaving Soap
• Post Shave: Stirling Soap Co. - Ben Franklin - Balm
• Fragrance: Beach Geeza - Bay Rum - EdP
• Passes: WTG, XTG
• Coffee: West Java. Cijapati, Garut - v: Typica. Tim Tim. Catimor - p: Triple picked. Washed.
• Music: Sleep - Dopesmoker
• LG Tags: #FOF

Before we get to today's spicy shave, let's talk hobbies.

The only other hobby I’ve continued for a while is powerlifting. I've never competed and barely made it through a strict novice program, but I've done an aggressive bulk, bought giant bags of protein powder, considered going full GOMAD, added fractional plates to my bag, upgraded through various belts with different diameters and closures, added straps to my pulling routine, cycled between high-bar and low-bar, wear knee sleeves every workout, am close to wearing out a pair of weightlifting shoes, and keep a detailed training log. I've got delightful phrases like "motion is lotion" knocking around my head. I say "deload," "lock out," "tonnage," "RPE," "one rep max," "5 by 5," and "intensity" unironically. These days regular training is an unexciting part of my weekly routine and I rarely go for PRs, but it's good for my health and drastically improves my sleep. I’d like to train more consistently next winter and finally smash a four-plate deadlift for reps. Those are rookie numbers for even your average home-athlete, but for someone born without eye-hand coordination, it will feel like an achievement. Back to the grind.

What does all that have to do with wet shaving? Nothing. Sorry, can't connect the two at all. This Junior isn't even a heavy razor. Apologies for the abrupt transition.

I kept my SOTD theme simple today and chose three products that all use prominent spice notes in different ways. The Mélange is an obvious choice, but it’s a good one regardless, combining an unusually dry texture with cinnamon (that manages to not light up my face), nutmeg, ginger, and cardamom. I assume Will used Norlimbanol like he did in Death to make Mélange smell arid; mixed with bay and musk, it’s a blast of spice kicked up from the desert floor straight to the face, heady, all-encompassing, and narcotic. This Ben Franklin balm is equally as spicy—if you like the smell of nutmeg and clove, have I got the scent for you! More importantly, I chose it to troll u/VisceralWatch, who doesn’t appreciate this fine Stirling product’s antique-store charms. I happen to think the way these two spices combine with benzoin and frankincense is delightful. Finally, I finished up my shave with a spray of an unusual Bay Rum fragrance. Focusing on the spice component of bay rums, dropping the citrus, and adding a strong base of woods and resins, the EdP formulation of Beach Geeza Bay Rum combines Caribbean booze with a delicious spice cake. It reads as neither gourmand or a traditional bay rum; it’s spicy-sweet but not confectionary, flavored with bay leaf but not overtly herbal, and it takes on a creamy, woody haze as it warms into a crackling, simmering drydown. This is the bay rum to reach for on cold winter’s day or a cozy evening date.

LG23-08: Small Business Saturday... but in July

• Brush: Dogwood Handcrafts 26mm Declaration Grooming B9B #SHD #COMPOSITE
• Razor: Wolfman Razors WR2-DC 0.95 SB / 1.25 OC #CNC
• Blade: Voskhod (14)
• Lather: Maggard Razors - Mango Sage Tea - Shave Soap
• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Voices - Aftershave
• Fragrance: Anjali Perfumes - Under the Mango Tree
• Passes: WTG, XTG
• Coffee: Peru, Cajamara - v: Geisha - p: Washed.
• Music: King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - PetroDragonic Apocalypse; or, Dawn of Eternal Night: An Annihilation of Planet Earth and the Beginning of Merciless Damnation
• LG Tags: #FOF

If you’re new around here, or you’ve managed to not hear of the daily threads before now, you’re missing out. The "Newbie Friendly" threads are a font of wet shaving wisdom, well-intentioned snark, and community building. They're where the magic happens.

For today's challenge, I answered a few questions over in the DQT. Some answers were more helpful than others. I also asked my own question about mango-scented wet shaving products to parallel my Small Business Saturday shave.

I’ve used this Maggard Razors soap sample every Lather Games I’ve competed in and there’s nothing new left to say about this simple of a scent. Mango Sage Tea is clean, lively, and inevitably makes me think of expensive hotel soap when I use it. This morning I noticed the sage and tea components more than in the past; they give the fruit a feathery, calming backdrop. Together, the sage and tea almost smell malty. Combined with the mango, they highlight the fruit's bright, tangy smell by providing the exact opposite.

To finish up my shave, I reached for two recent acquisitions that also focus on mango notes.

I was hesitant about Voices and gambled a little on a set; I typically don't like gourmands and worried it would be too sweet. However, it's wonderfully easy to wear. The mango is naturalistic and mellow, the creamy pandan and coconut milk sticky rice present, but not saccharine, and the woody base balances out this scent's lactonic qualities. I'm curious how Voices would smell without the orris note; I suspect it's the secret sauce that binds everything together and makes such a distinct dessert smell take on the more interpretive qualities of a perfume.

Speaking of, I've only worn this newly-released Anjali Perfumes fragrance a few times, but it brought a smile to my face with the first spray. First of all, it reminds me of a beautiful short film I saw at a festival earlier this year. Beyond that pleasant association, I also love the immediate green freshness of Under the Mango Tree, as well as the way it settles it into a mellow outdoor scent. The mango note is huge and juicy in the opening. It's also very green; tomato leaf, grapefruit, and bergamot meld with the the mango to give the impression of green skin and the full tree overhead, loaded with fruit. With each wear so far, I've totally missed the middle-ground between that delightfully bright opening and the subtle drydown, but that's a very pleasant destination even when I arrive abruptly. The fruit is still present, and the base is a relatively fresh one, but woods and hay are the foundation. It's the smell of a sun-baked pastoral vista. Beautiful. [There you go, u/wallygator88!]

LG23-09: Death Before Decaf

• Brush: Rubberset 400 26mm Soft Tuxedo #HOLLOW
• Razor: Schick Krona #UNICORN
• Blade: Voskhod (5)
• Lather: Gentleman's Nod - Musashi - Shave Soap
• Post Shave: Barrister and Mann - Clusterfig - Aftershave
• Fragrance: Marissa Zappas Perfume - Smoked Jasmine Black Tea
• Passes: WTG, XTG, ATG
• Coffee: Lavender Latte
• Music: Yosi Horikawa - Wandering
• LG Tags: #FOF

During last year’s Games, I made the mistake of shaving in my kitchen using household cooking gear. I learned two important lessons. Lesson the first: silicone utensils will hold onto the scent of Stirling Green for days. Lesson the second: Mrs. Mosquito is not a fan of Stirling Green scented foodstuffs. Putting this critical knowledge to good use, I shaved in the kitchen, but exclusively used stainless steel (measuring spoon) and wet shaving equipment—minus our trusty vanity mirror, which is no stranger to the Lather Games.

As for today’s theme, I’m surprised many contestants are pulling out their coffee-scented soaps, because tea scents are where it’s at. In my case, jasmine tea.

Musashi is the first Gentleman’s Nod soap I’ve used in the current C4 base and I can finally recommend their soaps based on performance. I don’t know if my samples were duds, or they had been mistreated before they got to my bathroom, but my previous experience with this brand was…not good. I remain a huge fan of the original Jackie scent (baseball diamond grass, sandalwood, zesty bergamot), but I couldn’t get those samples to lather no matter how much soap I used. I’m getting off topic here, but the moral of the story is this new base is wonderful and Musashi lives up to that performance.

Taking a different tact than other wonderful wet shaving tea scents (Cheshire, 42, TNEV), Musashi is “developed around a heart of Jasmine Tea,” and aims to replicate a walk from coast to mountain in historical Japan. It nails the brief. The lovely jasmine-infused tea is blended seamlessly with yuzu citrus, Asian pear, and fir. The floral tea is prominent, but doesn’t dominate, instead connecting the disparate elements into a cohesive image; the citrus and woods take Musashi out of gourmand territory by introducing depth and texture. I should pick up a sample of the fragrance and see how it progresses throughout a wear. I bet it indeed suggests a journey from coast to peak.

I reinforced the jasmine tea note with my aftershave and fragrance. I’ve mentioned before that Clusterfig is my favorite wet shaving scent; it’s a complex blend of emerald green fig, semi-sweet fruit (tart apple and lemon), and a sly addition of resinous amber, made intoxicating by its floral component. While the violet and orange blossom are important, a strong jasmine is the highlight, balancing out what could have been overly sweet and fruity. Clusterfig is deceiving that way; the fig is the focus, but the composition as a whole is a heady floral, making it a perfect bridge back to my fragrance. Marissa Zappas’s take on jasmine tea is malty black instead of green, lightly smoked, served outside on a cool morning. Part of “the Garden Collection,” this fragrance is all about the jasmine—sometimes indolic, persistent throughout, and perfuming the air far beyond the steam rising from cup and saucer. The tea is less obvious. There are lovely cereal notes buttered by orris, I pick up faint incense and sage if I smell my wrist, and a more straightforward black cuppa is there at the heart.

LG23-10: Musical Monday

• Brush: CaYuen Workshop 24mm 2BED #TOLL
• Razor: Blackland Sabre
• Blade: GEM (3)
• Lather: House of Mammoth - Mood Indigo - Shaving Soap
• Post Shave: Lather Bros. - Flamingo Trance - Aftershave
• Fragrance: Black Rabbit Perfumery - Banshee Ambré
• Passes: WTG, XTG
• Coffee: Ethiopia. Guji, Werka - v: Ethiopia Landraces - p: Natural. Dried on raised beds.
• Music: Joy Divison - Unknown Pleasures
• LG Tags: #FOF

I found Musical Monday to be a surprisingly challenging theme, but a compelling one. Even pulling from the strategic samples reserve, I scrounged up just four viable options in my den: Runaway, American Vintage, Fern Concerto Menthol (on deck for Fougère Friday), and my colored-pencil rendered House of Mammoth selection. I like the more esoteric themes added to the calendar this year. They encourage creativity and—combined with sponsor points and 30 unique soapers—help narrow down my selections for the days that have countless on-theme options.

Getting back to my musical shave, I covered three different genres. The combination is…jarring.

First up, everybody’s favorite meme genre, jazz. “Mood Indigo” is one of those songs that’s almost always great, including that lurching cut from Mingus, Mingus, Mingus, Mingus, Mingus and the Duke’s classic take. Lately I’ve enjoyed Frank Morgan’s reserved approach to a standard. I don’t pull out this soap often since I burned out on it during my first Austere August, but I love Ben’s calming, nocturnal tribute to the song. The soap is more vetiver and rum forward, while the fragrance reveals more lively pepper nuances, but the distinctive blueberry note is always there in various degrees of strength. The fragrance is what I reach for when going out on a fall or winter evening; it’s seen me through restaurant dinners, an opera, and multiple rock concerts. I once wrote a piece for my college newspaper about listening to Kind of Blue walking through campus at night in the midwest snow. Using this HoM scent reminds me of that particular beautiful, lonely, formative evening:

Indigo smells like you've left that blues club late at night, tired but feeling good, a little less alone. You take a look up at the night sky and breathe a bit, and sort of unconsciously hum the tune.

Which brings me to my aftershave and genre number two. Flamingo Trance is one of my favorite bay rums, spiking the expected notes with a generous dose of tropical fruit. While the name technically refers to putting people in a trance with your dope smellz, the neon label and name suggests kaleidoscopic electronica concerts—bass thumping along at “a tempo generally lying between 135–150 beats per minute” (thanks Wikipedia!). Does it smell like Trance music? I assume an indoor ‘90s rave smells like Ecstasy sweat, body spray, and spilled beer. If that’s an accurate description, then no, tropical-fruited bay rum doesn’t match the vibe. But then again, Flamingo Trance would be the smell of an outdoor festival in Miami; now we’re on theme.

And finally, moving from pulsing nightclubs to seedy smoke-filled bars, I sprayed on Banshee Ambré. Black Rabbit Perfumery is an Etsy perfumer whose “conceptual perfumes” have a distinct Pacific Northwest flavor (for example, Fire Walk With Me). Banshee Ambré and Banshee Noir are dark fragrances inspired by post-punk and dancing at goth bars. This heavy combination of earthy notes, black leather, and billowing clouds of both incense and clove cigarette smoke captures “Temple of Love” blasting from the stage, lights flashing above and bodies crammed together in front of beat up amps. It reminds me of Christophe Laudamiel’s Club Design / Scent Tattoo, but less bondage-sexy and more Bang Bang Bar grime. I haven’t tried Banshee Noir, but I can’t imagine Banshee Ambré without its sweet amber accord, which has got to be the difference between “ugh, go take a shower” and “go take a shower right now”.

LG23-11: Sunny Days

• Brush: Farvour Turn Craft 26mm TNS Half Gel Shoat
• Razor: Chiseled Face Titanium Legacy Razor
• Blade: Personna Lab Blue Super (51)
• Lather: Declaration Grooming / Chatillon Lux - Agua Fresca - Shaving Soap
• Post Shave: 345 Soap Co. - Watercolor Coastline - Aftershave
• Fragrance: Blackbird - Pipe Bomb Blue
• Passes: WTG, XTG
• Coffee: West Java. Cijapati, Garut - v: Typica. Tim Tim. Catimor - p: Triple picked. Washed.
• Music: Sébastien Tellier - My God is Blue
• LG Tags: #FOF

Today’s challenge asked for a color coordinated photo. Ask and ye shall receive. I bet you can guess what the color scheme is without too much deliberation, but I need to appeal to the judges. I admittedly read the special challenge as “color coordinate everything you use in your SOTD photo” and breezed past the bit about samples. However, I added in a perfectly color coordinated razor, which I figure is at least as cool as a color-matched fragrance bottle. Look kindly on my minor transgression and favorably on what I’ve presented in return.

Since I’m about to leave for a few days of work travel, I tried to be more concise than usual (perhaps another attempt to curry the judges’ favor) and briefly describe my wonderfully summery blue-citrus-aquatic shave. That didn’t work out.

I lathered up Agua Fresca, Shawn’s personalized spin on his earlier Nonaginta. The top of the fragrance is all juicy tropical fruit; yuzu and lime make up the citrus, with the tart-sweet aspects of strawberry, pineapple, and an apple-like musk echoing that bright, tangy combo. Agua Fresca is simultaneously an aquatic by way of the scent’s namesake beverage. There’s a bunch of 90s Calone—which I avoid in fragrances, but nevertheless enjoy in this particular soap—cucumber, and various scientifically-named materials that reinforce that watery quality. Billowy hedone makes it “feel like summer” and Shawn capped off Agua Fresca with a creamy base (musks, vetiver) that makes me think less of refreshing drinks and more of summer’s ice cream cones, floats, and waiting in long lines for that perfect frozen custard.

To finish my shave I splashed on a small amount of Watercolor Coastline and an even more judicious spray of a summery, blue fragrance. The coconut-floral aftershave scent is the most straightforward and candy-sweet of these three. Along with the usual trademarks of a suntan lotion and beach scent, there’s a nice creaminess to segue from Agua Fresca, though it’s both more floral (Birds of Paradise, lily) and much brighter.

The blue, blue, blue Blackbird fragrance is the wildest choice here and an interesting foil to my soap and aftershave, which explains my judicious application prior to today’s business meetings. Like the brand’s other Pipe Bomb scents, there’s a summery core of saltwater and metallic notes; they’re the only fragrances I’ve tried that compete with 福 (fú dào) to replicate the smell of fireworks lingering in the air. And if you like Zoologist Squid, you’ll enjoy how Pipe Bomb Blue utilizes frankincense. Combined with patchouli in the base, the frankincense supports a dramatic berry soda accord—violet washed happiness on the tongue, ice cold on a hot day. Deconstructed, these notes sound edgy and impossible to balance, but there’s a synergy to Pipe Bomb Blue. It’s the delirious last days of summer break condensed and bottled, buzzing, nostalgic, and singular.

LG23-12: IT’s SO FLUFFY I’M GONNA DIE

• Brush: Trotter Handcrafts “Sea Glass No.3” 28mm SynBad #FAUXFUR
• Razor: GEM Micromatic Gen 2 "Peerless" Clog Pruf
• Blade: GEM (20)
• Lather: WSP - Blackbeard - Rustic Shaving Soap
• Post Shave: RazoRock - Santa Maria del Fiore - Lozione Dopo-barba
• Fragrance: Day Three Fragrances - Ámbar Dominicano
• Passes: WTG, XTG
• Coffee: Hotel Carafe
• Music: Rogue's Gallery: Pirate Ballads, Sea Songs and Chanteys
• LG Tags: #FOF

WSP’s soap bases are a great example of how dramatic the difference in performance can be between those that use a high percentage of coconut oil and those that don’t. I much prefer the Formula T, which leads with stearic acid, water, and tallow before getting to the coconut oil. That base lathers quickly and the performance competes in the big leagues when hydrated properly.

On the other hand, the six-ingredient vegan Rustic base—which I used for today’s Fluffy face lather—gets to the coconut oil by ingredient three and I find it to be noticeably more drying than the Formula T, not as slick, and lacking that protective bounce you get from many top-tier tallow bases. However, the Rustic base does respond well to loading heavy and softened water. Keep both in mind if you’re going to stick with old-school soaps. (By the way, I typically load from a bowl, and do most of the lathering there to protect a nagging shoulder injury. I face lathered to quicken up this busy-travel-day shave and fulfill today's challenge.)

This particular Rustic sample features WSP’s Blackbeard scent, so I ran with a Caribbean pirate theme for the whole shave. A vintage razor, sea glass brush, and buccaneer’s soundtrack further set the scene.

Blackbeard is sweeter and far more spice-forward than I expected from the scent notes. In particular, the cherry pipe smoke component isn’t the robust, smoky tobacco I hoped for; combined with vanilla, cloves, and patchouli, it smells almost sickly. I think the notes selection is sound, and it definitely achieves the pirate theme, but I’d balance it differently.

Fortunately, this Santa Maria del Fiore is what I wanted from Blackbeard: a giant dose of “Tuscan tobacco”, a trace of vanilla, and a warm amber base. Now I can picture a pirate captain smoking a giant cigar as they scrutinize the ledger. I also appreciate this scent’s simplicity. Aftershaves with a few notes are easier to pair than both their one-note and complex alternatives, acting as a focused segue to a complex fragrance.

And that’s how Santa Maria del Fiore brought me to Ámbar Dominicano, a dram to pair with a pirate’s smoke. This unique Day Three Fragrances extrait combines a potent amber with notes of Mamajuana, the deep red beverage that hails from the Dominican Republic. Made from rum, red wine, and honey, then combined with a blend of herbs, spices, and bark the Taíno originally used to make herbal tea, Mamajuana is both distinctly flavored and recognizable in the bottle. When first sprayed, Ámbar Dominicano reminds me immediately of Ellen Covey's sizzling amber base, but tuned up in pitch to a slightly different key. The perfumer’s notes tell me that’s from an opening of cola, lime, lavender, and passion fruit layered over the honeyed booze and amber, but I’d never have picked those out without the perfumer’s help. After the resins dry down, the fragrance’s namesake is considerably more obvious, like a thick, chocolaty splash of dark red wine textured by spiced davana and immortelle. Ámbar Dominicano is beautiful and comforting as it dries down—everything I love about an amber, but far more interesting than most.

LG23-13: Hippy Dippy Baloney

• Brush: Zenith B36 #SMOLL
• Razor: Alpha Shaving Works Outlaw Cu
• Blade: Astra SP (26)
• Lather: Siliski Soaps - Incense - Shaving Soap
• Post Shave: Long Rifle Soap Co. - Voyageur - Shave Tonic
• Fragrance: La Curie - Incendo
• Passes: WTG, XTG
• Coffee: Ethiopia. Guji, Werka - v: Ethiopia Landraces - p: Natural. Dried on raised beds.
• Music: Weyes Blood - Titanic Rising
• LG Tags: #FOF

Few songs make me think of round-sunglasses, paisley shirts, and fields of sandaled teens more than John Phillips’s “Twelve Thirty (Young Girls Are Coming to the Canyon)”. This song smells like incense, patchouli, long hair in the sun, and expanded consciousness mannnnnn. The Mamas & the Papas wrote and popularized the song, though it’s been covered a few times, both standards-style (as is super common in American folk music) and by later artists looking to channel their inner flower child. More interesting is its recent use in media. Despite being an unusually pretty two-part harmony, Hollywood started taking advantage of the song’s ominous overtones, using it as an effective signifier of ‘60s cults in the Manson Family vein. The back to back combo of 2018’s Bad Times at the El Royale and 2019’s Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood sealed the song’s fate. Now that first bar of the piano melody plays and I immediately picture Chris Hemsworth chewing the scenery.

You may have noticed I included a different selection for my usual SOTD music entry; it’s on theme, but has nothing to do with “Twelve Thirty”. I considered using a Weyes Blood track for today’s challenge, since she’s released plenty of material that nods to ’60s folk and ’70s AM radio, but her songs often feel inseparable from the album on which they’re released. For example, the otherworldly arpeggios that open “Movies” aren’t nearly as impactful if they don’t flow from the radiant expansion at the end of “Something to Believe” and the “Titanic Rising” interlude. Regardless, Titanic Rising is excellent incense, low-lights, and whisky music. I get the impression both incense and patchouli are Natalie Mering’s style.

For today’s shave, I stuck close to the theme’s parameters, using Siliski’s Incense soap, a patchouli aftershave, and an incense frag straight from the towering woods of the Pacific Northwest. Siliski’s take on incense is incredibly dry. Combining frankincense, myrrh, mastic, and elemi, it smells exactly like the name suggests, and wouldn’t be out of place in liturgy, sacrament, or ceremony. Voyageur has a few more facets, adding sandalwood and oakmoss to a healthy dose of patchouli. Like I mentioned yesterday, I love a simple aftershave that’s got more going on than a single note. Combine straight-up incense and Voyageur’s earthiness and you end up with La Curie Incendo. Equally as dry as the incense in Siliski’s soap, Incendo’s incense smolders and billows over a pine-needle covered forest floor, escaping the dark shroud of fir to a speckled black sky. It highlights incense, pine, cedar, and vetiver in equal measure.

LG23-14: 🍌🥶 Frigid Friday 🧊🍌

• Brush: Shore Shave “Purple Ribbon” 24mm Motherlode
• Razor: Blackland Sabre
• Blade: GEM (4)
• Lather: Abbate y La Mantia - Don Jose - Shaving Soap
• Post Shave: Stirling Soap Co. - Boat Drinks - Aftershave
• Fragrance: Blackbird - Y06-S
• Passes: WTG, XTG
• Coffee: West Java. Cijapati, Garut - v: Typica. Tim Tim. Catimor - p: Triple picked. Washed.
• Music: Señor Coconut - Around the World
• LG Tags: #FOF

I was going to skip today’s challenge in favor of an unscarred visage for the next few weeks, but then storms kept the dog up, which meant the dog kept me up, which meant I’m bleary-eyed and got up an hour later in an attempt to feel like a functioning adult, and now I’m way behind today and needed to make my shave quick. What was I talking about? Oh, right, shaving.

I grabbed a beloved GEM razor to maximize my chances of a smooth shave (more rigid blades than DEs), face lathered the cooling Don Jose, and skipped straight to the ATG pass. It went surprisingly well. I started at the bottom of my neck (WTG up until my Adam’s apple) and then kept going straight up ATG, upper neck, then cheeks, then chin and upper lip. The cheeks were a breeze, but the Sabre struggled with my chin and lip, leaving plenty of unevenly-cut stubble for my XTG pass. The Don Jose features an at best above-average soap base; I suspect a top-tier performer would have allowed me to chew through that hair more efficiently. No cuts and no obvious irritation by the time I finished up, rinsed, and splashed on the Stirling aftershave. I don’t plan on shaving like this again unless challenged, but it’s good to know I can without issue when I’m in a rush.

While this shave wasn’t sponsored by /u/J33pGuy13, it should have been, since it’s all-banana-everything. Everything you say? Oh yes, EV-RY-THING.

Up first, Don Jose, with its cheery mix of coconut, banana, and “menthol crystals.” It’s not a dynamic scent, but it’s a super fun one, the banana and coconut candy-like in intensity but without much sweetness. The menthol is light enough to show up as you’re lathering like a cool breeze, but not so strong as to make the whole blend smell like menthol. (And while I’m using samples today, the packaging for Don Jose is beautiful, so that’s another perk.) I followed my shave up with a splash of Boat Drinks—more banana and coconut, plus flowered rum. The combination smells a lot like boozy bubblegum when I first put it on. Give it time to breathe and it’s easier to pick out the notes, but still a cohesive blend. I like the smell on its own, but I rarely think to use my tub, and I find the aftershave difficult to wear.

I finished things up with Y06-S, which (unlike Boat Drinks) Nicole Miller stresses “is not a novelty scent” and “not a gourmand perfume,” even though it’s all creamy, metallic banana. The banana here is more Gros Michel than Cavendish, but it’s a mix of the two; ripe banana just opened, though not as artificially-intense smelling as straight-up banana ester. The electronics sizzle that crackles around the banana in the opening is attention-grabbing, olfactory sleight of hand to surprise you when the banana resolves into a jasmine and oud floral. Y06-S is like a reverse Magic Eye, starting with the banana floating out in front, then suddenly collapsing into a collage of indole, cream, and wood when you focus on it long enough.

LG23-15: Sheep-ruh

• Brush: Rubberset 400 26mm Soft Tuxedo (thanks /u/EldrormR!)
• Razor: Wolfman Razors WR2-DC 0.95 SB / 1.25 OC #CNC
• Blade: Voskhod (15)
• Lather: Sudsy Soapery / Chatillon Lux - Lemon Rose Chypre - Shaving Soap
• Post Shave: Stirling Soap Co. - Glacial Lemon Chill - Balm
• Fragrance: Rogue Perfumery - Chypre Siam
• Passes: WTG, XTG
• Coffee: Peru, Cajamara - v: Geisha - p: Washed.
• Music: Lindstrøm - Everyone Else Is a Stranger
• LG Tags: #FOF

Continuing my famed WetTube career, I present Mosquito Shaves Episode #2. I should do these quick videos more often.

Also, for the other half of the challenge, I recommend Another Cut Above. I like getting an international perspective on the hobby, plus the occasional head shave demo (something I don't do myself), and he's got one of the best lathering tutorials out there. Unfortunately, I don't think he's posting regularly anymore.

As I mentioned in my video, I went with two citrus-floral chypres with a straightforward lemon balm to bridge the two. (My aftershave chypres might be limited to just Alive, Famine, and the WCS.) The Chatillon Lux collaboration is true to its name, the rose soft and blushing, mixed with lemon made complex by the tang of grapefruit and jolt of ginger. I notice the labdanum and oakmoss second, balanced to let the namesake combo sing. The lemon balm is straightforward, but goes with just about anything. In this case, it references the lemon in my soap and alludes to the lime and grapefruit in my chypre fragrance. Chypre Siam is a best-in-class example of the genre, with a traditionally structured mix of flowers, spice, leather, resins, and oakmoss kissed by wonderful kaffir lime. I've tried far more animalic chypres, but that aspect is as present in Chypre Siam as you'd expect from chypre perfumes in the classic mode. Come for the sour-floral lime opening, but stay for the study in progression.

LG23-16: Shave and a Haircut - Two Bits

• Brush: Prometheus Handcrafts "Red and White" 27.5mm Manchurian
• Razor: Carbon Cx-Ti
• Blade: Astra SP (11)
• Lather: Dr. Jon's - Classic - Shaving Soap
• Post Shave: Proraso - Refreshing - After Shave Lotion
• Fragrance: Noble Otter - Hamami
• Passes: WTG, XTG, ATG
• Coffee: West Java. Cijapati, Garut - v: Typica. Tim Tim. Catimor - p: Triple picked. Washed.
• Music: William Tyler - Goes West
• LG Tags: #FOF

Have you clicked through the links in the Lather Games rulebook's theme descriptions? There's lots of good info in there, including fragrance genre breakdowns and nuanced explanations of what makes a scent on theme for any given day.

Today's link is a must-click. I happened to circle back to the calendar last night and read this post about the structure of barbershop scents; it's the most coherent and thoughtful explanation of a nebulous concept I've encountered, well grounded in both history and culture, the two most significant factors in how we interpret, define, and categorize fragrances. (Speaking of, I chatted with friends yesterday about the significant differences in how notes like jasmine, patchouli, sandalwood, and vetiver are interpreted across the world. I'd love to see a "Lost in Translation" day in next year's calendar.)

Look at the wet shaving products in this category and there are many examples of scents that are "sweet, herbal, spicy, fresh, and very powdery.” That must be how you arrive at wet shaving artisans using the same preblends to signify "barbershop". [Judges, I'm not a memexpert, so I hope this works for you.]

However, the part of this 2018 essay that caught my attention was this qoute:

In the 1900s, the average gentleman wasn't interested in perfuming his body, but he was interested in being clean, and perhaps (if he was wealthy) in scenting the handkerchief in his breast pocket. The "being clean" part is central to understanding the upbringing of the masculine fragrance industry.

If barbershop scents can be reduced down to a historical and regional understanding of freshly-groomed cleanliness, it raises the question: what does clean smell like? It's not the smell of a barbershop itself, which is often full of equipment-cleaning smells, archaic, and varies wildly by region:

I find that when reviewers express confusion about the phrase "barbershop scent," they say things like, "This doesn't smell like any barbershop I've been to." This is a fundamental misinterpretation of the phrase. To say that Drakkar Noir smells like a barbershop scent isn't to imply that Drakkar Noir is used by barbers. Drakkar Noir employs notes and accords that resemble products used for shaving: its lavender and dry-herbal qualities are similar to the scents of common shaving soaps. The phrase extrapolates from a variety of shaving and haircutting products that have been traditionally used, ranging from talcum powders to shaving creams, to even Barbacide and other disinfecting astringents. Barbershop fragrances are typically subjective, based on the barber's region of practice.

I'm convinced by the argument that American barbershop fragrances historically combined notes of sweet floral waters and hair powder, along with the various herbs and aromatics used to scent those products. Pinaud Clubman and Mennen Skin Bracer both come to mind. When not smelling of almond, Italian barbershop products feature a more Mediterranean take on the same structure, combining moss and herbs with a strong citrus component. You can find both fragrances and wet shaving products that reference either regional approach.

Dr. Jon's (RIP) described their barbershop scent Classic as "crisp and fresh." Like many vintage barbershop products in the more European variety, this smell combines "hints of herb, wood, flowers and citrus." With its lack of overt powder or talc, and a squeeze of lime on top of the strong rosemary and lavender, it doesn't read as American (like, say, Ghost Town Barber). Yet it's woody overtones make it feel more representative of Stateside barbershops than Proraso Green—the archetypal Italian aftershave—which, coincidentally, does smell vaguely of talc. Eucalyptus, menthol, and citrus are what dominate the scent, along with a strong lavender and oakmoss fougère base. Both products suggest an understanding of clean grooming that is brisk, aromatic, and lifted by citrus, but with little sweetness.

Yet those specifics don’t apply worldwide. Consider Noble Otter’s wonderful take on the Turkish bathhouse, Hamami. (Noble Otter also makes an American-style barbershop, the "sweet, spicy, powdery" Barrbarr.)

While spas and bathhouses serve a different purpose than a barbershop—full body cleansing versus above-the-chest grooming—the goal is fundamentally the same: cleanliness, achieved in places of relaxation, community, and ritual ablutions. They're kindred spirits. It shouldn't be surprising then, that while the individual notes are different across cultural traditions, the structures of these scents share commonalities.

Noble Otter describes Hamami as a "clean, wet floral fragrance." In place of zesty lemon or lime, there's invigorating bergamot and green petitgrain. Instead of lavender and rosemary, there's a very pretty jasmine mixed with geranium. In place of an oakmoss and patchouli base, there's sandalwood and tonka, though the latter shows up in sweet-leathery barbershop scents too. More than any other element of this fragrance, it's the wet stone note that distinguishes Hamami from other shaving scents, and what most distinguishes humid bathhouse from powdery barbershop. Layering the two in one SOTD is a useful study in composition and contrast.

LG23-17: Happy Together

• Brush: Mammoth x Voigt & Cop Smash 28mm VC01 Super Badger
• Razor: Charcoal Goods Level 2
• Blade: Astra SP (12)
• Lather: Chicago Grooming Co. / House of Mammoth - Armonía - Shaving Soap
• Post Shave: London Razors / Summer Break Soaps - Coffee & Contemplation - Aftershave
• Fragrance: House of Mammoth / Barrister and Mann - Smash
• Alum: Osma, the luxury alum, because I'm worth it
• Passes: WTG, XTG
• Coffee: Ethiopia. Guji, Werka - v: Ethiopia Landraces - p: Natural. Dried on raised beds.
• Music: Run the Jewels 2
• LG Tags: #FOF

For today's shave, I tried to pack in as many collaborations as possible. I couldn't think of a razor that met the theme, but I did use my killer Mammoth x Voigt & Cop Smash brush, and the brass Charcoal Goods matches the brass ring around the handle. I use them as a pair regularly (🦣 Mammoth Monday 🦣 gang represent!). I lathered a Chicago Grooming Co. / House of Mammoth soap, splashed on a London Razors / Summer Break Soaps aftershave, and sprayed on a House of Mammoth / Barrister and Mann fragrance.

For my music selection, I considered a pop collaboration (Broken Bells), country (Waxahatchee and Jess Williamson as Plains or the Parton-Ronstadt-Harris Trio record), or one of the 2013 Homme/Turner collaborations (if I had to choose, I'd go ...Like Clockwork over AM), but settled on El-P and Killer Mike's Run the Jewels. That first proper album slapped from the start and holds up a decade later. The sound is glitchy, the pacing frenetic, and the bars hurled with sneering, barbed precision. The woozy production can shake a room; the filthy one-liners get everyone screaming along. And I remember when Run the Jewels 2 dropped—it reminds me of good people.

For my soap, I lathered up Vida's whimsically-labeled collaboration with u/mammothben. Armonía combines a strong, pungent tobacco with an equally substantial fougère base, and I can't think of any other wet shaving scents like it (except for Shire, which is differentiated by spice, violet, and a sunnier mood). The fougère aspect of Armonía is rugged, dry, and woody (lots of lavender and cedar); it smells modern, but isn't a fresh, bright-green composition. The blending is excellent, the two aspects of this scent bleeding together smoothly in a way that doesn't obscure the personality of either. Plus, I'd forgotten how good Darkwing is. What a shave!

Which brings me to today's challenge. I don't use alum on my skin anymore, but I do have a block of Osma from years ago. I used it to tighten up my skin post shave, then cleaned up my gear before—correctly—rinsing all the alum off. I can put up with that feeling in the summer but hate it in the winter when my skin doesn’t need any help feeling tightened or highlighting redness and irritation. That's not to say alum is useless. I always have it on hand to make my fingertips tacky when handling a slippery razor (Sabre, Legacy, polished handles) and deodorant stones are great as long as you shower daily. Alum is alum tho’. Don’t @ me.

The transition from lather to aftershave and fragrance was not a smooth one. There's nothing fougère-like about Coffee and Contemplation. It's not green at all, though it is woody. There's no tobacco. However, Coffee & Contemplation is a comfortable fit with Smash. Like many "coffee" scents in wet shaving, it smells more of mocha than freshly-brewed black coffee, leading with creamy cocoa and vanilla. There's a Russian leather note to darken things up and I notice the cedar in the splash. That woodiness is a natural segue to the bourbon in Smash's peach cocktail, and London Razors' chocolaty take on coffee adds another dimension to the opening fruity-floral accord. I'm reminded of Armonía by the time Smash dries down, the tobacco dry and persistent under lingering boozy peach.

All three of these scents are heavy for a humid summer day, and the latter two are more sweet than I'd prefer to wear between May and September. I’m pretty sure fragrances wear sweeter on my skin, making products intended to be sweet overwhelming. Or I’m sensitive to sweetness and assume everyone else smells the same. Regardless, while the green fougère aspect of Armonía clashes with my gourmand aftershave and splash, it’s an equally full-bodied scent, and the pungent tobacco note alludes to the subtler one in Smash. The combination worked out surprisingly well.

LG23-18: Spooky Season

• Brush: Sawdust Creation Studios 26mm High Mountain White
• Razor: EldrormR Industries MM24
• Blade: GEM (30)
• Lather: Oz Shaving - Woodchopper - Shaving Soap
• Post Shave: Talent Soap Factory - Wolf Mother
• Fragrance: DSH - Bois Fumée
• Passes: WTG, XTG
• Coffee: West Java. Cijapati, Garut - v: Typica. Tim Tim. Catimor - p: Triple picked. Washed.
• Music: The North American Hallowe'en Prevention Initiative - Do They Know It's Hallowe'en?
• LG Tags: #FOF

While it's gross, uncouth, and a stain on the quiet dignity that governs every aspect of the Lather Games, here's a photo of my stubble unceremoniously discarded in my sink. Behold the lonely whiskers, shorn from their home and left to wonder what left them in this fitful state. Was it something they said? Were they not perky enough? What if they had been bigger? They cry, "We can be better!", but the damage is done. Their fate was sealed minutes ago. Now they sit, with nothing but their thoughts, dreaming of the handsome face they lost to time's relentless blade. Nature is cruel and I am crueler.

However, I'm getting ahead of myself. Let's talk about the shave.

When I first read today's theme details, "woody spicy accords" immediately made me think of Oz Shaving's Woodchopper. The brand’s first scent, meant to "evoke a night stroll through the trees," is pure dry woods and spice, unsullied by any hint of sweetness. Rare is the outdoorsy scent without the greenery, wood sap, balsam, moisture, loam, and dirt of the forest, or a squeeze of citrus to lighten things up and suggest patterned sky through rustling leaves. The shaving soap label even reduces Woodchopper’s scent description down to sandalwood, cedar, and pine. The lightly-smoked cardamom note is what stands out to me; it’s got more character than the layered woods and makes that accord more than pencil shavings. It also makes Woodcutter feel autumnal. And while a strong blend of sandalwood and cardamom is common in attars, I’m still getting used to its creamy-camphoraceous aroma.

Woodchopper’s setting and “hint of campfire” prompted me to build the rest of my shave around those flickering flames in the woods at night. For my aftershave, I selected Wolf Mother, a “grownup” campfire scent featuring a boozy fruit accord and warm amber-patchouli base. Smoky fruit wine and a sweet marshmallow accord are upfront, and I barely notice the listed wood notes, making Wolf Mother an ideal combination with Woodchopper. The soap has plenty of woodiness to go around. Rounding out the clean-burning bonfire at the center of this scene are a few rolls of my Bois Fumée vial. This nostalgic third addition to DSH’s Bois series is a hyperrealistic woodsmoke scent painted by smoldering birch tar and cedar. Cozy myrrh and frankincense mix with the barest suggestion of caramel to make the campfire feel right there in front of you, warmth on your face, smoke floating off into the night. Because Bois Fumée smells more like the real thing than a perfume, I need to try it layered, adding the rasp of primal fire and smoke to cleaner bosky perfumes. Combined with Woodchopper and Wolf Mother, it renders the warm, glowing campfire via 8K Holodeck.

LG23-19: CREAM

• Brush: Don’t need one my dude! I got this sock. Fancy gear is for suckers.
• Razor: Chiseled Face Titanium Legacy Razor
• Blade: Personna Lab Blue Super (52)
• Lather: Catie's Bubbles - Blugère - Luxury Cream Soap
• Post Shave: Southern Witchcrafts - Fougère Nemeta - Aftershave
• Fragrance: Motif Olfactif - Mon Oasis
• Passes: WTG, WTG Again Because Socks Should Stay on Your Feet
• Coffee: Peru, Cajamara - v: Geisha - p: Washed.
• Music: Disclosure - Alchemy
• LG Tags: #FOF

Lessons Learned From Lathering With a Sock:

1. Don’t lather with a sock. Ignore what tyrants on the internet tell you to do and let a WetTuber debase themselves for those ginormous sponsorship bucks. Something something something about jumping off a bridge. Don’t do it for the fame. Don’t do it for the glory. Don’t. Lather. With. A. Sock.
2. If you ignore the first lesson, reconsider.
3. If you ignore the second lesson, set aside lots of time for this shave. It’s going to be a while until your lather is ready.
4. Lather with a white sock. Colored fibers in your lather look gross.
5. Lather with a cotton sock, presumably. I got cute and tried an old merino wool ski sock with a hole in the toe. I think it was extra absorbent and sucked up soap and water like an open drain.
6. Squeeze the right amount of water out of your sock before you begin. I can’t tell you what the right amount is, but I can tell you to find that amount. Good luck.
7. Load heavy. Lathering with a sock uses much more soap than a brush. I scooped a big mound of soap and went back to the tub twice more; that yielded enough “lather”—and I'm putting that word in massive air quotes—for one pass and one application of runny, sudsy slop.
8. Use your hands. Use a bowl. Use an old soap tub you have laying around. Set the sock down when you start questioning how your life went wrong. Pick up the sock and keep at it. Rubbing the sock against itself didn’t do much, but rubbing the sock back and forth on my hands did, and I can’t explain this phenomenon. Friction is friction baby.
9. Squeeze the lather out of the sock, because rubbing it on your face does nothing except bury the lather in your sock.
10. Use that brush you got out to apply the lather. I forgot to use mine, but I suspect it would have given the lather structure. A boy can dream.
11. Use a gentle razor. You’re gonna need it.

Judges...please don’t make us do this again. Please. PLEASE. I know I won't be. I'll use the time I save to start recovering my dignity.

Now back to the shave.

Fougère Friday is right around the corner, but I'm using Blugère for 'dat CREAM, so I paired it with other fruity fougères in advance of a second glorious all-fougère shave later this week. One cannot have too many fougères.

I tried Blugère for the first time last year and this blueberry fougère immediately became one of my all-time favorites. Catie's Bubbles describes the blueberry note as fresh, "over a woody and green fougère construct," but that description doesn't capture it. The blueberry works because it's rich and sticky, like inky-violet compote just taken off the burner to cool. More importantly, the blueberry doesn't read like a novelty; the stout lavender, oakmoss and coumarin core is there, but an aromatic edge of basil and galbanum connects seamlessly with fruity tang. Genius.

My aftershave and fragrance are both lighter in tone (now we can say "fresh"), but like Blugère, they're defined by their unusual mashup of distinct fruit and fougère accords. Shawn’s seasonal for Southern Witchcrafts, Fougère Nemeta, is all about the strawberry. Petitgrain and cassis give the ruby-red berry a thorny zip (like fresh ripe strawberries do); galbanum, fig leaf, and vetiver make the foundation startlingly green. Shawn knows his way around a fougère.

I followed that up with one of my first bottle purchases—Motif Olfactif’s expectedly-relaxing Mon Oasis. More complex than either Blugère or Fougère Nemeta, this creamy delight is light, sweet, and yellow in tone, balancing a bright lavender, musky fruits, and pastoral aromatics. Mon Oasis revolves around the melon-like combination of yuzu and pear; barrel strength in the opening, then lush and honeyed through the rest of the progression. A bouquet of hay, tobacco, vetiver, and oakmoss defines the hazy drydown. Pear is a challenging note to work with, yet perfumer Oswald Paré uses it masterfully here and in Voile D'encens, where he combines it with potent, resinous incense. Neither sound like an easy fit, yet the musky-ripe fruit softens the fougère and sweetens the incense without becoming syrupy. He’s another perfumer to watch if this is how you like fruit in your fragrances.

LG23-20: Parisian Dupelgänger

• Brush: Semogue Owner’s Club “Taj” 24mm Boar
• Razor: Carbon Cx-Ti
• Blade: Astra SP (12)
• Lather: Spearhead Shaving - Rive Gauche - Experimental Formula 22.1 Shave Soap
• Post Shave: 345 Soap Co. - White Buffalo - Aftershave
• Fragrance: Maison Margiela - REPLICA At the Barber's
• Passes: WTG, XTG
• Coffee: Colombia. Cauca. - v: Castillo - p: Anaerobic
• Music: Serge Gainsbourg - Histoire de Melody Nelson
• LG Tags: #FOF

I normally bowl load, start my lather there, and add a ton of water before I even start working it into my stubble, making today's pasty lather challenge a fun experiment. And how did it go? This challenge validated my usual as-wet-as-possible approach, but not to the extent I expected.

My daily Precision Loading™ lather starts with a level 1/4 teaspoon of soap, rounded generously in the spoon when using bigger, denser knots. From there I add at least five tablespoons of water while lathering in the bowl; I’m starting off with what’s left in the knot after an initial post-soak squeeze and more water gets added to the mix as I finish up with a quick face lather. (I know, it’s fiddly, but this approach is easier on my shoulder and produces reliably excellent results.)

To comply with the challenge, I added half as much water to my scoop of Spearhead’s Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche dupe spread out in the bowl, and didn’t add any after working the resulting lather into my stubble. It was pasty, with stark ridges (the telltale sign of a dry lather), and left a bunch of soap behind with the finger-swipe test.

I was surprised to shave without any obvious irritation—the lather felt protective. However, my razor was fighting its way through the lather instead of effortlessly skating along the top, plus I had to try much harder to rinse the razor, which is annoying. A single dip and wiggle in the basin should be enough. Even worse, my skin felt uncomfortable under a thicker layer of less-cut soap and then super slick when I rinsed after my second pass, implying I should have added a lot more water before calling that lather lathered.

Beyond loading a certain level of adequate soap and adding sufficient water to match—thoroughly lathered—it's degrees of difference between pasty and super runny lather. But that’s one shave. I wonder how much the minor flaws of a sludgy lather like this compound over time. I suspect any cumulative impact is made worse by using a crummy soap base high in coconut oil and low in skincare ingredients. I’m lucky today’s “shave with a crummy lather while we laugh at your tarnished shave experience” challenge corresponded with an excellent soap base.

My verdict? A wet lather is best, but you can get by with a pasty one, though there’s no reason not to do better. Be best.

Speaking to the theme, all three of my products are a spin on the aromatic fougère YSL Rive Gauche pour Homme—named for the bohemian southern bank of the Seine. I’ve read this is an ancestor of many barbershop fragrances, meaning I should have mentioned it in my Two Bits writeup. Unfortunately, I haven’t tried it, making it difficult to describe how these dupes compare. I can say definitively that I don’t enjoy this style of aromatic fougère. Give me more citrus, more dank fern, or more spice and leather. Or I’ll splash on Skin Bracer and call it good. Heck, I’d prefer bay rum.

But I’ll at least try to compare these.

I’m told by an informed Redditor that the 345 aftershave is the most faithful wet shaving dupe of Rive Gauche he’s smelled, though White Buffalo’s product description makes no mention of Rive Gauche, and the listed notes aren’t a perfect match. The Spearhead version focuses on a soapy, woody lavender and reminds me of what I remember Chicago Grooming Co.’s Irving Park smelling like. Compared to White Buffalo, there’s no leathery quality, it’s more floral, and the fresh spices are subtle. Unsurprisingly, the Maison Martin Margiela fragrance smells the most like any barbershop or salon I’ve been in. There’s the usual mix of fresh herbs, light spices, and a musky fougère accord, but the opening is comparatively sweet and beautifully floral right after the harsh opening settles. It’s on the more well-executed end of REPLICA scents I’ve tried, which is not a high bar in our household’s opinion.

Like I said earlier, I’m not the right person to be selling you on any of these. The important thing is they’re on theme, though I should have chosen a different dupe in the first place. C’est la vie.

LG23-21: Fougère Friday

• Brush: Farvour Turn Craft 26mm v.6 Odin's Beard
• Razor: Blutt Rasur BR-1 0.99
• Blade: Astra SP (24)
• Lather: Wholly Kaw - Fern Concerto Menthol - Shaving Soap
• Post Shave: Stirling Soap Co. - Varen - Aftershave
• Fragrance: Providence Perfume Co. - Heart of Darkness
• Passes: WTG, XTG
• Coffee: West Java. Cijapati, Garut - v: Typica. Tim Tim. Catimor - p: Triple picked. Washed.
• Music: Hiroshi Yoshimura - Green
• LG Tags: #FOF

Fern emerald green
menthol kiss blows cooling wind
over moss and hay

Today is all about that most omnipresent of wet shaving scents, the fougère. From fresh to dank, herbaceous to fruity, dirty to soapy, and vaporous to beastmode, our beloved ferns take many forms. They scent our European hard soaps; they scent our artisan sets; they scent half the perfumes on the shelf. I said it a few days ago and I'll say it again: one cannot have too many fougères.

My shave explored just a glimpse of the genre's impressive range, moving in sequence from a brisk and bright green soap, to a sweet and archetypal splash, to a potent fragrance that growls louder than the most formidable fougères around.

Wholly Kaw's Fern Concerto Menthol is an unusual shave soap. Outside of drugstore splashes, it's difficult to find fougères that include menthol at all, let alone to the degree this one does. Even the matching Fern Concerto aftershaves aren't mentholated. Fern Concerto Menthol includes enough menthyl lactate to justify calling it out in the name; the scent is noticeable. But it doesn't clash. An environmental odors registry describes menthyl lactate's "odor characteristic" as tobacco, chamomile, and mint, and while I can't differentiate it from traditional menthol, those notes are a natural fit among the blend of herbs and florals used in this scent. I'm hesitant to describe Fern Concerto Menthol in more specific terms, because I mostly smell the outlines of a bright green fougère colored in by a bunch of menthol. It's a refreshing combination.

Moving from fresh and clean to a denser, rich fougère, I splashed on Stirling's Varen. This "powerful blend" is so packed with oakmoss that Stirling warns the pregnant and epileptic to avoid it; the other notes are bold to match. Every time I use this scent I'm surprised by just how thickly green it is, like fresh cut grass clinging to your clothes, weeds just ripped from the ground and staining your hands, or the city leaf and yard waste collection before it's started to compost. (I only use the bar soap in the summer because it makes the whole bathroom smell like Varen.) Varen is also sweeter than the notes would suggest, featuring a lovely floral accord of geranium and lavender that makes it feel vintage and counters the base's strength. It's a must-try Stirling original.

I finished my fougère progression with Heart of Darkness, an example of the genre at it's most burly, complex, and robust. This "fearsome fougère" has it all: a woody lavender-tonka accord featuring two kinds of moss; interplay of spice and incense; an unexpected shot of dark-roasted espresso. Today I'm overwhelmed by the cedar—sharp, earthy, and towering in breadth and scope. It combines seamlessly with the coffee in a way that forces synesthesia; I smell ruddy wood chips, freshly mulched, layered in shades of garnet, carmine, maroon, and rusty brown. (Like the juice in the bottle.) In that way, Heart of Darkness parallels Varen from a completely different spectrum. It's a fougère that forgoes waves of green foliage in favor of a dense forest's loamy floor.

LG23-22: Strange Times for Berry Club

• Brush: 3D-Printed 26mm Synthetic
• Razor: GEM Micromatic Open Comb
• Blade: GEM (1)
• Lather: Noble Otter - Thé Noir et Vanille - Shaving Soap
• Post Shave: Lather Bros. - Amoroso - Aftershave
• Fragrance: Imaginary Authors - Cape Heartache
• Passes: WTG, XTG
• Coffee: Colombia. Cauca. - v: Castillo - p: Anaerobic
• Music: Animal Collective - Strawberry Jam
• LG Tags: #FOF

Today's shave was all about strawberries: strawberry-vanilla tea in Paris; strawberries and a bouquet of roses gifted for Valentine's Day; vanilla-leaf and strawberry growing in the old growth evergreen forests of the Pacific Northwest.

Noble Otter doesn't make a big deal of it in their scent description, but the tangy-sweet ripe strawberry note is the defining feature of Thé Noir et Vanille (TNEV). I'm not saying it's not a tea scent, or that there isn't a strong vanilla note, but the unmistakable strawberry is strong, sweet, and what ties those two together. Before lathering, the strawberry overwhelms; afterwards TNEV opens up, jasmine and bergamot perfuming the bistro patio where strawberry sweets are savored alongside a malty, steaming cuppa. Beautiful.

In a gesture of relationship equity, and hoping to maintain tenuous spousal buy-in to the Lather Games, I asked Mrs. Mosquito how she'd prefer I go about completing today's challenge. She laughed, shook her head, then grinned before excitedly choosing silky-smooth pits over shining legs. I then made the mistake of chatting about this challenge with u/USS-SpongeBob, who rightly gave me shit about my initial plan; legs present a bigger challenge with numerous awkward angles and lots of ground to cover. So I proposed shaving the top of my feet as well. That seemed like a good compromise and in the spirit of the challenge.

...but then I succumbed to peer pressure from u/USS-SpongeBob, u/tsrblke, and u/Priusaurus and shaved my legs anyway. Be warned: those gnarly hooves at the bottom end with hobbit toes. Risky clicks all around today.

• Before: https://i.imgur.com/bDqkaGl.jpg
• After: https://i.imgur.com/EDNmmmk.jpg

The shave went much better than expected. The front of my legs were easy, including my knees, which is the biggest surprise here. (I'm told knees are a danger zone.) The back of my knees were a trouble spot; I have the flexibility to reach them, but am not used to shaving blind, or using my non-dominant hand. I took it slow and avoided any significant carnage. That's not to say I got away without any blood. During the initial two passes I opened up a few weepers, but no cuts I could feel while shaving. (Rinsing off is another story. Ouch!) Doing a final look-over I noticed I'd missed the inside of my left ankle. I was feeling really confident, so I re-lathered and forgot u/Newtothethis's sage advice, promptly taking that skin off with barely a stutter of the razor. Lesson learned. I'm glad I don't need to do this tomorrow and shave over any existing nicks and weepers like my wife does regularly. I've got it easy.

Coincidentally, my wife had scheduled a day at the public pool today, but that was canceled as I was writing this post. Just know I would have showed up with these silky gams glistening in the hot sunshine. And then taken a photo to share here. Because Lather Games, that's why.

It took me a while to decide on an aftershave and fragrance to pair with TNEV. I'm trying to avoid re-using any scents from last year, but I have very few berry, tea, or vanilla-forward aftershaves on hand, so that arbitrary restriction wasn't feasible. I ultimately decided to continue with the strawberry theme, tagging Amoroso back in for another Lather Games. I find this aftershave remarkably easy to wear considering I avoid rose scents and strawberry can be awfully sweet. The vetiver and musk make Amoroso for me; they have the abundant warmth and rasp needed to balance the composition.

Which brings me to my fragrance. Cape Heartache is an easy pairing with today's soap and aftershave, repeating notes of both strawberry and vanilla. Those are supported by citrusy, dark-green layers of conifer. On paper, I love both the concept of Cape Heartache and the way Josh Meyer interpreted it with pine and strawberry, but I rarely reach for my sample. When I'm in the mood, that combination of ripe fruit and sticky pine resin seems inspired. When I'm not, it smells like a Christmas candle. Today I'm somewhere in the middle.

LG23-23: "What IS that enchanting aroma?"

• Brush: Dogwood Handcrafts 26mm AP Shave Co. Gelousy SHD
• Razor: Wolfman Razors WR2-DC 0.95 SB / 1.25 OC #CNC
• Blade: Voskhod (16)
• Lather: Zingari Man - The Essentials - Shave Soap
• Post Shave: Dr. Jon's - 53 East and 51st - Aftershave Tonic
• Fragrance: Day Three Fragrances - Midnight Whisper
• Passes: WTG, XTG
• Coffee: Burundi, Kayanza - v: Red Bourbon, Jackson - p: Washed
• Music: Chromeo - Fancy Footwork
• LG Tags: #FOF

I shower after I shave; any compliments I'm getting are about my aftershave or fragrance (probably the latter), not my soap. Fortunately, my wife always reacts favorably to a few, and one of those options stood out as the best fit for today's theme.

The Essentials was a fundraising release that resurrected ZM's older Lothario scent, a fresh blend of tobacco, bergamot, and bay leaf. The bay leaf tames the tobacco's pungent qualities, while the zesty bergamot makes it lively and invigorating, instead of heavy and smoky. It's a handsome combination. I'm not one for gendering fragrances—that's all culturally-defined and full of normative baggage anyway—but Essentials/Lothario smells like it's intended to read as masculine. Brian Fantana approved.

While I'm on the topic of shave soap, today's a good day for a lather audit. I didn't shave my face yesterday (🧼🪒🦵) and have more stubble to mow down than usual; that's the kind of shave that puts a crummy lather to the test. I thought mine was a good one, but you be the judge. I also snapped a photo of my lathered brush and all the lather squeezed out of the brush after my shave. No stiff peaks, lots of shine, minimal bubbles, and protective density.

I followed up my shave by taking our suave playboy into the evening, splashing on a nightcap aftershave and finishing with a seductive night-out fragrance.

Dr. Jon's 53 East and 51st is a Jazz Age black tie affair, carnation boutonnieres pinned to midnight-blue jackets, expensive cigarettes weaving fragrant lines of smoke through the music-filled air. There's a chilly gin martini sitting on the glossy bar—no lemon slice, heavy on the juniper and, strangely, cedar. Not his usual brand. Our subject takes a sip, and with a twinkle in his eye, leans in to kiss his partner's cheek. He's staggered by the gorgeous floral perfume wafting from neck and chest. "Should we go back to my place?" The decision is immediate and unanimous.

Appropriately named for what's to come, Midnight Whisper leads with a jewel-toned rose, lush and heady. I'm not a rose guy, but gosh, what a rose it is. The opening also includes subtle citrus, but this dark, dreamy fragrance is all about the simmering drydown. Fine bourbon in a snifter mixes with creamy sandalwood, supported by an oud-amber base and just enough decadent vanilla to reinforce that caramel dram. Lingering traces of rose flash like crimson satin in low light. If you like warm, captivating fragrances, Day Three does them exceptionally well.

LG23-24: Christmas in July's Eve

• Brush: Muninn Woodworks 26mm Maggard Razors Premium Boar
• Razor: EldrormR Industries MM24
• Blade: GEM (31)
• Lather: Red House Farm - Lumos - Shaving Soap
• Post Shave: AllMan - Defiance - After Shave
• Fragrance: Providence Perfume Co. - Jadeite
• Passes: WTG, XTG
• Coffee: Ethiopia Yirgacheffe
• Music: R.E.M. - Green
• LG Tags: #FOF

r/wetshaving is the best shaving forum out there. Looking for expert knowledge? Check out the gems in the daily thread, u/WegianWarrior's regular patent posts (so cool!), and our in-depth reviews. Want fun? Again, check out the Daily Questions, or, obviously, the Lather Games SOTD threads. Into the artistic side of the hobby? Our weekly photo contest has featured professional-level competition this year. Want to sample a few soaps? Have we got the smushes for you. Even if you just like to hang around, post a SOTD, and spectate, we're happy you're here to throw a few upvotes are way, say hello, and shake up the monthly lather logs.

And this community makes stuff too. I used two of those items today: a MM24 razor from fellow Motherlode-advocate and all around good people u/Eldrormr and a Red Amboyna burl brush u/whosgotthepudding turned for me. Beautiful hardware.

My lather and post shave are from the community too. Shoutout to u/putneycj who sent me some smushes, including this neon green sample of Lumos, made by our very own u/grindermonk. And u/jeffm5432 PIFed the also-quite-green aftershave my way. Thank you both!

(Judges, pardon the interruption. To be clear about what links my soap, aftershave, and fragrance today: all three are visibly green, and not just the packaging. Green soap, green juice. The Jadeite fragrance is also named after a green mineral, but that's just the kicker.)

I always try to fit one of u/grindermonk's Red House Farm soaps into my Lather Games calendar. Knowledgeable, well-spoken, and generous, u/grindermonk is exactly the kind of person that makes r/wetshaving great, and I've enjoyed chatting with him here. His crock-pot soap development was one of the coolest projects shared on r/wetshaving, and I've enjoyed following along as he develops new batches—all of which he's shared with folks here on the sub. (They're a go-to travel shave option for me. Very quick to lather.) Here's to you u/grindermonk! 🍻

According to Red House Farm, this neon-green soap—that glows in the dark "if left exposed to the sun"—is scented with a bunch of citrus and floral notes, supported by a "rustic woods" base. Sadly, the scent on this smush is faint, because I should have just killed it right away instead of trying to wait for the Lather Games. All I'm really getting now is a gentle lavender and a sweeter floral accent, which must be the crocus. Nothing wrong with a lightly-scented shave every once in a while.

On the other hand, my post shave splash is the exact opposite, and a little bit goes a long way. u/_walden_ shared in the past that Defiance is probably a dupe of Hugo Boss Boss Bottled. I believe it, since a fruit accord is the first thing I notice, and it persists, sweet and jubilant, as long as I can smell my aftershave. The description of Boss Bottled as "Woody Spicy" with a "floral and spicy heart" is a surprise; I pick up a bit of carnation underneath all that fruit, and a significant amount of vanilla along with what I accurately guessed was vetiver, but I would never have called this Defiance aftershave spicy. To my nose, it reads as fruity and green. Something is lost in translation when a complicated blend is splashed right under your nose and doesn't evolve throughout the day like a fragrance version would.

I finished my shave with many dabs of my Jadeite sample. Charna Ethier releases a limited edition Spring/Summer fragrance annually, each formulated like a traditional Eau de Cologne—lightly scented, featuring citrus or herbacious notes, and meant to be applied throughout the day as needed. As Ethier says it, "applied liberally and frequently for maximum refreshment." Jadeite takes the refreshment idea as its inspiration, accenting an iced green tea accord with bergamot, water mint, and linden blossom. I'm not used to light perfumes that are meant to be reapplied—in fact, many of the American perfumes I use most often are incredibly strong and long lasting—so I've enjoyed sampling this one. When I first dab it on, the green tea pops out immediately. After a few minutes, it transforms into a distinctly herbal scent; it reminds me of when I've steeped Thai basil grown in the garden, with lemony facets and a cool, peppery quality that plays off the water mint note here. Wait a little bit longer and the green tea fades into musky frankincense and ambrette. Dab on a bit and enjoy the cycle all over again. Jadeite is a fun summer wear, though it was overwhelmed by the Defiance aftershave this morning. It would work better following up a light aftershave, like Thayer's cucumber toner, that highlights the gossamer quality of both products. I enjoyed the afternoon application more.

LG23-25: Christmas in July

• Brush: Chisel & Hound 26mm Timberwolf
• Razor: Timeless Ti95 .95 DC Matte
• Blade: Voskhod (16)
• Lather: Macduffs Soap Company - Christmas Cabin - Shave Soap
• Post Shave: Lather Bros. - Lone Bear - Aftershave
• Fragrance: Blackbird - Triton
• Passes: WTG, XTG
• Coffee: Peru, Cajamara - v: Geisha - p: Washed.
• Music: Woody Goss - A Very Vulfy Christmas
• LG Tags: #FOF

Shave with a non-dominant hand. I've fallen for that challenge before and I know how it ends: red slashes on my face. I barely have enough eye-hand coordination to shave this handsome mug with the hand that's supposed to know what it's doing.

So what's a guy to do? Skip the daily challenge? Of course not! Not this late in the game.

One of the likely-unintended lessons I learned from our recent leg shaving challenge is that while I need to lather and shave for the Daily Theme Points, I don't need to shave my face. So I used my non-dominant hand to shave my dominant one. (I shaved my face too, but with my right.)

I'll admit that my hands aren't quite yeti paws, but there's plenty of hair on the top of my fingers, and even more getting towards my wrist. At least there was. Now the top of my right hand is silky-smooth. I needed to return for a few passes of touch-up to get everything with my open-comb Timeless; apparently the direction of growth on my fingers is all over the place. It's all against-the-grain.

Now's a good time to thank u/Specialist-Quiet-833 for the sample of Christmas Cabin I used to lather up 'ol Reliable Right. I haven't tried many Macduffs products, but I'd like to work through more of their catalogue. The brand thoughtfully composes original scents with an eye to classic perfumery and IFRA guidelines, has a very good soap base, and puts in the extra effort on their packaging (including detailed labels on the side of the tub). I don't think Sean's scent preferences align perfectly with mine—especially his sweeter scents—but I've appreciated the nuanced execution of every MacDuffs composition I've tried.

For example, I like his take on Christmas scents, which include a better-than-most cherry tobacco. This one from his Cabin series is a remote getaway full of family and friends celebrating Christmas, warm from the oven running all day, and fragrant with the smell of spiced holiday bakes. It smells almost exactly like a bed and breakfast I stayed in for a few days after my wife and I married, which kept scented candles burning, stocked excellent scented bar soap, and always had freshly-baked cookies in the lobby. Cashmere brings a creamy texture that didn't work for me in a gourmand MacDuffs scent; paired with cardamom, allspice, nutmeg, and cinnamon here, it alludes to the winter holidays' most comforting traditions. I also appreciate that Christmas Cabin prioritizes texture over sweetness, and spice over fruitiness, even using a small amount of oud in the woody base to add complexity. Not my favorite Christmas scent in wet shaving, but well done.

Following up my cozy-cabin shave, I thought about how the strongest feelings of yuletide hygge correspond with the coldest days of the year. To complete the scene, I recreated the harsh chill outside our titular Christmas Cabin with my aftershave and fragrance. Both smell cold, but go about suggesting frigid landscapes in totally different ways.

Lone Bear cleverly uses rosemary, frankincense, and frangipani to create a cooling scent that doesn't rely on the usual eucalytus or mint notes (though it is mentholated). It smells clean and pretty—pristine snow, covering the landscape in brilliant white dunes, coating the trees in crystal and sparkling powder. (In our particular cabin scene, there's probably not a polar bear, but the landscape fits.) Complex frankincense centers this accord, frangipani lends it floral sweetness, and rosemary and menthol provide freshness and texture. It's a perfect aftershave scent.

Unlike Lone Bear, Triton imagines harsh terrain that never thaws, smelling brittle, raw, and wind-blown. Blackbird's unique spin on cold-smelling fragrances (named after Neptune's ice-covered moon) uses diverse floral, mineral, and woody notes to achieve this. A strong black pepper note hits my nose immediately and persists throughout the drydown. Incense, cedar, and vetiver reinforce that note with a pungent bite, filled out by a subtle floral accord that I can't parse (Blackbird lists violet leaf, mimosa, and iris root). Almost absent of sweetness, Triton reminds me of both Dawn Spencer Hurwitz's Snowy Owl (Zoologist) and Will's Eigengrau, though it's less mint-vanilla fresh than the former and less mossy than the latter. There's only ice, gem, stone, and atmosphere here, smelling beautifully untarnished by growth of any kind.

Like I planned, it makes that Christmas Cabin seem cozier than ever.

LG23-26: 🐺 Wildcard Wolf Wednesday 🐺

• Brush: Wolf Whiskers 26mm Maggard Razors SHD
• Razor: Wolfman Razors WR2-DC 0.95 SB / 1.25 OC
• Blade: Voskhod (17)
• Lather: Talent Soap Factory - Where the Wild Things Were - Shave Soap
• Post Shave: Noble Otter - RAWR - Aftershave
• Fragrance: Cognoscenti - Wild Child
• Passes: WTG, XTG
• Coffee: Colombia. Cauca. - v: Castillo - p: Anaerobic
• Music: Eddie Vedder - Into the Wild
• LG Tags: #FOF

I know y'all want to see folks slathering on pre-shave avocado oil, shaving with acrylic paint, splashing on some mouthwash post shave, and dousing themselves in Eau de Vlasic afterwards, but I'll leave those shenanigans for more natural shitposters than myself. Y'all know I play it straight most of the time. Boring? Perhaps. Effective? Arguably, but up for debate.

If I'm going to shave with shave soap on this day of troubling, foul-smelling, disgusting, and possibly-hazardous shaves, I'm still going to take the theme to heart. It's a perfect time to bring out a favorite of mine—Talent Soap Factory's Where the Wild Things Were.

But before I get to that, let's do a quick den tour. Not much has changed from last year. However, I have lots of improvements in mind. My current aftershave cache is particularly difficult to access, so I need to thin out my wardrobe and build some space for bottle-organization there. I also want to build some wall-mounted bookshelves in my basement so there's one dedicated place for all this stuff. In the meantime, the soaps continue to live on a shoe stand I found on the curb in our neighborhood. My most-used stuff lives up in the bathroom, including a rotation of soaps, my razors, and some goes-with-everything aftershaves. As you can see, all these spots need to be reorganized. On the list for August.

In case you missed the reference, my Talent Soap Factory soap is named after Maurice Sendak's beloved children's book, Where the Wild Things Are. Today's aftershave and fragrance build on that theme. In the the story, young Max dresses in a wolf suit, irks his parents enough to be sent to his room, and then visits the Wild Things on their island, learning a lesson along the way. His wolf suit reminds me of the dinosaur-suited otter on the front of RAWR, playing out in the yard, and Cognoscenti's Wild Child describes Max perfectly.

Getting back to Where the Wild Things Were (WTWTW), this is probably my favorite Talent Soap Factory soap, featuring a scent unlike anything else out there. The most distinctive and obvious notes are a medley of coconut and green olives. Instead of suggesting savory Italian food or a salty cocktail, they read as magical island mist, warm and tropical and a little weird. Herbal notes lend WTWTW additional complexity and allow the coconut and olive notes to blend. My brain never knows what to make of this stuff, but it does bring me back for repeated sniffs off the tub.

RAWR is probably an easier sell for most wet shavers, and it's jubilant mix of just-peeled sweet oranges, dandelions grown tall in the yard, and comforting vanilla are a bottled smile. My only complaint about RAWR is the same one I have about many neroli-based scents; even with sharp cedar and musk, it still wears overly sweet on my skin. Fortunately, that makes it layer exceptionally well with fragrances that can take advantage of some extra sugar, like Dannielle Sergent's bracing study of tarragon and lavender. Wild Child smells of earthy black licorice, seen through a vibrant green filter of cedar, vetiver, patchouli, and moss. RAWR's dandelion note brightens Wild Child's green to a vibrant shade and sticky orange highlights the sweet qualities of the tarragon. Together they're crisp, energizing, and whimsical—a fit pairing for the muggiest days of summer. You know, where the wild things love to be.

LG23-27: Lavendursday

• Brush: Shore Shave “Purple Ribbon” 24mm Motherlode
• Razor: Blackland Blackbird
• Blade: Astra SP (2)
• Lather: Chiseled Face Groomatorium - Woody Lavender - Shaving Soap
• Post Shave: Talbot Shaving - Mont Ventoux - Aftershave
• Fragrance: Summer Break Soaps - Homecoming
• Passes: WTG, XTG
• Coffee: Sumatra. Pegasing, Takengon, Aceh. - v: Gayo 1 & 2, Catimor, Abyssinia - p: Washed
• Music: Purple Mountains
• LG Tags: #FOF

For today's shave, I headed out onto my back porch for a hot and muggy shave, as is tradition for the Lather Games. I didn't run into my neighbor over the fence this year, but since we removed the Box Elder trees that were destroying the back fence, there's now a direct line of sight to the apartments behind our house. Some dude in the window of his living room gave me quizzical looks once I lathered up. I waved; he backed away into the shadows. His loss I guess.

I lathered up one of The Los Angeles Shaving Soap Company scents now available from Chiseled Face. Woody Lavender is exactly as described—rich lavender over a woody base of ho wood and amyris. With the exception of Jefferson Square (multiple layered lavenders) and Will's smoothly-pretty Lavender—which finally won me over on straight-up lavender—most wet shaving scents based around a strong lavender note combine it with a few other notes to fill out the blend. This LASSC/CF scent does the same and the results are calming and earthy. I've disliked ho wood in some other scents, but it makes the lavender smell thicker, more robust, and reedy, while amyris brings out the lavender's often-fleeting floral sweetness. Woody Lavender would be a perfect aromatherapy scent.

In contrast to Woody Lavender, Talbot's Mont Ventoux is bucolic and freshly harvested. The combination of lavender and rosemary is herbaceous, lively, and a little green. There are hundreds of varieties of lavender across many species; I'd guess the one Talbot used is both sweeter and more bristly than the one in Woody Lavender, but simultaneously brighter and less earthy. The variance in lavenders and seemingly straightforward lavender-based scents becomes apparent when you compare them side by side.

Which brings me to my fragrance, featuring my favorite lavender scent in the game. Kyle designed Homecoming to "draw out an accentuate some of the darker elements in lavender." It's the heaviest and most complex of these three scents by a wide margin, leading with a robust lavender, but texturing it with sharp black pepper, woody vetiver and cedar, and honeyed neroli. The neroli provides a significant amount of floral-citrus sweetness in the soap; the fragrance pushes it back into the blend where it has equal standing with the rest of the notes. I don't know if it's something with my current skin chemistry, or my nose is extra sensitive at the moment, but I can't get over how smoky the EdP smells today—especially as it dries down. If you want a dark and spicy lavender scent but don't like a pungent one, Homecoming is a must try. That darker style combined wonderfully with my lavender aftershave's sharply-pastoral bouquet.

LG23-28: Frugal Friday

• Brush: Tweezerman #WEDONTNEEDNOSTINKINGBADGERS #RUNT #ANCIENT
• Razor: Parker 89R
• Blade: Astra SP (1)
• Lather: Stirling Soap Co. - Margaritas in the Arctic - Shave Soap
• Post Shave: Thayer's - Cucumber - Facial Toner
• Fragrance: Stirling Soap Co. - Island Man
• Passes: WTG, XTG
• Coffee: Ethiopia. Agaro Gera, Oromia. - v: Ethiopia Landraces - p: Washed, dried on raised beds.
• Music: Colter Wall - Little Songs
• LG Tags: #FOF

It's no secret Stirling's products are a good value, but calculating the numbers really put it in perspective. Pricing it out by ounce/gram, no matter which other currently-purchasable artisan soap on hand I thought might come in cheaper, Stirling's ended up victorious—often because of the 5.8 ounces of soap per $14.25 tub ($0.09/g). If you don't need the fun green labels, you can get even cheaper with a refill puck (though it's the same price per ounce). I would have needed to buy some crummy cream from the big box store to do better; the purchase would have yielded many fewer shaves and the performance would have been drastically worse than any of Stirling's bases.

Stirling has many scents to choose from, but it's been a tough week here at Mosquito HQ, so I went with a fun one that reminds me of summer's best moments. I paired Margaritas in the Arctic (MITA) with a cucumber-scented toner and boozy island floral to create a beach vacation shave. And no, the irony isn't lost on me; vacations are hardly ever frugal.

I lathered up my MITA in a take-out container we saved from a recent Thai food order. That cup of re-used plastic (free with purchase) was better priced than the cheapest dedicated shaving bowl, or even a cereal bowl. It also worked surprisingly well for lathering. I used my oldest, lowest-cost brush in my collection—a terrible Tweezerman—with its minuscule knot, scratchy badger hair of indeterminately awful grade, and laughably cheap handle. This little terror of a brush fit nicely in the take-out container and the scratchiness is less apparent on the face if you lather with a very soft touch. Maybe the strong dose of menthol in MITA numbed the discomfort, or I was distracted by the delightful smell of lemon-lime margarita mix wafting into my nostrils. A stiff margarita solves lots of problems.

I shaved with the first cheap-as-possible DE razor I bought for travel. This Parker cost me $26.67 when I bought it way back, and included a pack of blades to sweeten the deal. This is one of those razors you pack for travel without worrying if it gets confiscated, broken, or lost, though that's (thankfully) never happened to me. I loaded an Astra SP blade. Blade prices are all over the place, but the bulk pack of Astra SP blades I bought years ago remains an absurd deal (100 for $11.40). The shave was really pleasant. This Parker used to bite me whenever I used it, but my lather has come along way, as has my shaving technique. I could reduce my collection down to the cheapest possible equipment and still get terrific shaves, which was always the goal when I first got into this. (Now I'm all about muh smellz.)

I followed up my cost-saving Stirling shave with an equally frugal aftershave and fragrance.

For around $10 for 12 oz. around here, Thayer's witch hazel toners come in at cheaper than even pharmacy plastic-bottle aftershaves, and are a refreshing option to keep around even if you don't shave. I like using mine after my final pass and a rinse to get the soap off my skin; I let that sit for a bit and then hop in the shower when the light cucumber scent has started to fade. For better or worse, this scent has no staying power, though it's wonderful while it lasts. I like how it segues into summery, solar, or aquatic fragrances.

Stirling's Eau de Toilette bottles are an even better value at $26.95 for 50ml. Sure, EdTs don't last or project like some of the more potent formulations out there, but that makes them ideal for a spray in the evening, or on really hot days. They last a lot longer than toners and aftershaves. I bought this bottle of Island Man EdT on clearance, bringing the price down further; it's by far the least costly fragrance I own. I've also read it's an admirable copy of Creed's Virgin Island Water, though I haven't tried the original, so I can't compare them. This boozy, fruity, coconut and musk floral has a carefree tropical vibe, with a heavy focus on the citrus. It smells like a vacation, but with no aquatic sense of place. That's a good thing for me. (Me and Calone don't get along.) I particularly like the spicy ginger note—it keeps the whole mixed-drinks-in-paradise gourmand accord from melting into syrup. Still, I much prefer Island Man as a shave soap, even if it's a wearable fragrance and thematically appropriate end to my shave.

I sure feel like I saved tens of dollars today! I'm wisely investing it in more soaps and aftershaves, which I'll definitely consume and need to buy more of before I die. Who's the clever one now, Mr. Money Mustache?

LG23-29: Sandalwood Saturday

• Brush: Prometheus Handcrafts 24mm Maggard Razors SHD
• Razor: Charcoal Goods Level 2
• Blade: Astra SP (13)
• Lather: Black Ship Grooming Co. - Ghost Ship - Shaving Soap
• Post Shave: Proraso - Nourishing - After Shave Lotion
• Fragrance: Blackbird - Ophir
• Passes: WTG, XTG
• Coffee: Ethiopia Americano
• Music: Earth - The Bees Made Honey in the Lion's Skull
• LG Tags: #FOF

The community really stepped it up this year. I'll admit that travel and various unforeseen circumstances pulled me away from the sub, and prevented me from keeping up with the Lather Games threads as much as I wanted, but I still noticed players going hard. Honestly, I needed the laughs. I just wish I had been able to keep up more and ensure I wasn't missing folks, which I definitely did.

So who's going to win this thing?

There are a few contenders I'd guess are competing for the top of the pack. u/OnionMiasma may have topped a darn-good 2022 performance with post after post of Lather Games gold. Those day-log posts are probably the highlight of his 2023 run, but that doesn't do the rest justice. u/Crisp_Mango wrote song after hilarious song—clever tunes every one of them—and even recorded future hit singles. The chaotic energy of u/j33pguy's top notch Lather Games 2022 performance lived on in u/MrTangerinesky, who's escalating "feud" videos aimed at Onion and u/Priusaurus have brought me to tears a few times. (I've also chatted with him quite a bit this week about some heavy stuff, so I need to thank him for that too.) Speaking of u/Priusaurus, his high-effort posts are essential reading; those interviews with our various artisans must have taken lots of planning to coordinate and are a clever way to stand out in a crowded field. Along with unique posts and all those interviews, he managed to clap back at u/MrTangerinesky—I am all about the fake drama and Hulk Hogan impressions. u/pridetwo may have gone under the radar a bit, but those SOTD photos are hilarious, and I could learn a thing or two from concise writing. And that's just the tip of the proverbial iceberg: u/Marquis90, u/hairykopite, u/chronnoisseur42O, and u/Impressive_Donut114 all dropped bangers.

Which brings me to the side contests. Feats of Fragrance had an interesting year, including folks with unique approaches to the contest, like u/putneycj's haikus. u/Tetriside's and u/ginopono's scent descriptions were more detailed and personal, about the experience of wearing these fragrances. u/tsrblke effectively explained why all three scents were linked, often in an abstract way (something I try to do often), which can make for a fun SOTD. And, of course, there's u/USS-SpongeBob. Even just posting quick #FOF thoughts for Wally, I learn something new. Before I move on, check out the photo contest entrants; I feel like I'm missing at least one consistent photographer, but u/chronnoisseur420, u/gcgallant, u/cowzilla, and u/hairykopite all brought their James Webb to a Polaroid fight.

I should get back to the shave.

Today we celebrate the warm, rich, woody charms of sandalwood, a material that many of us have only smelled in the context of a fragrance, or a wholly synthetic recreation of the real thing. Sandalwood can smell creamy, musty, spicy, and earthy, and different varieties vary wildly. For example, the coveted Mysore is reportedly both creamy and robust, while Hawaiian sandalwoods are sweeter. (I can neither confirm nor deny either claim.) Include synthetic materials and there's a staggering number of permutations. I'm partial to the spicy sandalwood simulacra of deodorants and cheap cosmetics.

All three of my products revolve around this wonderful material. My lather uses it to balance sour citrus, my aftershave is powdery barbershop sandalwood, and my fragrance leads with sandalwood before revealing an equally important saffron accord.

I started off with Ghost Ship, a top-tier Summer seasonal that combines grapefruit and sandalwood over a "Black Amber" base. I don't know anything about Pennsylvania's Black Ship Grooming Co., but Ghost Ship has popped up in many "favorite scents" lists over the years, and it was an immediate favorite once I gave in and ordered a tub. I've heard earlier Black Ship soap bases weren't ideal, but I find Kaito easy to work with, very protective, and slick. Coconut oil is still ingredient number two, but this soap is loaded with plenty of seed butters. And I'd buy this soap again even if the base was truly awful. The sandalwood here is creamy, sweet, and very smooth, making it an ideal companion to tart grapefruit. The amber reinforces that smooth, woody quality while texturing the scent with a bit of added complexity. For a three note blend, it sure smells like Ghost Ship has more going on, while simultaneously allowing the grapefruit and sandalwood to shine. I love it year around.

Getting to my aftershave, there's not much left to say about Proraso Red. Interestingly, I've read this is either the most or least accurate sandalwood scent out there, which reinforces what I was saying earlier; there are many flavors of sandalwood—natural, synthetic, or both—and the type you're used to regionally likely determines what you think smells correct. I happen to like the spicy, aromatic quality of Proraso Red, but it also reminds me of scented urinal cakes. (Better-smelling than most, sure, but still chemical and about to get drenched.) This take on sandalwood is quite powdery, with a resinous warmth I'd expect from a dash of sharp cinnamon. It works well as an aftershave, leading with a harsher, spicy vibe, and settling into a powdery one with time. Like Ghost Ship, lots of complexity for such a narrow scent profile.

Ophir is a different story—there's tons going on here. I've used a couple of Blackbird fragrances this month, all of which or are extremely conceptual; this one focuses on specific materials instead, reveling in entangled sandalwood and saffron accords. It leads with the sandalwood, a dry woody heart (lots of guaiacwood, perhaps) rounded by nutty notes, and textured by pungent spices just waiting to tip the scales in their favor. Ophir avoids lively or fresh in favor of warm and smooth—there's no tangy citrus, juicy fruit, or anything green. Continuing with dry woods and spice (I get nutmeg and stronger-yet black pepper), the sandalwood eventually gives way to a leathery saffron that carries just a whiff of rubber, sweetened by rosewood and restrained florals. If you want the complexity, texture, and wear of an incense fragrance, but don't like the of burning resins, give Ophir a try. It's among my favorites from this house and handles both sandalwood and saffron perfectly for my tastes.

LG23-30: Bon Voyage, Lather Games!

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

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

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

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

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

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

And the rest:

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

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

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

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

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

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