u/AdWorried2804's SOTDs for challenge 'Rookie of the Year'

July 1, 2023 – Month of Lather Day 1

• Brush: Frank Shaving Butterscotch Classic handle w/ DS Cosmetics 24mm SHD G7 Synthetic #SHD
• Razor: Razorock Game Changer .68-P #CNC
• Blade: Gillette Silver Blue (4)
• Preshave: Proraso – Aloe and Vitamin E Cream
• Lather: Chiseled Face – Banana
• Post Shave: Nivea – Sensitive Post Shave Balm
• Music: Bananarama - Cruel Summer**

I can talk the ears off of anyone about anything, but when speaking publicly anxiety kicks in. A trick I learned is to tell the audience how much I appreciate them before jumping into my topic, so here it goes:

• Thank you to the Lords of the Lather Games for your time/effort in organizing and djudging this Month of Lather. Thank you also for your patience in dealing with both Naive Noobs (like me) and Spicey Souls (Air Bud Rules anyone?). I'm not worthy.
• Muchas Gracias to u/tsrblke for the smoosh of CF Banana I used today. Thank you and good luck in your pursuit of LG greatness.
• My heartfelt appreciation to the contributors/maintainers of the r/Wetshaving Wiki. Its sage wisdom helped me resolve a bad bout of irritation/burn. In the process this old dog relearned how to enjoy the wet shaving experience.
• A final shoutout to all of the Proud Sponsors of the 2023 edition of Lather Games. A Special Thanks for your generosity!

Daily Theme-Bonjour, Lather Games!: I'm vacationing with family in the Philippines (yes it sucks to be me!) so a tropical vibe for LG23 kickoff seemed appropriate, and it doesn't get more tropical than bananas. I have a $#!+load of their samples but I've never used Chiseled Face so CF Banana it is!

Special Challenge-New All The Things!: Fail! Sorry, only the soap artisan is new today.

My first impression was not positive (think over-ripe banana in both smell and texture). Luckily LG forces you out of your comfort zone and when I bowl-built the lather a fresh banana smell jumped out. The soap was thirsty (not sure yet if too much soap or that's typical for CF) but the lather was slick and gave a nice DFS. Though not intentional (I keep a limited variety of software in our PI abode), the neutrality of the pre- and post-shave products allows me to enjoy the Banana Bouquet in all its greatness! Let the Games begin. #ROTY

July 2, 2023 – Month of Lather Day 2

• Brush: Frank Shaving Butterscotch Classic handle w/ DS Cosmetics 24mm SHD G7 Synthetic
• Razor: Merkur Progress
• Blade: Gillette Silver Blue (5.5)
• Preshave: Proraso – Aloe and Vitamin E Cream
• Lather: Henri et Victoria – Deuce
• Post Shave: Nivea – Sensitive Post Shave Balm
• Fragrance: Chanel - Allure Homme Sport EdT
• Music: John Denver - Leaving On A Jet Plane

Daily Theme: I stuck with a tropical vibe since about an hour from now the family unit is traveling to a small island (Boracay) for some fun in the sun. HeV Deuce has a tropical element (citris lime!) and vegan so it's up today.

Daily Challenge: I'm still a caveman at heart so I've never evolved into SE shaving. Since using one side of a DE is acceptable (yet admittedly lame-@$$), I cut off one edge of yesterday's blade, put the remainder into the Progress and dove into the shave.

Very enjoyable DFS. First time using HeV and it produced a slick lather with minimal effort. The Progress did its job holding the partial blade. The only one who didn't do their job well was me. I was so thoroughly enjoying the shave I overbuffed around my chin and gave myself a bit of razor burn. Someday I'll get my act together. #ROTY

July 3, 2023 – Month of Lather Day 3

• Brush: DS Cosmetics Queen Red handle w/ DSC 24mm SHD G7 Synthetic knot
• Razor: Razorock Game Changer .68-P
• Blade: Gillette Platinum (1)
• Preshave: Proraso – Eucalyptus Oil and Menthol Cream
• Lather: Cella Milano – Crema Da Barba Almond
• Post Shave: Stirling Soap Co. – Unscented Balm
• Fragrance: Polo - Red
• Music: Tina Turner - The Best

Daily Theme: If you looked in dictionary under almondy you'd find a picture of Cella Crema da Barba Almond. The fact that the container is red is an added bonus.

Daily Challenge: I can't rap like u/Crisp_Mango, I'm not creative enough to write an ode like u/MrTangerinesky, and I don't have easy access to the precision tools used by u/Rdthedo and u/hairykopite to create a crimson homage. What I can do is dedicate today's musical selection to /u/RedMosquitoMM. The song's title says it better than anything I could come up with.

An easygoing comfortable shave to start the day. Cella and the hardware did their jobs well and I was focused enough to keep my technique sound. A 2-pass DFS was the result.

A final nod to /u/RedMosquitoMM - while brainstorming today's challenge I found one of his comments (to fellow LG rook u/tsrblke) regarding Precision Loading. I'm a PL convert (thanks to u/CosmoBarber and his video) but I never quite figured out the transition from bowl to face lathering. With one phrase ("...and then add the last few dips of water while working the lather into my stubble...") I achieved lathering enlightenment thanks to /u/RedMosquitoMM. #ROTY

July 4, 2023 – Month of Lather Day 4

• Brush: DS Cosmetics Queen Red handle w/ DSC 24mm SHD G7 Synthetic knot
• Razor: Razorock Game Changer .68-P
• Blade: Gillette Platinum (2)
• Preshave: Proraso – Eucalyptus Oil and Menthol Cream
• Lather: Ariana & Evans – Siam
• Post Shave: Stirling Soap Co. – Unscented Balm
• Fragrance: Jo Malone – Myrrh & Tonka EdC
• Music: Paul Hertzog - Streets Of Siam

Daily Theme: I'm a Wisconsin native (and proud Cheesehead) but have lived the last two decades in Southeast Asia. Being close to the equator, my work home (Singapore) doesn't experience seasons. Instead there are two periods (Rainy Period, and It's Too F-ing Hot Period). Between them (in early Spring to those in the Northern Hemisphere who actually experience seasons) orchids bloom. The scent of orchid is everywhere. Happily, the first scent I noted when I opened A&E Siam was orchid. A lemongrass note also jumped out (lemongrass is a popular ingredient in Asian food). Within the menagerie of other scents I noted another familiar scent but couldn't figure it out. My wife came to the rescue and informed me it was ilang-ilang. Ilang-ilang? What the heck is that? I asked. It turns out ilang-ilang is a tree native to my wife's home country (Philippines) that flowers in the spring. Wikipedia informs me that Ilang-ilang is Tagalog (a Philippine language) for ylang-ylang, and an essential oil with a strong floral fragrance is extracted from its flowers. A&E Siam may not be the quid essential spring scent to many, but where I reside it is as spring as it gets.

Daily Challenge: I'm a Precision Loading convert and like everything else in my shaving process, I live by the science. I start by caressing (yes that is the appropriate scientific term) exactly 1.50 grams of soap into the lather building receptacle. I apply 1.50 ml of lubricant to my lather building tool and start agitating the soap-coated receptacle with my tool. After exactly 69 seconds the tool begins to dry and more lubrication is required. Another 1.5 ml of lubricant is applied and another 69 seconds of agitation ensues. This lub-agitate cycle is repeated until achieving lathering ecstasy. The shaving part is a bunch of non-scientific mumble-jumble you can learn about by watching YouTube videos. I gotta go. I need a cigarette....

The Shave: Today was the best shave so far during the Month of Lather. All props go to A&E with their VR1 base used in Siam. When transitioning from bowl to face lathering I accidently added too much water to the brush, but instead of the lather turning to a watery mess it became creamy and super slick. An effortless two-pass BBS was the result. Scent familiarity aside, I enjoyed the collective fragrance of Siam and will add to my SAD list. #ROTY

July 5, 2023 – Month of Lather Day 5

• Brush: None – Goop Don't Need no Stinkin' Brush
• Razor: Razorock Game Changer .68-P
• Blade: Gillette Platinum (3)
• Preshave: None – Goop Don't Do Preshave
• Lather: Gillette – Foamy Regular Scent
• Post Shave: Stirling Soap Co. – Unscented Balm
• Music: Almond Joy & Mounds – Sometimes You Feel Like A Nut, Sometimes You Don't

Daily Theme: If there's anything good about goop is that it shows us what not to love. It's like an Ex. Not just any Ex. But an Ex who broke your heart, mended it, and then ripped it out and fed it to a Wolfman. Now imagine that same Ex marrying your sibling and you're the Best Man/Woman/Person. You still hate your Ex, but now you have to pretent you like your Ex. That leads us to Gillette Foamy, the ex I purchased at a local drug store in Singapore.

Daily Challenge: My wife loves chocolate (a nod to her for assisting yesterday), I see coconuts everywhere on our Philippine vacation, and LG23's participants clearly love almond scents (based on a pseudo-scientific poll taken after Monday's LG shave posts). Chocolate, coconut and almonds. Why is that familiar? <..Sometimes you feel like a nut..> Jingle, get out of my head <..Sometimes you Don't..> Make it stop! Ok Big Almond, you win. My perfect, original shaving scent contains notes of chocolate, coconut and almond and ~~Big Almond~~ I will name it... Almond Joy.

The Shave: The Ex behaved and I eked out a SAS. The Foamy provided minimal lubrication/slickness and if I had pushed for more, razor burn would have ensued. I took what the Ex would give me and lived to ~~fight~~ shave another day. #ROTY

July 6, 2023 – Month of Lather Day 6

• Brush: DS Cosmetics Queen Red handle w/ DSC 24mm SHD G7 Synthetic knot
• Razor: Razorock Game Changer .68-P
• Blade: Gillette Platinum (4)
• Preshave: Proraso – Eucalyptus Oil and Menthol Cream
• Lather: Mäurer & Wirtz - Tabac Original Stick (tallow)
• Post Shave: Mäurer & Wirtz - Tabac Original AS Lotion
• Fragrance: Mäurer & Wirtz - Tabac Original EdC
• Music: Rammstein - Du Hast

Daily Theme: The Rank of Stank (trademank pending) wasn't my original plan for Trickhole Day. My work in Singapore gets me access to U.S. military mail, so I attempted to order from Stirling/Maggards some stink-pretty to match one of my soap/balm tricks, but no can do. Because of ~~The Man's Stupid Rules~~ Federal Regulations vendors can't mail products with alcohol to my Military postal address. Luckily Tabac is reasonably popular in this part of the world so the Stank Trick is the flavor of the day.

Daily Challenge: I was trying to figure our a way to stack my shaving stuff when my wife comes up and asks "What ya doin?" I explain my dilemma (what to do with the razor) and she retorts "Just stick it in the brush". A problem I've been trying to resolve for the last day she resolved in 15 seconds. Go figure. Thanks Hon!

The Shave: An extremely enjoyable BBS shave. It took some effort to Precision Load the Stank Stick shavings, but once they became paste a quality lather was easily built. I wasn't sure how my wife would take to Tabac, Luckily she liked it. Now it's time to share my Stankiness with the fellow passengers on my puddle-jumper hop back to my Philippine abode. #ROTY

July 7, 2023 – Month of Lather Day 7

• Brush: Frank Shaving Butterscotch Classic handle w/ DS Cosmetics 24mm SHD G7 Synthetic
• Razor: Razorock Game Changer .68-P
• Blade: Gilette Astra Superior Stainless (Blue) (1)
• Preshave: Proraso – Eucalyptus Oil and Menthol Cream
• Lather: Stirling Soap Co. – Stirling Spice
• Post Shave: Stirling Soap Co. – Unscented Balm
• Music: Neil Young - Cinnamon Girl

Daily Theme: According to esteemed spice expert u/cowzilla3, Stirling Spice rates a rock solid 20 on his The Great Spice Off series of Old Spice option tests. If Stirling Spice is spicy enough to earn Cowzilla3's seal of approval, then it should be spicy enough to satisfy today's theme.

Daily Challenge: When life doesn't get in the way I like to golf. Similar to wetshaving, golf contains colorful jargon. While the meanings are vastly different, golf and wetshaving have numerous interlinked jargon. Golf says "Par", Wetshaving says "Socially Acceptable Shave"; Golf "Birdie", Wetshaving "Damned Fine Shave"; Golf "Eagle", Wetshaving "Baby's Bottom Smooth"; Golf "Hybrid", Wetshaving "Dual Comb"; Golf "Cleek", Wetshaving "GEM"; Golf "Clubs", Wetshaving "Hardware"; Golf "Balls", Wetshaving "Software"; Golf "Blades", Wetshaving "Blades"; and finally Golf "The Rub of the Green" and Wetshaving "Your Mileage May Vary".

The Shave: My fifty+ year old memories of the Old are strong (it was my Dad's and Grandpa's daily driver). The Old didn't pop at first use of the Stirling. Scent memories can be tricky, so I set it aside. When I revisited the Stirling (after embracing Precision Loading and improving my shaving technique) a trip down memory lane and DFS resulted. Today's shave was even better, with more memories and a BBS finish. Thanks to both the Old and the Stirling for the scent nostalgia. #ROTY

Edited brush to reflect the one I actually used for this shave. Pic is correct, original listing was wrong.

July 8, 2023 – Month of Lather Day 8

• Brush: Frank Shaving Butterscotch Classic handle w/ DS Cosmetics 24mm SHD G7 Synthetic
• Razor: Razorock Game Changer .68-P
• Blade: Gilette Astra Superior Stainless (Blue) (2)
• Preshave: Proraso – Eucalyptus Oil and Menthol Cream
• Lather: Maggard Razors - Tobacco and Leather
• Post Shave: Stirling Soap Co. – Unscented Balm
• Fragrance: Mont Blanc - Legend EdT
• Music: TLC - Red Light Special

Daily Theme: Later today I will become a human Vienna Sausage while crammed into a too small seat on my flight back to my work residence. While commercial flying is about as much fun as cutting my nails, who says I can't at least smell good. Enter Maggard Razors - Tobacco and Leather.

Daily Challenge: u/Impressive_Donut114 presented a janitorial question in the DQ thread. My attempt to help can be found here.

If you enjoy seeing a noob getting shitpost schooled by a master ( u/Enndeegee ), read here.

The Shave: Maggard's Platinum base was easy to work with and the result was an efficient BBS. Can't get much better than that. #ROTY

July 9, 2023 – Month of Lather Day 9

• Brush: DS Cosmetics Carrot handle w/ 26mm 2-band Badger + Synthetic mixed knot #MISTURA
• Razor: Rex Supply Co. Ambassador XL Adjustable #DIAL
• Blade: Gillette Perma-Sharp (1)
• Preshave: Stirling Soap Co. – Unscented
• Lather: Barrister and Mann - Cheshire
• Post Shave: Black Ship Grooming – Davy Jones Splash
• Post Shave: Stirling Soap Co. – Unscented Balm
• Music: Loveninjas - Earl Grey with Honey

Daily Theme: It's early Monday here in Singapore. While I love me some coffee (and will guzzle a full pot once I get to work), to ease my way back into work mode I need a caffeine product that's a little more subtle. Enter Cheshire. As per B&M: We blend American clary sage, bergamot, and small amounts of lavender and patchouli to create a very realistic interpretation of the smell of Earl Grey (the tea, not the man). That works for me.

Daily Challenge: Here is a perspective view of today's shaving station.

The Shave: A thoroughly enjoyable shave. In spite of not really being able to see what I was doing, B&M's Omnibus base was more than slick enough to compensate for my suspect shaving technique. Now I need to clean the kitchen because there is lather everywhere! #ROTY

July 10, 2023 – Month of Lather Day 10

• Brush: DS Cosmetics Carrot handle w/ 26mm 2-band Badger + Synthetic mixed knot
• Razor: Rex Supply Co. Ambassador XL Adjustable
• Blade: Gillette Perma-Sharp (2)
• Preshave: Stirling Soap Co. – Unscented
• Lather: Stirling Soap Co. – Baker Street
• Post Shave: Zingari Man – Unscented Balm
• Music: Gerry Rafferty - Baker Street

Daily Theme: I picked up Stirling's Baker Street to help with my SAD. While ~~googling~~ researching for today's theme I discover that a favorite song and the Stirling soap are both inspired by London's Baker Street. Flashback to 1978, I'm fourteen, and I just saved enough money from my part-time jobs to purchase a Sears stereo system (complete with turntable). What good is a player without records, so as soon as I could I went 45 shopping. I chose Gerry Rafferty' Baker Street because it had an awesome saxophone riff (I played sax our school band, so I was sax-biased). Back to today, the 45 and stereo system are long gone, but using Stirling's Baker Street brings nostalgic flashbacks of teenage me playing Gerry Rafferty' Baker Street over and over on my record player.

Daily Challenge: To get started I ~~stole~~ borrowed some of my daughter's art supplies. She has the artistic talent in the family. Me, not so much. There's a reason why my background is in engineering and not in graphic design, and here is the proof.

The Shave: The first pass was fantastic. Lather, razor & blade all working in harmony. Second pass not so much. Why? Because while lathering my face for the second pass I stupidly dropped my loaded brush in the sink. I should have reloaded but stubbornness kicked in and I attempted to save what lather I had left. I ended up with a DFS but gave myself razor burn in the process. I'm an idiot. #ROTY

July 11, 2023 – Month of Lather Day 11

• Brush: Parker BCPB Black Plastic & Chrome Pot Metal handle w/ Pure Badger knot #COMPOSITE #WEDONTNEEDNOSTINKINGBADGERS
• Razor: Gillette Tech #REGUS
• Blade: Gillette Perma-Sharp (3)
• Preshave: Stirling Soap Co. – Unscented
• Lather: Barrister and Mann – Cool
• Post Shave: Barrister and Mann – Cool Balm
• Music: The Velvet Underground - Cool It Down

Daily Theme: B&M Cool prominently features bergamot and lemon (plus lavender), which makes today's soap as cool as a summer breeze.

Daily Challenge: In our house, my wife lends "guidance" on what I weas since color-coordination is not one of my strong suits. Without assistance I set up today's photo. My wife would be proud. My dad would say "it's a good thing you have a day job!"

The Shave: B&M's omnibus base always delivers for me and today was no exception. Two pass DFS, and a citrus halo following me out the door. #ROTY

**July 12, 2023 – Month of Lather Day 12

• Brush: DS Cosmetics Carrot handle w/ 26mm 2-band Badger + Synthetic mixed knot
• Razor: Weber PH w/ Classic handle
• Blade: Gillette Perma-Sharp (4)
• Preshave: Stirling Soap Co. – Unscented
• Lather: Black Ship Grooming Co. - Davy Jones
• Post Shave: Black Ship Grooming Co. - Davy Jones Splash
• Post Shave: Zingari Man – Unscented Balm
• Music: The Danish National Symphony Orchestra - The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Daily Theme: BSG's original soap base (of which today's soap uses) consists of Coconut oil, Shea Butter, Stearic Acid, Water, Potassium Hydroxide, Glycerin.

Daily Challenge: I tub loaded/face lathered for decades before switching last year to Precision Loading/bowl lathering to better deal with samples and (to paraphrase u/itchypooter) my face lathering technique sucked. I haven't tub loaded/face lathered in 2023 so for the Reverse Lather challenge, tub loading/face lathering it is!

The Shave: Today's shave was a mixed bag. The Good - BFG's Davy Jones scent is fantastic (to me). The splash carries it well. I could see this becoming a daily driver. The ~~Bad~~ Not So Good - as mentioned by u/Ramjet615 in his LG SPTD for today, BSG's original soap base is "meh". Whether bowl or face lathering I find the lather offers at best average protection (razor burn after one WTG pass is never a good sign). It appears that BSG recognized this since they have upgraded to their Kaito base which is "thicker" and "slicker". The Ugly (in a good way!) - I used Michael Freedburg's Wet Method of tub loading/face lathering and fluffy lather was flying everywhere. I'm going to need a fire hose and squeegee to clean up the foamy mess! #ROTY

**July 13, 2023 – Month of Lather Day 13

• Brush: DS Cosmetics Jade Green handle w/ DSC 24mm SHD G7 Synthetic knot
• Razor: Wolfman WR1 .61mm head w/ Weber Classic handle
• Blade: Gillette Minora Stainless (1)
• Preshave: Stirling Soap Co. – Unscented
• Lather: Zingari Man - The Royal
• Post Shave: Zingari Man – Unscented Balm
• Music: Aerosmith - Kings and Queens

Daily Theme: ZM The Royal prominently features incense and the scent master is Shawn Maher. It's time for some pomp and circumstance!

Daily Challenge: The Royal. Is he a King? Or is she a Queen? Or are they both Kings and Queens?

The Shave: Today's shaving event was not worthy of the regal elegance bestowed by The Royal. The Sego base was easy to work with and a lordly lather resulted. The shave itself was barely commoner class. I will need a few more days with the Minora blade before passing sovereign judgement. #ROTY

edit: corrected music link

July 14, 2023 – Month of Lather Day 14

• Brush: Yaqi 30mm Tuxedo Synthetic #CHONK
• Razor: Rex Supply Co. Ambassador XL Adjustable
• Blade: Gillette Minora Stainless (2)
• Preshave: Stirling Soap Co. – Unscented
• Lather: Chiseled Face - Cryogen
• Post Shave: Stirling Soap Co. – Varen Balm
• Music: Cream - Strange Brew

Daily Theme: CF Cryogen lists Menthol as the fifth ingredient, and its web page states "We put a ridiculous amount of menthol in here". Should I be concerned?

The Challenge/Shave: Strange. That describes today's shave. It started normal: precision load the Chonk, bowl-build lather until shiny, shift to face lathering. And then weirdness set in. When Chonk touched my face tears started flowing. Waterfall level tears. So many tears that I didn't add more water as I face-built the lather. My tears provided the perfect level of hydration, and the lather was awesome. Because of the tears I didn't notice my face had become numb. The last time my face felt like this was when I way flying in Antartica (it's a long story and to avoid djudge's I'll save it for another day). Shave time. First time ATG on first pass so I dialed the Ambassador to Tech-level mildness and started. Surprising effective on my neck and cheeks. On my chin the razor started playing hopscotch, but I powered through without incident. I rinsed my face, re-lathered, experienced more waterfall tears, dialed the razor to Adjustable @4-level, and did a WTG pass. Checked my face and wow, pretty smooth. Minor cleanup around the chin and bingo! DFS. I finished up with Stirling's Varen balm. Why Varen? Why not? Everything else was strange, so why do normal for the post shave. #ROTY

July 15, 2023 – Month of Lather Day 15

• Brush: Simpson - Trafalger T2 Synthetic #OLDWORLD #PREMIUMPLASTIC
• Razor: Razorock Game Changer .68-P
• Blade: Gillette Minora Stainless (3)
• Preshave: Stirling Soap Co. – Unscented
• Lather: Barrister and Mann – Le Grand Chypre
• Post Shave: Barrister and Mann – Le Grand Chypre Balm
• Music: Cypress Hill - Insane In The Brain

Daily Theme: B&M Le Grand Chypre demonstrates its chypre-ness right there in it's name. Shave time!

The Challenge: Today's challenge presented two options: record my shave WetTube style, or talk about WetTube videos. So the choices are to make an @$$ of myself, or to be a lame@$$. I'm an @$$ either way, so no lame for me today. Here's the @$$tastic proof.

The Shave: In spite of my horrible shaving technique due to having no frickin' idea on how to properly record a shave, the B&M Omnibus base performed flawlessly. I wish I had given B&M its well-deserved props on the video, but I'm making up for that now. #ROTY

July 16, 2023 – Month of Lather Day 16

• Brush: DS Cosmetics Carrot handle w/ 26mm 2-band Badger + Synthetic mixed knot
• Razor: Rex Supply Co. Ambassador XL Adjustable
• Blade: Treet Carbon Steel (1)
• Preshave: Stirling Soap Co. – Unscented
• Lather: Noble Otter – Barrbarr
• Post Shave: Black Ship Grooming – Ship Wreck Cove Splash
• Post Shave: Stirling Soap Co. – Unscented Balm
• Music: George Thorogood & The Destroyers - Get A Haircut

Daily Theme: Last fall, after decades of using Proraso Green I wanted something new. While searching I noted on the NO Barrbarr product page that "It will remind you of the days when you were a little kid sitting on the stool with that old barber giving you a haircut". That's all I needed to read and Barrbarr was the first tub of artisan soap I purchased!

The Challenge: When I first saw today's challenge, I was hesitant. I don't do memes. That's not my thing. Then someone set me straight. Here's some food for thought for GUTL practitioners.

The Shave: An effortless, enjoyable BBS today. It's nice when the software and hardware work well together. I forgot how much I enjoy Barrbarr's scent, and its performance was top notch as always. #ROTY

July 17, 2023 – Month of Lather Day 17

• Brush: DS Cosmetics Jade Green handle w/ DSC 24mm SHD G7 Synthetic knot
• Razor: Rex Supply Co. Ambassador XL Adjustable
• Blade: Treet Carbon Steel (2)
• Preshave: Stirling Soap Co. – Unscented
• Lather: House of Mammoth - Smash
• Post Shave: Zingari Man – Unscented Balm
• Music: The Traveling Wilburys - Handle With Care

Daily Theme: Smash is collaboration between House of Mammoth and Barrister and Mann, with both artisans' brands are prominently featured on the logo. Thanks goes to u/tsrblke for providing the smoosh of Smash I'm using today.

The Challenge: Over the four plus decades I've been shaving I've purchased three (3) blocks/sticks of alum (none of them Osma). Prior to today challenge, collectively I've used alum only once. Why? For the same reason I have enough soap and blades to last my lifetime, my son's lifetime, and most likely the yet-to-be-conceived grandson's lifetime. Because someday I might need it. Like for Lather Games 2023 Day 17.

The Shave: The HoM Tusk base performed flawlessly and helped deliver a BBS. Shaving complete, I broke out the alum stick and rubbed it all over my face à la u/Impressive_Donut114 on Goop Day, all the while thinking to myself: "Boy I wish I was using Osma." Absolutely pulsating!

Seriously, I was pleasantly surprised by today's alum experience. My previous alum misadventure happened during a bout of severe razor burn (due to pi$$-poor lather and shaving techniques). I left it on my skin WAY TOO LONG, which made the skin irritation worse. This time I did my homework before use, "smartly" applied the alum, and rinsed off the excess salt residue once the alum dried. What a difference! My skin and pores tightened right up. I'm not a convert yet, but I may need to reconsider my view of alum. #ROTY

July 17, 2023 – Month of Lather Day 18

• Brush: Ever-Ready 100 Boar #ANCIENT #HOLLOW #RUNT
• Razor: Rex Supply Co. Ambassador XL Adjustable
• Blade: Treet Carbon Steel (3)
• Preshave: Stirling Soap Co. – Unscented
• Lather: Chiseled Face - Cedar & Spice
• Post Shave: Mäurer & Wirtz - Tabac Original AS Lotion
• Fragrance: Mäurer & Wirtz - Tabac Original EdC
• Music: Metallica - Atlas, Rise!

Daily Theme: CF Cedar & Spice prominently features woody spicy accords. According to Fragrantica, the following Cedar & Spice notes are considered woody: Cedar, Guaiac Wood, Haitian Vetiver, & Patchouli; and the following Cedar & Spice notes are considered spicy: Black Pepper, Clove, and Ginger. Juniper Berries and Lime notes are also added to "keep things from getting boring".

The Challenge: Being in/associated with the military for four decades, daily face shaving is all I know. Joining a month-long Atlas Shave Challenge is not something I would normally do. Taking part in today's Atlas Shave Day challenge, now that's a different story. Here's the proof: Lather catching, Whisker straining, and Atlas results.

The Shave: I was concerned that my lather technique wasn't good enough for The Runt, but The CF base and The Runt got along famously and quickly built quality lather. During the shave I focused too much on lather catching and ended up with a CCS. I really like the CF base, but scent-wise the Cedar & Spice was just ok to me. I remedied that by applied a bit of Tabac magic post-shave. #ROTY

July 19, 2023 – Month of Lather Day 19

• Brush: Lands' End Black Cotton Crew Sock circa 2011
• Razor: Edgewell Personal Care Brands Speed3 handle #RAINBOW
• Blade: Edgewell Personal Care Brands Speed3 3-blade cartridge (1)
• Preshave: Proraso – Eucalyptus Oil and Menthol Cream
• Lather: Proraso - Green Tea and Oat Sensitive Skin Cream
• Post Shave: Nivea – Sensitive Post Shave Balm
• Music: Cream - White Room

The Challenge: Sock Puppet Theater, also known as Lather with a Sock. Challege accepted. Here's the evidence.

Daily Theme & Shave: Decided to go with Proraso White cream soap today. I know from (too much) experience that no matter how badly I screw up the lather building process, the Proraso will perform given more water. As seen in this glorious (NOT) pic, the lather needed help. After multiple handfuls of water, the cream was slick enough to support a two-pass SAS. Post-shave cleanup was a breeze.

If Djudges are willing to Air Bud that my sock is a brush, the following hardware tags would be appropriate: #ANCIENT #HOLLOW #RUNT #TOLL

Public Service Announcement: u/hugbckt is concerned about Big Almond. u/glink48 is concerned about Big Lather. Me? I'm concerned about Big Perv. Yesterday it was this. Today it is this. What's next? This?. Be afraid. Be very afraid... #ROTY

July 20, 2023 – Month of Lather Day 20

• Brush: DS Cosmetics Jade Green handle w/ DSC 24mm SHD G7 Synthetic knot
• Razor: Gillette Tech
• Blade: Treet Carbon Steel (4)
• Preshave: Stirling Soap Co. – Unscented
• Lather: Stirling Soap Co. – Stirling Blu
• Post Shave: Stirling Soap Co. – Stirling Blu Balm
• Music: Sudden Lights - Backwards In Time

Daily Theme: Stirling Blu is Stirling's "take on the popular Polo Blue cologne". Polo Blue is a favorite of my wife, so it was only natural that Blu was the first Stirling soap I purchased.

The Challenge/Shave: For decades I used Proraso and for decades my lather was a dry, pasty, and sticky. I instinctively added large quantities of water as I shaved and somehow got decent shaves in spite of my crappy lather. When I switched to artisan soaps, my Proraso lather technique was a failure and shaving was torture. Thanks to the r/Wetshaving wiki and a lot of practice I learned how to make nice, good, wet lather. Now the Lather Gods (LGs) want me to go backwards in time and relive the trauma. For reasons I cannot explain I complied. I would show you a W_E-quality photo of my hot mess razor burned face on fire, but everyone has suffered enough already.

Public Apology: Yesterday I hypothesized that the LGs were using us to satisfy their dark web fantasies. I couldn't be more wrong, and today's shave proved it. The LGs gave us a nibble (Dup of our choice) and then made us self-torture ourselves with said dup. This is Psychological Warfare at its highest level, Stockholm Syndrome-level torture. Don't believe me? Exhibit #1 - The Lord of Spice himself, u/cowzilla3. After expressing fealty to the Air Bud Emperor, The LGs used their crowd psychology techniques to get Cowzilla to reject u/airbudeuler, bend his knee, and become a Public Shill to the Lather Gods. They broke Cowzilla, now they're trying to break us. Don't trust anyone! #ROTY

July 21, 2023 – Month of Lather Day 21

• Brush: DS Cosmetics Jade Green handle w/ DSC 24mm SHD G7 Synthetic knot
• Razor: Rex Supply Co. Ambassador XL Adjustable
• Blade: Gillette Platinum (1)
• Preshave: Stirling Soap Co. – Unscented
• Lather: Catie's Bubbles – Florentine Fern
• Post Shave: Zingari Man – Unscented Balm
• Fragrance: Mont Blanc - Legend Intense EdT
• Music: Fern. - Murakami

Daily Theme: Florentine Fern is a fougère offerings from Catie's Bubbles. I like the smell off the puck. I'm looking forward to the shave. #ROTY

The Shave: What a glorious shave. The CB Luxury Cream Soap base is awesome. I forgot how well it performs and loaded too much. Luckily lather-building with this base is super easy and in short order I had about six passes worth of wonderfully smelling slick, wet lather. An effortless BBS was the result.

I want to thank the LGs for blessing us with this opulent olfactory experience... What did I just write? What are these conflicting ideas in my head? Is u/cowzilla3 right about this?. Or is this another attempt to turn me to the dark side?

The Challenge: Here's a contemplative Haiku:

The Gods of Lather
Trying Their Best to Break Me
I Will Not Succumb

July 22, 2023 – Month of Lather Day 22

• Brush: Yaqi 30mm Tuxedo Synthetic
• Razor: Baili BD176
• Blade: Gillette Platinum (1)
• Lather: House of Mammoth - Indigo
• Post Shave: Stirling Soap Co. – Unscented Balm
• Music: Peter Gabriel - Indigo

Daily Theme: HoM states "Indigo smells like you've left that blues club late at night". Blueberry is a prominently feature in this unique scent, being the second note listed.

The Challenge: I planned to skip this challenge, but if I skip Leg Day I become vulnerable to LGs peer influence psychology techniques. Then again, bending to the LG's Leg Day shaving desire puts me one step closer to assimilation. Maybe I can Air Bud this and the LGs won't notice. Nope. Rule 5.1 eliminates all loopholes, but the rules allow shaving some other part that you don't usually shave. Groin area? Nope. I'll leave that for u/MrTangerinesky and u/Priusaurus for use in their "My ᶁǃ©ķ Is Bigger Than Yours" battle. Front-side of my upper torso? It's over twice the area of my face, so half will work.

The Shave: Following the u/Newtothethis Leg Guide, I loaded twice the norm of soap and built a large bowl of lather. It smelled great and was super slick. In spite of having a $#!+load of lather, the first pass used almost half of it. The shave highlighted my poor razor choice. It was too mild and too quick to clog. Too much cleanup/buffing gave me a good case of razor burn. Oh well, that's life in the fast lane.

The following pics are PG but not for the faint of heart. Consider yourself warned. Here's before, during and after pics of today's shave. #ROTY

July 23, 2023 – Month of Lather Day 23

• Brush: DS Cosmetics Jade Green handle w/ DSC 24mm SHD G7 Synthetic knot
• Razor: Rex Supply Co. Ambassador XL Adjustable
• Blade: Gillette Platinum (1)
• Preshave: Proraso – Eucalyptus Oil and Menthol
• Lather: Proraso - Eucalyptus Oil and Menthol
• Post Shave: Nivea – Sensitive Post Shave Balm
• Music: Lynyrd Skynyrd - That Smell

Daily Theme: Proraso Green and Nivea Balm is my cheat code. Prior to becoming aware of "the good stuff" last year, it was what I wore at every life event involving my wife and/or daughter. Even now with a medicine cabinet full of better scents/frags I still get the best compliments from the two women in my life when I wear the cheat code.

The Challenge: Lather Audit. Public Ridicule. Ok, I'll play.

The Shave: Today's lather is a good example of focusing too much on checking boxes and not enough on doing the job right. I precision loaded/bowl-built the lather in order to capture a representative picture, yet two decades of experience tells me that tub loading/face-building Proraso gives me the best results. While the lather looked wet in the bowl, but on the face the slickness just wasn't there. Recognizing this, I kept buffing/cleanup to a minimum and finished with a CCS. #RO

July 24, 2023 – Month of Lather Day 24

• Brush: DS Cosmetics Carrot handle w/ 26mm 2-band Badger + Synthetic mixed knot
• Razor: Rex Supply Co. Ambassador XL Adjustable
• Blade: Gillette Platinum (2)
• Preshave: Stirling Soap Co. – Unscented
• Lather: Tallow + Steel - Shag
• Post Shave: Zingari Man – Unscented Balm
• Music: Sammy Hagar & the Waboritas - Shag

Daily Theme: I received today's smoosh of Shag from tsrblke as a selectee of his generous Hippy Dippy Piffy PIF. tsrblke's tub of Shag was originally part of Matt Hilton (120inna55)'s collection.

The Shave: The T+S based performed flawlessly and my technique was good enough for a BBS, but honestly today's shave results really don't matter. Matt passed before my time here, but everything I have read tells me that Matt was an upstanding member of the community. Today's shave reminded me to never take anything for granted.

The Challenge: My first tribute goes to u/tsrblke, not only for gifting me todays smoosh but also for being a genuinely good person. He can get a bit excitable, but it is because HE CARES. If everyone was like him the world would be better for it. My second tribute goes to the 2023 LG Staff for planning and orchestrating this year's Lather Games. Ignoring for a minute the ~~bullshit~~ nonsense I write in my posts, I really don't know how you all do it. I made it my goal to read every LG23 SOTD post and I can hardly keep up. Do any of you ever sleep? My final tribute is in memory of Matt. #ROTY

July 25, 2023 – Month of Lather Day 25

• Brush: DS Cosmetics Jade Green handle w/ DSC 24mm SHD G7 Synthetic knot
• Razor: Gillette Tech
• Blade: Gillette Platinum (3)
• Preshave: Stirling Soap Co. – Unscented
• Lather: Barrister and Mann - Smoking Bishop
• Post Shave: Zingari Man – Unscented Balm
• Fragrance: Ralph Lauren - Polo Red Intense EdT
• Music: Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes - Let's Just Do It

Daily Theme: B&M's marketing for Smoking Bishop: "Smoking Bishop refers to a pleasing punch served in Victorian homes during the winter season... Whip some up today and be transported to a Dickensian Christmas".

The Challenge: After recovering from the shock of reading today's challenge (and ignoring any conspiracy thoughts fermenting in my brain), I got down to solving the task at hand. I'm left-eye dominant but I write (and shave) with my right hand. I perform many tasks left-handed (including hockey which I sucked at it but loved playing) so why can't I shave lefty? Recognizing that I would need to focus on the razor orientation in order to follow my grain patterns, I reasoned that a razor with a neutral-ish blade exposure and a mild-ish blade gap would be best because I didn't trust myself to always keep the shave angle in a safe zone. The Tech is my most forgiving razor so it was chosen.

The Shave: Today's shave was surprisingly enjoyable. The Omnibus base was great as always. Not having to worry about the lather I rode the cap of the Tech and after two passes (WTG, then ATG with very minor cleanup) I survived with a nick/burn-free SAS. The most difficult part of the Leftorium Challenge was getting my right hand to contribute to the shave. With enough practice, left-handed shaving could become a new tool in my shaving tool kit. #ROTY

July 26, 2023 – Month of Lather Day 26

• Brush: AdWorried Right Hand
• Bowl: AdWorried Left Hand
• Razor: Baili BD176
• Blade: Gillette Platinum (4)
• Prep: Last Rites Prayer
• Lather: Fruit of the Earth - Aloe Vera Skin Care Lotion
• Post Shave: Barrister and Mann – Cool Balm
• Music: Oingo Boingo - Weird Science

The Challenge: I am blessed with a large medicine cabinet. My original plan was to keep all my shaving paraphernalia in the medicine cabinet, but as you can from this photo collage I'm not doing a very good job keeping with my plan.

Daily Theme/Shave: I was curious whether face/hand lotion could be used as a lather substitute. Well, curiosity got the best of me, so I used Fruit of the Earth Aloe Vera Skin Care Lotion for today's shave. Four of the first six ingredients can be found in most shave soaps, but I wasn't sure about the mineral oil and cetyl alcohol. The mineral oil kept the "lather" slick, but the lotion provided no cushion and it gummed up everything it made contact with. I ended up with a close shave, but my neck was a casualty (here's another picture collage for those morbidly curious). The weepers were short-lived and there were no signs of carnage by the time I washed the gunk off of my face. The best part of the shave was applying the B&M Cool AS balm. My face has never been this soft. #ROTY

July 27, 2023 – Month of Lather Day 27

• Brush: Parker BCPB Black Plastic & Chrome Potmetal handle w/ Pure Badger knot
• Razor: Merkur 23C
• Blade: Rapira Swedish Supersteel (1)
• Preshave: Razor Emporium – Small Batch Soap
• Lather: Razor Emporium – Lavender
• Post Shave: Black Ship Grooming – Ship Wreck Cove Splash
• Post Shave: Stirling Soap Co. – Unscented Balm
• Music: The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Purple Haze

Daily Theme: RE Lavender on Lavendursday. Shave time.

The Challenge/Shave: Here in Singapore everyone lives in high-rise apartment/condo buildings. I live in a corner unit, so my balcony "technically" meets the challenge criteria because it only has one wall. Here's my setup, and if you look closely, you'll see a train at the station across from me. Here's a couple horrible attempts to capture passing trains at the beginning and during the first pass. I gave up trying to take artsy-fartsy shaving pics and took a couple straight on train shots before and after my second pass.

Prior to today I was not a fan of RE Lavender's scent. Maybe it was the outdoor air, or maybe it was because my lather-building technique has improved, but I really enjoyed today's lather. In spite of the cheap-@$$ hardware and crappy mirror I used; I ended up with a DFS. I'll take that any day. #ROTY

July 28, 2023 – Month of Lather Day 28

• Brush: Yaqi 20mm Tuxedo Synthetic
• Razor: No-Name-Brand Tech Knock-off
• Blade: Feiyu New Carbon Steel (1)
• Blade: Rapira Swedish Supersteel (2)
• Preshave: Stirling Soap Co. – Unscented
• Lather: RazoRock – Classic
• Post Shave: Stirling Soap Co. – Stirling Blu Balm
• Fragrance: No-Name-Brand - Sport Club for Men EdP
• Music: Molly Hatchet - Flirtin' with Disaster

Daily Theme/Challenge: Here are the cheapest products in my staving stash:

1. Brush: $7.00 USD. This is a second/reject with a cosmetic flaw that does not affect performance. I got this for the Games just in case I needed a "disposable" brush.
2. Bowl: $1.50 USD. Purchased for $2 SGD at the local Singapore dollar store. My first "dedicated" lather bowl and still one of my better performers.
3. Razor: $1.54 USD. This is Cheap China $#!+ (CCS) at its finest. The head is a stamped aluminum Tech head knock-off and the handle is a cast aluminum Merkur 23C long handle knock-off; both with sus quality control typical of CCS. I got this to make an AliExpress purchase quality for free shipping. In hindsight i should have paid the shipping charge.
4. Blade: $0.024 USD. Yes, you read that right - 2.4 cents. It came with a cheap-@$$ razor hair cutter comb. The only place I can them are on Alibaba at 8 cents for a tuck of 10 (minimum purchase 400 tucks). Assuming 50% logistics cost and 100% retail markup, that works out to 24 cents for the tuck and 2.4 cents for the blade. This price should have scared me, but you only live once...

Total Hardware Cost: $10.064

1. Preshave: $0.0321 per gram. Stirling is half the price of other preshaves I've used yet it's better than the rest. Well done Stirling!
2. Lather: $0.0399 per gram. This is 40% cheaper than the retail tubs of Proraso and Cella that I have. Wow.
3. Post Shave: $0.0701 per gram. Stirling Rocks!
4. Fragrance: $0.0214 per gram. Purchased for $1 SGD at the local Singapore dollar store. The alcohol content is so high that it nearly evaporates on contact.

Total Software Cost: $0.1635 per gram

The Shave: Pass 1 with the Feiyu CCS blade was the worst shaving pass I've ever experienced. Imagine taking a blade, buffing it on broken chunks of concrete and then shaving with it. That was this pass. Stupidly, I forced myself to do Pass 1 with the blade and it was torturous. Call me a wimp but there was no way I was doing another pass with that blade, so I loaded the Rapira Sweed and did Pass 2 without donating any more blood. I'm not going to pull an u/OnionMiasma and be stuck having to use the CCS blade or razor ever again, so they immediately were tossed in the sharps/recycle bins. #ROTY

July 29, 2023 – Month of Lather Day 29

• Brush: DS Cosmetics Carrot handle w/ 26mm 2-band Badger + Synthetic mixed knot
• Razor: Rex Supply Co. Ambassador XL Adjustable
• Blade: Rapira Swedish Supersteel (3)
• Preshave: Proraso – Eucalyptus Oil and Menthol
• Lather: Proraso - Sandalwood with Shea Butter
• Post Shave: Stirling Soap Co. – Varen Balm
• Music: Hedley - Almost Over

Challenge: The 2023 Lather Games Scoring Hot Strategy Tip noted "The point spread between the top five players was less than three points", so missing one LG SOTD virtually guarantees being out of the running. Scanning the DJudge Portal, I noted that roughly half of the participants posted SOTD posts for every LG day, and of the daily posters, around 20 were chasing every point. Having done my homework, now it's time to answer the challenge:

• Lather Games Frontrunners: u/OnionMiasma, u/Priusaurus and u/Crisp_Mango. The amount of preparation by Priusaurus and Mango puts them near the top. Onion's posts are consistently the most enjoyable read for me so if I have to pick one, he gets the nod.
• Feats of Fragrance Frontrunners: u/RedMosquitoMM and u/chronnoisseur42O. I learn something about fragrances every time I read one of RedMosquito's posts, and Chronnoisseur has been playing Fragrance Ninja by silently impressing me with his frag knowledge.
• Photo Contest Frontrunners: u/ginopono, u/jwoods23 and u/raymoonie consistently posted thoughtful, eye-catching photos.
• ROTY Frontrunners: u/pridetwo and u/tsrblke and then it's the rest of us rooks.

Daily Theme/Shave: Proraso Sandalwood is by far my least favorite Proraso product. I don't like the smell and the lather is meh, yet here we are (next Games I need to be smarter than this!). Remembering Proraso doesn't respond well to my current lather-building technique, I went old school and kept the lather pasty. I continually rehydrated the paste with my off hand and ended with a DFS. To reward my nose for having to tolerate the Proraso Sandalwood smell, I finished with Varen. #ROTY

July 30, 2023 – Month of Lather Day 30

• Brush: Simpson - Trafalger T2 Synthetic
• Razor: Razorock Game Changer .68-P
• Blade: Rapira Swedish Supersteel (4)
• Preshave: Proraso – Eucalyptus Oil and Menthol
• Lather: Wholly Kaw - New York
• Post Shave: Nivea – Sensitive Post Shave Balm
• Fragrance: Chanel - Allure Homme Sport EdT
• Music: Skillet - Finish Line

Daily Theme/Challenge: I work/live in Singapore. Virtually all products sold here are imported, including shaving supplies. Here are the countries of origin of every piece of hardware and software I used for today's shave:

1. Simpson Brush: UK.
2. Coconut Bowl: Philippines.
3. Game Changer Razor: Canada.
4. Rapira Blade: Russia.
5. Proraso Preshave: Italy.
6. Wholly Kaw Lather: USA.
7. Nivea Post Shave: Germany
8. Chanel Fragrance: France.

The Shave: My caveman sniffer has great difficulty differentiating between olfactory groups, but it knows what it likes. I really enjoyed the scent of WK New York off the (sample) puck and have been looking forward to today's shave. It did not disappoint. BBS to end LG2023!

Final Note: Thank you everyone for letting me play in your LG sandbox. Beyond the individuals called out during yesterday's homework assignment, I want to recognize the following: Fellow Rooks who kept the pressure on so that the ROTY Top Scorer knows that the title was earned, u/Impressive_Donut114, u/MrTangerinesky, u/cowzilla3 and his evil twin u/AirBudRuler for providing me daily must-read post/comment entertainment, u/Enndeegee for keeping it real, and finally to the LG2023 Organizers and Djudges whom make this all possible. #ROTY