June 01, 2024 – LG24 Day 1 - Bonjour, Lather Games!
Mabuhay from the Philippines. It seems like yesterday u/Priusaurus kicked open the door, announced that everyone else was playing for second because he was going to win, and then went out and did it. With the dawning of this year's edition of LG, we have a number of prior year's top-tier participants joining the ~~dark side~~ djudging ranks, many of our esteemed long-term staffers passing the djudging batan to the staff youngsters and taking on "emeritus" roles, returning top-tier participants feeling it in their bones that this is their year, Prius sitting on his throne with a machine gun gripped in each fist daring anyone to come close to him, the rooks wondering what the hell did they get themselves into, and then there's me, who now lives in the Philippines, no longer has access to the US Military postal system, barely survived last year's LG marathon, and is back for more ~~punishment~~ fun.
PIF Disclosure, Daily Theme & Relevant Post/Frag: The Cedar, Vetiver and Sweetgrass smush was generously provided by u/tsrblke. This is my first time using an Eleven Shaving product. I enjoyed the scent, and while my caveman nose didn't notice either the vetiver or sweetgrass, I liked how they tempered the cedar scent to keep it from being overpowering. I went with YSL La Nuit de L'Homme dupes for post and frag to compliment the cedar by brings additional woodiness and a bit of spiciness to the mix. I thought the software scents worked well together.
Special Challenge & The Shave: Prior to last August's Weckonista contest, I had no intent of ever using a straight or shavette. Then I became aware of the Weck Sextoblade Med Prep (with US Medical Corps emblem) and FOMO set in. I lucked into a bargain on ebay and picked up some Kismets, but before I could use it, I relocated to the PI and the Weck got set aside and forgotten about... until I reviewed the LG calendar.
In hindsight it probably was not the smartest idea to use the Weck for the first time with a soap that lists glycerin as a major ingredient. I've never had any luck with soaps high in glycerin and today was no exception. Eleven's Julien base was plenty slick but not nearly as protective as I like. Shaving my cheeks went well enough, but when I transitioned to by neck it became weeper city. The soap just wasn't protective enough considering the abuse I was inflicting with the Sextoblade. When I transitioned to my upper lip and chin, no soap ever created could have protected me from the damage I inflicted on myself. I went full Reservoir Dogs on myself, leaving a 2mm slice on my upper lip and a 1mm gouge on my upper chin. Luckily, I'm used to bleeding like a stuck pig from my pre-wetshaving days, so I was able to carry on and finish the pass, declared victory (as blood oozed out of my face), and started tending to my flesh wounds.
Philippine Fun Fact: Mabuhay is a Filipino greeting, usually expressed as Mabuhay!, which literally means "to live". The term is also occasionally used for toasts during celebrations to mean "cheers".