June 5, 2024
- Brush: My hand
- Razor: Target Brand Disposable Razor #RAINBOW
- Lather: Barbasol – Soothing Aloe Shaving Cream
- Post Shave: Brut – Aftershave Splash
- Fragrance: Calvin Klein – Defy EdT
Would you believe that I forgot all about the Lather Games today?
No?
Well, let’s just say for the sake of this story, I forgot all about the Lather Games. I’m driving to a meeting, rub my face and realize… Oh shit! I completely forgot to shave today!
Yes! That’s EXACTLY what happened today. In my car, driving, not thinking about Lather Games at all! And what is a fellow to do? I guess I have to pull off at the nearest exit to find a store to procure something to shave my face with. And look what I have here: A Target! What are the odds? Right when I realize I need to shave, a Target is right here! It’s a Lather Games Miracle!
I enter Target the exact opposite way that my wife goes to Target: With a purpose. First, I head over to the travel size section because Lord knows I don’t need a big can of foam goo. Picked up a small can of Barbasol with Soothing Aloe. Then I head to the men’s care section and snagged a pack of Target Brand disposable razors and bottle of Brut Aftershave. Perfect. This is everything I need! I go to the front, pay, and do the next logical thing: Head directly into the Target bathroom to shave there.
I’ve always found Target bathrooms to be on the higher end of store bathrooms – I think because of the good lighting. However, but they ALWAYS are right in the front of the store and have a heavy amount of foot traffic. Oh well – I guess everyone else is gonna have to use the other sinks because this one is gonna be occupied!
For the challenge, I’m using my hand to lather, which is the opposite of what I usually do (use a brush). I get lathered up and quickly try to put my phone away as someone walks in to use the bathroom. I don’t want this guy thinking I’m a weirdo photo-documenting my Target shave. Plus, I’m pretty sure taking pictures in the Target bathroom is a worse offense than shaving in one.
The shave itself was…. Fine…. At least in the sense that my whiskers got cut and there was no blood drawn. Barbasol isn’t exactly what one would consider slick and no one is going to mistake this lather for artisanal soaps. If Everett is a brilliant olfactory opera, this was more like a me learning how to play the recorder in elementary school. The lather was thick and foamy, but slickness? About as slick as sandpaper. But hey, it got the job done.
And the splash was… Fine… I mean, it’s Brut Aftershave. This stuff is an old-school classic, and when I splashed it on, I felt like I was being initiated into a secret society of dads and granddads. The scent actually wasn’t too bad if I'm being honest. Very much smelled like my barbershop… Probably because this is the splash my barber uses. The fragrance lingered for far longer than I would have expected and was honestly pleasant and fresh.
But the shave lacked so much. Privacy for one. I’ve done more than my fair share of public shaves, but this was different. In a public bathroom, with people coming in and going out. I didn’t love that. Really takes the #metime out of my shaving ritual with strangers entering and exiting my sacred shaving space. And the products I used had no character, no heart, and no artisanally crafted scents. Oh shit! The SCENTS!! I DON’T HAVE A FRAGRANCE TO WEAR!
Well, lucky for me, there is an Ulta Beauty right next door to Target! I pack up my newly acquired razors, go into Ulta Beauty. Head straight for the fragrance area and look for a fragrance that (1) has a tester and (2) I want it to complement the lather and splash I used today. Perfect! This one says it’s “Fresh”! Relevant Post-Shave and Fragrance Points: Unlocked! The nice girl comes over and I ask her to test this one. Smells nice enough. I don’t think CK Defy is going to be winning any Golden Pears anytime soon, but the scent is unoffensive and clean and paired nicely with the Brut Aftershave. As far as #FOF goes, I smell like a basic guy who is trying to smell good. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but nothing stands out today. I thank the nice girl for letting me try the tester and go about day, heading for my meeting. Thankful that there happened to be a Target and an Ulta Beauty right when I realized I forgot to shave on Canned Goop Day! What are the odds??
Soap Theme Justification: And wouldn’t you know, on the day I forgot about The Lather Games, it ends up being Canned Shave Goop Day and I’m perfectly on theme.
Relevant Post Shave & Fragrance: Everything can be found in your neighborhood Target and Ulta, and are scents which could be considered “Fresh”.