June 15, 2024 – LG Day 15 – It just so happens that your friend here is only MOSTLY dead. There’s a big difference between mostly dead and all dead.
- Brush: Chisel & Hound v23 Fanchurian
- Razor: Merkur 34C
- Blade: Gillette Nacet
- Lather: Murphy and McNeil – SFWS South Beach
- Post Shave: Stirling Soap Co. – Coconut Lime
- Fragrance: Imaginary Authors – Falling Into The Sea
After my massacre yesterday, I was thinking to myself, “Maybe it’s time for a comfortable shave, just a regular old shave, a shenanigan-free shave.” And then I woke up from my dream and remembered that it’s the Lather Games and that there will be no rest until July first. Hell is empty and all the devils are here.
Unlike many of the noble, committed shavers today, I have never killed a tub. Between typically shaving every other day and my unwavering desire for variety, the closest I have to a tub kill is this 60g puck, which seemed low until I converted it and realized it’s 2.12oz. Embarrassing. I can’t even get halfway through a tub. I am filled with endless shame. I am brough dishonor onto my family. It's only a matter of time before I am disowned and must shed the Bucket name, leaving me to just be "Hug," the shaver who couldn't finish what he started. When I'm gone, my only legacy will be these half-empty tubs, gathering dust, symbols of my failure.
Moving on! M&M’s base is…fine. I really like this scent, though, made for South Florida Wet Shavers, so I use this pretty frequently throughout the summer. Wearing this is like teleporting to a beach where the water is bluer, the sand is whiter, the breeze is cool but the ocean is warm. Coconut and bananas come together in the most perfect sunscreen-like fashion. My bottle of Stirling Coconut Lime also happens to be one of my emptier post-shaves, but it’s getting old and it really doesn’t like to rub into the skin well, just like when I put on sunscreen. It has the same sunscreen/tanning oil coconut scent, but less on-the-nose; the lime is fully lost in the balm format (or because of its age). Finally, Falling into the Sea eschews the idea that the beach has to smell like Banana Boat. Bright citrus, lightly aquatic, comfortingly floral. The lychee is a very nice touch. Nostalgic in a very special way. #FOF
For my pasty lather, let my brush soak while I showered as usual, tub loaded, and spread it on my head with no extra water. Slightly pastier than the proto-lather (if you can even call it that) which I usually build up a lather from right on the dome. No extra water or lather-building today, though. This is what we got. What a delight. To further elucidate just how pasty this lather was, here it is on my razor. My water pressure isn’t enough to get it all off, so I had to take the razor apart after each pass and carefully wipe the blade, ignoring the warning on literally every tuck of blades I’ve seen. The judges have taken the "wet" out of "wetshaving." Who knows what's next.