July 25, 2023 - Memories of Christmas Past
- Brush: Shave Forge 20mm Horse
- Razor: Blackland Razors Blackbird
- Blade: Gillette Platinum (2)
- Lather: Barrister and Mann - Smoking Bishop - Soap
- Post Shave: Henri et Victoria - Cognac and Cuban Cigars - Splash
- Fragrance: Maher Olfactive - Treachery
Daily Challenge:
Remember back last year at the end of the games when we complained about the wrong-hand challenge as uncomfortable and dangerous? Doesn’t really seem so uncomfortable now that all our calves are shorn, does it? And dangerous? Many of us could have been arrested for grooming ourselves in public… repeatedly. What the hell happened this year?
I lathered and shaved left handed. I should have used the Era which is just about idiot-proof - the Blackbird bit me on my chin.
Daily Write-Up:
If anyone were to ask me what my favorite day of the 2022 Lather Games was, I think everyone would assume I’d say this one. But it’s not. The one that really sticks with me came on this day last year. My then-4-year-old and I decorated the bathroom and shaved together under Christmas lights. She still asks with some frequency if we can do a Christmas shave, which is very confusing for grandma and grandpa.
But- such a fun time is not in the cards today. Like many, I’m forced to spend the holidays alone. My wife and kids left me for ~~greener~~ well… pastures. They even took CanineMiasma with them. So I’m all by myself, forced to look at my unadorned shaving den and shaving without my mini-me.
I could have wallowed in self-pity all day, and in fairness, there was some of that. But - I decided to make the best of it and take advantage of spending the holiday with someone I love… myself, and doing some nice things for me that I don’t get to do on a regular basis.
For example, Ain’t no rule saying you can’t cook up and eat an entire pound of bacon for breakfast. It just wouldn’t normally be allowed. Similarly, I ate only pork chops for lunch. No requisite salad or healthy items to get in the way, and no one to tell me “but think of all the sodium you consumed in 4 hours”. But, eating garbage didn’t make me fulfilled, so I decided to shave. That always makes me feel better.
I went upstairs to my den, and noticed another huge perk of being by myself. No one there to tell me to put my stuff away. I can leave it everywhere like a savage.
I shaved my left-handed shave, and was still missing my family, even though there are some pleasant things about being alone. So I walked outside, and then saw the Christmas in July presents I had gotten myself underneath our Charlie Brown pine tree.
This is exciting! I quickly took them inside and I am going to tear into them!
The first one… Oooh! Chatillon Lux!. Must be Italian! What could it be? A discovery set! How thoughtful of me!. Well… that IS unexpected. I take some good whiffs of some of Shawn’s creations, and then move on to present number 2.
So exciting! Maggard Razors!. Everyone’s favorite wetshaving store! I wonder what it is… the box is too small to be holding a restored straight razor…. Yay! A tub of Seaforth! Heather.. I really shouldn’t have. This is just so generous of me. With my new-found love of Fougeres, this will be a great addition to my den.
One present left. It’s pretty heavy…. I wonder what I got myself this time?
HYPE!!! This one is from House of Mammoth! Squeeeee!. I can’t wait to see what’s inside! I open the box, and THERE ARE FOUR TUBS IN HERE!!!!11!1. So many good scents, it’s hard to pick a favorite. I am just too generous to myself. Obligatory selfie with my Christmas in July presents so I can send it to myself to show how happy I am!.
Getting me a bunch of Wetshaving presents won’t fill the sadness from being alone on the holiday, but it might make my Austere August a little bit less… Austere.
Soap Theme Justification
Will’s post clearly describing Smoking Bishop as a Christmas scent here
Post-Shave and Fragrance Relevance Notes
* Today’s theme is “Christmas from the Wrong Side of the Tracks”
* The soap reminds me of a drink we’d often have at Christmas when I was growing up. We would go get fresh cider from the local orchard, and slowly warm it with orange peels and cinnamon sticks.
* But the smell of Smoking Bishop doesn’t quite match my memory, because there is far too little tobacco or alcohol. Everyone in my family smoked growing up, so I’ve layered two types of tobacco - cigars from the HeV and pipe tobacco from the Maher.
* And what family Christmas would be complete without mom over-indulging as the night wears on? Granted, Cognac smells a lot richer than the mixture of Sloe Gin and Seagrams 7, but thankfully no one has made a Wetshaving product with that particular combination of scents.