SOTD by u/RedMosquitoMM

LG23-03: Almonday

• Brush: Maggard Razors 24mm Synthetic
• Razor: Edwin Jagger DE86
• Blade: Astra SP (25)
• Lather: Grooming Dept. - Almond Vanilla - Shaving Soap
• Post Shave: Spearhead Shaving Company - Seaforth! Spiced - Aftershave
• Fragrance: January Scent Project - Horla
• Passes: WTG, XTG
• Coffee: Traveling and therefor whatever's in the Mr. Coffee
• Music: Youth Lagoon - Heaven is a Junkyard
• LG Tags: FOF

Let's start with today's top-notch daily challenge. I don't know about this u/RedMosquitoMM character...seems sus bro. Still, he's got good taste in company, and I like the tunes he's playing. So maybe he's not that bad after all. (In all seriousness, thank you to everyone for the kind words. I'm traveling with family, so I don't have much time for the sub today, but I promise to circle back and say hi to all of you. This place is the best.)

For today's almond lather, I chose the ever-contentious Almond Vanilla, which I enjoy more each time I use it. First of all, I get a fabulous lather out of this soap every time. And the scent is a grower. I'll paraphrase myself and describe it thusly: Almond Vanilla is not a straight-forward almond scent. Instead, it's a subtly-blended amaretto accord in service of a powdery, heliotrope-centered floral, versus the other way around. The vanilla is super-rich, though not as dominant in the blend as I'd expect from the name. Overall, it has one foot in the gourmand camp, but is still deftly balanced towards a stately parlor bouquet.

For my aftershave, I'm priotitizing scents I have available as samples, since I'm traveling and needed to pack lean until we get back. Seaforth! Spiced doesn't feature a listed almond note, but I think the creamy texture and vintage feel is a logical pairing with Almond Vanilla. I also needed to counter the sweetness and weight of my lather scent with some citrus, and this is one that does so without taking my shave in a totally different direction.

I wrapped up with a small spray of Horla, a January Scent Project sample u/Tonality shared with me (🍻). I didn't know what to make of this bizarre fragrance the first time I tried it, but I'm starting to appreciate it's comforting charms. Also, it's an excellent pairing with both my soap and aftershave, and on theme—strong aldehydes like Spiced, creamy florals, a creamy tonka base like Almond Vanilla, and a nutmeg-spiced almond accord. Civet, West Indies bay, and patchouli lend Horla complexity. Like most January Scent Project fragrances, this isn't an easy wear, but it does draw me in for sniffs of my wrist and challenges the wearer to parse what exactly they're smelling. It's creamy, steamy, warm, and strange.

**LG23-03: Almonday**

- **Brush:** Maggard Razors 24mm Synthetic
- **Razor:** Edwin Jagger DE86
- **Blade:** Astra SP (25)
- **Lather:** Grooming Dept. - Almond Vanilla - Shaving Soap
- **Post Shave:** Spearhead Shaving Company - Seaforth! Spiced - Aftershave
- **Fragrance:** January Scent Project - Horla
- **Passes:** WTG, XTG
- **Coffee:** Traveling and therefor whatever's in the Mr. Coffee
- **Music:** Youth Lagoon - *Heaven is a Junkyard*
- **LG Tags:** `FOF`

Let's start with today's top-notch daily challenge. I don't know about this u/RedMosquitoMM character...seems [sus bro](https://tenor.com/view/totally-eye-roll-nod-yep-agree-gif-5532861). Still, he's got good taste in company, and I like the tunes he's playing. So maybe he's not that bad after all. (In all seriousness, thank you to everyone for the kind words. I'm traveling with family, so I don't have much time for the sub today, but I promise to circle back and say hi to all of you. This place is the best.)

For today's almond lather, I chose the ever-contentious Almond Vanilla, which I enjoy more each time I use it. First of all, I get a fabulous lather out of this soap every time. And the scent is a grower. I'll paraphrase myself and describe it thusly: Almond Vanilla is not a straight-forward almond scent. Instead, it's a subtly-blended amaretto accord in service of a powdery, heliotrope-centered floral, versus the other way around. The vanilla is super-rich, though not as dominant in the blend as I'd expect from the name. Overall, it has one foot in the gourmand camp, but is still deftly balanced towards a stately parlor bouquet.

For my aftershave, I'm priotitizing scents I have available as samples, since I'm traveling and needed to pack lean until we get back. Seaforth! Spiced doesn't feature a listed almond note, but I think the creamy texture and vintage feel is a logical pairing with Almond Vanilla. I also needed to counter the sweetness and weight of my lather scent with some citrus, and this is one that does so without taking my shave in a totally different direction.

I wrapped up with a small spray of Horla, a January Scent Project sample u/Tonality shared with me (🍻). I didn't know what to make of this bizarre fragrance the first time I tried it, but I'm starting to appreciate it's comforting charms. Also, it's an excellent pairing with both my soap and aftershave, and on theme—strong aldehydes like Spiced, creamy florals, a creamy tonka base like Almond Vanilla, and a nutmeg-spiced almond accord. Civet, West Indies bay, and patchouli lend Horla complexity. Like most January Scent Project fragrances, this isn't an easy wear, but it does draw me in for sniffs of my wrist and challenges the wearer to parse what exactly they're smelling. It's creamy, steamy, warm, and strange.