SOTD by u/hugbckt

June 7, 2024 – LG Day 7 – Vetiver isn’t just dirt, apparently

• Brush: Semogue Owner’s Club Boar, Cherry Wood Handle
• Razor: Gillette Slim Adjustable #ADJUSTABLE
• Blade: Gillette Nacet
• Lather: Mike’s Natural Soaps – Vetiver
• Post Shave: Southern Witchcrafts – Carpathia
• Fragrance: American Perfumer – Honeyed Vetiver

Today is my first time using a vetiver-forward fragrance that doesn’t just smell like dirt. It’s opened my eyes a bit, honestly. Thanks to u/wyze0ne for the smush – I’m considering snagging a tub when my buying hiatus/GRUYE is over. Mike’s Vetiver is deep and earthy and holds a nuttiness which reads as somehow sweet, like a forest floor covered in freshly cracked nuts. Clean earth, nothing like the dirty, smoky Dirtyver, which I had previously judged this scent note by. Not having any vetiver-forward splashes, I reached for SW Carpathia, as its wet stone note hits my nose as dirt/earth. This was initially gross to me when I first tried it, but it has grown on me enormously. As the stony opening fades, it dries down into a musky, bitter, herbal accord that feels like I’ve been transported into a dungeon in a fantasy TTRPG…that’s also somehow sexy? Even though there’s no vetiver here, it adds to the complex earth accord we’re building. Finally, Honeyed Vetiver is a feat. Think about how honey smells. Not literally how honey smells or tastes, but how we imagine it. That’s Honeyed Vetiver. It’s floral yet earthy, sweet but not sickly so. It is the true essence of honey, and makes today’s fragrance combination far more than the sum of its parts. I smell good today. #FOF

Challenge: I shaved against the grain, one pass, my entire head. I had to crank up the adjustable to 8 or 9 because I wasn’t getting an adequately close shave with the 5 it had been set at, and I didn’t want to cheat and do a second pass. You never know who might be watching. This was the least comfortable shave of the Games so far. Somehow, no bumpy redness though, so I guess my technique is alright. I don’t plan to shave against the grain again any time soon.

You know what should be cut against the grain, though? Meat. Muscle fibers (aka “the grain”) run in a particular direction in most cuts of meat. It’s worth noting that some cuts of meat find the grain switching direction in certain spots, because muscles are complicated. Also, some cuts (read: muscles) don’t get much of a workout, so the muscle fibers aren't very pronounced, and cutting ATG/WTG doesn’t really matter, like with filet mignon. For most cuts, however, slicing against the grain shortens the muscle fibers, making the meat easier to chew and enhancing its tenderness. Even if your uncle overcooked the strip steak (again), cutting against the grain will make your eating experience better. When meat is cut with the grain, the long muscle fibers remain intact, resulting in a tougher texture. This is bad. Don't do it. For more details, we can look to Kenji (there you go, u/bmac92).

[**June 7, 2024 – LG Day 7 – Vetiver isn’t just dirt, apparently**](https://i.imgur.com/bxDxJMb.jpg)

* **Brush:** Semogue Owner’s Club Boar, Cherry Wood Handle
* **Razor:** Gillette Slim Adjustable #ADJUSTABLE
* **Blade:** Gillette Nacet
* **Lather:** Mike’s Natural Soaps – [Vetiver](https://maggardrazors.com/products/mikes-natural-soaps-vetiver-artisan-shaving-soap-5oz)
* **Post Shave:** Southern Witchcrafts – Carpathia
* **Fragrance:** American Perfumer – [Honeyed Vetiver](https://american-perfumer.com/products/honeyed-vetiver)

Today is my first time using a vetiver-forward fragrance that doesn’t just smell like dirt. It’s opened my eyes a bit, honestly. Thanks to u/wyze0ne for the smush – I’m considering snagging a tub when my buying hiatus/GRUYE is over. Mike’s Vetiver is deep and earthy and holds a nuttiness which reads as somehow sweet, like a forest floor covered in freshly cracked nuts. Clean earth, nothing like the dirty, smoky Dirtyver, which I had previously judged this scent note by. Not having any vetiver-forward splashes, I reached for SW Carpathia, as its wet stone note hits my nose as dirt/earth. This was initially gross to me when I first tried it, but it has grown on me enormously. As the stony opening fades, it dries down into a musky, bitter, herbal accord that feels like I’ve been transported into a dungeon in a fantasy TTRPG…that’s also somehow sexy? Even though there’s no vetiver here, it adds to the complex earth accord we’re building. Finally, Honeyed Vetiver is a feat. Think about how honey smells. Not literally how honey smells or tastes, but how we imagine it. That’s Honeyed Vetiver. It’s floral yet earthy, sweet but not sickly so. It is the true essence of honey, and makes today’s fragrance combination far more than the sum of its parts. I smell good today. #FOF

Challenge: I shaved against the grain, one pass, my entire head. I had to crank up the adjustable to 8 or 9 because I wasn’t getting an adequately close shave with the 5 it had been set at, and I didn’t want to cheat and do a second pass. You never know who might be watching. This was the least comfortable shave of the Games so far. Somehow, no bumpy redness though, so I guess my technique is alright. I don’t plan to shave against the grain again any time soon.

You know what **should** be cut against the grain, though? Meat. Muscle fibers (aka “the grain”) run in a particular direction in most cuts of meat. It’s worth noting that some cuts of meat find the grain switching direction in certain spots, because muscles are complicated. Also, some cuts (read: muscles) don’t get much of a workout, so the muscle fibers aren't very pronounced, and cutting ATG/WTG doesn’t really matter, like with filet mignon. For most cuts, however, slicing against the grain shortens the muscle fibers, making the meat easier to chew and enhancing its tenderness. Even if your uncle overcooked the strip steak (again), cutting against the grain will make your eating experience better. When meat is cut with the grain, the long muscle fibers remain intact, resulting in a tougher texture. This is bad. Don't do it. For more details, we can look to [Kenji](https://www.seriouseats.com/why-should-you-cut-meat-steak-against-the-grain) (there you go, u/bmac92).