BossHoggins10

As of this morning I think he plans on participating with us!

June 11th, 2025: Wildcard Wednesday

• Brush: AP Shave Co. - Black Butterscotch w/ AP Pure Bliss Synthetic
• Razor: Schick - Injector
• Blade: Schick Yellow
• Lather: Catie's Bubbles - Tonsorial Parlour - Soap
• Post Shave: Catie's Bubbles - Tonsorial Parlour - Aftershave
• Fragrance: Catie's Bubbles - Crangère - EdP

Daily Theme: I used Catie's Bubbles Tonsorial Parlour Luxury Shave Soap. A true dickhole shave with a truly niche artisan and scent!!! I decided to stay up late because I don't feel like shaving with tax exempt red diesel or my own semen. Maybe a mix of both I would consider, but its not "It's Alive!" day yet.

Daily Challenge: Compared to last year, my den has grown a substantial amount. Here is a picture of my dedicated shelf of shave wares and then a spread pic of almost everything I have. I missed a few brushes, a razor, and some other clutter I am surely forgetting. The dopp kit to the left is my bag full of samples and smushes, but I didn't feel like dumping it out. We all know what kinda black hole our smush and sample containers look like.

June 10th, 2025: The Art of Shaving

• Brush: Rad Dinosaur Creations - Stars w/ AP G5C Synthetic
• Razor: Chiseled Face - Legacy Ti
• Blade: Gillette Silver Blue
• Lather: Mike's Natural Soaps - Orange, Cedarwood, & Black Pepper - Soap
• Post Shave: Catie's Bubbles - Tonsorial Parlour - Aftershave

Daily Theme Justification: See below.

Daily Theme: Good label art is 100% a subjective thing, and I 100% percent not pick this because of simplicity 👀. AI art is becoming prolific in this space. While it is not necessarily a travesty, it can certainly cheapen products and/or people's perceptions of brands and artisans. The first thing you think when you see one is "Ugh, could they not hire somebody for this?" However, you can't blame artisans for this because it creates incredible images for zero cost and shaving soap isn't exactly the most lucrative business. Some AI labels border and exceed ugly and gaudy. Half the time you can't even tell which artisan made the soap without reading the entire label.

In come Mike from Mike's Natural Soaps (yes, this is actually a picture of Mike). Mike made one label ever and it is instantly recognizable. Mike doesn't need rulers,1000 shades of blue pencils, sketching paper, photoshopping software, or anything frivolous as previously mentioned. Two different font types and a loon is all Mike needs to make his products stand out amongst the sea of overstimulating labels. Today, I pay homage.

Daily Challenge: Yes, I actually created this with my own hands. Do not mistake it for the OG artwork.

June 9th, 2025: Dupelgänger

• Brush: AP Shave Co. - Heritage Collection Ever-Ready 200 w/ Proraso Pro Omega Boar
• Razor: Manscaped - Plow 2.0
• Blade: Gillette Silver Blue
• Lather: Declaration Grooming - Massacre of the Innocents - Soap
• Post Shave: Chicago Grooming Co. - Irving Park - Aftershave

Daily Theme Justification: While Declaration Grooming's website doesn't explicitly state this is a dupe of Parfums De Marly Herod, they share the same scent notes and Herod in the Bible infamously is responsible for killing a bunch of baby boys, thus the name Massacre of the Innocents. It's all connected. I promise.

Daily Theme: I enjoyed the scent of this soap on my first use, but glad I only have the sample. For me, it is the same vain as TF Tobacco Vanille, but evolved and more sophisticated and for that reasons I really like it. My mind my change when I use it more. I used Irving Park simply because it is the only splash that I have that's a dupe. They have few if any similarities, but have a nice contrast.

Daily Challenge: Last year I made an album of memes. This year I decided to do the same. I hope they bring some laughs to your Monday. Note: there are a few gifs sprinkled in.

June 8th, 2025: Shave and a Haircut - Two Bits

• Brush: Omega - 10077 Boar $OLDWORLD
• Razor: Gillette - Tech $RUSTYBUTTRUSTY $MACHINEAGE
• Blade: Gillette Silver Blue
• Lather: Moon Soaps - Union - Soap
• Post Shave: Catie's Bubbles - Tonsorial Parlour - Aftershave
• Fragrance: Noble Otter - Barrbarr - EdP

Hardware Scavenger Hunt: Omega boar brushes are made in Italy. For $RUSTYBUTTRUSTY and $MACHINEAGE, I bring forth this old Gillette Tech. I will be going by the date printed on the box that I purchased it in. While it not the most visually stunning patina, it is certainly there. This cloudiness is present on the baseplate as well as the neck of the handle.

Daily Theme Justification: "Union Shaving Soap is a sharp, cooling, and pungent take on a classic American-style barbershop fragrance. It's a step back into the 1950s when the hard work of a craftsman was not only common but appreciated." -Moon soaps Union ad copy

Daily Theme: Barbershop day... I love this day because I love barbershop scents, but a recurring theme asked by many people is "What is a barbershop fragrance supposed to smell like?" because none of them smell alike. To quote the great resident barbershop fiend and honemeister u/whosgotthepudding, barbershop scents are "an ill defined and faux genre." If none of this clarifies barbershop scents and fragrances for you still, it is not supposed to. Nobody knows what the fuck a barbershop scent is. However, there is a vague pattern of barbershop scent profiles including citrus top notes, some herbal middles notes, and oakmoss and/or patchouli as base notes, maybe some powdery talc and sweet notes if the artisan is feeling saucy. Yet, some barbershop scents omit or add to this generic profile and can still be marketed as a barbershop. For example, Chiseled Face Ghost Town Barber is a barbershop scent which follows the generic profile, but adds leather, smoke, and gunpowder. Sounds like a barbershop that Blondie would smoke Tuco in after getting a nice straight razor shave. All of this to say, barbershops are probably my favorite scents because they are clean, fresh, and usable everyday. I have tried many of them and in using Union for the first time today, it may be my new favorite. Union, Tonsorial Parlour, and Barrbarr are all very different conceptions of a barbershop. Tonsorial Parlour is made using strictly essential oils and has a very fruity and bright profile, while Barrbarr is a darker, sweeter, and herbal iteration. Union bridges that gap (minus the sweetness) and made for a whole and transitioning experience of the "barbershop" profile.

Daily Challenge: Limerick day, tsk tsk. I would not consider myself a creative person, but here goes.

Barbershop, what is the scent you are?

To find this out, I mustn't go far

Into the shop I will walk

The barber here I am to talk

"Fresh and Clean!" Now that's on par!

Barbershop word count of this post: 17

June 7th, 2025: Small Business Saturday

• Brush: Rubberset - 400 w/ Maggard SHD Badger
• Razor: Schick - Injector
• Blade: Schick Yellow
• Lather: Summer Break Soaps - Rookie of the Year 2024 - Soap
• Post Shave: Catie's Bubbles - V - Aftershave
• Fragrance: Catie's Bubbles - V - EdP

Daily Theme Justification: As today calls, we are supposed to use something small batch. HOW ABOUT ONLY SIX TUBS EVER MADE???. Sorry u/rocketk455 for leaking super secret files from last year's ROTY 2024 Research & Development.

Daily Theme: I was super excited last year to learn that my scent profile was chose last year and that I was going to be receiving a tub of ROTY 2024. The chef at Summer Break Soaps was super easy to work with and excited to help it come to life, so whoever wins it this year is in for a treat! The notes are lemon, lavender, cardamom, and vetiver. I would say it has a fairly unique scent profile, but it is relatively approachable. The closest thing I could match for splash and frag is V from our friend u/C_Bubbles. I ended up looking at the notes from V and noticed that it also contains lavender, cardamom, and vetiver. Maybe my rookie nose actually knows what a good fragrance, since a master chef of fragrance himself him used the same notes in one of my favorite fragrances (I had zero idea of what I was putting together last year).

Daily Challenge: I bowl lathered today. I really dislike bowl lathering and almost always end up ruining the lather. Today was no different. I almost always end up putting too much water in or aerating it too much. I will likely never learn because it is too much work for a lesser quality lather. It simply does not mater what soap or brush I use. Back to face lathering tomorrow. It was also nice to get a shave in today in my bathroom and not on a lake.

June 6th, 2025: Shaving in the Rain

• Brush: AP Shave Co. - Heritage Collection w/ Omega Boar
• Razor: Merkur - 34C
• Blade: Gillette Silver Blue
• Lather: Declaration Grooming - After the Rain - Soap
• Post Shave: Catie's Bubbles - Literal Lilac - Aftershave

Daily Theme Justification: "Like a walk through a forest after a spring shower with notes of wet pine, muted lavender, cedar, and white pepper." - DG After the Rain ad copy

Daily Theme: I straight up did not even read the scent notes until writing up this post. While I was shaving this morning, I really thought I detected spicy and darker scent notes in contrast to the area I was at. What do you know, there is pepper in this! After the Rain is not a totally dank scent, but has those elements. I finished off with Literal Lilac because nature tends to bless us with pretty looking and good smelling flowers after a good rain storm. Lilacs are the smell of spring in my area! End thread. Shout out to u/Schontzm for the smush! Also shoutout to u/KerblimeySkal for the passaround on this brush. Unequivocally the smoothest, softest, and most supple boar knot I've ever used. I know what I am getting for AA.

Daily Challenge: I was a little snarky in my post yesterday, and today I wanted to practice what I was preaching. I got up pretty damn early this morning and had a nice 20 minute cruise over to a local conservation area. Luckily, there was nobody around this morning and got to take it all in. Besides almost slipping, falling, and eating shit on the uneven terrain, I had a good shave with limited water. The birds were there this morning to keep me company as they were YAPPING. You can forget how loud nature can actually be where there are no other people around to distract you. You may notice that the SOTD pic is not the same view as where I shaved because I had to move to get to a more secluded spot.

June 5th, 2025: I Want To Be The Very Zest

• Brush: Chisel & Hound - Rob's Finest Synthetic $WOODEN
• Razor: Yates Precision Manufacturing - Merica $CNC
• Blade: Gillette Silver Blue
• Lather: Mike's Natural Soaps - Orange, Cedarwood, & Black Pepper - Soap
• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Alive - Aftershave

Daily Theme Justification: Although there are three scent notes for OCBP, orange is the dominant note and the others hardly perceptible to me. The only way I could slightly detect them was putting an orange peel side by side, and noticed the soap had some slightly darker. Most people who have used this soap would probably agree.

Daily Theme: I have a few soaps that are primarily citrus, but I love the simplicity of this one and how it matched with Alive. Alive is not a scent I reach for often, but the apple and laundry musk notes really make this nice bridging with OCBP of fresh, bright, clean citrus that really does make you feel alive and grateful.

Daily Challenge: My new challenge, or at the very least an evolution of tomorrow's challenge, is Shave with a View. While Take a Hike invites many of us to actually get out and hike, the criteria of having a wall nearby totally defeats the purpose of the challenge. It invites us to do the bare minimum of going out on our deck or porch, instead of going somewhere novel. Shave with a View is different in the sense that you actually go outside into nature away from any people and off of your property, rented, owned, or leased property, no funny business. *I think that part of the challenge requires an SOTD pic where the shaving gear included, but an afterthought to the composition. I am lucky enough to have driven past this lake today for work and planned this out. It was a quick one pass shave, but I was far more nervous to do this than I thought. I did the Take a Hike challenge last year on my deck and I felt like a coward. Shave with a View actually felt like a challenge and I feel like if this is adopted, the challenge points should be rewarded distinctly from shaving on you porch. Here is the aftermath of a quick shave. Notice the bug that couldn't resist the allure of Mike's Natural Soaps. I finished this just in time because as I was walking back I ran into a group of 10 people and that would have been awkward to see some nerd shaving on a big ass rock at 11 AM on a workday. I would have jumped headfirst into the water at that point.

June 4th, 2025: Complementary Non-Dickhole Day

• Brush: Omega - Bambino Boar $SMOLL $RUNT
• Razor: Henson - AL13++ $ALUMINUM
• Blade: Gillette Silver Blue
• Lather: Zingari Man - The Navigator - Soap
• Post Shave: Spearhead Shaving Company - Seaforth! Sea Spice Lime - Aftershave
• Fragrance: Spearhead Shaving Company - Seaforth! Sea Spice Lime - EdT

Daily Theme Justification: The Navigator and SSL are not the same scent, but complementary.

Daily Theme: My dickhole was causing me irritation this morning... err this was a last minute pairing because my other plan fell through. This is the Lather Games and there is no time wallow in the mire. In keeping with nautical themes yesterday, I chose The Navigator as my soap. The Navigator is a gentle, yet complex scent arrangement reveals soft woods, lighter sea air, a gentle sweetness, and invokes imagery of an experienced sailor who knows how to keep all things in line. Sea Spice Lime enters the picture and you get punched in the nose with lime, sea spray, and oakmoss, a dank and loud arrangement of notes. SSL is the new sailor who is bold and confident, but inexperienced. Together, the Sea Spice Lime injects more life to the Navigator, while The Navigator reminds you of subtlety, poise, and refinement. Together, these two scent notes remind us to stay even keeled while traversing through rough waters.

Daily Challenge: I opted to use my Henson today since it is very difficult for me to get a bad shave with it despite using my left hand. I loaded and face lathered with my left hand and I thought that was more difficult than using the razor. Do I love left hand shaving? Not in particular. Would I be upset if I broke my right hand and had to shave with my left hand? Yes, I would be pissed.

June 3rd, 2025: Why is the Rum Gone?

• Brush: Rad Dinosaur Creations - Cavern Dream w/ AP Pure Bliss Synthetic $PREMIUMPLASTIC
• Razor: WrongCoyote9525 - 3D Printed Razor $PLASTIC
• Blade: Gillette Silver Blue
• Lather: Barrister & Mann - Terror - Soap
• Post Shave: Zingari Man - The Navigator - Recovery Splash
• Post Shave: Proraso - After Shave Stone
• Fragrance: Old Spice - Classic - EdC

Daily Theme Justification: Today we’re asked to used something “nautically themed in some way”. Barrister & Mann’s Terror line up was inspired by the 19th century ships HMS Terror and HMS Erebus, whose fate was brutally met by the unforgiving and inhospitable elements of an Arctic Circle expedition.

Daily Theme: Why is the Rum Gone? BECAUSE THE FRICKIN' OCEAN SWALLOWED THE SHIPS WHOLE. Enough of these idealized views of the ocean, beaches, and transcontinental voyages. No more sun bathing with piña coladas with little umbrellas at a beach resort or cruise ship. Open waters with endless horizons will literally and figuratively destroy your mind, body, soul… and nose. In fact, the popular nautically inspired bay rum was created by some stinky sailors because they were looking for anything to neutralize their natural musk. Barrister and Mann’s Terror was made to remind us of the ruthless nature of virtually boundless waters riddled with ice and hopelessness. With scents notes of Frankincense, Cold Water, and Peppermint, Terror gives you a tiny glimpse into the sailors’ final moments as the bone chilling ice water took their final breath, penetrated their lungs, and dissolved into the endless abyss we call the ocean. This is the true nature of the ocean, not imbibing cocktails on a beach listening to shitty pop hits. Thankfully, we can just shave with Terror and call it a day.

Daily Challenge: I hate alum. The last time I used it was actually for Osma day for LG 2024. However, just as the sailors on HMS Terror and HMS Erebus had no choice to succumb to breath taking salt water, I shall lean into the discomfort in remembrance. In keeping with the theme, I incorporated some alum and coarse sea salt in an Old Spice mug into my Terror lather to give that cold, salty, and abrasive experience the sailors felt as they disintegrated into eternity. It created a shitty lather and stifled it, but it was enough to get a foamy vague layer of soap across my mug. Of course, the razor drug across my face with a bad lather and was uncomfortable, but at least I am alive. I used my neglected Proraso After Shave Stone (which felt better than I remember) then finished off my shave with Zingari Man The Navigator splash to give aquatic, yet warm woods and ambery hints to feel better and “headed back home” from cold seas. Finally, Old Spice Cologne invocating that familiar, comforting, and safe smell that reminds many of us warm hug from our elders of time elapsed. I survived today.

June 2nd, 2025: New To You

• Brush: Omega - 10077 Boar $HOLLOW
• Razor: Schick - Injector x 6" generic locking pliers $INJECTOR
• Blade: Schick Yellow
• Lather: D.R. Harris & Co - Arlington - Soap
• Post Shave: Mäurer & Wirtz - Tabac - Aftershave
• Fragrance: Catie's Bubbles - V - EdP

Daily Theme Justification: I have never used D.R. Harris & Co lather products until today.

Daily Theme: Today's smush was graciously provided by our LG absent friend u/KerblimeySkal. D.R. Harris & Co products have never spoken to me. However, when I did get this sample in the mail, I was pleasantly surprised by the scent: sweet, fresh, fruity, at least to my sus nose. However, I loaded a ton of this soap into a bowl and fucked with the lather for north of 10 minutes and could never get it where I wanted. It worked, but it wasn't a good lather by any means. Surely a full puck would be better.

Daily Challenge: I am a dumbass. I bought this nice Schick Injector for a nominal price off the bazaar a few weeks ago and figured I had better save my first shave with it for today. I even drove 20 miles out of the way to a local drug store to pick up some yellow Schick blades. I was trying to load the blade into the moment I got it in the mail and ended up cutting my thumb. I put the damn razor away until last night. I was pressing on the safety bar WAY too hard and ended up bending it a little bit and then there was play and wobble in the baseplate. Resident Encyclopedia u/KerblimeySkal showed me a link on how to fix it. So I took the handle off and realized I was in more than I bargained for. I had a fleeting moment of clarity and acknowledged my lack of experience with injectors and decided to leave it alone. I still had to use the razor, so I took some small locking pliers and made a nice impromptu handle (see main SOTD link for picture). I actually got a great shave even though it was heavy and long. Note to self: DON'T FUCK WITH STUFF RIGHT BEFORE YOU NEED TO USE IT.

June 1st, 2025: Sweet, Sweet Lather Games

• Brush: Rad Dinosaur Creations - Copper Inferno w/ Trotter T1 Badger and Rad Dinosaur Creations - Emerald Peak w/ TnS v9 Tip Badger and Rad Dinosaur Creations - Stars w/ AP Shave Co G5C Synthetic and Rad Dinosaur Creations - Cavern Dream w/ AP Shave Co Pure Bliss Synthetic
• Razor: Chiseled Face - Legacy Ti
• Blade: Gillette Silver Blue
• Lather: Catie's Bubbles - Saturday Morning - Soap
• Post Shave: Catie's Bubbles - Tonsorial Parlour - Aftershave

Daily Theme Justification: "Saturday Morning: A sweet, sugary recreation of our favorite Saturday Morning breakfast that will bring back memories of better times watching cartoons." - Catie's Bubbles ad copy

Daily Theme: I am not a massive fan of gourmands since this is obviously not my favorite theme of the Games. However, I like CBubs soap and this is mildly scented enough to where it is not overwhelming. I chose Tonsorial Parlour for the splash because it smells more like Froot Loops to me than Saturday Morning does.

Daily Challenge: Look, I'm not gonna glaze our 2x and current LG champion with words too much. However, he may find this SOTD flattering since 4 of my 12 brushes were made by u/Priusaurus. I used all four of the brushes with the big ass sample of Saturday Morning that u/brokenjaw622 graciously provided me with some months ago. Prius is a pretty cool dude I guess, I like his brushes.

$discord