June 19th, 2025: Juneteenth

  • Brush: AP Shave Co. - Black Butterscotch w/ AP Pure Bliss Synthetic
  • Razor: Schick - Injector
  • Blade: Schick Yellow
  • Lather: Declaration Grooming - Convergence - Soap
  • Post Shave: Catie's Bubbles - Top of the World - Aftershave
  • Fragrance: Brut - Classic - Splash On

Daily Theme: According to Harvard Medicine, "the ability of odors to bring to mind past experiences has intriguing scientific and therapeutic implications". A Harvard neurobiology professor reports that our sense of smell is intricately intertwined with our cognitive, memory, and emotional cents. Okay, what does this have to do with the theme? The first time I ever smelt Convergence, I was immediately brought back to my childhood elementary library. Why? I have no clue. It brings to mind the charging boxes of the old clamshell MacBook laptops we used. Speaking for myself because I know not everybody is fortunate of this, but I had an incredible childhood. Playing outside for recess with my friends, had no responsibilities, very little expectations, and experienced freedom like not every child gets to. I was free to be myself, have fun, and be a kid. As we all know, that illusion wears off eventually and we learn the ways of the world. It is so strange how a random soap sample conjured up these old feelings of freedom and wonder that I used to experience on a daily basis. I used Top of the World because it reminds me of going to Colorado as a graduation gift/family vacation after high school. Seeing and hiking mountains for the first time was a true eye opener and the freedom I felt when I got to hike mountain sides and seeing the vast views is certainly inspiring.

Daily Challenge: What do mirrors do? They reflect light. No mirror day ≈ no light day? Well, the logic isn't there, but that's what I did. I took my shower and then turned off all my bathroom lights, and did my best to cover all the door gaps letting it any bit of sunlight. I dug through my smush dopp bag and smelled each container until I found it. Luckily, it a Maggard sample and the shape of their containers are distinguishable and only picked through 4 or 5. Then I had to feel for the brush I was gonna use. Then the splash, by smelling nearly every C-Bubs splash I have because I went through 5 or 6 of them. I sat down in my old man shower chair and did everything my feel and memory. Surely the lather was bad because it felt weird on my face and felt a lot of the blade and tugging with an injector. After a few passes, I rinsed off and took my initial unflattering SOTD picture and then the original. Then as I was putting my Brut on, I accidentally knocked it into my sink feeling for it, but thankfully it was plastic and I don't think I lost much. Lather Games is doing a number on me and I think I am losing the plot.

Notes: I do not have a shower mirror and the pics were taken after the shave.

$discord

[-] BossHoggins10@sub.wetshaving.social 3 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

June 18th, 2025: Canned Shave Goop featuring a Canadian pharmacy's intercom music playlist

  • Brush: Chisel & Hound - Cherry w/ v25 Fanchurian Badger
  • Razor: Merkur - 34C
  • Blade: Gillette Silver Blue
  • Lather: Barbasol - Extra Moisturizing Shaving Cream
  • Post Shave: Catie's Bubbles - Tonsorial Parlour - Aftershave
  • Fragrance: Catie's Bubbles - Crangère - EdP

Daily Theme Justification: Barbasol is canned goop.

Daily Theme: Well well well... canned goop day. Goop maybe the catalyst why we have fallen into this ~~hobby~~ type of shaving. It is cheap, accessible, and gets the job done, sort of. You can certainly shave with this stuff, but a brush and soap will always be better. How about using a brush with goop? Nope. I did that today and it still sucked. While this Extra Moisturizing formula of Barbasol is better than Original, it still leaves room to be improved. The slickness is just not there and can prove a chore to add just the perfect amount of water to get it just right. Lack of slickness brings about unnecessary tugging and dragging, keeping the razor and blade from doing its job. I would consider using this on vacation, but there are just too many wet shaving travel options out there that are much better.

Daily Challenge: ¡ʞɔɐʇs sᴉɥʇ ɹoɟ slǝqɐl ǝɥʇ ʇɐ ǝsolɔ ʞool oʇ ǝɹns ǝʞɐW ¡ƃuᴉʞɔɐʇs ʎddɐH ˙ʞɔɐq ʎɯ uᴉ uᴉɐɹʇs ǝlɔsnɯ ɐ ɥʇᴉʍ dǝǝlsɐ ɟlɐɥ ƃuᴉǝq ǝlᴉɥʍ op plnoɔ I ʇsǝq ǝɥʇ sᴉ sᴉɥ┴

[-] BossHoggins10@sub.wetshaving.social 4 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

June 17th, 2025: Don't have a Cow, Man!

  • Brush: Chisel & Hound - Cherry w/ v25 Fanchurian Badger and Omega - 10077 Boar
  • Razor: Blackland - Blackbird and Van Der Hagen - Traditional Safety Razor
  • Blade: Gillette Silver Blue
  • Lather: Catie's Bubbles - Azure - Soap
  • Post Shave: Catie's Bubbles - 322 - Aftershave

Daily Theme Justification: I ASKED THE SPONSOR AND ARTISAN HIMSELF IF PREMIUM BASE IS VEGAN AND HE SAID YES.

Daily Theme: This has been said before and I will say it again. If you have not tried u/C_Bubbles Premium Base, you need to. It really does go to show that tallow is not the defining factor in making a great soap. There are shitty vegan and shitty tallow soaps. There are great vegan and great tallow bases. Please do not fall prey to the idea that vegan automatically means a lesser product.

Daily Challenge: There will be three parts to this challenge. If you are reading this, it is extremely likely you have a fair amount of different wetshaving gear and I want to explore if more money spent is better.

Inexpensive vs. Expensive Brushes: First up is the C&H badger brush versus the cheap Omega boar brush. I've always had sort of a love/hate with badger knots. A really good knot will be super plush and soft like this Fanchurian, but a lot of the times I have difficulty with lathering, as I did today. Load, load, load, and load some more, but right before you think you're done, you'll need to load some more. Once you do get the soap loaded, a lot of the times I experience lather that is good, but not as good as I know it can be. In comes the Omega boar brush. Yes, they are cheap, light, and can literally stink like a pig's asshole. But I have never had issues with it picking up soap. Sure, they can eat lather when new, but that almost always subsides and the knot softens as well. This knot released the lather way better than the badger, which is normal in my experience. Which one is better? Neither, it is totally up to preference, but if I was forced to choose between these two, I'd honestly enjoy using the Omega more.

Inexpensive vs. Expensive Razors: This Van Der Hagen DE was my first safety razor and this Blackbird was one of my more recent razor purchases. One is chintzy, cheap, and mild. The other is precise, heirloom-esque, and aggressive. Two opposite sides of the razor spectrum. The VDH has hardly any blade feel, while the Blackbird is very blade forward and needs a careful touch. Again, which one is better? blah blah... preferences... blah blah. I enjoy milder razors more and I will move on from this section.

Light vs. Dark Software: Azure has been described as a "barbershop in the sky". Airy, light, and somewhat reminiscent of the blue barbershop style scent. 322 has been described as a wine cellar with a bottle smashed in the corner. Both conceptually opposite and in literal terms. I just recently learned from the man himself that the specialty extract of labdanum in Azure smells resinous and has amber like qualities. The 322 scent smells very dark and dank with the slightest hint of fruitiness from the black currant. Applying the 322 splash grounds you into something darker after just having your head in the sky during the shave. The Yin and Yang of Catie's Bubbles software.

June 16th, 2025: Where's the Beef?

  • Brush: Rad Dinosaur Creations - Stars w/ AP G5C Synthetic
  • Razor: Schick - Injector
  • Blade: Schick Yellow
  • Lather: Red House Farm - No Scrub - Soap
  • Post Shave: Catie's Bubbles - Tonsorial Parlour - Aftershave

Daily Theme Justification: No Scrub soap contains North American Black Bear tallow.

Daily Theme: Today's theme was relatively easy for me. I have a few soaps that contain duck fat, but I realized I hadn't used No Scrub yet during the Games. My lather sucked today, but 100% my fault due to today's challenge.

Daily Challenge: I'm not sure if this is a new challenge, but man this was not that enjoyable. The splash was nice to start out with, but building a lather on a dry face proved to be really difficult. It doesn't help that this soap can be difficult to load with a big brush. After two passes and a rinse, I was finished up. A very unsatisfying finish to a shave. I am looking forward to tomorrow for something a little bit more normal. Happy Monday!

[-] BossHoggins10@sub.wetshaving.social 3 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago)

June 15th, 2025: Father's Day

  • Prep: Proraso - Eucalyptus Oil & Menthol - Pre Shave Cream
  • Brush: Omega - Bambino Boar $JETSETTER
  • Razor: Merkur - 34C
  • Blade: Gillette Silver Blue
  • Lather: Mäurer & Wirtz - Tabac - Soap
  • Post Shave: Mäurer & Wirtz - Tabac - Aftershave
  • Post Shave: L' Occitane Homme - L'Occitan After Shave Balm
  • Fragrance: Brut - Classic - Splash On

Hardware Scavenger Hunt: I got this Bambino from my Proraso Travel Shave Kit. It is explicitly marketed as a travel sized version of the classic boar brush.

Daily Theme Justification: Tabac was first introduced in the early 1950's. I was born in the 1990's.

Daily Theme: What else is there to say about Tabac? It is stinky, it is good, and it heals the mind body and soul. I was lucky enough to find a tallow puck from our friend u/frankieivfingers and the lather was great today. All of my other gear was also consisted of brands that are older than me. Judges can look up the rest if there curious, but since it is just the lather that matters, that's all ya get. Participants can't be doing all the heavy lifting and work, right???

Daily Challenge: While I wasn't able to dim lights and had no candle handy (nor safe space to put it in my bathroom FWIW), I made sure to put on some tunes (MGMT) and took my sweet ass time. After my shower, I started with a hot towel, which I never do, but it was nice to feel that for a few minutes. To balance that out, I used some Proraso Green Pre Shave and massaged it in for a good minute and let it sit while I was getting everything else ready. I used my Bambino on my Tabac puck and this was by far the best lather with Tabac I'd ever gotten. With hard pucks, using light pressure and just the tips (giggity) produced an excellent lather, thank you for the wisdom u/KerblimeySkal. The lather was damn near perfect for all passes and the Tabac splash was refreshing as well, dank yet clean. Finished with some balm that I also never use, but it has a nice calming scent to it. Brut Classic to finish it off. This Classic scent is seriously good and cheap and I would urge people to give it a try.

[-] BossHoggins10@sub.wetshaving.social 4 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago)

June 14th, 2025: Near Death Experience

  • Brush: Pepto Bimsol Handle w/ Boti HMW Silk Badger $SILVERTIP $TOLL
  • Razor: Weck Sextoblade - Med Prep $WECKONISTA
  • Blade: Fromm - Hair Shaper
  • Lather: Chicago Grooming - Irving Park
  • Post Shave: Equate - 91% Isopropyl Alcohol
  • Post Shave: Zingari Man - Unscented Sego Balm
  • Fragrance: Noble Otter - Barrbarr - EdP

Hardware Scavenger Hunt: Just to appease the judges, here is a picture of my brush with the loft sitting precisely at 60mm.

Daily Theme: At first I thought I was going to have a difficult time deciphering which tub I was gonna use because I had been offloading some stuff I wasn't using as much, so must of my tubs have fairly few shaves out of them. Thankfully, I sent out a load of smushes of this Irving Park tub, and I would estimate there's probably one ounce left.

Daily Challenge: With it being World Blood Donor Day, I felt nauseous so of course I decided to down a whole bottle of Pepto Bismol pills. As I was staring blankly at the bottle questioning what I had I done, I figured this would actually make a good handle. I stuck one of my loose knots in, set it with silicone, and BOOM, new brush!! Keeping in theme with blood donating, I made sure to use my Med Prep Weck to ensure complete sterility. I hadn't used any open blade for a hot minute now and I anticipated on this being a blood bath. However, it turned out to be an extremely smooth shave and only had ONE teeny tiny little weeper, but there was BLOOD! You can never be too careful though. I made sure to follow up my shave with some isopropyl alcohol and did not bother with a silly splash. Being clean with wounds is of utmost importance and it felt surprisingly nice. I had to finish off with something super sweet like Barrbarr to bring my sugars back up and on the mend!

June 13th, 2025: Frugal Friday

  • Brush: Omega - 10077 Boar
  • Razor: Gillette - Tech $STAINLESSLESS
  • Blade: Gillette Blue
  • Lather: Van Der Hagen - Luxury Scented Shave Soap
  • Post Shave: Mennen - Skin Bracer - Aftershave
  • Fragrance: Old Spice - Classic - EdC

Daily Theme: I was originally going to use Proraso today, but found this puck of VDH soap for like $4 and that makes it cheaper. It actually lathered surprisingly well given the price. I need to give it another shot.

Daily Challenge: I used all my cheapest gear today of stuff I actually purchased and not just given to me. I used the loose Gillette Blue blade that came with this Tech. I don’t think the blade actually cut anything because it was extremely tuggy and then I never actually saw any stubble removed, nor does it feel like it. Can’t complain about the smells tho. The soap, Skin Bracer, and Old Spice are all classic scents that you can never go wrong with.

I’m always down for monkeying around on discord🐒

Thanks for the reminder this totally slipped my mind!

April 3, 2025

  • Brush: SBS Ord w/ TnS Quartermoon
  • Razor: Merkur 34C
  • Blade: Gillette Silver Blue
  • Lather Seaforth! Fleur de France
  • Post Shave: Catie’s Bubbles - Azure

Happy Thursday.

April 2, 2025

  • Brush: AP Shave Co G5C
  • Razor: Merkur 34C
  • Blade: Gillette Silver Blue
  • Lather Catie’s Bubbles - Dusk
  • Post Shave: Chicago Grooming Co - Irving Park

Surprised by how well this Merkur shaved.

[-] BossHoggins10@sub.wetshaving.social 7 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

MARCH MADNESS 2025 DAY 27

  • Brush: SBS Ord w/ TnS Quartermoon
  • Razor: Chiseled Face Legacy Ti
  • Blade: Gillette Silver Blue
  • Lather: Catie's Bubbles - Azure
  • Post Shave: Catie's Bubbles - Reflection splash

Though I shave through the valley of Madness of elimination

I will fear no artisan

For you are with me

Your scent and lather comfort me

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BossHoggins10

joined 4 months ago