June 4th, 2025: Metal

• Brush: Wolf Whiskers - "Coffee & Cream" w/Declaration Grooming B1 Badger
• Razor: Koraat 15/16 Full Hollow - Sub Exclusive 'Moarteen' (12)
• Lather: Abbate y La Mantia - Garibaldi - Soap
• Post Shave: RazoRock - Puros - Aftershave
• Fragrance: Maher Olfactive - Madame Chouteau - EdP

$discord

Theme justification: You'd think these two tobacco scents would be complimentary due to their common tobacco theme, but you'd be wrong. Well, you'd be right, but I'm ignoring that. Instead, I'm claiming that they are complimentary due to their use of metal lids.

Puros also complimented my shave by not stinging the sh*t out of me, which is usually does due to high alcohol concentration. By not burning me, it basically said "good shave, bro". The best compliment you can get.

June 3, 2025

• Brush: AP Shave Co Lemondrop 28mm SynBad $RESIN
• Razor: Gillette Fatboy E4 (setting: 6) $ADJUSTABLE $SPACEAGE
• Blade: Astra Superior Platinum (1)
• Lather: Noble Otter - Jack - Soap
• Post Shave: Zingari Man - The Socialite - Aftershave
• Talc: Yardley Classic

2 passes. Face lather. Excellent shave.

I enjoyed today's theme challenge and the daily challenge. For the theme challenge, I thought of the pairing just before shaving and was really happy with the way it turned out.

Noble Otter Jack notes:
lemon, lime, juniper berry, spice, mint, gin, elemi, musk

Zingari Man The Socialite notes: lime, seltzer, ice, juniper, herbs, gin, wormwood, musk

The little bit of Koolada-23 cooling in the splash added a subtle lift to the finish of the scent which was very refreshing.

I liked this pairing so much that I intend to use The Socialite soap followed by Jack aftershave at some point in the future. Thanks djudjges for making me do a little work!

Because I have been using my non-dominant (left) hand to shave with straights and with safety razors for a long time, today's challenge was pretty easy for me. I chose to do as much as possible with my left hand. This included loading the razor with the blade, loading the brush from the tub, doing my pre-shave routine, lathering, and of course, shaving.

• Brush: Voigt & Cop - VC02 30mm Badger

• Razor: Blackland Blackbird

• Blade: Wizamet

• Lather: Mystic Water Soap - Vanilla Sandalwood

• Post Shave: Henri et Victoria - Duc de Santal

• Fragrance: Barrister and Mann - Midnight Special

June 4th, 2025: Complementary Non-Dickhole Day

• Brush: Chisel & Hound "Spice Lily" - TurnNShave Tuxedo 26mm Synthetic $COMPOSITE $FRANKENBRUSH
• Razor: Merkur - 34C $ZAMAC
• Blade: Astra Green (1)
• Lather: HAGS - Valley of Abyss - Soap
• Post Shave: Talent Soap Factory - Wallflower - Aftershave
• Post Shave: Stirling - Glacial Unscented - Balm
• Fragrance: Barrister and Mann - Lavender, Interrupted - EdT

Theme Justification: None of these products are from the same line, but all complement each other quite well. The single anisic lavender note from HAGS Valley of Abyss sets up a nice contrast with the bright, floral Wallflower splash. Lavender, Interrupted finishes out the progression with a warm, complex, and beautifully comforting glow. It truly is a great evening scent that I'd recommend everyone try at least once. $FOF

Challenge: I didn't think I'd be able to pull it off, but I eventually convinced my wife to shave my face with her non-dominant (left) hand. We edited the video for brevity, but some of her comments are priceless and had to be left in. She was only up for the WTG pass, so I finished my last two passes with my non-dominant (left) hand.

Video proof

Brush

Self care: Today was a rest day from running, so I spent time this afternoon doing some hip strengthening exercises and stretching. It's crucial to maintain general conditioning and mobility to prevent injury, especially as I've grown older. $SELFCARE

$ROTY $discord

I had a completely different shave planned out for today, but seeing @Ash use dirtyver pushed me in that direction.

I usually go for complementary scents, but in the spirit of today, I'll explain the logic: verbena is a light, green, and earthy scent, which leads directly into the cool mint balm, and together they help set the stage. Dirtyver then comes in, and takes us from a meadow straight into the forest, with a fresh and piney note to the vetiver. Felce Aromatica is a fern scent, and ferns grow in forests. I planned to use Dsquared's Rocky mountain Wood, but I only have 100ml left of it and the second hand prices are insane. Felce Aromatica is very good tho.

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.

Complementary Non-Dickhole Day: Day 4 of Lather Games

• Brush: Djed Flanders Leftorium #FauxFur
• Razor: Henkotsu Kamisori #Kamisori #Str8Snob
• Lather: House of Mammoth – Almond Leather
• Post Shave: Declaration Grooming – Fake Yellow Light
• Fragrance: Chatillon Lux – Gratiot League Square

Theme justification: These three fragrances Almond Leather, Fake Yellow Light and Gratiot League Square are three different plays on leather, working as a progression from simple to complex when put together in this order. It's a combo good enough that I remember when I found it, and I've since tweaked it, but I keep returning to it because it just feels like it's meant to be. This is a warm scentscape, and it reminds me of winter.

Today's challenge: I made this brush for my first leftorium challenge and I made it with my left hand. As a result, it's ugly, yes, but perfectly serviceable, even if the cheap faux badger knot is a bit poky.

The leftorium challenge is trippy with safety razors, because that's something we usually use with our dominant hand only. But with straights, where one of the first things one learns is to use both hands, it's easier. Now there was a bit of discussion around traditional grind kamisoris on the discord these past two days, and this made me wonder: How difficult is it to use a right-handed (traditional grind kamisoris have a chiral geometry and mine's right-handed) with my left hand?

Well, it's clumsy, it's slow, but works out. I got a better shave than with my new-to-me choice.