31.10.2024 - Halloween Shave: Samhain

• Brush: RazoRock Beehive 28 mm
• Razor: Leaf Thorn
• Blade: snapped KCG
• Lather: Southern Witchcrafts - Samhain
• Post-Shave: Thayer’s Original toner; Natura Siberica ASB gel

1 pass on the head, 1 on the face around my moustache and goatee. The face shave felt better than the head shave - I suppose the dome won’t get used to daily shaving.

Ghouls, ghosts and goblins, today is finally Halloween! Of course I used Samhain. I really look forward to this scent every time; sadly this year without the matching AS since I now weirdly have allergic reactions to that.

Today was also a day where I spontaneously decided that I’ll trim my short beard down into something different. I now sport a style similar to this - minus the hair and Christian Bale’s awesomeness of course. Net profit is that I finally can shave the parts of my jawline that are prone to itching. It felt good to shave my cheeks again - the patchy growth there really doesn’t do my skin any favours and I can wear something nicer and tidier now.

So, Halloween is usually a day off for me. We have a regional christian holiday in East Germany and that’s why many church officials are strongly opposed to Halloween. Baffling, since Christianity took over celtic pagan traditions with their own holidays. This video explains it very well in short (Buzzfeed Unsolved is way better than their parent company). My only gripe with the holiday? It became too commercial and too soft. Regardless, I hope everyone of you has a fine time today!

30.10.2024 - Halloweek 3: Dreams in the Witch House

• Brush: RazoRock 400 Noir SE 24 mm
• Razor: Leaf Thorn
• Blade: snapped KCG
• Lather: Southern Witchcrafts - GraveFruit II
• Post-Shave: Southern Witchcrafts - GraveFruit II AS; Natura Siberica ASB gel

2 pass head shave. Gave my face some rest as I currently have a bit of a sore throat (yay for everyone around me being sick atm).

It’s Witchcrafts Wednesday, it’s the season of the witch - and this tub features a skull with grapefruits! What a perfect fit for today.

GF2 is one of my all-time favourites, as some of you already know. It’s firmly in my top 10 of amazing scents. It’s fresh citrus without smelling like toilet cleaner. It has an aura of sophistication, something very intriguing, almost enchanting - true to the SW name. I never had the opportunity to smell the original, but this one is bliss. This fragrance was created by Shawn Maher and it shows that he’s a very skilled perfumer. Yeah, it’s a bit better suited for the warmer seasons. But this doesn’t stop me from occasionally enjoying it even in winter!

Instead of rambling around about the concept of witches like an idiot, I’ll just leave you some music that combines the young genre of ‘Witch House’ with old folk: Untitled Burial Mix 2

29.10.2024 - Halloweek 2: In Space, nobody hears you scream

• Brush: TGS Galaxy 26 mm
• Razor: RazoRock Hawk V2 w/ Superknurl handle
• Blade: KAI Protouch MG
• Lather: HAGS - Aftermath (vegan version)
• Post-Shave: Moon Soaps Old School “balm”; panthenol after sun cream

1 pass both for head and the beard contours. Slight burn, otherwise good shave.

Today is yet another soap by HAGS - this one still had artwork that could potentially be done by a real person, but unfortunately no artist is credited.
This is the artwork. We see a space exploration uncovering a previous explorer who wasn’t so lucky in their adventures. I like the 50s Sci-fi vibes this gives off, kinda like the old horror comics. Apart from the Alien and Predator franchises, Sci-fi horror isn’t very successful on the movie front. In gaming, there’s Dead Space as a mayor player. Personally I find a space setting or Sci-fi world very intriguing, but it requires a certain amount of world building and lore.

However, HAGS art and names have more often than not zero to do with the scent. This one is a dupe of Amouage Interlude Man, a notoriously expensive and very complex fragrance. But in soap form, it’s mostly on the gourmand side IMHO. The vegan base can’t really reach the greatness of their Mutton tallow or Osiris base though.

As for Aftermaths: I have to announce that my skincare article won’t make it until the end of October. I hope I’ll finish it Friday evening (which will be morning or midday for our american friends). Turns out experts don’t want to talk that much when you’re not paying for an appointment or don’t belong to a newspaper/famous blog. So you folks will have to do with the articles by dermatologists I was able to find…

Dear @walden@sub.wetshaving.social , I wanted to let you know since Saturday that your Oro Valley sample reached Germany. Apologies, my ADHD brain forgot. Thanks a lot for it!

28.10.2024 - Halloweek 1: Sweeney Todd

• Brush: AP Shave Co. Snakeskin handle w/ 26 mm Silksmoke Flattop/Fan hybrid knot
• Razor: Leaf Thorn
• Blade: snapped KCG (new)
• Lather: HAGS - Barberwood
• Post-Shave: HAGS - Barberwood AS toner; Manuka Health repair balm

2 passes on the head, 1 around the beard. Good shave overall, minor burn.

Seeing @sahenders@sub.wetshaving.social post inspired me to use some of my soaps with morbid/dark/creepy artwork for this Halloween week. Let’s see if I can manage a consistent string of daily shaves until Thursday…

Barberwood seems to feature Sweeney Todd, the murderous barber of Fleet Street. If HAGS would actually pay good artists instead of relying on AI-generated slop, it might’ve turned out a bit better. However, we got this thing here. Ugh… I’m personally not against AI generated pictures for teachers who want to give some interesting visualisation and can’t draw for shit, but for official art on products you sell?.. Eh, come on. Get a real artist. Scent is your typical sweet powder barbershop, inoffensive and a people pleaser. I personally prefer the unique takes like Old Strathcona and Ghost Town Barber much more.

I haven’t seen the movie with Johnny Depp, as I personally deeply dislike musicals. But there’s one Depp movie fitting for this season that I wholeheartedly recommend: The Ninth Gate
This was one of the first “darker” movies I saw when I was ~13/14. I’ve seen it a few times since - the trailer doesn’t really do it justice. It’s a slower movie at the start, but once it picks up momentum it goes ahead like a boulder down a steep hill. Also, this one really needs you to think and come to your own conclusions. I still fear a majority view it through a christian/religious lens and are afraid of it bc of that. Personally I think Polanski is a POS but if I couldn’t separate art from artists, I also wouldn’t be able to enjoy H.P. Lovecraft as much.

Have a great spooky week, folks! 🎃✌🏻

My scent descriptions are notoriously bad, so take it with a grain of salt: I’d say it has somewhat of a wet smoke quality to it - like a fire that has been put out. Not a dry smoke like incense.

It’s a divisive scent, I’d definitely recommend a sample first. That one is surely not a scent to impress your significant other… It’s more of a “wear it for yourself” thing.

They deleted their Reddit account, but it’s good to hear they are still active today 👍🏻

27.10.2024 - Sunday SOTN

• Brush: RazoRock Beehive 28 mm
• Razor: Leaf Thorn
• Blade: snapped KCG
• Lather: Stirling Soap Co. - Texas on Fire
• Post-Shave: Capanova Natural aftershave repair balm

-> 1 pass head shave. It was fast 'cause it was late, but a good shave overall.

Smokey Stirling goodness never disappoints. This stuff smells like the aftermath of a raging fire; something very fitting for this time of the year, as we had big autumn fires at the end of October when I was a child. This only ended after they were forbidden due to the many accidents and wildfires they caused…

This soap causes no burn however. The new ASB does (damn alcohol), but only for a very short moment.

An important question

Does anyone know what happened to @Mayana@sub.wetshaving.social ??? The recent question about body shaving on our instance made me realise how we sorely miss someone like them with their body shaving knowledge. Their last post is from over a year ago… I really hope they are ok. 😥

Hope it’ll serve you well. Let us know how it feels!

Thanks for suggesting it! Such a unique take on the barbershop genre and a very good base on top 👍🏻

First off, massive respect for helping your wife with such a sensitive issue. 👍🏻

Now, if she actually wants to shave with a DE or SE razor, it’s generally recommended to start with a less sensitive area than the groin for body shaving. The legs are a really good starting point, alternatively the armpits are also rather tough.

However, in your/her case, if it’s just to get a close shave before a laser hair removal… I seriously wouldn’t bother with a DE. A basic electric body shaver should be mild enough to get rid of the hair but don’t hurt the follicles. Alternatively, there are disposable razors by Wilkinson Sword (Schick in the USA) with a flexible head - means it doesn’t only pivot, but actually adapts to the contours of your body. These here are what I mean. Don’t let her pay the “lady razor tax” though.

As for lather, I’d recommend a brushless cream, shaving oil or a transparent gel to see better. It might also come in handy to use (shower) mirrors. Best of luck!

26.10.2024 - Saturday Strathcona shenanigans

• Brush: AP Shave Co. black & clear handle w/ 30 mm Tuxedo Fan knot
• Razor: Leaf Thorn
• Blade: snapped KCG
• Lather: MacDuff’s Soap Co. - Old Strathcona (sample)
• Post-Shave: OAM sensitive skin toner; Capanova Natural aftershave repair balm

-> 2 passes on the dome, 1 for the neck and cheek lines. A really great shave!

Hadn’t posted in a while since a few shaves were boring shower shaves with a cartridge. Feels good to use something proper again! I felt in the mood for a barbershop scent, but couldn’t decide - so I used a chunk of the huge sample @sahenders@sub.wetshaving.social graciously provided to us for BVWSC N°2. I lathered it up in a new candle coaster I got myself (the old lid I’ve been using has finally RIP’d). Lo and behold, it worked great. MacDuff’s base is really a treat and gladly I experience no irritation from the Oak moss.

Today’s aftershave balm is a new one I bought on Friday, it’s by a natural cosmetics brand that seems to be on clearance sale. The balm has a gel-like texture and absorbed very quickly. It unfortunately contains alcohol, but also lots of skin food ingredients to balance that out. Only downside is that it makes my dome shine like I polished it, so it’s only getting used for late shaves 😅

Yeah, I don’t really miss it. Seems like at that price point, their only good brushes are the black fibre synthetics.

I’d even call it an awesome handle, but when that is what they call medium… IDK. My grandpa’s vintage brush also required that my dad and me sanded down the glue of the new knot and carefully widened the yellow bakelite with a Dremel, so no idea what it is with East Germany and tiny shaving brush knots. 😅

I find it intriguing too and I believe Mühle can make great products… if only their knots weren’t so small 🤔

Great idea! An empty 2 oz aluminium tin is even better, as it won’t break easily like glass or porcelain. You might be able to find another one in a thrift store too.

Unfortunately I also never had any Semogue brush, but I fully trust your word. I believe the animal hair fibers would be able to “fluff out” so to speak (blooming?), but that’s not something I’d expect to be possible from synthetic fibre.

Side note, Fan or Flattop knots really rock for head shaving. It’s a shame that not many face shavers seem to appreciate them, so they aren’t widely available. Andrew from AP Shave Co. seems to be one of the only artisans who even does synthetic fan knots.

Sample lathering is quite a PITA for people who prefer to lather directly on their face/head, I feel your pain.

I’d also suggest another minimalist alternative to make it as close to face lathering as possible. Small glass or porcelain ashtrays (cleaned ofc) or candle coasters make for a good solution if the only camembert available in your area doesn’t come with a cool porcelain dish. You can easily find those, even vintage ones if you prefer thrift stores/flea markets. Spread the soap evenly with a guitar pick or wide popsicle and simply load as if it was a soap puck. Any sample that isn’t by Stirling Soap is only designed to give you 3 to 5 uses max anyway, so be generous with the amount of soap you’re spreading in there.

Unfortunately I only had a hjm black badger brush (Mühle’s cheap line before rebranding it to “nom”) and that was a scratchy brush with quite a stench.

The Ebonite handle there looks crazy good though. It’s just a shame that most of their knots are so tiny! 21 mm wouldn’t fit well for my needs, the only brush I own that is this small is one with sentimental value (grandpa’s old brush, now re-fitted with an AP Shave Co. knot). They also have their STF Silver Tip Fibre available in 26 mm knots though, which is supposed to be the top tier synthetic brush material on the market… would love to try one of those someday. It’s a bit weird that I don’t own anything by Mühle except an R41 with an ebony handle, since they are based in my region.

I realise that I’m becoming less and less a fan of menthol and WS-23 in soaps and splashes. It feels like a gimmick.

For the most part, menthol and Koolada/WS-23 are gimmicks - they are often added to provide a “refreshing” feeling, the only good use case are very hot summer days were they provide a short relief from the heat. Natural peppermint oil is an entirely different case though, if used sparingly (1% at most) in products it has the same effect as it contains natural menthol. However, it’s a bit counterproductive to shaving - peppermint and menthol mostly improve blood flow and improve hair/beard growth by proxy. A 2014 study in mice even showed that an oil mix consisting of castor, jojoba and a tiny bit of peppermint oil worked as good as Minoxidil for hair (re-)growth!

Sterben musst du so und so, doch schneller geht’s mit Marlboro!

Non-serious german quote of course, I am just kidding. Hope this set actually smells way better than my preferred cigarette brand does. Enjoy 👍🏻

I personally got myself a no-name round fogless shower mirror from amazon. It is shatter-proof and has a twist-action suction cup, making it suitable for a lot of different surfaces. Since you seem to be based in the US, this one here seems to be like the one I got. I personally like that you can twist it 360°, personally I use it regularly to trim my beard and occasionally to shave my head.

20.10.2024 - Sunday Rambling

• Brush: RazoRock 400 Noir SE
• Razor: Leaf Thorn
• Blade: snapped KCG
• Lather: Zingari Man - The Rambler
• Post-Shave: Osma alum; Moon Soaps Old School “balm”

-> as usual: 2 passes on the head, 1 around the beard. A good shave with just minor irritation. The alum was just for 2 bumps I managed to cut up.

Not shaving since Wednesday left me with quite the stubble on my dome, but surprisingly the Thorn manages that easily.

I was in the mood for a great ZM soap, and since I only own two and one is a summer aquatic - it was Rambler time. A pretty sweet affair, since the tobacco listed isn’t my preferred “dried cigar leaf” scent but rather the tobacco flower. Nevertheless, it always lathers great and leaves my skin feeling very good. Heather knows her cosmetics stuff, she just had a unfortunate choice for a brand name.

Second microneedling treatment today. Unfortunately I wasn’t paying attention and got myself a 1.0 mm roller, while every source recommends 0.5 for beginners. Now I know why it’s actually a bit painful, but oh well - that’s the price of beauty. 😅