DaveWave94

17.06.2025

• Brush: AP Shave Co. Snakeskin w/ 26 mm Silksmoke Flattop/Fan hybrid
• Razor: Leaf Thorn
• Blade: Perma-Sharp half DE
• Lather: Zingari Man - The Navigator
• Post-Shave: HAGS - Apocalypse ASB

-> 2-pass head shave, a very thorough and smooth one also. Technically it was still Tuesday while I started my shave, but it's Wednesday now for me - gotta love time zones and late night shaves?

So, after using The Rambler yesterday, I thought I might try my other ZM soap today: The Navigator is a smooth, creamy aquatic with a very nice artwork on the tub (including little metallic details). The lather for the second pass was a bit thin, but still useable. I seem to have a bit of a problem with "skin food shaving soaps", as in: I tend to underload them. Anyways, this was quite refreshing after a hot day - Apocalypse goes into the aquatic territory too, albeit a bit more like AdG/Cool Water, so it paired nicely.

Today was just another Tuesday. Low effort studying, picking up the new silicone mats for my car + installing them, putting some car protection bumpers made from EVA in my garage, grocery shopping. Oh, and picking up the mail: Whoever shares a few letters in their first name with me, your Chicago Grooming - Irving Park sample has arrived and it smells gorgeous. Thanks! I was worried that I wouldn't have time to participate, but thankfully July BVWSC is on one of the last days of my vacation time after the practical exam. Woohoo!

16.06.2025

• Brush: AP Shave Co. Snakeskin w/ 26 mm Silksmoke Flattop/Fan hybrid
• Razor: GEM Micromatic Open Comb
• Blade: Personna GEM PTFE
• Lather: Zingari Man - The Rambler
• Post-Shave: alum block; Lavera Men sensitive ASB

-> 1 pass WTG + clean-up on the head. A nice shave, but a few bloody dots - haven't used the MMOC in quite a while.

And it wasn't very clean either. In fact, I had to go with a cartridge over a spot I missed at the back of my head (where GEM razors are tricky to use perfectly). Yet still, I took my time for a nice shave again that I could post. Last Thursday I only used my cartridge and brushless cream under the shower, which IMHO wasn't worth writing about.

Rambler is a very sweet scent, but it's the first ZM soap I ever bought so it's kinda special to me. I still suck at lathering ZM sometimes, but the soap rewards me with nice glide and a great post shave feeling.

Currently I sit at home this week to prepare for my practical and oral exams. Haven't done much for it yet tbh, but I plan to change that tomorrow. I wanted to get back into gaming a bit, but I often feel frustrated by the modern game market. For example, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle would be something totally up my alley - yet the disk version contains a meager 300 KB and ~157 GB of the game are downloaded over the MS store. I mean, why even bother with a physical version then? It's just window dressing in that case.

Yup, I have one full tub in the form of Shaman and got several samples a few years ago. The samples weren't that impressive in terms of lather, but Shaman seems to be a new/improved recipe for the base and once you get a good lather going (you really need to load heavy, it's oily) it's great stuff. Barber and Solstice are IMHO also really great scents, also available as bar soaps.

At first I thought you have the greatest view ever from your desk before I realised it was a Dell monitor in full screen view 😂

Ngl, I like seeing other folks' creative solutions to the space problem a collectionist hobby inevitably brings with it 👍🏻

09.06.2025

• Brush: AP Shave Co. Snakeskin w/ 26 mm Silksmoke Flattop/Fan hybrid
• Razor: RazoRock Hawk V2; KAI Captain J-7 shavette
• Blade: KAI Captain Protouch MG
• Lather: HAGS - Apocalypse
• Post-Shave: alum block; HAGS Apocalypse aftershave balm

-> 2-pass head and face shave; good shave except some irritation from shaving around the goatee...

I don't know how I managed to need an alum block with guarded blades; it seems like my face really doesn't like shaving that much. I wasn't overly reckless, in fact it was rather slow and controlled. Well, seems like I still lack the muscle memory.

Apocalypse is a nice summer aquatic scent that reminds me of warmer days - while we got some sun today, it was still rather windy and a bit cold for June.

Thanks!

Oh, that's an interesting fact. Good to know! Over here in Germany, and as far as I remember also in Switzerland and Austria, all spouts look the same but there are colour indicators like on this Shell pump station - diesel is almost always black, while regular gas/fuel is either green, red, yellow or blue (depending on the branding of the gas station you're at: Shell = yellow or red, Aral = blue, and so on). I feel like the US solution is a bit more practical, though. Many people have wrecked their motors by putting the wrong fuel in their tank...

I'm a full day too late, but since I picked up my new car on Thursday in the late afternoon, the weather hasn't been great for taking photos. So I share some from before picking it up when it was at the car dealership:

Front view, surrounding cars cropped out

Back view, had to censor out one of the salesmen in the background 😅

Overall the Opel Mokka B is a great car, it's just a bit tough getting used to such a modern car. My previous car was an Opel Astra J Sports Tourer, which was way longer but made in 2012. The new one was manufactured at the end of 2023, so it has all kinds of new tech I am yet unfamiliar with. I finally have a working sound system again, which is quite enjoyable. Also, my old Astra was a diesel, new one drives on normal petrol/gas. It's good that the fuel tank is on the opposite site with this one, so I won't accidentally put the wrong fuel in it. Driving comfort is very high and feels familiar to my old one, even though Opel changed quite a while back from GM to Stellantis platform. I hope this car will serve me as well as the old one did!

Also, since I don't know where else to put it: since quite a while I have a new Matrix messenger address, it's @dave.anders94:matrix.org . The old one is broken/lost due to Onmail closing down and no opportunity to change emails on Element. Unfortunately all messages sent there are lost in the ether... Nowadays I use FluffyChat. I also changed my primary Lemmy app back to Raccoon since it allows me to edit my profile and bio, unlike Voyager. However, it sometimes does formatting weird - please show me if something I write looks weird on other appliances or webviews (Jerboa, Voyager, Alexandrite, etc.)! A little plus: @[email protected] , Raccoon shows the daily SOTD thread image in case you're interested!

It's a really high quality shopping bag 🤣

Huh, colour me impressed! I thought it was a massive ebony table. 😅

Yeah, I kinda got it back then because I was curious how well petrichor scents could really emulate my favourite nature scent of fresh rain on warm, dusty roads... Only to be hit with a blast from the past of Persil 😂

Awesome picture! This black theme goes really well together with the red accents of software and the Weck. What's the background, looks like a really quality piece of wood?

Unfortunately Bangarang mostly evokes memories of laundry day at my grandparents' house for me. Smells kinda like her laundry detergent of choice did 😅

Thanks and I agree. The written part is so heavy on theory that it's definitely the most difficult part for me too. 😅

Those Abalone razors are looking really great, makes even me want one despite never having used straight razors. I hope your order makes it to you soon, delays suck.

05.06.2025

• Brush: AP Shave Co. Snakeskin w/ 26 mm Silksmoke Flattop/Fan hybrid
• Razor: RazoRock Hawk V2 w/ Cyber handle
• Blade: KAI Captain Protouch MG
• Lather: Noble Otter - Neon Sun
• Post-Shave: Lavera Men sensitive skin ASB
• Fragrance: Bentley for Men Intense EdP

-> 1 pass on both head and face plus a few touch-ups. A very comfortable shave. I've done this shave way earlier, but just now found the time to post.

Neon Sun is one of my comfort scents. I don't know if anyone else of you has some, but there are certain soaps and certain smells that just make me feel better instantly. It's slightly powdery and barbershop-like with a hint of citrus and a masculine fragrance. It's not overbearing, but it doesn't need to be. A true evergreen scent and it's actually like something that could've been used in the late 80s like the tub art suggests. Coupled with a new guarded AC blade in the Hawk, it was a very nice and smooth shave despite only taking a single pass!

So I'm done with my written exams since yesterday. Day 2 was a teenager in a psychiatric clinic suffering from bullying and neurodermatitis. Day 3 was an old women in a wheelchair who had a stroke and multiple other medical problems that required attention. But I must say, for each day I have the feeling that I have indeed passed. I wrote something down for every single question and gave it my all. Now it's just one practical exam in July and the oral exam at the end of August that's between me and my RN degree!

I also picked up my new car today, together with my dad. It's an Opel Mokka B in black with some red details. Beautiful design and a joy to drive, just need to get used to such a modern car. I might post some pictures and more details in tomorrow's FTF thread!