June 27th, 2025: Frigid Friday

• Prep: Proraso - Eucalyptus Oil & Menthol Pre Shave Cream
• Brush: Rad Dinosaur Creations - Cavern Dream w/ AP Pure Bliss Synthetic
• Razor: Chiseled Face - Legacy Ti
• Blade: Gillette Silver Blue
• Lather: Oleo Soapworks - Polar - Soap
• Post Shave: Barrister & Mann - Terror - Aftershave
• Post Shave: Nivea - Sensitive Cooling Balm - Balm
• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Permafrost
• Fragrance: Catie’s Bubbles - Crangère - EdP

Daily Theme Justification: While menthol is not explicitly stated in the ingredient list of this particular tub, the label says “MENTHOLATED”. If that is still not satisfactory, LOOK AT THE SOAP FOR CHRIST’S SAKE, also the brush after a swipe or two. Yes, that is pure menthol crystals awaiting to be lathered.

Daily Theme: It has been hot as balls out for pretty much every region in the US this last week or two, so Frigid Friday was needed. I opted for some high quality bottled Hy-Vee Spring Water that had been in the fridge all day, but chilled in the freezer for about 30 minutes prior to shaving. However, it has been really hot. So why not add some ice to the equation for a full ice water shave. I poured the water directly into the ice, and something unexpectedly pleasant occurred, the water turned into slush immediately after pouring. Perfect! I really need to cool down after this hot week. Just as a safe measure, I squirted two pumps of Permafrost into my ice water.

To get my shave started, I rinsed my face and got it nice, cold, and wet, before applying a mix of Proraso Pre Shave and some Permafrost. Wow! This is really cool and refreshing. I rubbed that in for about a minute and let it sit before building my lather. Since I needed serious cooling I opted to pre-chill my razor before the shave and between passes. I swirled and swirled before I was met with a pretty meh lather, but alas Permafrost is here. I added two additional pumps of it to my brush before hitting my face to lather. Holy shit, this is cold, but just what I needed.

I lather and perform my first pass, and then rinse with my ice water. Oh. My. God. This is for real cold, but it is what I asked for. I lather up for a second pass and by this point, time, space, and any sense of self has diminished and I have merged metaphysically with the cold. Eyes watering, can’t think straight, where did I put the fucking razor? Oh yeah, I forgot it is hidden underneath the ice water. I rinse again with the ice water and do some touch up passes and at this point, I hit the singularity…

…cold…

I rinse one last time and this shocked me back to life and I dried my face off. It was like I’d been waterboarded in the Arctic and resuscitated, reminding myself of what I’d just done to myself. “No, please let me perish, I cannot bear another second of this”, I plead to myself. In a futile attempt to merge with the cold beyond this realm to escape, I applied Terror with more…fucking…Permafrost. “I am still here… Please… let me go.” How about some Nivea Cooling Balm with more death sauce (Permafrost). At this point, I am shivering inches from death, awaiting for it to take me. However, I hear something. “Finish the Lather Games, there are only a few more days left”. I remember that it is Frigid Friday and I needed to shave. Anyways, it has been hot as balls out for pretty much every region in the US this last week or two…

Daily Challenge: I used spring water bottled by Hy-Vee. Not sure what impact it had on my shave, but I used it. Please see my above post for proof and what this water did to me.