Lather Games Day 22: Fine Worlds Finest - Gillette 365 (7) - SW Boonana - Elite Manchurian Stoya

Today's Lather Games theme is Haloween/that season/spicy soaps, and I thought Boonana was a good fit. Love the scent.
Had to join the lather games if I possibly could, if even in a small way. Moving/selling house/divorce stuff is keeping me insanely busy these days.
Also wanted to honor the recent Juneteenth holiday by using an AS with old Abe Lincoln's pic on it, History 101. Glad to celebrate a day when finally all Americans were free.
Razor: Fine Accoutrements - Worlds Finest
Blade: Gillette - 365 Stainless (7)
Lather: Southern Witchcrafts - Boonana
Brush: Elite Razor - Manchurian Bulb Stoya 26mm (1 uses)
Post: Summer Break Soaps - History 101
Razor and Blade Notes - Fine Accoutrements - Worlds Finest ::: Gillette - 365 (7 uses):
The 365 blade continues to impress in this Fine razor too. Easily shaved multiple days' growth and was comfy as well.
Razor and Blade Performance/Comfort Rating: 4 out of 5 (Very Good)
Soap Notes - Southern Witchcrafts - Boonana:
Them: "This no ordinary banana scent - it is a complex and rich blend of dark and spicy accords that are perfect for autumn. Boonana elegantly combines fresh banana with florals, bourbon, and musk to elevate the humble fruit into something mysterious and wicked."
Notes: Banana, bourbon, tobacco, lily, neroli, patchouli, vanilla, musk, pumpkin, cashmeran
Me: On first use, I noticed the banana in three phases, and in each one it was never novelty or overdone. It was always in conjunction and harmonious accord with the other notes, such as vanilla and amber and hint of warm wood. There were others in the blend at play of course, but they were more well-blended and hard to identify.
In the first phase it was smelling it from the dry tub. It was a light note of banana that one might easily not get if you're not looking for it. It just plays so well to the other notes available.
In the second phase, the early part of the lather, it did start to have a more taffy banana style to it. But the other scents kept it from being novelty with their warmth and well-roundedness. this phase is where more of the scent came out in the other notes, and it was very interesting. While my first use was a blind evaluation, as I read the notes now, I can easily place the bourbon, tobacco, vanilla, musk, pumpkin, and cashmeran in my nose's recall of the scent. All existing in a wonderful blend.
In the third phase, near the end of the shave, the banana was pretty much gone, leaving that excellent supportive cast. Warm, amber, and vanilla were the notes/words that kept popping into my mind. The others are there in a great blend that were just too hard to pick out blindly.
The all these notes just play so well together. I'm afraid the funny name might make unknowing folks not take this scent nearly as serious as it is. It's very sophisticated. I could wear it all year, but today when I tried it, it was super cold outside, and boy did this one fit the bill. What a great autumn/winter scent especially.
SW knocks another one out of the park. This is creative, unique, and so intelligently put together. It's interesting to watch the banana come and go as the shave progresses. It feels all comfy and warm, but the musk and tobacco type notes keep it from being too much of a toy and give it strength and maturity.
Lather: 60 swirls to load and that was just fine.
Slurry went really well and was mature by the third pass. I already knew SW's base was SL compatible anyway.
Very slick and luxurious.
Hydration: Perfect (for me)
20 sec load with a Soaking brush
= 3 passes of lather
Brush Notes - Elite Razor - Manchurian Bulb Stoya 26mm (1 uses):
This is going to be a great brush to enjoy for many years. It's the kind of manchurian I like, where the tips are luxurious, and it has medium backbone to keep those tips on your face, but still keep an easy to splay nature.
It worked great with the slurry lather method, and I think is going to be awesome with any shaving technique.
This was my first use of this one, since I just bought it from the consignment sale for Matt's wife. So sorry to lose /u/120inna55.
*Shave Quality*
During the Shave Feel:
Cheeks: Felt blade but comfortable
Neck: Felt blade but comfortable
After the Shave Closeness:
Cheeks: Near BBS - About as close as I'll ever get
Neck: Near BBS - About as close as I'll ever get
I'm gradually adding answers to frequent questions here: www.sugardaddys...
(The Lather Games is a period when some shavers, usually from the wetshaving subreddit, like to adhere to a set calendar of themed days, for as much of the month of June as each player is able to do. There are prizes, mini-challenges, great on-theme conversations, and trash talk.)

[@okiedokie_cool]

Nice shave, take care

[@RonnieYates]

Nice shave and review. Good to see you back on.

[@sgrdddyshaves]

Thank you!

[@pfritts3111]

When I attempt to do the Slurry method, most of the water comes out of the brush as I'm loading. Then I get a lather that looks like yours, but it is a dissipated watery mess that causes the razor to skip and drag. Must keep experimenting LOL. What made you decide to try the Slurry?

[@sgrdddyshaves]

try loading for a bit longer, and also using less pressure when you load. If those don't work, maybe shake your brush just a bit more to let out a little water before you load. I hope I'm recalling correctly... I decided to try the slurry just because I wondered if that early bubbly stuff, that you see when you load your brush, was actually shave worthy. And when I tried that with the Chiseled Face OG tallow base, it actually gave me a slickness that was so much better than I had before, so I had to try it a bunch more times and try to figure out what was up. Most soaps don't show such a change, though. But I ended up discovering it's speed benefits, of course.

[@pfritts3111]

@@sgrdddyshaves Thanks for the info!

[@fredhug85]

Thnx sgg. My brother has been using slurry method for years(cheap bastard) he purchases a bag of 12-disposable razors, shaves in the shower w/bar soap thats it. He’s too cheap to go to our type of shaving. Had to mention 👍oh marathon for him too 1-razor a month 😢