Battle of the Blue's!
Mmmmmmmmmmm 106 degrees is in the forecast this week in the valley of the sun so it made me think about how Im going to get the kids and myself cooled off. So during my morning shave a few days back it made me think about what how comforting my shave was. Im not a big mentholated cream and soap fan since it feels like the face freezes and I cant feel the whiskers melting away. But I do like a nice mentholated splash and in my time nothing comes close to the 3 Blues; Floids Blue, Aqua Velva and Saint Charles Shave Blue Line.
My review system is simple, 0-2 scale with 5 topics. Either it sucks, its OK, or it rocks.
Packaging:
Quality:
Scent:
Cooling:
Efficiency:
All three favorites of mine but in a head to head challenge who comes out on top?
Floid's Blue
Sexy Curvy Italian!
Rating: 2
This old world favorite has always been a tough one to find and up until recently it was still available. You guessed it, as with most good things in our twisted world of traditional shaving favorites it is discontinued.
Floids doesnt skimp on anything, including the packaging. It comes in a lovely 400ml glass bottle and it lasts a long time. Almost an apothecary looking bottle with a black screw on cap it is the nicest of the 3 blues and one of the nicest all around.
Sure it looks pretty but does it work?
Rating: 2
You bet it does. As with most Italian shaving products, I like the concept of keeping it simple. Just make it work. Floids doesnt leave a tacky feeling; it drys quickly once applied. It doesnt give much of a sting either (I love the sting) but it closes your pours and braces your skin without drying it out. My face feels fantastic after I apply it; soft, supple but most importantly healed.
Not Your Ordinary Barbershop Smell
Rating: 1
Most traditional wetshavers love the old school scent to a point. Lets face it most of us were drawn to double edge razors and straight razors because of the nostalgia then followed the quality of the shave. Sticking with the nostalgic side; the scent of Floids Blue doesnt ring old school like the Floids Amber but well save that for someone else to review. Nothing bad but I had to point it out from my point of my review. The menthol smell is nice.
Powdery and citrus is what most reviews come attached to Floids Blue and I agree on both. More powdery than citrus but when I mean citrus I mean a hint of it. The scent doesnt linger at all. Though the scent doesnt attract me it certainly isnt bad.
The Cool Factor
Rating: 1
It definitely doesnt disappoint in this category. It gives a nice cooling effect which lingers for a few minutes. It doesnt rock the menthol world though, in 110 degree summers this stands out.
Worth the Expense
Rating: 2
$46+ for 400ml what do you expect, Its a big honkin chunk of glass.
Saint Charles Shave Blue Line
Hes a Square Benny!! The Kids a Square!!!
Rating: 1
Alright not to overly dramatic but its a great line. It isnt sexy, curvy, of cool looking but I wouldnt kick it out of bed. The bottle is made out of clear glass, it has four corners with a cap. It keeps the goods inside and it isnt plastic so thats a plus. The label isnt etched as it appears on the Floid bottles, it is a sticker but I dont care for the hockey guy but it goes with the Blue Line in hockey.
Dont Knock It Until You Try It
Rating: 2
It isnt from Italy or made by Italians (at least not that I know of. Wendy?) but comes from the heartland of America and made by one of the best traditional shaving artisans.
The results from Blue Line have been excellent. My face feels nourished, conditioned and healed but not much skin tightening as with some other aftershaves. It has a decent sting to it so I wouldnt recommend this for sensitive skin shavers. It doesnt dry as fast but doesnt cross over to a tacky feeling. It leaves a very moisturized face.
Mmmmmmmmmmm Candy Canes!
Rating: 2
Im not sure what to gather from the scent but I smell peppermint or candy canes. The menthol smell isnt too obvious but it is nothing that will clash with your scent at all. It is short lived and nothing lingering.
The scent from Blue Line and Floid Blue are very different IMO but Blue Line has a better scent.
Well it isn't Fonzy cool
Rating:1
I have a fine line of too much menthol and just off the mark. Blue Line has a fantastic fresh feel as opposed to a more mentholated blast but still enough to drop the skin a few degrees. One good thing is that fresh feeling seems to really last but it feels like it comes from whatever is giving it the pepperminty smell. It tingles which is nice.
Value-able!
Rating: 2
$10! That's it! I have 11 SCS splashes and balms and there are extremely few products that come close to the quality for the price.
The SCS products last an absurdly long time. I have an Avocado Oil Balm that I've been using everyday after my splash and it is barely reaching the halfway mark. So you could just imagine just how little product is used.
Aqua Velva Ice Blue
If Floid Blue is a staple of Italy then there is no other better representative for the U.S. than Aqua Velva. There hasn't been much reformulation of this product from what I can tell but I've heard the alcohol content has been reduced over the years. I can't remember seeing the blue bottles in barbershops but I cant remember ever being in someones home growing up and not seeing the beautiful blue beacon calling out to young men. I couldn't wait to start to use this stuff when I began shaving and now I can't ever see my kids not trying this stuff out.
If looks could kill
Rating: 2
I really dig the way the Aqua Velva glass bottles look. They have a heart shape to it and very well made shaker that is better than Floid's and SCS's shaker. Not to stray off the subject but their new plastic bottles are horrific.
The glass has a great look to it with the juices dark blue look, it almost look neon. Very cool.
Oooooh, Ahhhhhh!
Rating: 2
Everything a growing boy needs; Glycerine and alcohol, what a magnificent product. I don't feel any dryness afterwards only refreshed and smooth skin. My face feels clean and braced.
Aqua Vela has probably the most brace feeling of the 3 reviewed.
What the........
Rating: 1
Reminds me old moonshine smell straight out of the bottle. The only reason why it didn't get a 0 is because the scent is only bad from the bottle but one in my hands and on your face it subsides immediately. The scent lingers the most from the 3 but nothing obtrusive.
Right on the money!
Rating:2
The better of the 3 in menthol; very cool, brisk, icy but not mind numbing. It has a very nice blast of menthol that lasts the longest. It is very comforting to use this time of the year. My 6 year old likes it but says it is "spicy" and I guess hasn't grasped the concept of what menthol is.
Drug store brands are worth it!
Rating: 2
Walgreens, CVS and your other neighborhood drug store likely carries it. At around $6 it is hard to top the value for what you get from it. From the 3 I feel you use the most per use and it doesn't go last as long as SCS or Floid but the price balances it out.
Final Tally
Floid Blue = 8
SCS Blue Line = 8
Aqua Velva = 9
There you have it folks. Let's here what you think
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