A cautionary tale

Just returned from a trip to the Hen House (local grocer) with my wife. Not something I usually do, but I wanted to find a jar suitable to keep alcohol in for bathing razors. When my wife split off to find something I had no interest in, I decided to cruise the shaving supplies isle and see if Mennen Skin Bracer would still smell as good to me as it once did. I love Proraso aftershave, and the first time I used it (just this past November), it evoked memories of Skin Bracer. I was undiscouraged when I found the product sporting a new label (regrettable, but to be expected), and even maintained some hopeful optimism after I picked up a bottle of the stuff that turned out to be plastic. Hopes were dashed, however, upon removing the lid and taking a whiff.

Just at that sad moment my wife caught up with me. Observing my disappointment, she leaned forward to sample for herself. I held the bottle under her nose, but she seemed to have difficulty catching the scent. So I squeezed the bottle lightly to expel some vapor. Unfortunately, the plastic was flimsier than I'd anticipated. Skin Bracer -- or what now passes for it -- gushed from the opening just as my wife began to inhale more strenuously. The result was not a happy one. Needless to say, we turned a few heads on our way out of the Hen House, and the ride home was not especially pleasant.

I deeply appreciate all of the information and helpful advice I've gathered here. As painful as this experience is to recount, I thought I should share it for the benefit of others.

BTW, I'll be sticking with Proraso.

CB

Oh, my! Thanks for the warning! On the other hand, your lovely bride's sinuses might just stay clear for the duration of cold and flu season

Gruder said:

Oh, my! Thanks for the warning! On the other hand, your lovely bride's sinuses might just stay clear for the duration of cold and flu season

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Indeed.

But I'm going to keep her away from open flames for a day or two.

A sound precaution!

That probably would have cost me a house, one of the cars, all the furniture, but I'm sure I could keep all the bills....................JR

Damn! No candles in the bedroom tonight.

Seriously, does anyone think Skin Bracer is what it used to be? I have a sinus infection. Maybe my nose is off. But chicken soup smells the same way is always has.

my daughters love going to bath and body works, and make me smell everything. i get sprayed in the nose/eye with that stuff EVERY SINGLE TIME.
i feel your wifes pain.

ChiefBroom said:

Seriously, does anyone think Skin Bracer is what it used to be?

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I have two bottles of vintage Skin Bracer, a bottle of Skin Bracer about a year old, and several bottles of Winn Dixie house brand "BrisK" Skin Bracer clone. They all pretty much smell nearly identical to me. And they should, since the company who makes the knockoffs (Vijohn) also makes the actual Skin Bracer for Colgate Palmolive.

rearviewmirror said:

my daughters love going to bath and body works, and make me smell everything. i get sprayed in the nose/eye with that stuff EVERY SINGLE TIME.
i feel your wifes pain.

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Bath and Body Works has some really nice men's colognes, and C.O. Bigelow Shaving Cream, so not everything there is bad.

michiganlover said:

I have two bottles of vintage Skin Bracer, a bottle of Skin Bracer about a year old, and several bottles of Winn Dixie house brand "BrisK" Skin Bracer clone. They all pretty much smell nearly identical to me. And they should, since the company who makes the knockoffs (Vijohn) also makes the actual Skin Bracer for Colgate Palmolive.

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Thanks for the reply, and you're probably right. The last time I used Skin Bracer was in high school or college, before getting my first electric. So that would have been over 30 (maybe 40) years ago. I remember it as crisp, clean, and simple -- like Prosaro -- at least to my senses. I'll try it again after I get past this head cold.

So did you "HIT" on her all day ????
Enjoy Your Shave !

DOLLARBILL said:

So did you "HIT" on her all day ????
Enjoy Your Shave !

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Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to work that way.

...I had a similar experience. I bought some Barbasol AS, and when I got home, as I was putting it away, I thought I'd give it another whiff. I gently squeezed the bottle, but I dont think it was gently enough...because I ended up snorting it...and it burned...and all I could smell for the next 2 hours was Barbasol...

Coda_ said:

...I had a similar experience. I bought some Barbasol AS, and when I got home, as I was putting it away, I thought I'd give it another whiff. I gently squeezed the bottle, but I dont think it was gently enough...because I ended up snorting it...and it burned...and all I could smell for the next 2 hours was Barbasol...

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Ya, I'm afraid I hyper-injected the stuff up my wife's sniffer. She still reeked of it when we turned in last night -- I suggested repeating the procedure using soapy water, but she wouldn't go for that. Seems to have subsided this morning.

I'm sorry but that story made me laugh.

Seriously, though, that's definitely a bad trip to the grocery store.

I own and use Skin Bracer on a regular basis and my girlfriend actually loves it. We're in our mid-twenties, so it's not like I had a pre-conceived notion of what it was going to smell like when I first used it. At first, I thought it made me smell extremely old. Like Depends/Colostomy bag old. But now I actually like the smell, and not just the menthol feel, which I liked from the get-go.

Definitely give it a go, but I would wait awhile before you let your wife smell it or even see it in the bathroom.