Stick with what you know about from B&B Ivy Club spice and CVS Spice are good and the Barbsol Rush and Green are great.
A newbie explores cheap American store bought aftershaves.
- Thread starter ZergoZatgai
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Stick with what you know about from B&B Ivy Club spice and CVS Spice are good and the Barbsol Rush and Green are great.
I've just tried English Leather. I'd be interested in what you think of that scent.
+1 Agree.....miss your reviews ZergoZatgai!
Me too. In the last month, I've bought 16oz of vintage EL cologne and 14oz of vintage EL aftershave, all made by Mem. Suffice it to say I like the stuff.
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- #105
Hello all, Sorry I've been away for a while. I got a convergence of events that included a ton of busy and a wicked cold for the end of summer. Suffice to say, it's kind of tricky to assess aftershaves when your nose is off line. Another shaving related thing that set me back is that I have started using Godrej shaving cream a lot. Being that it has lanolin, the post shave feel is different (and I think better) than other products I've used. I needed to take a quick spin through a few familiar ASL's to make sure I had a good reference for how things play after the lanolin.
Oh that sounds like fun! do keep us posted
You all have inspired me, I'll start working on the leather on Monday. I've done a couple of wrist tests and I think the scent is fascinating, I don't quite know what to make of it, but I do think it will be a nice fall fragrance. The one thing I have noticed is that it has one of the biggest changes from bottle to skin that I've noticed. At first, I wasn't sure I was going to like it from smelling the bottle, but once it gets to breathe a little it's quite nice.
Thanks all for keeping things going here! Now for Old Spice Classic.
Oh that sounds like fun! do keep us posted
You all have inspired me, I'll start working on the leather on Monday. I've done a couple of wrist tests and I think the scent is fascinating, I don't quite know what to make of it, but I do think it will be a nice fall fragrance. The one thing I have noticed is that it has one of the biggest changes from bottle to skin that I've noticed. At first, I wasn't sure I was going to like it from smelling the bottle, but once it gets to breathe a little it's quite nice.
Thanks all for keeping things going here! Now for Old Spice Classic.
- Thread starter
- #106
Old Spice Classic (Proctor & Gamble current release)
price: $7.50 for a 4.25 oz (125 ml) bottle at a mega mart.
ingredients: Alcohol Denat., Water/Eau, Propylene Glycol, Fragrance/Parfum, Benzyl Alcohol, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
bottle: An opaque plastic buoy shaped bottle with metal flow reducer and a peg insert cap that fits in the reducer opening. The bottle fits securely in the hand and it is very easy to control the flow with a finger. The plastic of the bottle is heavier and more rigid than the typical clear plastic bottle. It's not as nice as glass, but it is a cut above most of the other plastic bottles I have seen.
scent: Opens with a blast of cinnamon and nutmeg spice which only slowly fades. Beneath the spice you quickly notice vanilla type scents and a honey floral note. As things develop a third tier of scents appears in the background consisting of subtle notes of resinous wood and soapy powder. by the 90 minute to 2 hour mark, things have settled down to a mild but pleasant wood scent backed with vanilla and just a faint hint of spice. This woody tail end lasts well for at least six hours at a reasonably subtle level.
skin feel: A fairly typical moisturized aftershave. It is well balanced for my skin leaving it neither sticky nor dry. The alcohol is present, but only as a very minor sting at irritated areas. Over all, my face felt pleasantly smooth and soft after application with little or no tightness.
thoughts: You can't read much about old spice without running into strong feelings about Proctor & Gamble's modern formulation of Old Spice. A lot of people compare the current product to vintage, Indian import versions, and even generic equivalents and often in unflattering terms. I suspect that this is in part a matter of expectations. If you are expecting one scent and get another, there is an excellent chance you will be disappointed. In some ways though I am fortunate in that I have no strong frame of reference for the original product and so I am able to try this with a clean slate. That allows me to enjoy modern Old Spice for what it is and not compare it to a beloved memory. What I get from Old Spice is a lightly moisturizing alcohol splash with a mild face feel and a scent that hits several pleasant notes evolving over time before settling into a pleasant base that persists but is not overly assertive. I give Old Spice a strong recommendation with the caution that this may not be the fragrance you remember from the past. I'm looking forward to trying Indian, Vintage and even bargain generic versions as the basic idea here is pretty nice. It may well be that one or more of these other versions will be more appealing to me than current Old Spice, but I can certainly enjoy what is available now.
price: $7.50 for a 4.25 oz (125 ml) bottle at a mega mart.
ingredients: Alcohol Denat., Water/Eau, Propylene Glycol, Fragrance/Parfum, Benzyl Alcohol, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
bottle: An opaque plastic buoy shaped bottle with metal flow reducer and a peg insert cap that fits in the reducer opening. The bottle fits securely in the hand and it is very easy to control the flow with a finger. The plastic of the bottle is heavier and more rigid than the typical clear plastic bottle. It's not as nice as glass, but it is a cut above most of the other plastic bottles I have seen.
scent: Opens with a blast of cinnamon and nutmeg spice which only slowly fades. Beneath the spice you quickly notice vanilla type scents and a honey floral note. As things develop a third tier of scents appears in the background consisting of subtle notes of resinous wood and soapy powder. by the 90 minute to 2 hour mark, things have settled down to a mild but pleasant wood scent backed with vanilla and just a faint hint of spice. This woody tail end lasts well for at least six hours at a reasonably subtle level.
skin feel: A fairly typical moisturized aftershave. It is well balanced for my skin leaving it neither sticky nor dry. The alcohol is present, but only as a very minor sting at irritated areas. Over all, my face felt pleasantly smooth and soft after application with little or no tightness.
thoughts: You can't read much about old spice without running into strong feelings about Proctor & Gamble's modern formulation of Old Spice. A lot of people compare the current product to vintage, Indian import versions, and even generic equivalents and often in unflattering terms. I suspect that this is in part a matter of expectations. If you are expecting one scent and get another, there is an excellent chance you will be disappointed. In some ways though I am fortunate in that I have no strong frame of reference for the original product and so I am able to try this with a clean slate. That allows me to enjoy modern Old Spice for what it is and not compare it to a beloved memory. What I get from Old Spice is a lightly moisturizing alcohol splash with a mild face feel and a scent that hits several pleasant notes evolving over time before settling into a pleasant base that persists but is not overly assertive. I give Old Spice a strong recommendation with the caution that this may not be the fragrance you remember from the past. I'm looking forward to trying Indian, Vintage and even bargain generic versions as the basic idea here is pretty nice. It may well be that one or more of these other versions will be more appealing to me than current Old Spice, but I can certainly enjoy what is available now.
- Thread starter
- #107
A side project: Old Spice Classic plus Florida Water - Orange Spice
It's struck me through testing that these two scents are quite compatible being tied together by a strong cinnamon component, but also having distinct but complementary fragrance notes. I've tested a 50-50 splash and found that the Orange-citrus open of the Florida Water broadens the appeal of the Old Spice and even into the dry down there is an added fruitiness that plays well with the wood and spice. I'll probably be trying 2-1 OS to FW tomorrow and maybe a 60%-40% split the next day. I like the way these play together enough though that I will probably decant a mixture when I get the ratio dialled in.
It's struck me through testing that these two scents are quite compatible being tied together by a strong cinnamon component, but also having distinct but complementary fragrance notes. I've tested a 50-50 splash and found that the Orange-citrus open of the Florida Water broadens the appeal of the Old Spice and even into the dry down there is an added fruitiness that plays well with the wood and spice. I'll probably be trying 2-1 OS to FW tomorrow and maybe a 60%-40% split the next day. I like the way these play together enough though that I will probably decant a mixture when I get the ratio dialled in.
These are my feelings exactly regarding the OS Classic. I think it's a solid performer and a nice fragrance. No, it does not have the complexity nor subtlety of India OS Original, but it stands well on its own and has a place in my rotation. And my wife likes it, actually better than Original.
The only thing that keeps me from the new Old Spice, is the price. I like it, it smells alright, it feels good, but really for what they charge for it I can get 3 bottles of Skin Bracer or Aqua Velva. As far as scent goes, I'm equal on the love for Old Spice and AV Musk. I'll give the nod to the Musk though, because of the glycerin in the AV, makes a slightly better feel. So, the cheaper one wins even without price.
My fave AS aint TOO cheap but it's not too rich for the blood and lasts for a good long time is Captains Choice Cat o Nine Tails...oh the burn is my fave part and the scent of their bayrum is beautiful.
Good review of OS. I have to agree with your assessment. I like the stuff as well. But I did notice that the Vijon version (available at supermarkets & major drug stores under a different label such Spice or Old Spicey for about $2-$2.30 for a 7oz bottle) does not last nearly as long. We'll see what your review of the Vijon version will be.
I will try this soon! I've only used my Florida Water as an after shower splash on my chest, not as an aftershave.
so glad your nose is back in working order!!
- Thread starter
- #114
If it was an either-or situation, I'd probably stick with AV Ice Blue, I do agree that glycerin seems to feel just a little better than the propylene glycol. Fortunately, both is an option.
I'm sure I'll be making a visit to the captain's products at some point after I finish my little project of living off the land. I think I'll hold off on the cat though, it sounds a bit extreme for my tastes. At the rate I'm going, that's still weeks away...
I love the scent of FW. It's just a little harsh to use as an AS without adding any moisturizer. The Old spice helps, but when I mix a batch there will be a little glycerin added too.
Thanks!
- Thread starter
- #115
English Leather
price: $8.00 for a 3.4 oz (100ml) bottle at a mega mart.
ingredients: Alcohol Denat., Water/Eau, Fragrance/Parfum, Glycerin, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Triclosan, Red 4, Yellow 5, Green 5
Triclosan, an antibacterial and antifungal agent, is an unusual ingredient in aftershave. I don't believe I've come across it in this context before.
bottle: A nearly cubical glass bottle with an opening very much like an Aqua Velva bottle but with the flow restricted by the glass rather than a plastic insert. It's Ideal for controlling your splash with a finger, but too wide for an unregulated pour. The cap is a big round wooden knob with a plastic insert. All in all, this is just a very nice bottle, possibly my favourite among this class of aftershaves.
scent: In the bottle, this smells bitter and a little strange. Once it's on the skin and gets a little air it opens up very nicely, becoming crisp and clean. The dominant note is leather or more like a perfumer's approximation of leather. While it doesn't smell like your wallet or an old baseball glove, I still understand why they call this leather. The leather is also modified by very subtle floral and earthy woody notes and a hint of bitter fruit. The scent is prominent for the first couple of hours and has a long moderate tail still being detectable more than 8 hours later. By the end the supporting notes fade and we're just left with a mild clean leathery smell that I find quite pleasant. I think it has good staying power and projects a bit early on.
skin feel: Upon application, the alcohol is strong enough to sting and has a very mild burn, especially if you've been chasing BBS, but it is not too excessive. There is no menthol so it has no real chilling action. The moisturization is just about perfect for me. Not sticky at all, but quite restorative, very much like Aqua Velva. I suspect this is due at least in part to the presence of glycerin instead of propylene glycol. I'm very happy with the post shave feel.
thoughts: This is definitely an old school scent and I think quite masculine. It's old school in a mid century modern kind of way rather than a jazz age or gilded age manner if that makes any sense. It's a bit of a change up from the sweetness of other traditional aftershaves like Aqua Velva, Skin Bracer, or Clubman. The scent seems like it will be very much at home in fall and winter though an occasional summer splash to change things up is not out of the question. I've read a lot from people who criticize the modern Dana formulation compared to the vintage formula and I wouldn't be surprised if there are differences, but the current formulation is certainly good in my opinion. I like this enough though that I may seek out some vintage at some point just to try it. I'm very happy with English Leather and give it a strong recommendation. The only quibble one might have with it is that it is somewhat more expensive than AV/Skin Bracer et al., but if you enjoy the scent (and I do) it's well worth the price.
price: $8.00 for a 3.4 oz (100ml) bottle at a mega mart.
ingredients: Alcohol Denat., Water/Eau, Fragrance/Parfum, Glycerin, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Triclosan, Red 4, Yellow 5, Green 5
Triclosan, an antibacterial and antifungal agent, is an unusual ingredient in aftershave. I don't believe I've come across it in this context before.
bottle: A nearly cubical glass bottle with an opening very much like an Aqua Velva bottle but with the flow restricted by the glass rather than a plastic insert. It's Ideal for controlling your splash with a finger, but too wide for an unregulated pour. The cap is a big round wooden knob with a plastic insert. All in all, this is just a very nice bottle, possibly my favourite among this class of aftershaves.
scent: In the bottle, this smells bitter and a little strange. Once it's on the skin and gets a little air it opens up very nicely, becoming crisp and clean. The dominant note is leather or more like a perfumer's approximation of leather. While it doesn't smell like your wallet or an old baseball glove, I still understand why they call this leather. The leather is also modified by very subtle floral and earthy woody notes and a hint of bitter fruit. The scent is prominent for the first couple of hours and has a long moderate tail still being detectable more than 8 hours later. By the end the supporting notes fade and we're just left with a mild clean leathery smell that I find quite pleasant. I think it has good staying power and projects a bit early on.
skin feel: Upon application, the alcohol is strong enough to sting and has a very mild burn, especially if you've been chasing BBS, but it is not too excessive. There is no menthol so it has no real chilling action. The moisturization is just about perfect for me. Not sticky at all, but quite restorative, very much like Aqua Velva. I suspect this is due at least in part to the presence of glycerin instead of propylene glycol. I'm very happy with the post shave feel.
thoughts: This is definitely an old school scent and I think quite masculine. It's old school in a mid century modern kind of way rather than a jazz age or gilded age manner if that makes any sense. It's a bit of a change up from the sweetness of other traditional aftershaves like Aqua Velva, Skin Bracer, or Clubman. The scent seems like it will be very much at home in fall and winter though an occasional summer splash to change things up is not out of the question. I've read a lot from people who criticize the modern Dana formulation compared to the vintage formula and I wouldn't be surprised if there are differences, but the current formulation is certainly good in my opinion. I like this enough though that I may seek out some vintage at some point just to try it. I'm very happy with English Leather and give it a strong recommendation. The only quibble one might have with it is that it is somewhat more expensive than AV/Skin Bracer et al., but if you enjoy the scent (and I do) it's well worth the price.
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Another great review. Thanks Zergo!
Thank you for your review of English Leather ZergoZatgai. I am certain to be one of the few, but it has been a very long time since I've smelled English Leather.
The last time I recall is when I was around six years old using my plastic, toy safety razor while watching my dad use the real thing. Followed with a splash of EL. I remember the bottle well, actually, I remember the cap of the bottle more so.
Your review has inspired me to grab a bottle, hopefully followed by euphoric recall.
The last time I recall is when I was around six years old using my plastic, toy safety razor while watching my dad use the real thing. Followed with a splash of EL. I remember the bottle well, actually, I remember the cap of the bottle more so.
Your review has inspired me to grab a bottle, hopefully followed by euphoric recall.
Thanks for another great review!! English Leather is indeed old school (like me)!
- Thread starter
- #120
Good luck with the euphoric recall Raygsoko! if that doesn't work, there's usually a fair amount of vintage EL on the bay. It looks like they had quite a line of scents at one time with Timberline, Lime and others. I have to say that while I liked EL a lot to begin with, It grew on me over the course of the week. Enjoy!
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