Fine Aftershaves.Simplicity at its best?

This week I got a bottle of Fine American Blend aftershave. I've heard so much great stuff about the quality of these aftershave that I had to give it a try. I am blown away at how something so simple can be so effective. For those of you who don't know the Fine aftershaves have only four ingredients...water, alcohol, fragrance (except for Snake Bite which I believe has no added fragrance) and menthol. I also learned that they are all inspired by designer fragrances. I'm not sure how accurate they are because I have never tried Rive Gauche, which is the cologne that inspires American Blend, but I've heard others mention they are pretty damn close. I should also mention that the scent last quite long for an aftershave. Perhaps not as long as an EDT but it has good longevity. I could not be happier with the quality of this aftershave. It is very much worth the $15 for a bottle and I plan on trying some of the others as well. My next will likely be Clean Vetiver, which is supposed to smell like Guerlain Vetiver. I have the EDT and it should pair very well. I am curious which others my fellow B&Bers have tried and what your opinions are.

I like them but they are very drying with zero moisturizers and a high alcohol content. Adding a couple of drops of glycerin really improves them.

Jinx18 said:

I like them but they are very drying with zero moisturizers and a high alcohol content. Adding a couple of drops of glycerin really improves them.

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I can totally see how it can be a bit drying. In the warmer weather it doesn't seem to be a problem for me but I may feel differently in the winter months with the much drier air. I actually considered adding a little bit of glycerin as well but wasn't sure how much would be appropriate for the volume of the bottle.

Jinx18 said:

I like them but they are very drying with zero moisturizers and a high alcohol content. Adding a couple of drops of glycerin really improves them.

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I agree. While the scents are fantastic (I've had both vetivers, l'orange noir and platinum), they are drying. I've successfully added glycerin to them as well, but I wish I didn't have to do that.

If you like the Fine splashes, however, I'd suggest you also look into Chiseled Face Groomatorium's splashes. I have the Ghost Town Barber scent and actually just used it this morning. The alcohol and menthol bite are, IMO, identical to Fine; that is to say, they strike a perfect balance of ingredients. However, the CF has aloe vera and a few extra ingredients that give it the moisturizing properties that Fine lacks. Like Fine, the CF scent is also quite strong and stays around for most of the day; it's been over 8 hours since I applied it this morning and I'm still getting whiffs of it. But I will continue to use Fine just because their scents are so magnificent.

rfn379 said:

I can totally see how it can be a bit drying. In the warmer weather it doesn't seem to be a problem for me but I may feel differently in the winter months with the much drier air. I actually considered adding a little bit of glycerin as well but wasn't sure how much would be appropriate for the volume of the bottle.

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Start with a couple drops and evaluate from there. I've read about guys adding two drops/ounce safely, but I'm guessing you'll need to tinker with it to see what you like.

Love their products, don't seem to be drying to me, but who can say. If anyone from Fine Aftershave reads this,,,,Please, Please bring back Italian Citrus. One of my all time favorites.

The scents are great but like others I prefer a little moisturizer with my splash. Seems better for my skin.

I generally don't use balms and tend to gravitate more toward alcohol-based splashes so that probably explains why I love this aftershave so much. To be honest I haven't really felt that my skin got terribly dry from it but it is also very warm this time of year and I usually feel a bit more on the oily side as a result. OTOH I have some Nivea sensitive skin balm that seems to be way too heavy. That being said, I am on the fence about adding glycerin. I might try it for one application and see how it feels that way I don't change the entire bottle. Either that or just supplement it with an unscented moisturizer if needed. And I am bummed to hear they no longer offer the Italian Citrus scent. That and Clean Vetiver were the two I wanted to try next.

I love them and don't find them to be drying. I currently have American Blend and L'Orange Noir (my favorite). I will probably pick up Fresh Vetiver as well after my sample runs out.

I like them just the way they are. If I want more ingredients, I will buy another brand..............

Bobcat said:

I like them just the way they are. If I want more ingredients, I will buy another brand..............

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Not sure if I expressed it properly above, but my sentiments exactly. Fine products are great for what they are, if I want something more I reach for else.

Yes. I love Fine aftershaves. Great scents, and give me just what I want from an aftershave splash.

While I am the Newest of Noobs to DE Wet shaving, I picked up a 15oz bottle of Master Comb Well "Spice" aftershave.

Gives my face a nice "Tingle" and I like the scent after it dies down a bit.

But then, I am easily amused and my end game is to start the day with the same sort of shave and smell that my Great, Great Grandpa used to court Great, Great Grandpa.

BTW, G, G, Grandma snared the poor defenseless guy with her cooking!

And possibly a "Well Turned" Ankle.

Add me to those who think that Fine aftershaves are, well, "fine" just the way they are, in all their minimalist glory.

I do not find them to be drying - after all, the alcohol is gone a few seconds after application.

In the event I do need a little moisturizing, I simply apply an unscented balm after the splash.

--Bob

I used some again after today's shave with no added glycerin and my skin feels pretty good. I don't think I'll be adding anything to it because it works great for me as it is. I'm not saying that it is for everyone be a use some skin types do really need extra moisture but I guess I am just not one of those people. I agree with the idea of applying an unscented moisturiser so it does not ruin the scent of the aftershave. Now which scent should I go for next? Since Italian Citrus is no longer available I might go with either Clean or Fresh Vetiver. Decisions...

Question. I purchased a sampler about a year ago after they reformulated with much higher menthol. I like cool but this stuff was just too much. Can someone confirm that they reformulated again?

I don't know whether or not it has been reformulated again. To be honest, I didn't know it was reformulated a first time. I don't think the American Blend I've been using has a super high menthol content though. It's enough to give a nice chill but nothing overbearing, at least not on my skin. I am sure different people ha e different sensitivity levels though so your experience may be different than mine.

I don't know about any reformulations but the current Fines are definitely light on the menthol (other than Snakebite, of course). I'd say that the menthol level is about that of Aqua Velva, maybe a bit less.

--Bob

I'm sure ready to try some!

Re reformulation, my understanding is he reformulated once to add more menthol (with a different non-flask bottle) and then reformulated back to the original preparation (with the original flask-type bottle with a different but similar label). I think this is documented on prior B&B threads and, if not on his site, then somewhere he posts.

I also agree with other posters above re if you need something else with more goodies then either use that or add stuff to this. I purchase aftershave solely for alcohol and scent and add to my palm whatever else I need (444, unrefined shea butter, glycerin, witch hazel, etc.) This way I can be assured I have whatever scent and moisturizing properties I need on any given day, and it makes my aftershave purchase decisions easier.