Heyoooooo!!!!! Here we are on this EARRRRRLLLLYYYY July morning. Why so early? Well, I’m at work. The concrete business has some early hours when it comes to big projects. We’re pouring a 13,000 square foot parking lot for a new business. So I figured that, while I was here early enough and didn’t have to do a ton of things that I could knock out a blog. With this, my top five favorite series will be wrapped up for now. I may revisit this after using more gear and see where I sit. I know I’ve still got a lot of shaving left to do and plenty of combinations to try out. Plus, with this wave of popularity in the wet shaving world, new products are coming out at a rapid pace. Its not exactly the best for the budget, but, the wealthy of variety allows for great gift ideas. Hint hint!
I have to say this has been a fun series and its helped me get re-acquainted with my shaving gear, to some extent even finding something new that I liked. Be it a soap that finally worked right, a scent I had missed, a blade I wasn’t sold on, or even an aftershave that just wasn’t what I thought it was at first. I will say that, within my shaving gear lineup, everything does get used. I’m in the process of shipping off razors and software that has sat on the shelf longer than its been in the bathroom. I’m getting past that initial RAD (razor acquisition disorder…or disease maybe?) and beginning to narrow things down as I shave more. Granted, there are a LOT of soaps and aftershaves out there that I still want to try. But I’m not in any hurry. I need to use up some things first, then fill their slots with something else.
Aftershaves are something that came around the slowest for me. My Dad never cared for aftershave, in fact, he would usually give them away when he got them in a set for Christmas. Usually my Grandpa was the recipient, who probably has a whole drawer full of aftershaves! I did notice that he had the Aqua Velva Musk sitting out in his bathroom, so I believe that will be added to my den in the very near future. I’m under the mindframe that, if its good enough for my Grandpa, then its good enough for any man! And for those of you who aren’t familiar with me on a personal level, I hold my Grandpa up to the highest regard. He was a hard working man who owned his own business for 50 years, plus did a lot of side work on farms or wherever he was needed. So knowing that he uses certain products has opened up something new to look up to in my Grandpa. Which is pretty awesome.
But, to stay on track, its only been recently that I’ve found a love for aftershaves. Prior to wet shaving, I would use the little Gillette Gel bottles that I would get packaged with the can of Gillette goop in a can. I didn’t even have a bottle of Brut, which I would think now is pretty sacrilegious! It just took me a bit of time to come to my senses I guess. At first, I started out with the Nivea aftershave balm. Not too long after I got started with the wet shaving part of my life, we went to St. Louis and I visited an Art of Shaving store. Art of Shaving is owned by Procter & Gamble and has taken on a bit of a bad name for being overpriced and ran by under-knowledged people. Its a retail store, so their job is to push products on you. However, the St. Louis store turned out to be a good experience and I bought some supplies, including a sandalwood AS balm. From there, I added some of the old staples like Old Spice, Brut, Skin Bracer and Aqua Velva. From there, I was hooked! I never thought that an aftershave could help accentuate a good shave, or help you realize you did some things wrong. Anymore, I’m a fan of the splashes as I very rarely use the balms. They’re more of a cold weather thing anymore it seems. Sometimes I’ll use some witch hazel as well, just for a different alternative, but I’ve come to enjoy the sting of a good aftershave splash.
So, with that long rambling introduction, its time to get down to business. My top five finale! Here are the five aftershaves that I use the most.
#5 Tabac
Here we go again with Tabac! Love it or leave it, Tabac is here to stay and it has a firm spot in my rotation. This is my first pairing between soap and aftershave and is still the only pairing I have at the moment. Why not go old school and classy, right? The aftershave splash version of Tabac seems to be a little less aggressive with that classic scent than the soap. It goes on with a light sting, but it does stay with you for a bit and has a lasting, powdery finish to it. I’ve also found that it goes well with the RazoRock Zi Peppino soap, which to me, is fairly similar to the Tabac soap anyways. Another soap that it pairs well with is the Van der Hagen soap that many use as their first soap. One soap it doesn’t pair with, however, is RazoRock Don Marco. Tooooooooo much going on there! But hey you don’t know til you try, right?
#4 Floid Blue
Ah, Floid. Another classic scent. If you haven’t noticed, the vintage style companies and scents appeal to me. I’m not sure if its because its something that has stood the test of time and is still relevant, or if maybe I lived another life as a suave person from the 30’s and 40’s? Either way, the Floid brand has been around for over 80 years now and the Blue is one of the most sought after items on the market today! In fact, its made in Spain but its popularity stems from the Italian people, where it was formerly made. Its an alcohol based aftershave, but it doesn’t have the typical stinging quality to it that most do. Its more cooling, due to the menthol, yet it feels refreshing at the same time. From what I’ve read, its formula helps tone and regenerate your skin. Whatever it is, I was sold on it from the first splash and I enjoy the fact that it pairs well with just about everything. Floid Blue doesn’t have an overpowering scent, with a short lasting time as well. That may turn off some, but I think it gives your soap and cologne a chance to shine!
#3 Skin Bracer
Another one of those vintage scents that I just love, Skin Bracer has been around since the 30’s. As a child, I remember the commercials featuring the actor Jack Palance and how he said it made him feel like a man. Once I finally became a man and started using these after shave products, I believe I understand what he meant a bit more. Skin Bracer has a bit of a menthol kick to it, similar to the Floid Blue, but the scent has a bit of a barbershop/manliness to it. It’ll sting you good at first, but after that, its cool and comforting and really makes for an awesome post shave experience. It doesn’t linger for a very long time, perhaps a bit longer than the Floid Blue, but it won’t last as long as your Brut or Old Spice. It pairs well with mentholated soaps like Proraso, yet also works out well with a Barbershop scent, a Proraso Red or even Cella. Cella and Skin Bracer was an odd combo at first, but one that I ended up enjoying. This is also one of the “cheap, drugstore” aftershaves that has withstood the test of time and is worth checking out.
#2 Brut Dominant
Ah Brut. The mighty, manly scent! Brut has only been around since the mid 60’s, but it became a staple in many shelves during its time. It was one of the first scents that I fell in love with as a kid. My Dad would always dab a bit on me and tell me that I was a man and that I should pick up a stick to beat the ladies off of me if it got too bad! The wisdom of a father to his young son is always something to remember. I remember somewhere about the time I was 11 or 12, Brut released a scent called Actif Blue. It was in a bright blue bottle and had a bit of the ocean scent to it, with a bit of that manly, Brut muskiness to it. I wore that stuff out, going through several bottles. Fast forward a couple decades and I’ve found yet another bottle of awesomeness from Brut and its the Dominant Locion! THIS STUFF IS PRETTY DAMN AWESOME! I’ll capitalize that because this scent just jumps out and grabs you. I would call it a modern scent, for lack of a better term, but it does have a bit of citrus in there. However, that modern, dapper man scent is very much there and if its something you like, get this aftershave today. It has a great lasting power and pairs well most soaps, although I wasn’t a huge fan of it with my mentholated soaps. Honestly, this could be my number one had I never tried the aftershave I’m about to mention….
#1 Pinaud Clubman
This is the real deal, folks. Its vintage, its manly, its all the things about a barbershop that you’ve heard about. Pinaud has been around since the 1800’s! Coming out of France, the Clubman aftershave hits you with a variety of scents. There’s a bit of citrus, a bit of fresh cut grass, but mostly, that barbershop muskiness is what lingers on the finish. I’m not sure what it was about this scent that appealed to me the most, but it was a love at first drop. Since I’ve began my wet shaving adventure, I’ve found that these classic scents labeled as the barbershop scent, appeal to me in rather large amounts. I envision the classic barbershop setting, where the guys are gathered around talking about the news, having a smoke and enjoying conversation with their buddies. The true man place! And to me, this could be the one aftershave that I have in my lineup that I could use solely and be completely happy. It matches up well with a variety of scents and has a long lasting finish note. You could probably get by wearing it as a cologne if you wanted to, it really does last that long. So, to the Pinaud folks, keep cranking out this Clubman! You’ve got it nailed.
So there you have it. Clubman for the win! There are a lot of cool aftershaves out there and a lot of soap manufacturers are making an aftershave version of their soaps and creams, which will help you keep that scent on you a bit longer. I think its a pretty cool idea if you ask me. I’ve gained a new appreciation for the aftershave within the past few months so I’m excited to explore things a bit more and try out some other pairings and combos. What is your favorite? Let me know and until next time, stay smooth!
Semo Shaving 