Aftershaves v. Cologne. Or, why I need to figure out a system that works.

Aftershave v. Cologne. I know the difference is the percent of fragrance versus other things (like cologne is something like 15% fragrance and the rest is alcohol, right? And aftershave is like 2%-5%, but has skin-soothing things and alcohol, right? If I wanted to go the cologne route for a longer-lasting scent, but didn't want to clash with an aftershave, can I get a scentless aftershave, or is something like an alum block good enough for an aftershave? I was thinking about trying the QEDman alum block as my aftershave and getting a cologne I like (as it turns out, we have a cologne/perfume shop here in town). I know that cologne is for pulse points, and not for use on the face, but I just didn't want anything clashing. I like smelling nice, not like I just walked out of a brothel lol.

I'm new to wetshaving, and I've just got a styptic pencil that I am most unhappy with. I'm ordering an alum block when my job decides to unfuck my paycheck, so I'll see how that goes with my skin. I don't foresee a problem; my skin is like rhino hide, I'm not allergic to anything that I know of and so far nothing has caused a reaction. So I'll see how the alum works, and maybe try some other stuff. After all, the fun of all this wetshaving business is the plug-and-play, right?

So I guess my question is whether I can get away with just an alum block for my aftershave, and just hit pulse points with a cologne, or should I try to match the aftershave and cologne scents to either be a match or to tastefully compliment each other? Or can I get a good scentless aftershave and still be great to my skin, and just grab a cologne that will cover my smelly-goodness?

I have a brush I like, I have soap/cream samplers I'm working through, I have a good razor with decent blades (getting a SE from Larry when I finally get paid), and now I'm just trying to work on my post-shave routine. I'm thinking about some Musgo Lime soap to add to my pre-shave, but right now the only aftershave I use is cold water followed by Gabel's Bay Rum.

My suggestion is to get some Nivea AS balm. It is unscented, inexpensive and leaves your skin feeling great.

Where do you get it? Walmart or HEB?

Walmart carries it as does most larger grocery and department stores.

Excellent, I'll go pick some up when I go grocery shopping, thanks for the tip! :)

Some guys use only alum, some guys use nothing at all. Some like the toning qualities of an AS splash, while others require the moisturizing properties of a balm. It depends on what your skin likes, and it sounds like you could probably get away with anything. Unscented AS is a good option, and I second the motion on Nivea (though the Sensitive variety is technically the unscented one). The other option is to pair AS and cologne of the same brand. Many brands make matching sets: Tabac, T&H, Trumpers, Musgo Real, just to name a few.

bottom line is that your best bet is an unscented AS and whatever cologne you really like for your purposes. if you know that but still care what i have to say about how i mix-and-match my AS/cologne scents, please read on :)

alum block is great as an antiseptic and it does help me with mild nicks if i really rub it in. i also use thayer's witch hazel, which does leave my skin feeling noticeably softer. however, it's an astringent and i live in a very dry environment where we have hard water, so i absolutely have to moisturize my face after applying it. i frequently wear a scented AS balm and a complimentary cologne that doesn't match the AS scent. here are my guidelines for mixing and matching scents:

the cologne is going to be the dominant scent, by far. basic categories for cologne scents are wood, spice, citrus, and musk. my own nose has an easy time identifying some other categories (your nose may vary): other non-citrus fruits like apples and pears, candy notes like vanilla and caramel, mint, and baby powder. so those are the 8 categories of scents that i try to identify with any cologne or AS i consider.

your cologne may have one overriding scent, and many of them are very woody or spicy with almost nothing else. but if you can smell one dominant scent and another secondary one, like wood with some mint, then try to get an AS that accentuates the secondary scent (e.g. proraso for mint).

1. if you can find a matching set, make sure that whoever you want to smell nice for loves it, and make that set your default. T&H 1805 drives my girlfriend crazy, which i discovered from the T&H sample pack that i ordered.

2. if you want to mix-and-match, you have two basic options:

2(a) - get an AS that has similar notes to your cologne. if you have a cologne that you like and it's very woody, try a sandalwood AS to complement it. if it's a spicy cologne, get a spicy AS to go with it, like T&H 1805.

2(b) - get an AS that has complementary notes to your cologne. this is easy if your cologne has a dominant scent and a secondary scent that you can smell readily. for example, my Lacoste Essential is primarily citrusy and secondarily smells like baby powder. so, i've found that T&H Grafton (which to me smells heavily of baby powder) pairs well with it. on the other hand, a discontinued cologne i have from hollister has powerful woody scents with some citrus in the background, so i pair that with T&H West Indian Limes. i wouldn't pair the lacoste cologne with west indian limes, because i don't want to add more citrus to my scent when my lacoste is heavily citrusy anyway.

I find that pairing an AS with the primary scent of your cologne will just cause your two fragrances to seem like they're competing, and girls have turned up their faces at me when i've asked them what they thought of those combos.

Excellent advice! I have been working toward finding combos of AS and colognes that complement one another.

Thank you! I didn't know T&H had a sampler; looks like I'll be ordering that when I get home (don't trust the school/work network that much lol. The cologne from the Trumpers sampler that I fell in love with was the GFT. I never like how sandalwood smells in the bottle, but I tried it on my skin for the first time yesterday, and it smelled awesome (to me, at least lol). I don't have a girlfriend to barrage with scents, and all the women I work with are all M.A./M.S., mostly PhD's, and I'm still on my A.S. lol. Besides, that might constitute sexual harassment.. "Hey, Dr Susan, can you lean in here and sniff my neck..?"

I'm going to give the alum/nivea a shot first because it's cheaper lol. I'm also going to give the witch hazel a shot as well. I was going to go with alum anyway, even if only for the antiseptic and toning.

But I'll keep pairing in mind as I collect lol.

T&H has a great sample pack. I have one and I ordered a second because it's so nice to have different creams and colognes to try out, not to mention the balms are sweet, too.