Thread: Modern smells

Hi All

This is a slightly delicate subject. I dont want to offend anyone here, but here goes....

I am a newcomer to straights, and a younger man. I love the classic shaving experience, but I am worried about the older style aftershaves that seem to be so popular.

At the risk of offending a huge chunk of the fraternity here, I have smelt a few, and they all smell, well, older. Are there any more modern smelling aftershaves that people can recommend? There are plenty of aftershaves out there - from the likes of Givenchy, DKNY, Paco rabanne etc - but I guess that these are more about the smell then caring for the skin, and are expensive.

My question is, is there a midde ground somewhere? Modern fragrances with classic aftershave qualities?

Cheers all

Si

I hear Aqua di Gio from Armani is very popular.

I'd buy a bottle of Obsession Night if I could afford it.

There's a few good ones. You just have to get some samples and try them out.

M7 by YSL
Brit, London by Burberry
Gucci pour Homme
Vetiver by Guerlain
A*Men / Angel Men by Thierry Mugler
Bulgari Black e.t.c

ah, so many scents, so little time...


Nenad

Listen here, Sonny In my day, we didn't need no aftershaves. We took rubbing alcohol and wiped our faces with it...................AND WE WERE GLAD FOR IT!!

The burn gave us something to think about while we were walking to school in the snow, bare foot, uphill both ways!!

OK - I just wanted to have a little fun with the "older" idea. None of what I said actually occured and no faces were injured in the making of this jest


I don't know too many aftershaves but I've heard nice things about what the others have mentioned. One of the smells my wife likes is Paul Sebastian, I don't know if they make an aftershave but look around on the net.

Originally Posted by superfly

M7 by YSL
Brit, London by Burberry
Gucci pour Homme
Vetiver by Guerlain
A*Men / Angel Men by Thierry Mugler
Bulgari Black e.t.c

Are these available as aftershaves, or only as EdT's?

Originally Posted by Sunsi

Are there any more modern smelling aftershaves that people can recommend?

One problem is that in recent decades there has been a trend with men against everyday scents. EdT's are still used on occasion, but use of everyday scents like aftershave has been declining; what balms and such as are currently popular tend to have just enough scent to cover the smell of the component ingredients, and the scent is usually not a major selling point as much as the razor-burn-calming, skin-toning, sunburn-protecting abilities of the balm.

That is exactly the issue. I have already a Givenchy "aftershave" but the ingredients do not contain any of the nice stuff you would get in a TOOB or something similar - jsut alchohol, perfume and some preservative agents.

I would suggest (though I can't be sure of course) that the other designer fragrances are the same. Don't get me wrong, I am a huge fan of designer fragrances, but I am not very convinced that the aftershaves have the same properties as the more traditional versions.

Thanks for the laugh Steve. I loved the bit about uphill BOTH WAYS!!! My dad used to say similar things to me

Si

Si

I've gone the other way: have always used modern scents but realise that they're all so, well, similarly modern!

I still like the smell of Issey Miyake, and I'd recommend that as a distinctive modern scent. They have a citrus version which is sold in summer months, and the traditional scent which has sandalwoods and musk. And it seems popular with my female friends (that makes me sound like a gigolo -- alas, I'm not, just a humble husband whose wife has lots of friends).

Anyway, I found myself a little bored of modern scents and when I started straight razor shaving I bought the Trumpers Coral skin food as a way to help the razor burn, which had more to do with bad shaving/stropping/honing technique than sensitive skin.

Anyway, I just loved the rose water smell with the Coral. And my wife went mad for it. Since then I've also got hooked on DR Harris Arlington Aftershave Milk, which also has something of the old school about it.

So there you go, for modern try Issey Miyake, but maybe get yourself some samples of traditional stuff. You might find one you like. And nowadays it's far cooler to be old-school than follow the Burberry crowd!

Originally Posted by majurey

Si
follow the Burberry crowd!

'ere - r'you cauling me Chav???

Thanks for the tips. My girlfriend pointed out that unscented or low-level scented stuff would also be a good idea, becuase then I can still wear my favorite EdT's and not have it overpowered.

Any other suggestions?

Si

Originally Posted by Sunsi

'ere - r'you cauling me Chav???
Si

Eau de Chav?... you could have something there. A gap in the market. And the real Chavs won't even spot the irony.

(I've always wanted to launch an aftershave called Eau de Doo Dah Day.)