The blend of your Aftershaves with your cologne??

All right guys, I still have not gotten an aftershave, meant to make my own with some witch hazel and some alum powder, but couldn't find the witch hazel that day and forgot thereafter.

my big question is this, when you get the scented stuff how do you pick it in regards to the cologne you usually wear? or is there one, i.e. bay rum, that blends well with most colognes? I wear lighter smelling colognes so I don't think the dirty beach bum smell would be a problem. just wondering how you guys go about it. or just try it and see what happens?

Red

If your going to mix scents or oils with witchazel the issue is the stuff won't mix really well no matter how much you shake it and if you use basic witchazel it has a pretty strong scent that doesn't go with many ingredients. Most manufacturers use grain alcohol. Some use witchazel but they must use some chemicals so they mix better.

As far as matching scents if I use aftershave I never use cologne. As a matter of fact I never use cologne anyway. Its just too strong for me. If you use both you pretty much have to use the same scents I would think.

I do mix AS and cologne (edt, etc). First, let me say most scents - both AS and cologne don't last very long on me, and I hear this varies by person. Some ASs match some cologne types - for example I use DR Harris Sandalwood cologne with other Sandalwood colognes. Even though they're slightly different, they're in the same ballpark - big ballpark though it is. More often, I'll use an AS with a scent that doesn't last and any other cologne. For example, Speick AS has a light citrus scent that is gone in a matter of minutes. Bay Rum is the same, for me. Floid, both Italian and Spanish are gone quickly and then I can use any cologne I want. Just some ideas, but you have to experiment with what you like.

Jordan

For myself it's a matter of preference. I have a daily go-to cologne that I absolutely love (L'Occitane Eav de Bavx), and depending on my mood and the shave I'll use a different aftershave. Some definitely DO NOT work, like Musgo, Speik, and many others, but others blend very well. C.O.Bay Rum ASB, Ogallala bay rum & sandalwood, Old Spice, and of course L'occitane Cade splash are my favorites.

Each one interacts a little differently with the cologne, to the point that I can get a new compliment from the same person with each combination.

It's fun to try to find the perfect combination. It's all about the journey. :gl:

I find that some aftershaves tend to have a scent that lingers. As such, I will try and coordinate any cologne with that aftershave. For example, if I use Thayers Rose witch hazel, I will use a cologne with some similar scent (C&S No. 88 for example). I tend to like three particular alcohol-based aftershave splashes: (1) Proraso, (2) German Pitralon and (3) SMN lavender. Fortunately, none of these scents linger long enough to interfere with any cologne, so I simply wear what I want for the day.

Some (Alt. Innsbruck, Spanish and Italian Floid for example), however, tend to linger quite a bit. For these I will try and coordinate a cologne or just add a little extra and use the aftershave as the cologne for the day.

Before I got into DE then straight shaving, I never used AS or EdT. So, it was a whole new world for me. I tiptoed into it gently, to avoid smelling like a schmuck.

Because good EdTs are so expensive, I used to obsess about what AS to use to avoid clashing. Over time, I gravitated to the classics - Aqua Velva or Bay Rum. Both give me the antiseptic wake-up call I really like. Neither have a lasting scent, and I also apply Trumper's Coral Skin Food as a moisturizer after the burn/cool/dry seqence subsides, while I'm getting dressed. The Skin Food mutes any lingering AS scent even further. The Skin Food scent itself is gone more like in seconds, than minutes.

Then I just apply whatever EdT I choose. I have a sensitive nose, and I don't detect any clash. The EdT "wins" after about 5 or 10 minutes.

Aqua Velva is deceiving - it has an incredibly strong smell when it first goes on, but fades very quickly when applied sanely. Even moreso than Bay Rum, which can linger longer depending on the spice content of the brand. That's why I like them both.

Off topic - BigBubba, I agree that Eau de Baux is an incredible scent. Maybe the very best for the money.