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The good old BLUES again ...

"Blue" aftershave ....

To me it continues to pose a kind of elusive attraction ...! Not as my only aftershave, but as one distinct "class" of aftershaves, which I am really prone to spend (yet more) money on trying.

I became a full-blooded traditional wet shaving hobbyist in early 2016, so I am "too young" to have tried the fabled Floid Blue.

The FLoid Blue seems to have achieved and almost mythological status among blue aftershaves, a gold-standard against which every other blue aftershave is measured. I would have really liked to try the Floid Blue, given all the hype (and given that I love Floid's orange aftershaves).

But since trying the Blue FLoid is not an easy option, I am beginning to find it a bit annoying that it has this "Gold Standard" status. Every time you try another new Blue, I can't help wondering how it might compare to Floid.

The latest instance I have experienced of this, is with my recent purchase of two new "Blues":

The Razorock "Blue Barbershop" aftershave splash, and

The FURBO Blue Vintage aftershave.

I admit that the main reason I purchased these two aftershaves (although really trying to practice restraint from yet more shaving related purchases), was precisely that each of them have been compared to, and claimed to closely resemble -- the Floid Blue.

In fact, I have even read, of each of them, that it is THE BLUE aftershave that comes closest to the fragrance of the Floid Blue, still in existence.
So being curious about "Blues" in general, and the fabled blue Floid in particular, I splurged yet again got both the Furbo, and the Razorock Blue.

They arrived, and so what do I find ...?

I have to confess, I am under-whelmed, somewhat disappointed, with both of them.

It is not that they don't "smell good". They do, the smell "BLUE" alright, and both have a nice menthol kick as a BLUE should have (the Furbo being on the strong side). They also each have an OK postshave feel, the Furbo even contains allantoin, which is an ingredient I really have come to like for its postshave feel.

Yet, I certainly don't think they are the best BLUES that I have tried, and if either one of them is "the closest you get to Floid Blue" nowadays -- as quite a few have claimed -- I am left wondering what all the hype about the Floid Blue is about. Perhaps it is mainly talked so much about, precisely because it is NOT there anymore.

But I give up now. No more chasing something just because it ostensibly is "like the the Floid Blue" ... . Because given the experience I have built up by now, I have to conclude that the Floid Blue probably was not that spectacular.

And in fact, after the disappointment has settled, I find this quite liberating. I can now leave Floid Blue behind me, forget about it, and be more open to other Blues.

So, as far as BLUES still in existence go ...

I still think good old Williams Aqua Velva Ice Blue has a lot to recommend. Excellent and very distinct spicy blue scent, nice postshave feel, nice subtle menthol kick, not too powerful. And cheap and readily available, in a variety of bottles. Perhaps a bit overly "Retro" in its scent profile, but entirely appropriate for a true "vintage" aftershave.

I have also really come to appreciate the scent of the Myrsol Blue. Very clean and pure "Blue", but subtle, both in menthol kick, scent and post shave feel. It's nearly a pure alcohol based aftershave, active ingredient otherwise is just sorbitol, so for lingering postshave feel it is not the strongest aftershave. But then, reapplication through the day is always an option, leaving you in control ...

But my favourite among the Blues I have tried so far, has got to be the Epsilon Blue Mediterranean. You will readily find information that this aftershave too is "like the Floid Blue", and fitting replacement for, etc ...
Be that as it may. At first, I found this aftershave too "sticky", too much glycerin in it. But after some use, I have really come to appreciate it. Let the glycerin dry out a bit, and after one hour or so, you have the most wonderful postshave feel on your face for much of the remaining day. Another thing I really like about it's postshave feel, is the level of menthol kick. It is quite powerful and lingers for a long time, yet not quite as potent as the Furbo. But what really nails the number one spot for Epsilon Blue Mediterranean, is its scent ...! It is within the BLUE register of scents of course, but it has a particular flavor of Blue, a subtle "spice" to it, that I think it will be hard for other Blues to beat. At that, it is long-lasting, like the rest of the postshave feel for the this aftershave.

To conclude, If some day I get the opportunity, sure I would love to try the Floid Blue. Meanwhile I have concluded, after having chased BLUES ostensibly resembling the Floid, that the Floid Blue most likely was really not that outstanding, compared to the many other nice Blues available today. Certainly not worth obsessing about. In the process, I have found some very nice blue aftershaves, even a favourite, which will forever be among my top picks.

So, over to you, fans of the BLUES. What are your experiences ..?
Have you too chased "something similar to the Floid Blue" like me, if so, what have you found ..?
Did you even have the good luck to actually try the Floid Blue, if so, how do you find it compares to other Blues ...?
And, in the process, did you find a favourite BLUE that you want to recommend ... if so, which, and why ...?
 
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Wow, what a great "blue" epistle!
Enjoy my various Blue shave stuff!!

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