Owen Bawn
Garden party cupcake scented
I've just spent an hour reading about knock offs and tribute scents, and I still have a question about these two- Santa Maria Novella Tabacco Toscano and Razorock's Santa Maria del Fiore. I'm at the precipice of purchasing the SMN colonia. I'd prefer to wait, delay gratification for 6 months, and then reward myself for restraining myself from making purchases for a while by getting the Tabacco Toscano and the Fieno (Hay) at the same time, just as summer begins.
I've enjoyed the SMdF soap and splash since it first came out. 'Only' a dopobarba, and not a colonia, it is at least of cologne strength on my skin. Incredible longevity, and unlike the other Razorock knockoffs I have tried, it continues to smell 'expensive' all the way through the dry down. The others may smell like Acqua di Parma or Rive Gauche or whatever when first applied, but an hour in their cheapness is usually betrayed and they no longer smell like their models. In other words, an hour in and XXX no longer smells like AdP Colonia- it doesn't follow the development of the Acqua di Parma through drydown. I don't have experience with Santa Maria Novella Tabacco Toscano Colonia, so I don't know how true SMdF is to the original through the dry down; all I'm saying is that this after shave smells good for much longer than any other knock offs I've used.
Joe from Italian Barber said on this and on other platforms that the oils in SMN TT Colonia and SMdF splash are identical- from the same source. I have no idea if that's true. I've always experienced the IB men as stand up guys, but I also know that salesmen say all sorts of things. I'm pretty sure there are men who will read this thread who have used both products and who can tell us to what extent these two products retain their similarity from application through dry down. Looking forward to any discussion that might ensue.
I've enjoyed the SMdF soap and splash since it first came out. 'Only' a dopobarba, and not a colonia, it is at least of cologne strength on my skin. Incredible longevity, and unlike the other Razorock knockoffs I have tried, it continues to smell 'expensive' all the way through the dry down. The others may smell like Acqua di Parma or Rive Gauche or whatever when first applied, but an hour in their cheapness is usually betrayed and they no longer smell like their models. In other words, an hour in and XXX no longer smells like AdP Colonia- it doesn't follow the development of the Acqua di Parma through drydown. I don't have experience with Santa Maria Novella Tabacco Toscano Colonia, so I don't know how true SMdF is to the original through the dry down; all I'm saying is that this after shave smells good for much longer than any other knock offs I've used.
Joe from Italian Barber said on this and on other platforms that the oils in SMN TT Colonia and SMdF splash are identical- from the same source. I have no idea if that's true. I've always experienced the IB men as stand up guys, but I also know that salesmen say all sorts of things. I'm pretty sure there are men who will read this thread who have used both products and who can tell us to what extent these two products retain their similarity from application through dry down. Looking forward to any discussion that might ensue.