C.O. Bigelow Barber Elixir Red

This IS my go to cologne. The scent is nicely masculine, and the staying power is tremendous. Once caught a wiff of Red Elixer the next day before taking a shower. At $20 for a bottle, it cannot be beat.

I like this (I have both the after shave and the cologne). My wife and I went off on a weekend together for my birthday last December and bought this along the way. She likes it. I like it. Some mornings I ask my grandson (my daughter and he live with us)--who is three--if he wants some after shave (getting him started early on the right way to take care of himself in the mornings). I've only got a few, but he always picks the after shave version of this. So the scent is recommended by a 3 year-old and a 51 year-old.

Price: At $19.95 a bottle and with almost ongoing sales this stuff is a steal compared to the big names and the scent is as good or better.

Quality: First rate product!

Packaging: Not as nice as the $100 stuff but it is a glass bottle and feels solid.

Scent: Nice mix of spices, sandalwood and red currant notes with velvet fig leaves. This is the heaviest scent in the product line for sure and is a very masculine and mature scent. I can't picture a teenager wearing it by any means but wow absolutely amazing stuff. The scent is strong to sandalwood so if that scent offends you, stay away. If you are like me and love sandalwood this is required equipment. Layers perfectly with the Art of Shaving sandalwood scent.

Complexity: Nice complexity but heavy to sandalwood. I can definitely get other things from it with no trouble but the base scent is easily identified.

Staying power: I think the staying power of this stuff blows many of the department store brands out of the water.

Quality of atomizer: I wear Polo Black, and Cool Water on a pretty regular basis as well and this atomizer blows theirs away.