Item Description
Greetings. As I promised in my first post, here are my comments on one of Spain's landmarks in wetshaving: the mighty Floïd! This is the mild menthol version, a 150 ml. bottle. Now, I have never tried the Italian version, so I cannot compare the two of them, but I'll welcome your thoughts.
Some history: The package says the original formula dates back from 1932, that's three years before Aqua Velva was first launched in the market, and six years before Old Spice. So this means it really is an OLD, CLASSIC after shave, with a scent that has virtually remained unchanged. By the way, it's spelled "Floïd" after it was introduced in the French market; without the "¨", a Frenchman would say <flooad>.
The easily recognizable orange box.
The design has been recently updated, the face of the happy man is no longer in colour but in silver. The same applies to the sticker on the bottle.
The back of the box.
Here's a translation, kindly offered by yours truly:
"From 1932, Genuine Floïd is made following an exclusive formula, whose effects are friendly to the skin. It soothes any kind of razor burn, providing a nice cooling sensation. It is presented in three varieties: Strong menthol, for hard skin; Mild menthol, for normal skin; Balsam, for sensitive skin."
Ingredients: Aqua, Alcohol Denat., Glycerin, Parfum, Hexyl Cinnamal, Coumarin, Hydroxylcitronellal, Linalool, Benzyl Salicylate, Alcohol, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
, Menthol, Citric Acid, CI 19140, CI 16255, CI 73015.
The box and the bottle.
The cap has also been recently changed. It used to be faux tortoise shell, now it's plain black.
Price: After having read some of your posts, I know that this is regarded overseas as a "luxury" item, because of the shipping costs that render it very expensive; but it is rather cheap here, costing between 3-5 € (the store where you buy it makes a difference).
Quality: It really is a cool product. What you see is what you get, the orange liquid does its job as an after-shave lotion. Some may dislike it, but I personally think it is outstanding, faring well against more expensive products.
Fights Razor Burn: Well, it certainly does its job. However, Floïd is considered to be one of the lotions with the highest levels of alcohol in the market, so expect an average of 5 seconds of stinging before it calms down your skin. After that, any redness on your skin will disappear.
Cooling sensation: One of its strong points! After those 5 seconds above mentioned, the menthol kicks in and leaves you feeling as if someone had pressed a bag of ice on your face. I simply love that, can't think of another way of describing it.
Scent: A classic! If I were to describe it, I'd say that, on a first impression, it's sweet, like the candy your grandmother used to give you. Then you perceive the menthol, and other citrusy levels that add the note of seriousness to that first sweet smell. But with Floïd, it's all or nothing: either you love it or you hate it. Some people, like myself, love that scent, which lingers on well into the afternoon, but others can't stand it. I think the reason is that, to the Spanish youth, it has become too old fashioned, something only used by old people (imagine two old men chatting, basking under the summer sun, waiting for the bullfight to begin, and you'll get the idea). That is why some people say it reminds them directly of elderly men ("it smells like a retirement home!", I got that a few times); I have even heard it's not only outdated but... vulgar
Nonsense! I personally can't imagine not using it. Just try it, that's my advice.
Efficacy: Very good, the combination of menthol, alcohol and scent works wonders and it will leave you wondering why didn't you try it before.
Moisturizing: A weak point, at least for me. It does moisturize my skin, but not enough. I have oily skin and after 10 minutes I feel my cheek too dry. I usually back it up with a few touches here and there with Nivea ASB, a bit of advice I got from Dinder1's guide on aftershaves for those with oily skin (thanks!
).
No alcohol burn: As I said, Floïd has a lot of alcohol. I gave it a low mark out of honesty, because the first times I used it the fires of hell unleashead would have been but a pale comparison. That was because I shaved horribly and my face was like a tomato, red with razor burn. On top of that, I applied it as I had always applied my Nivea ASB: rubbing it fiercely on my face... I'll leave it to your imagination. Nevertheless, if you shave correctly, this alcohol-based ASL will be gentle enough (like any other alcohol-based ASL, again, if you got very little razor burn).
Take a whiff and surrender.
To conclude, this is a must have. I'll try to get some info on international retailers. Hope this review was helpful!
Here is the discussion thread if you do not want to rate it. Feel free to post your opinions.
Some history: The package says the original formula dates back from 1932, that's three years before Aqua Velva was first launched in the market, and six years before Old Spice. So this means it really is an OLD, CLASSIC after shave, with a scent that has virtually remained unchanged. By the way, it's spelled "Floïd" after it was introduced in the French market; without the "¨", a Frenchman would say <flooad>.
The easily recognizable orange box.
The design has been recently updated, the face of the happy man is no longer in colour but in silver. The same applies to the sticker on the bottle.
The back of the box.
Here's a translation, kindly offered by yours truly:
"From 1932, Genuine Floïd is made following an exclusive formula, whose effects are friendly to the skin. It soothes any kind of razor burn, providing a nice cooling sensation. It is presented in three varieties: Strong menthol, for hard skin; Mild menthol, for normal skin; Balsam, for sensitive skin."
Ingredients: Aqua, Alcohol Denat., Glycerin, Parfum, Hexyl Cinnamal, Coumarin, Hydroxylcitronellal, Linalool, Benzyl Salicylate, Alcohol, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
, Menthol, Citric Acid, CI 19140, CI 16255, CI 73015.The box and the bottle.
The cap has also been recently changed. It used to be faux tortoise shell, now it's plain black.
Price: After having read some of your posts, I know that this is regarded overseas as a "luxury" item, because of the shipping costs that render it very expensive; but it is rather cheap here, costing between 3-5 € (the store where you buy it makes a difference).
Quality: It really is a cool product. What you see is what you get, the orange liquid does its job as an after-shave lotion. Some may dislike it, but I personally think it is outstanding, faring well against more expensive products.
Fights Razor Burn: Well, it certainly does its job. However, Floïd is considered to be one of the lotions with the highest levels of alcohol in the market, so expect an average of 5 seconds of stinging before it calms down your skin. After that, any redness on your skin will disappear.
Cooling sensation: One of its strong points! After those 5 seconds above mentioned, the menthol kicks in and leaves you feeling as if someone had pressed a bag of ice on your face. I simply love that, can't think of another way of describing it.
Scent: A classic! If I were to describe it, I'd say that, on a first impression, it's sweet, like the candy your grandmother used to give you. Then you perceive the menthol, and other citrusy levels that add the note of seriousness to that first sweet smell. But with Floïd, it's all or nothing: either you love it or you hate it. Some people, like myself, love that scent, which lingers on well into the afternoon, but others can't stand it. I think the reason is that, to the Spanish youth, it has become too old fashioned, something only used by old people (imagine two old men chatting, basking under the summer sun, waiting for the bullfight to begin, and you'll get the idea). That is why some people say it reminds them directly of elderly men ("it smells like a retirement home!", I got that a few times); I have even heard it's not only outdated but... vulgar
Nonsense! I personally can't imagine not using it. Just try it, that's my advice.Efficacy: Very good, the combination of menthol, alcohol and scent works wonders and it will leave you wondering why didn't you try it before.
Moisturizing: A weak point, at least for me. It does moisturize my skin, but not enough. I have oily skin and after 10 minutes I feel my cheek too dry. I usually back it up with a few touches here and there with Nivea ASB, a bit of advice I got from Dinder1's guide on aftershaves for those with oily skin (thanks!
).No alcohol burn: As I said, Floïd has a lot of alcohol. I gave it a low mark out of honesty, because the first times I used it the fires of hell unleashead would have been but a pale comparison. That was because I shaved horribly and my face was like a tomato, red with razor burn. On top of that, I applied it as I had always applied my Nivea ASB: rubbing it fiercely on my face... I'll leave it to your imagination. Nevertheless, if you shave correctly, this alcohol-based ASL will be gentle enough (like any other alcohol-based ASL, again, if you got very little razor burn).
Take a whiff and surrender.
To conclude, this is a must have. I'll try to get some info on international retailers. Hope this review was helpful!
Here is the discussion thread if you do not want to rate it. Feel free to post your opinions.
