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Pinaud Lilac Vegetal Aftershave

Pros: Scent
Cons: None
There is no more perfect aftershave made. If you are able to wear this then you really understand the meaning of perfection in a splash. Great feel but better yet is the scent of lilacs and green vegetation. It never gets old. You can't use too much either. It's just perfect in every way. Best aftershave at any price in my book.
Price
5.00 star(s)
Scent
5.00 star(s)
Quality
5.00 star(s)
Efficacy
5.00 star(s)
Moisturizing
4.00 star(s)
No Alcohol Burn
5.00 star(s)
Cooling Sensation
2.00 star(s)
Fights Razor Burn
5.00 star(s)
Pros: scent price
Cons: plastic bottle
This seems to have less of an alcohol burn than any other Pinaud product I've used. As many people in this thread have stated, this smells like a different product in glass. After I decanted this into glass I had a subtle, long lasting scent that reminded me of flowers by a country pond. In the plastic, there is a biting, sour odor that fades, but is not pleasant.
Price
4.00 star(s)
Scent
4.00 star(s)
Quality
4.00 star(s)
Efficacy
4.00 star(s)
Moisturizing
3.00 star(s)
No Alcohol Burn
3.00 star(s)
Cooling Sensation
4.00 star(s)
Fights Razor Burn
4.00 star(s)
Pros: Lilac Vegatal is Great!!
Cons: None
found this product at the Bed Bath & Beyond on West 15th St. in Plano Texas, West of US 75. I tried a bottle based on comments from others in the B&B forum. I am not disappointed. The scent is great. It should work well with my various creams (Godrej, Yardley Ellegance, Pacific Shave Cream-regular, and PSC--Cafenated. My wife even complimented it's scent!
Price
5.00 star(s)
Scent
5.00 star(s)
Quality
5.00 star(s)
Efficacy
4.00 star(s)
Moisturizing
4.00 star(s)
No Alcohol Burn
5.00 star(s)
Cooling Sensation
5.00 star(s)
Fights Razor Burn
4.00 star(s)
Pros: The great lilac scent
After reading all of the posts about this product, and seeing how great the other Pinaud Clubman products were, I purchased a bottle of "The Veg".

I wish the bottle was still glass.

The scent when you first apply it is a strong lilac and powder scent. This fades to a subtle lilac scent which will last most ofthe day.

There is very little alcohol burn, and a bit of a cooling sensation.

One I have added to my regular rotation.
Price
3.00 star(s)
Scent
5.00 star(s)
Quality
5.00 star(s)
Efficacy
4.00 star(s)
Moisturizing
3.00 star(s)
No Alcohol Burn
4.00 star(s)
Cooling Sensation
3.00 star(s)
Fights Razor Burn
4.00 star(s)
Pros: Inexpensive, and it's Green.
Cons: Unusual smell for something sold as cologne,
I remember my Grandfather telling me about how he and the other Marines in his unit in France during WWI would drink Lila's de France Lilac Vegital between shellings... so I had to try it as an aftershave when I found it was still available. A very "unusual" scent for something being sold as a cologne. It has grown on me a little with repeated use. There is something I like about weird, old stuff. Still, I doubt it tastes much better than it smells.
Price
5.00 star(s)
Scent
2.00 star(s)
Quality
3.00 star(s)
Efficacy
3.00 star(s)
Moisturizing
0.00 star(s)
No Alcohol Burn
2.00 star(s)
Cooling Sensation
0.00 star(s)
Fights Razor Burn
1.00 star(s)
My first experience with this AS was with a sample provided by Larry at Whipped Dog. I used it and loved it. When I purchased a bottle I realized that it has a very strong scent in the bottle. I'm guessing the sample was oxygenated a bit which is why it had a mild lilac scent right off the bat. Now I pour some in a cup and let it sit for a few minutes before use and the initial funk dissipates. I find there is almost no cooling sensation which is something I prize in other AS's (like proraso splash) but it still feels good. Overall, I love the scent and find that it blends well with earthier scented soaps like La Toja.
Price
5.00 star(s)
Scent
4.00 star(s)
Quality
2.00 star(s)
Efficacy
3.00 star(s)
Moisturizing
2.00 star(s)
No Alcohol Burn
2.00 star(s)
Cooling Sensation
1.00 star(s)
Fights Razor Burn
4.00 star(s)
Pros: price, great scent
Cons: takes awhile to settle down
Ok lets be honest here olfactory response is individual to every person so it is very unfair to say it is great or it stinks no pun intended. I was intrigued about the Veg after reading so many bad reviews about it and instead of scaring me away it drew me to give it a try and for $10 US dollars WTH right ? so on first sniff I definitely got the urinal puck scent others have described as well as a odd funk. Now on to the actual application and yes I was brave enough to put the **** puck funk on my face and not just down the toilet. The smell changed drastically over about the next 5 minutes from urinal cake to a interesting collage of scents unfortunately none of which are lilac or vegetal scents, it is more of a herbal smooth relaxing calming scent not unlike a clean washroom back to that urinal cake minus the urine. I'll proudly admit it Lilac Veg is probably my favorite Pinaud scent even moreso than Clubman or Bay rum. Why ? it is interesting and makes me stand out and no not in a bad way I get compliments all the time about what I am wearing mostly women but even men and they ask where to get it and why they have never heard of Pinaud before. I explain the world of DE and straight razor shaving which in todays mach 3 or fusion 65 blade shaving is exotic so the scent is exotic to them and all of a sudden that urinal cake mentioned before becomes a high end unique scent designated to these upscale special shaving guys and I've turned more than a few people onto the Veg. I wear it everyday shave or no shave especially at night as it actually calms me something in there really sets the tone for a relaxing sleep. I'd highly recommend giving it a try and if it's not for you that's fine to each there own but for me the Veg is in my rotation as long as t is made. As a side note if no one bought and i's as horrible as some have reviewed why is it one of the longest Pinaud scents in production that should say a lot on it's own.
Price
5.00 star(s)
Scent
4.00 star(s)
Quality
5.00 star(s)
Efficacy
4.00 star(s)
Moisturizing
0.00 star(s)
No Alcohol Burn
5.00 star(s)
Cooling Sensation
0.00 star(s)
Fights Razor Burn
4.00 star(s)
Pros: It does dry to a nice flowery Lilic. Just get past the initial unpleasant first note.
Funny thing. I am a minister and I do a lot of funerals and open casket wakes. Although every funeral director has denied it when asked, I am convinced I smell Vegetal on the corpus that has been dead a while and is probably beginning to get ripe. Otherwise I use it for an nighttime shave just before bed, very calming and relaxing.
Price
0.00 star(s)
Scent
0.00 star(s)
Quality
0.00 star(s)
Efficacy
0.00 star(s)
Moisturizing
0.00 star(s)
No Alcohol Burn
0.00 star(s)
Cooling Sensation
0.00 star(s)
Fights Razor Burn
0.00 star(s)
Pros: Smells and Feels Great
Cons: Some people equate lilac to urinal cakes
This has to be the most polarizing scent in existence. Many people cannot smell anything but urinal cake, old lady, or cat pee. I really don't get it, except for the fact that lilac scent is regularly used for urinal cakes and that smell gets ingrained into people's brains to where they cannot detect the complexities of the Veg.

Even smelling it straight out of the bottle, I sensed nothing but a flowery, powdery, classic smell that was very pleasant (which is what it's SUPPOSED to smell like). As soon as I put it on, the scents start mingling with my body chemistry and brings out some hints of grasses, and maybe celery seed. After the dry down is where the real beauty happens. The powder and lilac scents drift from the skin like a lovely melody. The scent is long lasting and pleasant, and I've never had a bad reaction from anyone while wearing it.

The scent is very different decanted into glass, so those that find the smell putrid at first may want to give it a shot. It significantly changes it, more to what it should be actually. Plastic bottles are a travesty.

In any case, I am proud to be one of the Chosen, and the jibes about the Veg just roll off of me.
Price
4.00 star(s)
Scent
4.00 star(s)
Quality
4.00 star(s)
Efficacy
4.00 star(s)
Moisturizing
4.00 star(s)
No Alcohol Burn
3.00 star(s)
Cooling Sensation
1.00 star(s)
Fights Razor Burn
3.00 star(s)
Pros: Fresh and effervescent
Cons: A young person might think it's old-fashioned
I am a convert. When I first tried it I thought it smelled so bad that I washed my face 10 minutes later.

But this product has been around for ages and some people love it. We found out in a recent thread that John Wayne used it. Those thoughts stuck in my mind. This is one of the most polarizing products we discuss here. We also clash on Williams, but we know they reduced the tallow content (tallow is listed as the second ingredient rather than the first) so there is a factual basis.

I don't know why I thought of this, and believe me, I'm not trying to be a prankster in saying what I did.

I refrigerated it. I started really liking this aftershave after doing this. What do most people do after a shave? Rinse with cold water. So why not apply cold aftershave?

I really like using this now. It's fresh and fragrant.

What possible effect could refrigerating the product have? One review stuck in my mind that stated when the product came in glass bottles in the 60s it was a different product. I really wondered if the plastic container had anything to do with the change in smell. I suspect that when something is insulated in glass then moves to thin plastic that there is some effect we may not realize. Maybe refrigerating it made it somewhat closer to the way it was when encased in thick glass. I really don't know, but if you have some Lilac Vegetal that's collecting dust, try one more time refrigerating it before use before giving up on the product.

It's one of those polarizing products like coconut and liver that have both strong likes and dislikes. It's not for everybody. It wasn't for me.

But now it is. :wink2:
Price
5.00 star(s)
Scent
5.00 star(s)
Quality
5.00 star(s)
Efficacy
5.00 star(s)
Moisturizing
5.00 star(s)
No Alcohol Burn
2.00 star(s)
Cooling Sensation
2.00 star(s)
Fights Razor Burn
2.00 star(s)
Pros: Staying power
Cons: Associations with institutional scents
A victim of it's own success?

It would be interesting to know if the current scent is the same as the original from the 19th century. My theory is that it is and that it was at one time so popular that it was copied by many other companies ... including those that made commercial cleaning products.

So now those associations are what we first experience. (And don't let anyone tell you it smells like urine - it doesn't, not even close. They are simply associating the problem with the solution.)

Which is why this is one of the most interesting and controversial products out there. We joke about those of us who are "chosen" (and I include myself in this group) but I think these are simply people who either ignore the association or at least learn to appreciate the scent in its own terms - something I was able to do after the third usage.

So for those willing to give it a fair try, you will notice that it hits you with powerful first wave that is both earthy and floral - but whether it is truly "lilac" I'm not so sure. It is however, mild and pleasing on the skin.

After a couple of minutes, however, it settles down to a gentler, kinder fragrance that will remain with you for the rest of the day. Which is great for those of us who don't like aftershaves that seem to vanish without a trace before we've had our first morning coffee.

In summary, it is a scent like no other. And if you give it a chance, you will be rewarded with distinct and dependable member of your aftershave rotation. You may even start agreeing with the slogan: "Those who like it, like it a lot".

And if you feel that you have been "chosen" the slogan may even become: "Those who like it, crave it like a drug". I know that for me, it has become an innocent vice that I can indulge without fear or guilt.
Price
5.00 star(s)
Scent
5.00 star(s)
Quality
4.00 star(s)
Efficacy
5.00 star(s)
Moisturizing
4.00 star(s)
No Alcohol Burn
5.00 star(s)
Cooling Sensation
4.00 star(s)
Fights Razor Burn
5.00 star(s)
It's about the best smelling urine out there. Not much else to say here.

I tried not to judge the smell from the bottle, but it only got worse when I applied it. Stay away, especially if you like lilacs. This will taint your view of all things lilac going forward. Awful stuff.
You can't beat the Veg.
The smell is very vintage old school , this aftershave is not for beginners . I recommend this aftershave for people who want smell like 180 years ago Barbershop . This fragrant is very masculine , I keep this bottle with my DR Harris aftershave I loved .
A huge thank you to Phil (luvmysuper) for sending me a huge quantity of Lilac Vegetal to try. I was looking at getting some but I rather get samples at this stage, it's easier and quicker to try.

I've been using this product for a full month now as a daily aftershave. I think I should be ready to review it now.

Price : I can't really judge this one as it was a gift. Thanks again Phil!

Quality: I think this is a good product that works well. If I just take the results when I apply the product, regardless of the scent, it's very good.

Fights Razor Burn: I think it does as I don't usually have redness and don't have some when I use LV. That means it must work when I think I should have redness!

Cooling Sensation: Mmm, no real cooling sensation. It's more like a slap in the face. My face feels numb for a good 10 minutes.

Scent: Here's the tricky part. SWMBO and I don't agree on the scent. She says it's a bit a baby powder + some kind of fruit. I get the baby powder scent, I think but the fruit, not at all. I don't get any lilacs in there but would say there's a "green plant" scent in there somewhere. It's not offensive. I'm one of those undecided that don't dislike the scent but I don't love it either. SWMBO said it's ok but she prefer Brut!

Efficacy: Like quality, I think this is a good product.

Moisturizing: I think it does moisturize the face as I don't have a dry feeling post-application.

No Alcohol Burn: See Cooling sensation, very interesting slap in the face but it doesn't really burn.

Overall: I think it's worth try it, even if you find the scent to be 50/50. On your skin vs. the bottle, it's not the exact same. Would I buy it? Probably not as I prefer other products such as Proraso splash, Brut and the Japanese Aftershaves (MG5, Bravas, Vintage, Mandom).
Price
1.00 star(s)
Scent
2.00 star(s)
Quality
3.00 star(s)
Efficacy
3.00 star(s)
Moisturizing
3.00 star(s)
No Alcohol Burn
2.00 star(s)
Cooling Sensation
1.00 star(s)
Fights Razor Burn
4.00 star(s)
Well, I had a chance to smell this on the weekend.


I picked some up for a friend from TBBS, but under the condition that I could try it.



Yes, it definitely smells like cat pee when first applied. That said, I do see where it settles into a flowery smell once it settles.


However, it is not a nice flowery. More like cheap, urinal puck flowery
See, I can get that some people like it.
And I can get that some don't like the way it smells.
What I don't get is how you can possibly come in here and do a "review" when you put IN YOUR REVIEW that you haven't even tried it.
If it smells too bad when you open the bottle to even try it - fine.
Free country and all, but sniffin' the top of a bottle ain't grounds for a review.
Did you read the review right above yours, and what he said about smelling the bottle? Probably not.
Stay tuned next week when I review the new Corvette I saw driving past my house last night.
Ok, so I can see this stuff being like the lava soap of after shave. Maybe this stuff comes from a day when an aroma just wasn't that important. Men needed some aftershave with some rocket fuel or something. I dig. Men don't shave to smell good, they just want something that will fix up the nicks and scrapes.

Enter Lilac Vegetal........this stuff is like anti-freeze or windshield wiper fluid on crack......definitely some type of car maintenance fluid smell.

Hey though, when my hands get dirty, and I mean real dirty, I need industrial strength soap, cause it works.

This must be industrial strength after shave or something, but I still haven't dared to put it on my skin yet.....

I think I'll wait for the unfortunate day I accidentally slit my face, throat or something.....I'll bet this stuff could seal up an artery or two....whew!
Price
2.00 star(s)
Scent
0.00 star(s)
Quality
5.00 star(s)
Efficacy
5.00 star(s)
Moisturizing
5.00 star(s)
No Alcohol Burn
2.00 star(s)
Cooling Sensation
2.00 star(s)
Fights Razor Burn
5.00 star(s)
Pinaud's Lilac Vegetal is something of an anomaly on the open aftershave market - it is probably the least pretentious product in the line, and maybe in the universe. As an aftershave, it works beautifully, even slightly better than regular Clubman does. It seals up the knicks and destroys bacteria like nothing else. What's the secret to its effectiveness? Probably the fact that it's comprised of six ingredients, all of them pretty basic, with a nod to the almost passively organic linalool floating around in there. People usually describe this as smelling like urine, or just crap in general, and I am of the opinion that you have to possess an incredible degree of confidence to wear this in public. But it can be done, mainly because the biggest mistake you can make with Lilac Vegetal by Pinaud is to smell it right out of the bottle. Don't do that; either pour a bit out first, let it sit for fifteen or twenty minutes, and then give it a whiff, or eschew the urge to sniff it straight altogether and just apply. Yes, it smells like spoiled cabbage at first, but give it about forty-five minutes. Around that time, you'll smell this powdery, lightly floral scent, as though the "vegetal" element has vamoosed and left you in a field of lilacs. Because of this rather gradual evolution of scent, I personally enjoy the aftershave but forgo it in favor of regular Clubman when I have to be around other people. But if you're shaving and then slacking off in the den, you can't go wrong. After all, it was in The Jerk and Ferris Bueller's Day Off - how bad could it be?
Price
5.00 star(s)
Scent
3.00 star(s)
Quality
5.00 star(s)
Efficacy
5.00 star(s)
Moisturizing
3.00 star(s)
No Alcohol Burn
2.00 star(s)
Cooling Sensation
4.00 star(s)
Fights Razor Burn
5.00 star(s)
Works fine as an after shave, but nothing more for me. My skin chemistry reacts and the scent comes out as baby bottom wipers. Not for me.
Price
4.00 star(s)
Scent
0.00 star(s)
Quality
4.00 star(s)
Efficacy
2.00 star(s)
Moisturizing
2.00 star(s)
No Alcohol Burn
0.00 star(s)
Cooling Sensation
1.00 star(s)
Fights Razor Burn
2.00 star(s)
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