OK, let's get one thing out the way right now - I am a D.R. Harris fanatic. I think their products are incredibly effective, super luxurious, and I just adore the old-world apothecary style packaging. Are they expensive? You bet. For me personally, though, it is worth it.
In particular, I am enamored of their aftershaves. I thought I would share some thoughts on three of their products that I use, each of which is unique and in turn quite different from the others. Here they are:
Harris Pink, Sandalwood, and Aftershaving Milk.
Let's start with the Pink. The ingredients are as follows:
Aqua, ethanol 16.89% v/v, glycerin, cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide, methyl para hydroxybenzoate, fragrance(natural), colouring
The pink is a splash-on product which contains some alcohol. It does not burn, however. The scent is rose - very similar to what you smell in Trumpers Coral Skin Food, and it does not linger, so no worries about competition with EdT. I find this product one of the most effective aids for razor burn that I have come across; it is incredibly soothing. As for its moisturizing qualities, it is very light. I can occasionally get by without additional moisturizer or balm in the summer months, but it is a close thing. In any case, you could easily use this under another balm, like the Harris Milk or something else. The bottle, like Harris' other products is gorgeous and quite old-school; I love to display it on my shelf.
Moving along to another splash, we have the Harris Sandalwood. The ingredients are as follows:
Alcohol, aqua, parfum, glycerol, diethyl phthalate, cetrimonium bromide
This is another alcohol-containing product, and unlike the Pink, this stuff has quite a lot of burn. It is intensely scented with a sweet and spicy "sandalwood" scent which is very nice. The scent of this, again unlike the Pink, lingers for quite some time, so you'll need to use this alone or with another sandalwood product. The combination of the powerul scent and the alcohol sting really is enlivening, and your testosterone rages when you splash this on your freshly-shaven mug. Most interestingly, despite having all the alcohol, I find this product very moisturizing. It leaves you face a bit on the tacky side, and feeling very supple. I don't need a moisturizer after using this. Really a unique product, presented beautifully. Not many gents use this, but it is worth seeking out.
Now for the Aftershaving Milk. This is one of my go-to products. It has a quite thin consistency, much like.....milk. For me, this is the perfect blend of soothing qualities and light moisturizing. It is a great change from many of the heavy balms out there. The scent is a light powdery rose scent which fades very quickly, not nearly as intense as the Pink. One thing to keep in mind is that you need to shake up the Milk before use; it has some gummy stuff in it that tends to separate a bit, and if you get this stuff straight-up on your face it is grease-city. My understanding is that the Milk has been reformulated by Harris starting the beginning of 2006, and the new product is unlike the old stuff. I have not tried it (I am hoarding my old stock), but the ingredient list has changed drastically, and it is now a thicker balm containing lanolin. Too bad, since the old stuff was so unique. By the way, here are the ingredients:
Aqua, adeps lotus*, sodium tallowate, sodium borate, cucumis sativus, parfum, cetrimonium bromide
So what is a man to do who want the old formulation? You can turn to Green Pond:
This stuff is made by Harris (you can see the bottle is the same), but the scent is different than the Milk. They call it unscented, but to me it has a light cucumber scent. Very good stuff, just remember to shake it up.
So there you have it- three unique and classic aftershaves from an old English firm. Pricey products, a bit difficult to find, but worth it to the connoisseur.
*I believe this is lard or some other animal fat....
In particular, I am enamored of their aftershaves. I thought I would share some thoughts on three of their products that I use, each of which is unique and in turn quite different from the others. Here they are:
Harris Pink, Sandalwood, and Aftershaving Milk.
Let's start with the Pink. The ingredients are as follows:
Aqua, ethanol 16.89% v/v, glycerin, cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide, methyl para hydroxybenzoate, fragrance(natural), colouring
The pink is a splash-on product which contains some alcohol. It does not burn, however. The scent is rose - very similar to what you smell in Trumpers Coral Skin Food, and it does not linger, so no worries about competition with EdT. I find this product one of the most effective aids for razor burn that I have come across; it is incredibly soothing. As for its moisturizing qualities, it is very light. I can occasionally get by without additional moisturizer or balm in the summer months, but it is a close thing. In any case, you could easily use this under another balm, like the Harris Milk or something else. The bottle, like Harris' other products is gorgeous and quite old-school; I love to display it on my shelf.
Moving along to another splash, we have the Harris Sandalwood. The ingredients are as follows:
Alcohol, aqua, parfum, glycerol, diethyl phthalate, cetrimonium bromide
This is another alcohol-containing product, and unlike the Pink, this stuff has quite a lot of burn. It is intensely scented with a sweet and spicy "sandalwood" scent which is very nice. The scent of this, again unlike the Pink, lingers for quite some time, so you'll need to use this alone or with another sandalwood product. The combination of the powerul scent and the alcohol sting really is enlivening, and your testosterone rages when you splash this on your freshly-shaven mug. Most interestingly, despite having all the alcohol, I find this product very moisturizing. It leaves you face a bit on the tacky side, and feeling very supple. I don't need a moisturizer after using this. Really a unique product, presented beautifully. Not many gents use this, but it is worth seeking out.
Now for the Aftershaving Milk. This is one of my go-to products. It has a quite thin consistency, much like.....milk. For me, this is the perfect blend of soothing qualities and light moisturizing. It is a great change from many of the heavy balms out there. The scent is a light powdery rose scent which fades very quickly, not nearly as intense as the Pink. One thing to keep in mind is that you need to shake up the Milk before use; it has some gummy stuff in it that tends to separate a bit, and if you get this stuff straight-up on your face it is grease-city. My understanding is that the Milk has been reformulated by Harris starting the beginning of 2006, and the new product is unlike the old stuff. I have not tried it (I am hoarding my old stock), but the ingredient list has changed drastically, and it is now a thicker balm containing lanolin. Too bad, since the old stuff was so unique. By the way, here are the ingredients:
Aqua, adeps lotus*, sodium tallowate, sodium borate, cucumis sativus, parfum, cetrimonium bromide
So what is a man to do who want the old formulation? You can turn to Green Pond:
This stuff is made by Harris (you can see the bottle is the same), but the scent is different than the Milk. They call it unscented, but to me it has a light cucumber scent. Very good stuff, just remember to shake it up.
So there you have it- three unique and classic aftershaves from an old English firm. Pricey products, a bit difficult to find, but worth it to the connoisseur.
*I believe this is lard or some other animal fat....