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Aftershave and age

While at the grocery store this weekend I went down an isle that had some shaving stuff and there was a bottle of Aqua velva aftershave. For $3 I decided to give it a shot. Besides Williams shave soap and classic old spice and aqua velva, everything else was canned foam and cartridge razors, which I think is a real shame.

I enjoyed the scent, and my wife did too but said I smelled like my grandpa.

I'm in my late 20's but have quite a few aftershaves some people deem "Old man scents" such as clubman, aqua velva, original old spice, etc. While I know they aren't hip or trendy I enjoy the nod to the past and the historical aspect even if the scents aren't 100% exact that they used to be. As long as I enjoy the scent, that is what is important to me, as well as the performance.

Curious if people out there avoid these classics because of their age or for fear of smelling like an old man or their grandpa?
 
Here they are.
20201108_003128.jpg
 
For me fragances are memories, and the determined age is on the mind of the one who smells it. Old Spice reminds me of my Granpa, Aqua Velva & Skin Bracer of my dad, etc... My 20 YO son is nowadays using Old Spice mainly because he likes it but also because very little of his group age knows someone who use it, it´s an almos unknown fragance, and it stands out in a good way over the AXE´s, Adidas, etc...

cheers
 
For me fragances are memories, and the determined age is on the mind of the one who smells it. Old Spice reminds me of my Granpa, Aqua Velva & Skin Bracer of my dad, etc... My 20 YO son is nowadays using Old Spice mainly because he likes it but also because very little of his group age knows someone who use it, it´s an almos unknown fragance, and it stands out in a good way over the AXE´s, Adidas, etc...

cheers

Axe. I remember Axe from when I was in high school. I had gym as my first class of the day and no one wanted to walk around school smelling like a sweaty sock all day so all the guys had a can in their locker and we all took a spray showers in it. I haven't used a can since high school though.

Good times
 

luvmysuper

My elbows leak
Staff member
There are no "old man fragrances", only "old man memories".
If you took these and asked an obscure Amazon tribesman to describe the smell, they would not attribute it to an old man, because they don't know any old men who smelled that way.
People have dads or grandfathers who wore it, and say "It smells like an old mans aftershave" when they ought really to be saying "It smells like my grandfathers aftershave".
Perhaps they don't even consciously know it smells like dad or grandpa, so they just say "old man".
Old man smell is not Old Spice or Aqua Velva or Skin Bracer or Brut.
Old man smell is farts and depends diapers.
 
There are no "old man fragrances", only "old man memories".
If you took these and asked an obscure Amazon tribesman to describe the smell, they would not attribute it to an old man, because they don't know any old men who smelled that way.
People have dads or grandfathers who wore it, and say "It smells like an old mans aftershave" when they ought really to be saying "It smells like my grandfathers aftershave".
Perhaps they don't even consciously know it smells like dad or grandpa, so they just say "old man".
Old man smell is not Old Spice or Aqua Velva or Skin Bracer or Brut.
Old man smell is farts and depends diapers.

I like that. Some of my best memories are from listening to stories from my uncle's, which are technically my great uncle's, about their mischievous days. Most of them are fortunately still around, and while I don't know the specifics of their aftershaves the scents do bring back memories
 

luvmysuper

My elbows leak
Staff member
I enjoy them too. I will have to look into Canoe.

There has been one vintage aftershave I have been terrified to try though.........

The Veg

Don't fear the Veg.
Let it embrace you with its earthy frangrant tendrils.

Worst case, you don't like it.
Best case, you'll succumb to its peaty floral allure.
Even the in between of those two is not frightening.
 
My nose transports me to another time and place.

One of the few advantages of aging is not caring what others think of my scent choices, as long as I'm not trying to kill someone with it being overpowering.

Even though I wasn't around during those times I still get whisked away like a time machine too. It's a neat experience. Even if only for a short time before it's back to reality.

I have noticed the older I get the less I care of what people think as well.

Or maybe people care less about what I think?
 
Don't fear the Veg.
Let it embrace you with its earthy frangrant tendrils.

Worst case, you don't like it.
Best case, you'll succumb to its peaty floral allure.
Even the in between of those two is not frightening.

For the price I should just order a bottle. At last resort it would be a harmless prank to splash some on my buddies faces when they pass out drunk in my garage.

I know I would be confused if I woke up hungover and smelled like lilac vegetal....
 
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