Aftershave Hall of Shame

[dpm802]

Pinaud Clubman.
There, I said it.

+1 ... I like Clubman as a body splash during hot weather, but I can't stand having it on my face.

I tried an all-Clubman shave a few years ago ... exfoliating face wash, shave cream, and aftershave splash.
It was one of my worst shaves ever.

I'm not very fond of the other flavors from Pinaud, either. I've tried a few and never found any that I like to use.

I like the smell of Bay Rum in the air, but not when it comes into contact with my skin. It burns too much.
Sometimes I will sprinkle a little Bay Rum in the sink as an air freshener after I take a dump.

And then there's The Veg ... I tried it out of curiosity, and I actually like it the first time from a freshly opened bottle.
When I went back and tried it again a few days later, there was the famous cat-pee aroma. I never used it again.
In all fairness, I should give it another try, if I can ever find a branded glass bottle to decant a fresh, new bottle into.

 

[dpm802]

Florida water

I love the smell of Florida Water, and it feels great on my skin.

Unfortunately, I'm one of those people that suffer from vivid nightmares whenever I use FW.
Once I recognized the pattern, I stopped using it.

There are a couple threads where these FW-induced nightmares are discussed. I thought I was the only one that experienced this, but apparently its a widely known reaction. It doesn't affect everybody, but for those that have had it happen, they know that this side-effect is very intense and very unpleasant.

 

[Rxdiaz]

I love the smell of Florida Water, and it feels great on my skin.

Unfortunately, I'm one of those people that suffer from vivid nightmares whenever I use FW.
Once I recognized the pattern, I stopped using it.

There are a couple threads where these FW-induced nightmares are discussed. I thought I was the only one that experienced this, but apparently its a widely known reaction. It doesn't affect everybody, but for those that have had it happen, they know that this side-effect is very intense and very unpleasant.

Are you serious? I have never heard of this. I like Florida Water...

 

[danielrhall]

I haven't met an aftershave yet that I didn't appreciate at least in some way, and I have a lot of them. The only one I would put in the ASHoS is Dollar Tree Macho. And the only reason it is shameful to me is that there is nothing to it. Nothing to like or dislike. It is green-colored alcohol and water with a very light Brut-like scent that lasts as long as it takes to put the cap back on the bottle. Even at a single dollar, it seemed to me to be a waste of money. I bought their Green and Blue but passed on Macho, which should really be called Nada.

 

[dpm802]

Are you serious? I have never heard of this. I like Florida Water...

The FW Nightmare effect is discussed in detail in this thread ... there are others where it is mentioned in passing.
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showth...ter-Dreams/page2?highlight=florida++nightmare

 

[SocalRick]

The worst for me is Pinaud Special Reserve. It smells like a combination of a burning tire and the inside of an old man's shoe after walking for 5 hours.

After putting it on, I immediately got a splitting headache. I tried to wash it off and/or cover it up with other scents, but I still smelled it 2 days later. It was the only time I've opened the bottle. I kept it, thinking I'd PIF it to some poor soul who thinks he like it, but I just can't bring myself to inflict it on anyone. Plus, it's widely available and cheap.

 

[mscout00]

British Sterling. Burns like a dumpster fire, smells even worse.

 

[countrydirt]

Lime SEC and Clubman. I vetoed the Lime and my wife vetoed the Clubman.

 

[dieselfuel79]

Some of the descriptions here are absolutely hysterical. Please continue!

 

[Reevers]

I finally got a chance to have a sniff of Knize Ten aftershave lotion last week... what a massive disappointment! Sickly, cloying, cheap & teenager-ish. Think Alt Innsbruck, without the tabacco and also with a massively over the top sweet note!

 

[cmh737]

I love threads like this! I have 2 that I absolutely detest: the Veg (I am definitely not chosen); and the one that will drive people to reach for their pitchforks and torches - Alt Innsbruck. I know it is revered on the forums and by most folk, but I loathe it. I've tried it many, many times, and the result is always the same - yuck!

 

[pbrmhl]

I love threads like this! I have 2 that I absolutely detest: the Veg (I am definitely not chosen); and the one that will drive people to reach for their pitchforks and torches - Alt Innsbruck. I know it is revered on the forums and by most folk, but I loathe it. I've tried it many, many times, and the result is always the same - yuck!

My dislke of Proraso green and ambivalence for Speick also brings out pitchforks and torches... I am chosen (although my wife disagrees).

 

[Fiend606]

Many scents have to be worn to see how it reacts with your skin but I can't bring myself to splash fermented cat pee AKA Lilac Vegetal on me to find out if I'm chosen.

 

[Cino]

The worst for me is Pinaud Special Reserve. It smells like a combination of a burning tire and the inside of an old man's shoe after walking for 5 hours.

After putting it on, I immediately got a splitting headache. I tried to wash it off and/or cover it up with other scents, but I still smelled it 2 days later. It was the only time I've opened the bottle. I kept it, thinking I'd PIF it to some poor soul who thinks he like it, but I just can't bring myself to inflict it on anyone. Plus, it's widely available and cheap.

Other than that, would you recommend it?

 

[SocalRick]

Other than that, would you recommend it?

Absolutely!



Seriously, enough people like it that, while sharing my experience, I would not discourage anyone from trying it.

 

[Tiggity T]

I haven't met an aftershave yet that I didn't appreciate at least in some way, and I have a lot of them. The only one I would put in the ASHoS is Dollar Tree Macho. And the only reason it is shameful to me is that there is nothing to it. Nothing to like or dislike. It is green-colored alcohol and water with a very light Brut-like scent that lasts as long as it takes to put the cap back on the bottle. Even at a single dollar, it seemed to me to be a waste of money. I bought their Green and Blue but passed on Macho, which should really be called Nada.

I had a bottle of Macho that I rather enjoyed, so I used it up. I don't need my aftershave to be super strong as I usually put an EDT on after it. I went back to the same dollar store, bought another one and it was one of the most putrid scents I had ever smelled in my life. It went from a weak Brut 33 scent to Brut essence with cat pee. I'm thinking there may be some quality control issues at whatever plant makes the stuff.

 

[Mr. Styptic]

I agree with Pashana. It's got a strong fecal note. I can't understand how anyone would put this on their face.

 

[emwolf]

And then there's The Veg ... I tried it out of curiosity, and I actually like it the first time from a freshly opened bottle.
When I went back and tried it again a few days later, there was the famous cat-pee aroma. I never used it again.
In all fairness, I should give it another try, if I can ever find a branded glass bottle to decant a fresh, new bottle into.

I started collecting vintage Avon bottles to decant the plastic bottled AS into. I've bottled Barbasol, Clubman, the Veg and many more and it really does change the scent. Plastic adds a bad, bitter sting.

 

[Seneca]

The "new" kanon. I have the aftershave of the sandalwood & the EDT of the original. Got my first bottle of original at 16 in 1973; bought another at Colonial Drug in Harvard Sq around 1986. Saw it on Overstock last year for about $6 the bottle. Its awful. Made in Delray Beach Florida rather than Scandinavia. The terrible part is that it smells enough like the original to suck you in to using it. Then once you apply it you want to wash it off. Dry down doesn't help, either.

Remembering the original, I can unequivocally say that the reformulation is a shame.

 

[shavemeister]

Pinaud Clubman.
There, I said it.

+1

Sorry guys, but I hate this stuff. Glad I'm not the only one! To my nose, it smells like baby powder and cat pee. I bought the Virgin Islands Bay Rum hoping it would be different. It is much more bearable, but I still smell hints of cat pee.

I also don't care for Old Spice. I love the scent in deodorants but the AS makes my nose burn and eyes water. Way too much burn for me.