Has anyone tried the British Sterling Cologne with the atomizer? I have only ever used the cologne splash. I know that both Stetson and Royal Copenhagen have stronger concentrations with the atomizer, closer to eau de toilette than their splash versions. Does anyone know if Sterling is stronger as a spray?
British Sterling Question
- Thread starter sharpstar90
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I have it as a spray - but not as a splash, so can't say!
Mine's vintage and fairly strong, FWIW.
AA
Mine's vintage and fairly strong, FWIW.
AA
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- #3
Thanks! It may be up to me to rule on this one. I think Canoe is a little stronger in the atomizer than in the splash. But since it's a light fragrance to begin with, it's hard to tell.
Whenever I buy vintage fragrance, I'm always reluctant to use it. Too precious, I guess. None of my current formulations are as terrible as I've read about. About half the time they smell a little fresher. Since I live in Gerogia, that's a good thing 6 months out of the year!
Whenever I buy vintage fragrance, I'm always reluctant to use it. Too precious, I guess. None of my current formulations are as terrible as I've read about. About half the time they smell a little fresher. Since I live in Gerogia, that's a good thing 6 months out of the year!
That's the joy of the vintage Avon stuff - has actual oakmoss; they made a ton, so use it!
Used Excalibur from 1969 today! Yes, 50 years old. Nice alky sting and beauty scent; nothing wrong with it.
I must have over 30 Avons by now; none are "off" or bad.
British Sterling is one of the few I actually used in the 1980s - I got a bottle for Christmas! is why.
AA
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- #5
That's awesome! I almost bought some Excalibur once because I liked the sound of it. However, the advanced age of it made me hesitate. I own Tai Winds in the Pepperbox Revolver Decanter. It's a little weak for my tastes, plus it smells almost exactly like Clubman Musk. My buying habits have been with contemporary clone oils for a while because I've had a lot of luck with their quality. I may revisit the Avon fragrances at some point. But I like my fragrances stronger, and I think most of them are Eau de Cologne. That's one of the reasons I was trying to find out about British Sterling. It's a fragrance that has held up for me after trying out a lot of different scents. It's both retro and timeless, but its longevity just falls a little but short
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They almost all do today.
Well. There's always Grey Flannel! And Fahrenheit; those two will, hm. Brighten up a room, shall we say.
AA
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- #7
Yeah, I adore my Fahrenheit clones (can't afford the Dior). Grey Flannel was one of the first fragrances I ever bonded with. I can remember wearing it in 6th grade, walking around in the dry leaves, listening to Simon and Garfunkle on my Walkman. I always think of those times of introspection with Grey Flannel. It's a good scent for that.
These days I have been very impressed with Bogart. I have all 5 One Man Show scents. They really stand apart from anything else in my collection. They make you feel like Han Solo or something!
These days I have been very impressed with Bogart. I have all 5 One Man Show scents. They really stand apart from anything else in my collection. They make you feel like Han Solo or something!
Where are you getting your clone oils? Any Favorites so far?
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- #9
I get them from various sellers on Ebay. My most frequented one is Justgreatfrangrances because I can tell no one is cutting the oils. My belief is that these are all manufactured by Heyward Enterprises, a huge clone company that sells in bulk and uses gas spectrometry.
The quality is usually quite excellent. So far, the Versace Dylan Blue is the closest to the real thing. It performs stronger out of the gate but it's drydown is fainter. Other than that, it is exactly the same thing. Their Eau Sauvage is excellent, though it haven't smelled the original. I also love their Hai Karate, Rive Gauche and Creed Aventus. I didnt love Creed Bois du Portugal though. And the one labeled as Givenchy Gentleman on ebay is the crappy new version; though the classic clone does exist on the Heyward website.
I think they're all worth the $9.00 risk. They will exceed your expectations as long as you manage them! They work great when layered with spray colognes. I do that with Fahrenheit oil and Fire for Men. I also make custom labels for the bottles on my printer and display them alongside my bottled fragrances. They actually look quite good if cover them in tape.
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Those bottles look awesome. I might have to go this route. I've been getting the belcams from Walmart, but these have more appealing scents to me.
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- #11
Thank you!
The Belcams are some of the best clones out there, but I wish they would release more scents. They play it pretty safe with what they do offer. The bottles are hideous, so I make labels for those as well. Makes them look and seem more valuable.
Justgreatscents on Ebay does a buy 2 and get the third free offer. It's definitely worth it to buy 4, get 6, then go and get some sticker paper for your printer. Get jpgs online of the images you like, select them all and print the smallest images on best quality. Cut them out , stick them on and cover them with mailing tape. The tape brightens the colors. Then you can trim up the tape with an exacto knife.
Heyward enterprises offers a get free deal on their website but it's more expensive. They don't offer free shipping, but you have like 3000 scents to pick from. You want the 1/3 oz roll on bottle.
What scents are you interested in?
Looking into the creed scents, also I've wanted to try the tom ford scents. Just haven't pulled the trigger on any. Still not sure what I like. The fragrance I'm wearing the most right now is Kenneth Cole Black. I also wear Belcam Nitro fairly often. I'm big on woodsy and Vanilla notes. I also like Citrus scents. This is a hard AD to have when you don't know what you like lol.
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- #13
Justgreatscents has several Creed and Ford fragrances.. You can get 6 for about $36 free shipping. If you're on the hunt for what you like, the clones are a great way to research it without blowing a bunch of cash.
TF Tobacco Vanille is a good one, kind of an incense type of vibe to it. My wife loves that one. If you have a Marshall's or Tj Maxx near you, they carry a line of colognes in book shaped black boxes called Pecksniff's. Look for one called "Professional". It's an amazing woody amber and citrus for $8.00. If you pair that with a clone oil from justgreatscents called Eau Sauvage (Christian Dior type) it is absolutely to die for! It smells very expensive. You could pair that with either Clubman Vanilla Afterhsave or British Sterling aftershave. All of these are a constellation of scents in line with Eau Sauvage (not to be confused with Sauvage) that is extremely classic. It goes back to the 1960's and was worn by John Lennon.
Speaking of Sauvage, Belcam makes a clone called Primitive Man that pairs very well with Sauvage clone oil. It's perhaps one of the great female compliment scents out there. Sauvage and Eau Sauvage are in fantastic taste- one modern and one classic-- that would probably suit the preferences of you and of your wife.
Pecksniff's Professional spray+ Eau Sauvage oil
Primitive Man spray + Sauvage clone oil
Just a recommendation. These are what I have come up with after a lot of research.
Thank you so much for the informative post. Will definitely have to go check out the TJ Maxx. I already have Primitive Man. So, I'll have to pick up some of the clone oil. Pretty sure, I just saw your review on a fragrance review site about the primitive man and clone oil as I was reading through reviews.
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- #15
Haha! Yeah, I get around. Fragrance has been a godsend of a hobby for me with all the stress of life. I would love to try my hand at perfumery, but it's really expensive to get into. I'll have to be an appreciator instead!
The Sauvage oil really rounds out the scent. Primitive Man provides a strong base and the oil adds the stuff up top, like bergamot. It's the same with Insurrection II Pure and Creed Aventus clone oil. I also pull the same trick with Fahrenheit + Fire for Men and Pinaud Clubman + Hai Karate oil. Sometimes I mix the Hai Karate oil and Pinaud Special Reserve. They're two very different barbershop scents but they play off of one another in a really great way.
The Sauvage oil really rounds out the scent. Primitive Man provides a strong base and the oil adds the stuff up top, like bergamot. It's the same with Insurrection II Pure and Creed Aventus clone oil. I also pull the same trick with Fahrenheit + Fire for Men and Pinaud Clubman + Hai Karate oil. Sometimes I mix the Hai Karate oil and Pinaud Special Reserve. They're two very different barbershop scents but they play off of one another in a really great way.
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This is probably the AD I struggle the most with, as I just love smelling different colognes. Even if I don't like a particular scent, I like the process of trying it. Was surprised not to see a polo green review on the other site, as I've noticed you're quite a fan of it around these parts.
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It's not that I am not a fan anymore, I have just found scents that I like more than the green. My best friend wore it for years so I gave him my Sterling Green soap and AS. I found that Aramis is a better fit for me as a strong Chypre. It's more "me" than Polo. I still have the Belcam and wear it from time to time. Sort of moved on, I guess.
I understand the AD. I had developed a bad drinking habit and gave it up almost a year ago. I found that this hobby was a lot healthier and did a lot more for the soul. In my case, it's been money will spent! I have a really great collection now and I enjoy it every day. It makes me genuinely happy. I doubt the majority of people have something they enjoy as much.
Back in the late 60s and 70s, I loved the smell of British Sterling, made by Speidel. The brand is now owned by Dana and I am not so fond of the current scent. However, Dana has another version of British Sterling called H.I.M. which is a reference to His Imperial Majesty King George VI. I do like that version of the cologne.
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- #19
I have a small bottle if Speidel and I can smell a difference. I would say the modern one is a bit fresher, simpler and maybe a little more wearable today. They took the "herbal stank" out of it, and I can see where this would be a dealbreaker for some people. There's a little magic in the oakmoss or whatever it is. However, I still love the current one and wear it often.
I have steered clear of H.I.M because I didnt want to be disappointed. The original was one of the first fragrances I really loved recently and I had a bad experience with Jovan Black Musk (thumbs down). Can you describe H.I.M. for me? I'm still interested.
From the Basenotes web site, here is the scent pyramid for H.I.M. Reserve.
- Top Notes Iced Ginger, Mandarin
- Heart Notes Aromatic Spices, Black Pepper
- Base notes Tonka Bean, Suede
- Top Notes Floral, Citrus
- Heart Notes Nutmeg, Cedar, Cinnamon, Clove
- Base notes Amber, Musk, Sandalwood, Oak
