AFTERSHAVE REVIEW:
Pinaud Special Reserve
COST PER OUNCE:
A 6 fl oz container runs about $8.00. My purchase was simply a bottle swap from my friend Ron, who thought it smelled like half-smoked Newports and death. He in turn, received a lightly used bottle of Pinaud Lime Sec.
ABOUT:
The Pinaud website only describes Special Reserve as a bold, masculine fragrance. West Coast Shaving delves a little deeper, calling it an exhilarating scent, having some notes of wood, musk, and other traditional fragrances. The kind of thing you wear if you want to give off a very masculine aura. I found neither of these descriptions to be very helpful to say the least. It was not until I read Bhugo's reply to a post on Badger & Blade where he described the scent as being similar to Aramis did I have that moment of clarity. One that took me back to 1981 to be exact, but more on that in a bit.
PROS:
Since this is my third outing with a Pinaud product, one thing I have found to be the same is the post application feel. Again, Pinaud products and I get along great! My face feels soft, pampered, and reconditioned after I apply it.
The scent is a pro if you like it, or a con if you don't. For me, I place it in the pro column, and here's why; As a young military recruit in 1981, I found myself in the throws of boot camp. My drill instructor, with his deep Jamaican-type accent, had an occasion or two to get into my personal space. A hat brims width away to be exact. It was during these close encounters that the aroma of cologne found its way to my nose. This was not worn by me of course, but by my new best friend, the sergeant. Later on, and many miles away from my now ol' best friend, I discovered it to be that of Aramis, so I bought some for old times sake, and was kind of fond of it. If you know Aramis, you know Pinaud Special Reserve. If you don't know Aramis, then the best way I can describe it is as follows; spicy-floral, with musky wood & leather. A boot camp kind of scent! When you pop this on your face, the first notes can be a bit overwhelming, but that soon gives way to a more mild floral spice scent. Kind of musky, kind of not, but not so overpowering as Aramis cologne. For me, the scent hangs around a good 4 hours or so, then slowly wonders off into the time space continuum.
CONS:
Is it winter yet? Though I find I have a fondness for Special Reserve, I do find that this is more of a winter aftershave for me. When the dog days of summer are around, I prefer a more clean citrus aftershave, just like the Pinaud Citrus Musk that arrived today! More on that later! Lastly, if your not an Aramis fan, you most likely won't be a Special Reserve kind of person either.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
At $8.00 for a 6 ounce container, can you miss? Some will say, you bet your boots you can, and can't get rid of the stuff fast enough! Others seem to really like it, and liken it to having abilities similar to that of ground up rhino horn. I'm a fan, but not full time, just during those chilly afternoons that call for a cup of earl grey tea, college logo-embossed sweaters, and some football.
Pinaud Special Reserve
COST PER OUNCE:
A 6 fl oz container runs about $8.00. My purchase was simply a bottle swap from my friend Ron, who thought it smelled like half-smoked Newports and death. He in turn, received a lightly used bottle of Pinaud Lime Sec.
ABOUT:
The Pinaud website only describes Special Reserve as a bold, masculine fragrance. West Coast Shaving delves a little deeper, calling it an exhilarating scent, having some notes of wood, musk, and other traditional fragrances. The kind of thing you wear if you want to give off a very masculine aura. I found neither of these descriptions to be very helpful to say the least. It was not until I read Bhugo's reply to a post on Badger & Blade where he described the scent as being similar to Aramis did I have that moment of clarity. One that took me back to 1981 to be exact, but more on that in a bit.
PROS:
Since this is my third outing with a Pinaud product, one thing I have found to be the same is the post application feel. Again, Pinaud products and I get along great! My face feels soft, pampered, and reconditioned after I apply it.
The scent is a pro if you like it, or a con if you don't. For me, I place it in the pro column, and here's why; As a young military recruit in 1981, I found myself in the throws of boot camp. My drill instructor, with his deep Jamaican-type accent, had an occasion or two to get into my personal space. A hat brims width away to be exact. It was during these close encounters that the aroma of cologne found its way to my nose. This was not worn by me of course, but by my new best friend, the sergeant. Later on, and many miles away from my now ol' best friend, I discovered it to be that of Aramis, so I bought some for old times sake, and was kind of fond of it. If you know Aramis, you know Pinaud Special Reserve. If you don't know Aramis, then the best way I can describe it is as follows; spicy-floral, with musky wood & leather. A boot camp kind of scent! When you pop this on your face, the first notes can be a bit overwhelming, but that soon gives way to a more mild floral spice scent. Kind of musky, kind of not, but not so overpowering as Aramis cologne. For me, the scent hangs around a good 4 hours or so, then slowly wonders off into the time space continuum.
CONS:
Is it winter yet? Though I find I have a fondness for Special Reserve, I do find that this is more of a winter aftershave for me. When the dog days of summer are around, I prefer a more clean citrus aftershave, just like the Pinaud Citrus Musk that arrived today! More on that later! Lastly, if your not an Aramis fan, you most likely won't be a Special Reserve kind of person either.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
At $8.00 for a 6 ounce container, can you miss? Some will say, you bet your boots you can, and can't get rid of the stuff fast enough! Others seem to really like it, and liken it to having abilities similar to that of ground up rhino horn. I'm a fan, but not full time, just during those chilly afternoons that call for a cup of earl grey tea, college logo-embossed sweaters, and some football.
