So my wife buys me some "manly" brand of body soap from BBW and lo and behold I find that it is the US equivalent of Proraso. The scent is elixir black (not sure if elixir is necessary there, but there it is) and I just love it. Too bad they don't make a shave cream in the stuff, but they do have an a/s and a EDT. Great, great smell and this from someone with a discerning nose for cologne, of course I am talking about my wife. Anyway you should check it out for yourself...
CO Bigelow
- Thread starter texdoc77
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I wear the Elixer Red cologne virtually daily. Love the scent, great staying power, and the price can't be beat.
I too am a fan of both C.O. Bigelow Black and Red Barber Elixir Colognes - I find them both to be complex, very refined, masculine scents - if a bit on the heavy and dark side. Now that colder weather is coming on, I've added them to my daily rotation and enjoy them very much.
For those of you looking for a more modern, lighter scent with the same kind of refinement and basic structure, Bigelow has just come out with a new color Barber Elixir Cologne- White, No. 1585. According to the box, it's "Modern, bright, and refined. Our Elixir blends clean citrus notes of Bergamot, Grapefruit, and Mandarin with undertones of peppery Wood Spices." Packaging and bottle are both variations on the theme of the other Bigelow Barber Elixirs, and of the same quality. Price is the same $19.50 for 2.5 oz as all the other Bigelow Colognes.
The ingredient list is as follows:
Alchohol Denat, Water, Fragrance, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Ethlhexyl Salicylate, BHT, Alpha-Isomethyl, Ionone, Citral, Limonene, Isoeugenol, Linalool.
The box advertises "No artificial colors, Not tested on animals", but it says nothing about "No artificial ingredients", and you can sure see why!
Although it's not in my usual range of preferred scents, when I tried some in my local Bath & Body Works store I enjoyed it very much. I bought a bottle and think that, come the return of warm weather, it'll go nicely in my rotation.
The official rollout date for this version is supposed to be 11/2 and it's not on B&BW's shelves yet, but if you call first to see if it's available they will sell you some from "out of the back".
For those of you looking for a more modern, lighter scent with the same kind of refinement and basic structure, Bigelow has just come out with a new color Barber Elixir Cologne- White, No. 1585. According to the box, it's "Modern, bright, and refined. Our Elixir blends clean citrus notes of Bergamot, Grapefruit, and Mandarin with undertones of peppery Wood Spices." Packaging and bottle are both variations on the theme of the other Bigelow Barber Elixirs, and of the same quality. Price is the same $19.50 for 2.5 oz as all the other Bigelow Colognes.
The ingredient list is as follows:
Alchohol Denat, Water, Fragrance, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Ethlhexyl Salicylate, BHT, Alpha-Isomethyl, Ionone, Citral, Limonene, Isoeugenol, Linalool.
The box advertises "No artificial colors, Not tested on animals", but it says nothing about "No artificial ingredients", and you can sure see why!
Although it's not in my usual range of preferred scents, when I tried some in my local Bath & Body Works store I enjoyed it very much. I bought a bottle and think that, come the return of warm weather, it'll go nicely in my rotation.
The official rollout date for this version is supposed to be 11/2 and it's not on B&BW's shelves yet, but if you call first to see if it's available they will sell you some from "out of the back".
Hold on!!! You said the body soap it's the US equivalent of Proraso?
Sir, you need to explain yourself. What do you mean???
I love Proraso!!! I would gladly get a Proraso scented soap. I'd eat Proraso cookies if someone made them.
The only C. O. Bigelow item at Bath and Body Works made by Proraso is the shaving cream.
All the other C. O. Bigelow products have nothing to do with Proraso (or the manufacturer, Martelli).
All the other C. O. Bigelow products have nothing to do with Proraso (or the manufacturer, Martelli).
Can anyone speak to the Green? My wife and I frequently wander into BBW and we'll sniff the colognes and test them while I look at the Bigelow shaving creams. Green is the only one we both enjoy, but I've never been a cologne/EDT wearer. Is the Green close to any other colognes? Does it have a consistent scent and staying power? One time that I tried it, it smelled remarkably different than other times. I don't know if it was an old tester or what. It seems popular as the different BBW's we frequent always either seem to be out of it or only have one or two left.
We were both somewhat concerned that my aftershave would conflict with it, so I haven't pulled the trigger on it yet. I usually use Old Spice Pure Sport splash or AOS Sandalwood balm. Each seems to last a few hours, but every time I've tested the colognes has been in the evening, well after my AS has worn off. I'm not sure what kind of mileage I'd get out of the Bigelow cologne. Any comments? Thanks.
We were both somewhat concerned that my aftershave would conflict with it, so I haven't pulled the trigger on it yet. I usually use Old Spice Pure Sport splash or AOS Sandalwood balm. Each seems to last a few hours, but every time I've tested the colognes has been in the evening, well after my AS has worn off. I'm not sure what kind of mileage I'd get out of the Bigelow cologne. Any comments? Thanks.
I dunno how many here use both a scented AS and cologne, but as for me I use a slightly scented witch hazel (Thayers Rose Pedal) as my only aftershave and use red elixer as the majority scent.
I only have the black ASB -- picked it up on an impulse when I was buying a tube of shave cream -- but I really like it. It's in steady rotation. Haven't gone for the cologne yet ... waiting for the 2-1 sales everyone mentions. But I'm gonna grab it at some point. Nice scent for cooler weather.
I wish my BBW carried the Bigelow Bay Rum cologne, but no luck. Guess I need to order that online.
I wish my BBW carried the Bigelow Bay Rum cologne, but no luck. Guess I need to order that online.
For crying out loud! Why is it every time someone sees a name that conforms to IUPAC or INCI standards they automatically assume its 'artificial'.
First of all, the line between artificially derived and naturally derived blurred long ago. You can obtain many seemingly natural compounds from multiple synthetic pathways.
Second, just because it may not naturally occur does not mean that it is automatically dangerous, toxic, or otherwise harmful. Also corollary to this is that just because something is readily found in nature does not mean that it not dangerous, toxic, or otherwise harmless.
So what's in this. Let's see...
Alcohol Denat: Plain old ethanol, also known as grain alcohol. Completely harmless. Millions drink this no a daily basis with not ill effects, although it possible to become addicted to it or suffer from alcohol poisoning if too much is ingested. One possible consequence of alcohol poisoning is death. Natural? You bet, albeit with a hint of bittering denaturant.
Water: Self-explanatory. Most definitely naturally occurring. Dangerous? Possibly. Too much can cause drowning or water intoxication.
Fragrance: Well here's a mystery ingredient! Could be natural, or it could be artificially created in some lab. Dangerous? Possibly, though at most it will probably cause a mild allergic reaction in some people.
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane: Also known as avobenzene. Artificial? You bet. Was first patented in 1973 and was approved for use in the EU in 1978 and in 1988 by the FDA. Safe and harmless, it's a key UV-A blocking agent in many sunscreens.
Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate: Also known as octyl methoxycinnamate, it is UV-B blocker found in many sunscreens and cosmetics. Harmful? Potentially. One study performed in 2000 raised safety concerns about the compound by demonstrating toxicity to mouse cells at concentrations lower than typical levels found in sunscreens. However, a more recent study concluded that octyl methoxycinnamate and other sun screening agents do not penetrate the outer skin in sufficient concentration to cause any significant toxicity to underlaying cells.
Ethlhexyl Salicylate: Also known as octyl salicylate or 2-ethylhexyl salicylate. Another UV-B. Harmless, it is ester of salicylic acid, an acid that naturally occurs in willows, and has been known for centuries to help relieve fever and pain.
BHT: Also known as butylated hydroxytoluene, a common antioxidant preservative found in food and cosmetics, among other things. Considered by most to be harmless, closely related phenol antioxidants exhibit low toxicity.
Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone: The only compound I can't find much information on, other than the fact it is used in a number of cosmetics.
Citral: A terpenoid, which is a class of naturally occurring aromatic lipids. Fairly harmless, it naturally occurs in, among other things, citrus fruits. Smells like lemons and is also used as a flavoring agent. Citral is also used in the synthesis of vitamin A, ionone (see above), and methylionone.
Limonene: A common aromatic compound found in a number of cosmetics, it is a the main odor constituent of citrus fruits such as lemons. Limonene is produced from citrus oil, as a byproduct of orange juice manufacturing. Harmless? Not completely. Limonene and its oxidation products are skin and respiratory irritants, and in some cases, known skin sensitizer. Among some its more interesting uses are all-purpose solvent for cleaning, as a painter stripper, and as an botanical insecticide. Also worth noting is the fact that limonene was once thought to cause renal cancer in rats. It is now considered by some researchers to be a significant chemopreventive agent, which goes to show that you can't believe everything they tell you.
Isoeugenol: Naturally occurring aromatic. Smells similar to cloves. Along with eugenol, it is found in cloves, nutmegs, cinnamon, and bay leaves. One of its many uses is as a precursor for vanillin, although most vanillin nowadays is produced from phenol or lignin. Overdose from eugenol and isoeugenol is possible. Symptoms of poisoning can include bloody urine, convulsions, diarrhea, nausea, unconsciousness, dizziness, or rapid heartbeat. Isoeugenol may cause allergic contact dermatitis with the skin.
Linalool: A naturally-occurring terpene alcohol, linalool is a common scent found in approximately 60-80% of perfumed hygiene products and cleaning agents including soaps, detergents, shampoos, and lotions. It imparts a floral, but slightly spicy, scent and occurs in over 200 species of plants. It used, among other things, as a flea and cockroach insecticide and as a precursor to vitamin E.
I really like the Black.. Red is my second favorite..
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- #12
Sorry, I reread my post and realize it seems as though all CO Bigelow is Proraso, nope just the shave cream, sorry to mislead, or am I... no I'm sorry. HEHE
For the B&B'ers who live in/near Boston, the BBW in Plymouth (Exit 7 off Rt. 3, same exit as the Walmart and Joseph A Banks), has C.O. Bigelow White on the shelves for the same price as the others. Went to pick up some more Green and cream, and saw it.
I almost bought a Bottle of the Green Elixir cologne, right now BBW has a deal if you spend $15 or more you get a free item up to $13 value.
I just went home with the shave cream, honestly I didn't feel their ASB's for $10 they kinda suck imo.
I just went home with the shave cream, honestly I didn't feel their ASB's for $10 they kinda suck imo.
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The 2-1 sales are on now, I'll be heading down to get the shave cream, and see if I can live with a cologne, I really need a good as/cologne matching set.
OS gets it done, but I would like something to distinguish myself when I'm in a meeting at work, or when I go out.
I stopped into the B&BW near my house yesterday while my wife was shopping. I tried all of the color-coded Bigelow colognes and didn't like any but the new white. I guess that I'll just use their sale to stock up on Proraso.
I was wondering what the next color would be.. 
