First aftershave experience

[sdriv3r]

When I started shaving, it was a single pass with a gillette fusion and canned goo, no preshave prep or aftershave. Now that I have moved on to DE shaving, I first prep up by taking a shower and then with a hot wet towel to the face, shave with my omega shaving soap and finish up by splashing cold water to my face.

About a week ago I got this axe face care sample pack at my gym which contained some aftershave gel. Having never used anything before and having a sample for free, I gave it a shot. I loved the cool refreshing feeling I got after my shave althought this axe stuff left my face oily afterwards and I started to get pimples.

Looking for that refreshing icy feeling and after looking around on b&b i went and bought some aqua velva classic ice blue. When applying this stuff I get a deep burn that goes away, leaving an extremely satiflying ice cold sensation on my face. My face looks much better and less oily, without being dry. Will have to use it for a whole week before deciding if my face really likes it but for now its a great addition to my shave !

So, how did you guys start using aftershave and how were your first experiences?

 

[dcobranchi]

So, how did you guys start using aftershave and how were your first experiences?

My parents gave me a bottle of English Leather Limes when I first started shaving (late '70s). To this day, lime is still my favorite A/S scent. In fact, I splashed some Lime Sec on this a.m.

If you like the icy menthol blast, you have lots of good choices. I'm particular to the two Barbasol A/S: Pacific Rush and Brisk. Both are available at Dollar General stores.

 

[rushchairman]

It wasn't my first aftershave, but growing up with a dad who used AV as his daily, it seemed natural to gravitate toward that. It is still a favorite and always will be.

 

[BrookR1]

Old Spice and Skin Bracer were my dad's two favorites. I didn't really get into aftershaves until I joined this forum. Before then, it was always shaving in the shower using bar soap.

 

[Emanon]

When I was a kid in grade school we used to wear aftershave just for the smell (we were still too young to shave). The popular scents back then were Hai Karate. Old Spice, Canoe and some stuff called Nine Flags (?) I think. There were a bunch of different scents...nine I guess...with different countries in their names. So when I began shaving those were still the aftershaves. English Leather also was big.

 

[mistercitizen]

Hmmm.... can't remember the first one I used. Probably a designer one that came in a gift set.... like Hugo or Acqua di Gio. I got serious into aftershaves a little over a year ago with Proraso, Musgo Real and Speick. It's just kind of snowballed from there.

Ben

 

[Khelben]

Old Spice, it's a family tradition. My dad uses it, and so did granddad.

The first time I shaved my head, I was using AV Ice Blue because that was what I could get my hands on while deployed. It feels really good in an Arabian summer, and it's still my go to on dome chroming day. I also find myself dipping into it more often during the summer just to cool off as I head out the door.

 

[sleepyEDB]

I bought a Vintage Gillette Starter Kit from Garry's Sample Shop here on the forums. It contained two samples of aftershave, and these are my first ever experiences with a traditional alcohol-based splash. One of them I really like, Agua Lavanda. It smells like lavender, but not the foofy purple candle lavender; this is a true old-fashioned lavender...very calming and subtle. The other one which I am not as thrilled about (at least not yet), but it sounds like you'd really like, is Alcolado Glacial. This has almost no scent, but a big menthol kick which fades into a cool feeling after a short time.


sleepy

 

[Kilroy6644]

It was maybe about ten years ago, and I decided to try some more traditional shaving. I still used my Mach 3 (I didn't even know you could still get DE razors), but I picked up a cheap VDH brush, a puck of Williams, and a bottle of Aqua Velva. Turns out I wasn't ready for any of it at the time. I was never impressed with the lather I got from the Williams (1: I didn't know what I was doing; 2: Williams is not the best soap to learn on), and when it was gone, the brush sat in the medicine cabinet for the better part of the next decade. I enjoyed the Aqua Velva, but I was never big on splashing things on. I always put cologne on a rag and dabbed it on. I don't remember what I did with the AV. Did I just deal with splashing it on and "making a mess," or did I soak a piece of toilet paper and dab it on like I did cologne? I'm really drawing a blank. Anyway, when it was gone, I didn't buy any more.

That old brush came out of the medicine cabinet a couple of years ago, when I got some shaving gel for Christmas. It didn't lather at all when I rubbed it on my face (knowing what I know now, it may well have been a latherless gel) but applying it to the brush and face lathering worked, so I did that. And when that gel was gone, the brush went back in the cabinet.

This past Christmas season I decided get my nephew a shaving kit. While browsing online, I discovered B&B, and decided I wanted to do it the traditional way. I stuck my old brush in my nephew's kit and got myself a new one (the exact same brush, except the handle's a different color). I got a razor for Christmas, and the very first aftershave I bought myself was Aqua Velva. I got over my splash-on aversion, and I enjoy it a lot more, along with all the other AS I've since acquired.

 

[patrickthebassbash]

You could have been averse to splashing on aftershave due to the fact that Aqua Velva has a very cumbersome bottle! The trick to using AV is to cover a good portion of the opening with your thumb before shaking some out as this causes less of a mess. Most other aftershaves aren't as messy as the AV.

 

[RobW]

Mostly started with using Nivea or Neutrogena balms, only started using alcohol splashes in the last few months. My first purchases have been driven by two questions: "what can I get locally?" and "what the heck is 'bay rum', anyway?" And so now I've got two bottles of Pinaud (Clubman & VIBR), the Pre de Provence and Burt's Bees balms, and a bottle of Captain's choice.

First experience with the Clubman was a real "Home Alone" kinda moment, but that was mostly due to technique problems. Once I got those cleaned up, the AS experience was 10x better and now I'll put on AS even on some days when I don't shave.

 

[aihpcfl]

Never really used aftershaves in the past, that is never for long, though I have always liked Bay Rum. When I was using canned gel I got a fragrance from that, and at one point I was buying a particular one consistently because I liked the way it smelled. When I got back into using a DE razor I remembered Bay Rum, so started using it, beginning with the Master brand at Sally Beauty because that is all there is local here. So, anyway, I use aftershave for the pleasure the fragrance gives me, but I found that I like the feeling I get from the simpler plain alcohol and Bay leaf oil versions better than the more oily feeling versions.

 

[Niles]

Skin Bracer and Old Spice were my first aftershaves. I picked them because I was familiar with those lines of products.

 

[sdriv3r]

I now really like the aftershave feel I get. The smell is nice too but not the main reason I use AS. I would like to try other aftershaves (Alcolado Glacial sounds real nice for hot days like today where I live) but trying to control my urge and just going out and buying anything. For now I will try to just get what I can locally. Old spice is not something I'm really willing to try as my father used to use that all the time and I don't really want to smell like him, not for now at least.

 

[Toothpick]

I started shaving around 13-14 and always used what ever my dad had. I remember Brut more so than Stetson or Old Spice. I used that stuff until I got a job (15) and bought my own, which was Nivea balm unscented. I used that for YEARS, pretty much until I found B&B a little over a year ago.

 

[Ron Scott]

I'm 57 and just started using aftershave on a daily basis recently. I've attended to the board here and am trying several at this time, including Clubman, Lilac Veg, some Bay Rum, Spanish Floid, Proraso, Old Spice, Zizanie, Musgo Real and a couple Thayers Witch Hazels.

What blew me away when I started daily use was how great my skin looks now; took years off. I'd get red and dry on the sides and bridge of my nose and the neck could be problematic. No more. All of the aftershaves mentioned above, coupled with Alum and WH, leave my skin clear and hydrated. Amazing really.

 

[patrickthebassbash]

I can't recall specifically which aftershave I used first, I remember using some of my older brothers' Old Spice as a kid, just for the scent, and I also remember getting a bottle of Russian Leather for Christmas around the same time (eegads it smelled terrible!) but I keep leaning towards Skin Bracer as my first aftershave experience. I remember in my 20s reading the book "Wiseguys", which the movie "Goodfellas" was based on, and they mentioned Aqua Velva so I picked up a bottle of AV then as I wanted to smell like a Wiseguy!

 

[Beerhunter]

Interesting posts gents. I started ou with old spice I hated it then I hate it now ( sorry guys). But I do love the aqua velvet ice
the musk is ok. But btw floid blue is by far my fave. I only hope floid stays on the shelves as long as I live.

 

[OkieStubble]

Started out with Aqua Velva. I now have over 45 different aftershaves. But I always go back to the classic ice blue.