Let's Discuss the Drugstore Classics!!

[michiganlover]

I see almost zero discussion about some of the fairly low cost drugstore classic colognes: the likes of Canoe, English Leather, British Sterling, Navy, Brut, Old Spice, Avon Wild Country, Stetson, Pierre Cardin, Preferred Stock, and so forth.

Surely not everyone on these boards is using the high end stuff?

So let's discuss.

 

[Rossmeister]

HAH! Old Spice.. people here seem to love it. I did try some Old Spice aftershave splash here the other day. Nothing very nice about it, but I was impressed by the genuine sea breeze and salt, fresh sea air smell.

 

[Maineac]

Of the group you mentioned, I have Old Spice, English Leather, Brut, British Sterling. and Avon Wild Country in my inventory.

When I was in college in the early 70's I used Jaguar, Old Spice and English Leather. I still have quite a bit of this stuff left over from that era as I stopped using after shave many years ago until I discovered B&B and turned shaving into a hobby.

It is so interesting when I take a whiff of that old English Leather I find myself back in time getting ready to go on a date. Fire up that Flux Capacitor!

 

[laberinto24]

Hmm, these drugstore classics are the only ones I have ever used. Clubman/Old Spice/Brut/Aqua Velva are my favorites. I suppose some would say they are for old folks but they are what I remember my dad using when I was a child.

Been looking to try some lectric shave or skin bracer as well...

 

[Schick_Fan]

I need to try Grey Flannel and see if I am a fan.

I like Canoe, however I wish they still made a splash.

Royal Copenhagen is another that I need to try.

I bought the Old Spice cologne, and I'm not a huge fan.

I don't like English Leather.

British Sterling is another that I would like to buy.

Any others? haha

 

[craig87c]

C'mon man, how about Aqua Velva!

 

[TheVez2]

Aqua Velva cologne? Or are we including After Shaves too?

Old Spice is the only scent I've tried that SWMBO commented positively about.

 

[Niles]

I own and enjoy Old Spice, Aqua Velva, Brut, English Leather and Tabac Original. In my opinion they are just as good as mass market or niche colognes. Most of my fragrance collection consists of classic colognes or ones that are inspired by the classics.

 

[jakespoppy]

Of those you mentioned, I have enjoyed Stetson for a long time. I used it regularly about 20 years ago, then stopped wearing cologne for a long time. As a teenager, I wore (always way too much) English Leather, British Sterling, Brut, Avon Wild Country, Hai Karate, Jade East, and some lime cologne, but can't remember which one. I liked English Leather and Jade East the best. I picked up some English Leather recently, and didn't care for it. I do like Old Spice now, which I didn't use and wasn't familiar with while growing up.

As a teenager, I foolishly splashed a handful of undiluted Aqua Velva and Mennen Skin Bracer on my face a few times immediately after shaving, thinking that is what you are supposed to do with aftershave, and decided setting my face on fire just wasn't for me.

 

[BCatl]

I see almost zero discussion about some of the fairly low cost drugstore classic colognes: the likes of Canoe, English Leather, British Sterling, Navy, Brut, Old Spice, Avon Wild Country, Stetson, Pierre Cardin, Preferred Stock, and so forth.

Surely not everyone on these boards is using the high end stuff?

So let's discuss.

I was going to buy some Pierre Cardin for old times sake, but I think I read it had been reformulated.

I got an oldie for you that I actually like which is Jovan Sex Appeal. Cologne/aftershave which is not bad at all. It has a nice cedar middle to it.

Canoe I've looked for but I have not seen it recently, perhaps they have some out in stores for Christmas.

 

[The Knize]

I wonder if they have reformulated English Leather, say from the early 60s. Last time I tried some, I did not like it very much either.

I wonder the same about British Sterling, which I used to like, but did not so much last time I smelled it.

Canoe smells like Clubman to me and I like it well enough. I assume that I still like Brut, but fear it has had some reformulation, too.

I bought some Stetson no so long ago and liked it alot, but have not really wore it much.

I like Old Spice well enough do not really wear it as a gragrance. Same for AV. I was just in Canada and got some AV Green, which seems to be called "Sport." That seemed very nice.

Been a long time since I had any Pierre Cardin. I am sure I would still like it though.

Gray Flannel and Bowling Green if you consider them in this category are wonderful.

As I recall Royal Copenhagen is decent. I long to try Jade East after all of these years. I did try Hai Karate recently and it did not seem all that good.

I do not know Jaguar, Navy, or Private Stock and cannot remember the Avon scents I had long ago.

Jovan is okay. I have a recent sample bottle. It has tenacity!

I would say that each and every one of the Pinaud/Clubman scents are worthwhile, and I know I am in the minority saying that about the Lime, which is pretty much lime candy.

I do not remember what Mennen smells like.

David Beckham and Usher's scents seem to be in drugstores a lot. Beckham's is okay. I am not sure what Usher's is like.

There must be a bunch that we are overlooking.

 

[Niles]

I wonder if they have reformulated English Leather, say from the early 60s. Last time I tried some, I did not like it very much either.

I like Old Spice well enough do not really wear it as a fragrance.

Both of these have definitely been reformulated. Neither is bad, but they are different than they used to be.

 

[BCatl]

Jovan is okay. I have a recent sample bottle. It has tenacity!

That's true! I like the Sex Appeal but I agree it's probably safer as a weekend choice!

I understand that even the Royal Copenhagen has been reformulated.

One good thing Pinaud and Jovan, they are not afraid to retain an earlier vibe.

 

[The Knize]

Both of these have definitely been reformulated. Neither is bad, but they are different than they used to be.

Old Spice has definitely evolved over time. I have been fortunate to sniff many different vintages of it. I think an argument can be made that some of the previous vintages were better, but I do not think that the current version is way off the tracks of the earlier versions at all.

English Leather seems a little harsh to me in present form. I think it always was, but it may have gone to far at this point! But I do have not had any vintage EL to compare and I truly do not trust my memory.

I am not surprised to hear that Royal Copenhagen has been reformulated. Seemed to me that Royal Copenhagen was kind of imitative from the beginning, but it never grabbed me like, say English Leather or Brut did, anyway!

 

[BCatl]

I think the Copenhagen is still in the powdery family, but watered down from the old days, at least that's one thing I picked up from basenotes.

Most of these companies just can't resist tinkering with their products.

As far as English Leather, to me it seems to have lost some of it's deepness and perhaps a bit of it's sweetness. It seems drier to me now and not as complex. Of course, my nose has gotten older and I don't know if it's always trustworthy

 

[jakespoppy]

...English Leather seems a little harsh to me in present form. I think it always was, but it may have gone to far at this point! But I do have not had any vintage EL to compare and I truly do not trust my memory...

....As far as English Leather, to me it seems to have lost some of it's deepness and perhaps a bit of it's sweetness. It seems drier to me now and not as complex. Of course, my nose has gotten older and I don't know if it's always trustworthy

I had similar thoughts to these, including not trusting my memory. Harsh...not as complex....not as sweet....it just wasn't the rich, deep leather that I remembered. Which is too bad, 'cause I remember really liking it.

 

[Troggie]

Recently picked up a box of .5 ml samplers that had Canoe, English Leather, English Leather Black, Navy, and British Sterling. Don't care for the English Leather.. like the Black though along with Navy and Canoe.. still on the fence for British Sterling. They also had a box with Jovan Musk, Jovan Sex Appeal, Preferred Stock, and Adidas Sport. Both boxes were only 10 bucks. Nice way of trying some of the cheaper scents.

 

[mdevine]

While I like GIT, Terre d'Hermes, Eau des Baux, L'Artisan's Passage d'Enfer and Habit Rouge on workdays, I find the drugstore colognes great on my days off. I don't think of Grey Flannel as a typical drugstore cologne as it is in my work rotation and can compete with any of the more expensive colognes. In casual settings, the less expensive ones that I enjoy are Old Spice and Clubman (but both need applied lightly). I also have always found Jovan Musk appealing.

 

[michiganlover]

There must be a bunch that we are overlooking.

I am sure there are plenty we have overlooked. My list in the original post wasn't meant to be all encompassing, it was more of a "for example".

I started this thread primarily because I am just getting into colognes, and wanted to spark discussion on what might be available in the budget minded range.

The products I mentioned in my original post tend to be the colognes I remember buying my father as a child; he was/ is a big fan of Canoe, Preferred Stock, and Pierre Cardin.

 

[tehtimmeh]

Brut is the only one of these I could see myself touching with a 10 foot pole, and that's only because my father has used it his entire life, so it's nostalgic.

Even if I tried to use any of these, the Mrs. would kick me to the curb...