I have been staying away from conventional AS for a while as I find the scents less appealing to me as tastes change (I'm not so crazy about coumarin, oakmoss, and ambergris bombs that are a staple of classic American fragrances) but the other day I took out a bottle of Mandom and it really appealed to me. I think this aftershave is very much misunderstood. Charles Bronson may have marketed it, but the fragrance is decidedly Japanese in its aesthetics. What I smell is sandalwood, incense-like resin (probably labdanum), and citrus. It's not strong, doesn't have a chemical aura, and it fades away fast enough. Sort of like a Japanese version of Aqua Velva or a simpler, less ostentatious form of Aramis. And it's something I can get behind as far as aftershaves go, the burn is minimal, it's slightly hydrating, and the scent is elegantly simple and non-cloying.
Unfortunately, new bottles seem to be hard to find now days (even in Japan apparently?), so it's lead me to want to explore alternatives to this fragrance. Aqua Velva is a similar style (also with a citrus, wood, and resin base), but it's too floral, less woody, and more animalic- it's not a refined, understated elegance, even if in terms of AS performance it's quite good as far as American aftershaves go (if you like menthol). Aramis AS, also similar to Mandom, is relatively pricey.
Unfortunately, new bottles seem to be hard to find now days (even in Japan apparently?), so it's lead me to want to explore alternatives to this fragrance. Aqua Velva is a similar style (also with a citrus, wood, and resin base), but it's too floral, less woody, and more animalic- it's not a refined, understated elegance, even if in terms of AS performance it's quite good as far as American aftershaves go (if you like menthol). Aramis AS, also similar to Mandom, is relatively pricey.
