Middle Eastern Aftershaves?

[Luc]

So, I am due to go back to the middle eastern grocery this week-end (Adonis dix30, in Brossard on the south shore).

I am always going down the very small cleaning products/pharmacy aisle that contain the "shaving stuff". In there, I can easily spot Marvis toothpaste, Proraso, gada shave cream and so on.

The one thing that I never ventured into was the liquid side, or the Aftershave side...

Most bottles are labeled "Eau de Cologne" which I know, could technically be used as an Aftershave if there aren't too much oil. Worse case scenario, I can add some witch hazel and it should be fine... However, I never tried any of the selection that they have there.

Mont Saint Michel is also there (small and big bottles, 4 different fragrances) but again, it's an Eau de toilette or Eau de cologne. I will try to get a picture of what they have and maybe write down the names.

They have things like the 114 Original eau de cologne (they also have a dark green one which I suspect is mentholated)

They also have something that looks like OOO Eau de cologne to me, however, they call it 555 Eau de Cologne

So, what else is there? Someone tried those as Aftershaves?

 

[emwolf]

I haven't but would love to find out what they're like!

 

[mblakele]

Luc, just buy them both and let us know how they work out.

This telephone keypad from Egypt may help explain the ٥٥٥ label:



From the rest of the label I would have guessed it was a floral. But http://www.basenotes.net/ID26138464.html says it resembles 4711, and by the sound of it the scent may not be too strong for an AS. I would probably spike it with some witch hazel and a dab of glycerin anyway.

Not sure about the 114 Classic, but the name may be a reference to Ambre 114.

 

[malocchio]

Grab them,they will look great in a shave den,and I'll bet they smell great...

 

[Luc]

Sorry, no pictures, I was a bit in a hurry. I saw the two listed above. The other 114 was lavender.

Since the small bottle goes for something like $6, I will probably get 2 small (one 555 and one 114) to try.

 

[Scheib32]

Interested to hear a review. I spent a little time in the Middle East and just recently got some cologne samples from a middle eastern maker. Curios to see what the AS are like.

 

[Cash_Stronomer]

I'd get them just for the sake of having them. Love finding odd, rare and 'worldly' stuff!

 

[BSAGuy]

Good luck with your experiment, Luc.

 

[Luc]

I got both of them

First impressions without trying them are that 114 is lemony and nice where 555 or 000 is powdery

I have some testing to do

 

[RT Smoothie]

The Chabrawichi 555 cologne was apparently discontinued. The 114 from Amatoury is still around.

 

[RT Smoothie]

I also wanted to mention that I speak, read, and write Arabic very well so 000 is indeed 555.

 

[jonnymontreal]

000 --> 555
5 (hamsa in arabic) in the middle east also represents the hand (5 fingers) which keeps away the evil eye.
Grandmothers will usually say Hamsa Hamsa Hamsa to keep away evil.
The same way Eastern European grandmothers will spit 3x for the same reason.

So maybe we should all try and get our hands on some 555 and we may have some better luck ;-)

 

[malocchio]

000 --> 555
5 (hamsa in arabic) in the middle east also represents the hand (5 fingers) which keeps away the evil eye.
Grandmothers will usually say Hamsa Hamsa Hamsa to keep away evil.
The same way Eastern European grandmothers will spit 3x for the same reason.

So maybe we should all try and get our hands on some 555 and we may have some better luck ;-)

............I love this kind of talk !!!

 

[RT Smoothie]

Chabrawichi 555 cologne is NOT discontinued after all. I found two bottles at Adonis in Saint-Laurent and I bought them.

 

[RT Smoothie]

This Chabrawichi cologne is a mix of lemon and lavender. The 114 from Amatoury is very lemony. Both are nice.