AB is my fav, followed by Platinum. Have received more compliments on AB than any other A/S I have ever used.
My review of the Fine Accoutrements Aftershave Line
- Thread starter Mugwhamp
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I have some samples of Fine and enjoying them. I look forward to your reviews! I am comparing Clean vs.Fresh Vetivers now.
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- #43
Let me know what you think. I'll be reviewing Fresh Vetiver next.
I am not much of a reviewer and scent describer but I will take a shot at it. I only have samples of each. The Fine Accoutrements official description is a start.
CleanVetiver Sophisticated yet contemporary, Clean Vetiver is aversatile, all-season fragrance. Containing all the spice and smoke of vetiver,but with a dash of citrus at the top and a sprinkle of tobacco at the base,Clean Vetiver has all the makings of a signature scent.
FreshVetiver A perennialgrass native to India, Vetiver is highly prized for the aromatic oil distilledfrom its roots. Deep and earthy, yet sweet and soapy, the scent of Vetiver isquintessentially masculine. Fine Fresh Vetiver After Shaving Splash provides amodern interpretation of this versatile fragrance note, infusing it with ameasured quantity of citrus to accentuate its freshness.
To me, Clean Vetiver is earthy, almost smoky, richer. It comes off to me like better suited for cooler temperatures. Fresh Vetiver has a name that makes sense. It seems "fresher", lighter. I don't think it is as "deep and earthy" as Clean but this is only based on my original experience so far. I haven't made a final judgment yet but if I but both I would use FV in the spring and summer and CV in the fall and winter. YMMV.
The American Blend is the only aftershave my wife ever complimented me on. At the time I only had a sample but I order a full bottle after her comment. Good stuff.
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- #46
Fine Fresh Vetiver!
Magnificent!
Ladies and Gentlemen, Fine Fresh Vetiver is olfactory art. The picture it paints is of a man, let's call him me, who loves his wife deeply, works hard in his vocation, who, when the words "I'm proud of you, and I love you" leave his wife's mouth, asks for nothing more from life. This man is preparing for a wedding anniversary. He shows his wife affection, but perhaps not as often or as overtly as he should. He wants this night to be the statement, "This is how I feel about you. If I didn't say it or show it before, here is my offering." He wants to live up to her ideal of him. Finest suit is sent to the cleaners, a personal trip is made to the florist to make sure the bouquet is just right--no deliveries here, intensive research goes into choosing the perfect dinner, a new tie is bought reflecting her taste, shoes are shined to mirror excellence. He shaved this morning, but the occasion definitely calls for an additional shower and shave. After showering, he calls up his finest brush, soap, razor and blade and takes all care to make sure this shave reflects the perfection that is his bride. The shaving ritual is nearly completed as he reaches for his aftershave. The decision was already made days ago. Nothing in the fragrance wardrobe--aftershave or cologne--is going to match the occasion with the required precision necessary to say what he wants to say. He reaches for Fine Fresh Vetiver.
Fresh Vetiver is perfect from start to finish. There are no rough edges, nothing needs to be changed. To my nose, this AS is sublime. The vetiver comes into its own an hour in after citrus notes subside, and the vetiver in this case, smells much crisper, cleaner, sweeter and fresher that in the Clean Vetiver. I find it hard to believe this is produced by a small operation such as I assume it is. My worry is that one of the big fragrance houses will steal the nose behind the line and this fragrance in particular. There is no way that I can relegate this to warmer weather where it might be more at home. This fragrance, in winter, offers the promise of spring. This is a signature scent, without a doubt, and will be my go-to scent for special occasions. I'll have to show restraint not to wear it outside of its wheelhouse--intimate dates, occasionally in the office (lightly), at a cocktail party. I'm wanting to hoard this AS in fear that I could lose it. It is the apex of the Fine line and has immediately become my favorite fragrance. My wife loves it. I trust my exuberance doesn't reveal how I really feel about it!
Scent: 10+/10
Longevity: 10/10 (EdT strength, 8 hours)
Projection: 10/10 (Again, it's perfect. Apply a handful and you will be noticed from 10-15 feet away in the first few hours if that is your wish)
Silage: 10/10 (I leave the office and the fragrance remains when I come back in five minutes later)
Face Feel: 8/10 (As with the others in the line, no witch hazel or glycerine, but very smooth with my somewhat oily skin)
Magnificent!
Ladies and Gentlemen, Fine Fresh Vetiver is olfactory art. The picture it paints is of a man, let's call him me, who loves his wife deeply, works hard in his vocation, who, when the words "I'm proud of you, and I love you" leave his wife's mouth, asks for nothing more from life. This man is preparing for a wedding anniversary. He shows his wife affection, but perhaps not as often or as overtly as he should. He wants this night to be the statement, "This is how I feel about you. If I didn't say it or show it before, here is my offering." He wants to live up to her ideal of him. Finest suit is sent to the cleaners, a personal trip is made to the florist to make sure the bouquet is just right--no deliveries here, intensive research goes into choosing the perfect dinner, a new tie is bought reflecting her taste, shoes are shined to mirror excellence. He shaved this morning, but the occasion definitely calls for an additional shower and shave. After showering, he calls up his finest brush, soap, razor and blade and takes all care to make sure this shave reflects the perfection that is his bride. The shaving ritual is nearly completed as he reaches for his aftershave. The decision was already made days ago. Nothing in the fragrance wardrobe--aftershave or cologne--is going to match the occasion with the required precision necessary to say what he wants to say. He reaches for Fine Fresh Vetiver.
Fresh Vetiver is perfect from start to finish. There are no rough edges, nothing needs to be changed. To my nose, this AS is sublime. The vetiver comes into its own an hour in after citrus notes subside, and the vetiver in this case, smells much crisper, cleaner, sweeter and fresher that in the Clean Vetiver. I find it hard to believe this is produced by a small operation such as I assume it is. My worry is that one of the big fragrance houses will steal the nose behind the line and this fragrance in particular. There is no way that I can relegate this to warmer weather where it might be more at home. This fragrance, in winter, offers the promise of spring. This is a signature scent, without a doubt, and will be my go-to scent for special occasions. I'll have to show restraint not to wear it outside of its wheelhouse--intimate dates, occasionally in the office (lightly), at a cocktail party. I'm wanting to hoard this AS in fear that I could lose it. It is the apex of the Fine line and has immediately become my favorite fragrance. My wife loves it. I trust my exuberance doesn't reveal how I really feel about it!
Scent: 10+/10
Longevity: 10/10 (EdT strength, 8 hours)
Projection: 10/10 (Again, it's perfect. Apply a handful and you will be noticed from 10-15 feet away in the first few hours if that is your wish)
Silage: 10/10 (I leave the office and the fragrance remains when I come back in five minutes later)
Face Feel: 8/10 (As with the others in the line, no witch hazel or glycerine, but very smooth with my somewhat oily skin)
Wow. These two reviews sum up my experience with the Fine sampler pack from Maggards almost exactly. I found that in the small sample spray bottles, I could not smell American Blend or Platinum at all. Nothing. Nada. I am quite sure the actual AS products in real bottle sizes are quite good or 100's of reviews on B&B would have to be very wrong. I just did this experiment this week so it is fresh in my mind and so is the puzzle.
I will order a bottle of one of the Fine products and I will wager its great. But the sample sprays : I can't smell them and that's weird.
The Snakebite (which is fragrance free) still had a powerful kick and cool so the samples were not a total loss. I'm going to get me some of that Snakebite . That was a cool experience.
I nominate Mugwhamp for the Pulitzer Award for Fragrance Reviews!!!
Just unscrew the sample cap and pour some in your hand.
Ron, thanks ! That's what I'm going to do. It never occurred to me that the experience of pouring some out would be different than using the atomized spray. But apparently, there's a possibility of a big difference. I lent the samples out already in a PIF to one of my sons, so I have to wait for them to come back around. The PIF is a great thing for samples
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- #51
You're too kind, Steve. I was a bit unrestrained as I was writing that.
I love Fine products, especially American Blend. After trying many products in the aftershave world the past few months, I must say that I agree with pbrmhl and TAM340R about the lack of quality ingredients and healing properties.
I will still use Fine products but they will not fit into my rotation as much as they used to.
Terrific reviews of some first-rate products! Thank you!
Nice reviews. I like AB a lot and it does last a bit longer than many other AS scents. I always make sure my whiskers (a vandyke) are thoroughly coated too so the scent can linger for my own enjoyment.
Inspired by Mugwhamp's Fresh Vetiver review I went for a vetiver shave today. My soap was PannaCrema Vetiver and my AS was Fresh Vetiver. I am still trying to rank Clean vs. Fresh. I was starting to lean towards Fresh myself but I believe the LOTH may have already decided... I was leaving the house as she commented about today's scent and said, "I'm not a fan Stan!" (Hmm, my name is Steve. I better ask who Stan is!!!)
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- #56
Fine L'Orange Noir
With a nod to Terre d'Hermès, Mr. Fine has produced a very nice AS, which I've grown to like a lot after three applications. I get citronella on application, which 30 minutes in, gives way to the signature orange notes you'd expect. This is not, however, the crisp, sharp, freshness of a newly cut orange. Rather, it has the more muted smell of an orange cut in two and left outside for the entirety of a hot day. Additionally I'm picking up a spicy muskiness which rounds out the fragrance and continues in fairly linear fashion for the entirety of an 8 hour day.
I've learned to apply only as much Fine as I need to cover my shaving area. Anything more is dangerous with the four powerhouses, Platinum, American Blend, Fresh Vetiver, and now L'Orange Noir. Not so with Clean Vetiver which is much weaker in the longevity, silage, and projection departments.
But back to LN, I really enjoy it and my wife does too. Though fairly linear for me, it is wholly enjoyable, and wears very nicely in today's cool temperatures. I think this one is probably the most versatile of the Fine line. It could be worn confidently in any environment, any time of year, in my estimation.
I have now completed my Fine journey, intentionally leaving out Snakebite, since it is not really a fragrance. Four of the five are absolute winners in my book, and I will surely replenish them when the bottles are exhausted. The lone loser for me is Clean Vetiver, which to me, is a Vetiver overdose, but is adored by many in this forum. My favorite of the lot is Fresh Vetiver...so wonderful and balanced.
Hostile Takeover Award: Platinum
Out to the Mall and Casual Friday Award: American Blend
Casanova Award: Fresh Vetiver
Versatility Award: L'Orange Noir
Migraine Award: Clean Vetiver
I will be closely monitoring what else Mr. Fine may have up his sleeve in the future.
With a nod to Terre d'Hermès, Mr. Fine has produced a very nice AS, which I've grown to like a lot after three applications. I get citronella on application, which 30 minutes in, gives way to the signature orange notes you'd expect. This is not, however, the crisp, sharp, freshness of a newly cut orange. Rather, it has the more muted smell of an orange cut in two and left outside for the entirety of a hot day. Additionally I'm picking up a spicy muskiness which rounds out the fragrance and continues in fairly linear fashion for the entirety of an 8 hour day.
I've learned to apply only as much Fine as I need to cover my shaving area. Anything more is dangerous with the four powerhouses, Platinum, American Blend, Fresh Vetiver, and now L'Orange Noir. Not so with Clean Vetiver which is much weaker in the longevity, silage, and projection departments.
But back to LN, I really enjoy it and my wife does too. Though fairly linear for me, it is wholly enjoyable, and wears very nicely in today's cool temperatures. I think this one is probably the most versatile of the Fine line. It could be worn confidently in any environment, any time of year, in my estimation.
I have now completed my Fine journey, intentionally leaving out Snakebite, since it is not really a fragrance. Four of the five are absolute winners in my book, and I will surely replenish them when the bottles are exhausted. The lone loser for me is Clean Vetiver, which to me, is a Vetiver overdose, but is adored by many in this forum. My favorite of the lot is Fresh Vetiver...so wonderful and balanced.
Hostile Takeover Award: Platinum
Out to the Mall and Casual Friday Award: American Blend
Casanova Award: Fresh Vetiver
Versatility Award: L'Orange Noir
Migraine Award: Clean Vetiver
I will be closely monitoring what else Mr. Fine may have up his sleeve in the future.
Good reads. I have a sample of fresh vetiver en route, can't wait to try it out. I just used L'Orange noir this evening, and agree - it's very versatile. I had some contact with mr. Fine via Facebook a couple of months back where he seemed to think that Italian citrus might find its way back into production during q1 2016. I'm hoping that's the case, as I'm sure I'd love it.
Thanks for some excellent reviews. 
The only Fine that I have in the 'full bottle' is AB. Based on your reviews, I will have to consider adding Fresh Vetliner and/or Platinum!
The only Fine that I have in the 'full bottle' is AB. Based on your reviews, I will have to consider adding Fresh Vetliner and/or Platinum!
I finally got 'round to trying fresh vetiver, which I quite enjoyed. Much more than I expected actually. The little samples from maggards come with a atomizer, but you really need to just pour it into your hands to get the full experience. I have enough for a couple more goes, but I might eventually pick up a bottle. And to think that I was worried about not liking vetiver scents.
I recently purchased a bottle of Fresh Vetiver, after having enjoyed a sample of it. My opinion of the sample is very similar to yours. However, the scent strength of the aftershave from the bottle has not lasted. In fact, I'd say it was mostly gone after 5 minutes. I was surprised to see that while the scent seems the same, its strength is completely different. Has anyone else been disappointed by this? Unfortunately, the incredible scent strength is half of why I purchased it.
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