Posted these thoughts on Reddit but thought you gents might have comments too.
TL;DR: Bought cheap aftershave and was wowed.
I think some of you might find the longer version interesting. I'd guess that some of you can relate to this. I jumped into traditional wet shaving, not to save money, but instead to reconnect with generations before me. Growing up I was extremely close to my grandfather and some other much older relatives. Most of those relatives have been dead some 15-20 years. I started shaving with a double edge after finding a tiny travel razor that belonged to my grandfather or great grandfather.
Along the way I have acquired a few razors. I have found soaps I love (I now have enough for at LEAST a year if not two). I have found blades that work well for me (and luckily they work well in both my main razors though I did recently buy a Gillette from someone here and I won't know until I get it whether they work in it as well). I have picked up a few brushes I love.
It seemed perfectly natural to start exploring the world of aftershave splashes and balms. I was given a bottle of Pinaud Clubman as a Christmas gift. While I loved the performance I must admit I didn't love the scent. On my skin it is VERY potent and smells, well, like and old man. Initial application is the lauded barbershop scent but it doesn't react well with me and just smells old.
I then tried Nivea aftershave balm. It works great for me but I have fairly oily skin and it seems to make that worse. I still use it if I have a particularly rough shave because it is very soothing but I just can't use it daily.
A friend recommended Nevermore Body Company's Doctor Watson aftershave. I bought a bottle for around $20 shipped and began using it. It initially seemed to do wonders for my skin post-shave but I have since found that it reacts poorly (causing red blotches) if I use it immediately after a shave. The scent is pleasant though and I can still use it as a mild moisturizer I guess (just not as an aftershave).
I picked up a bottle of Ogallala Bay Rum from a user here a while back and decided to finally really test it. It burned my face like the fires of Mordor but after the smoke and the pain ended my face felt ridiculously smooth. Best post shave feel I had found yet. Unfortunately, I just don't love the smell and it seems to stick around most of the day. I even taste it when I eat. I still use it occasionally but I just can't use it more than a couple times a week.
Seeking that combination of winning scent and great post shave feel I started browsing forums online. I saw glowing reviews for Speick but didn't feel like ordering a bottle for $20 when I was not going to be ordering anything else yet (still plan to order it when I order more blades).
Things with work and life got really busy and I basically forgot about the search for that special aftershave.
A couple days ago I realized I was going to need to buy toothpaste and dog food (unrelated heh) and decided to head to Walmart (only place in my small town where you can get both things in the same store) and while grabbing the toothpaste I spied a bottle of Aqua Velva Ice Blue on the shelf. I guess someone was thinking of buying it but then sat it with the toothpaste when they changed their mind. I walked away to get my dog some food but I just kept thinking about that aftershave. Walked back over and grabbed a bottle of both AV Ice Blue and AV Musk.
Used the Ice Blue yesterday morning and WOW. It felt great after a moderately rough shave. Really soothing, pleasantly cool, and my face felt smooth and clean and toned. Best post shave feel yet. Even better, it reacts very well with my skin and does not smell like an old man and does not broadcast very far.
Used the AV Musk this morning. Splashed a bit in my hand and then massaged it into my face. It stung a little but nothing reminiscent of a torture scene in a movie. Very warm, pleasant smell. Get to my office and immediately get compliments from a couple coworkers while I worked on their computers.
I will probably still buy other products as I do enjoy this as a hobby but Aqua Velva will be keeping a permanent spot on my shelf.
The moral of this story: don't let the sub $10 price tag (I paid a total of $8 for BOTH bottles) of this stuff fool you. It is good.
TL;DR: Bought cheap aftershave and was wowed.
I think some of you might find the longer version interesting. I'd guess that some of you can relate to this. I jumped into traditional wet shaving, not to save money, but instead to reconnect with generations before me. Growing up I was extremely close to my grandfather and some other much older relatives. Most of those relatives have been dead some 15-20 years. I started shaving with a double edge after finding a tiny travel razor that belonged to my grandfather or great grandfather.
Along the way I have acquired a few razors. I have found soaps I love (I now have enough for at LEAST a year if not two). I have found blades that work well for me (and luckily they work well in both my main razors though I did recently buy a Gillette from someone here and I won't know until I get it whether they work in it as well). I have picked up a few brushes I love.
It seemed perfectly natural to start exploring the world of aftershave splashes and balms. I was given a bottle of Pinaud Clubman as a Christmas gift. While I loved the performance I must admit I didn't love the scent. On my skin it is VERY potent and smells, well, like and old man. Initial application is the lauded barbershop scent but it doesn't react well with me and just smells old.
I then tried Nivea aftershave balm. It works great for me but I have fairly oily skin and it seems to make that worse. I still use it if I have a particularly rough shave because it is very soothing but I just can't use it daily.
A friend recommended Nevermore Body Company's Doctor Watson aftershave. I bought a bottle for around $20 shipped and began using it. It initially seemed to do wonders for my skin post-shave but I have since found that it reacts poorly (causing red blotches) if I use it immediately after a shave. The scent is pleasant though and I can still use it as a mild moisturizer I guess (just not as an aftershave).
I picked up a bottle of Ogallala Bay Rum from a user here a while back and decided to finally really test it. It burned my face like the fires of Mordor but after the smoke and the pain ended my face felt ridiculously smooth. Best post shave feel I had found yet. Unfortunately, I just don't love the smell and it seems to stick around most of the day. I even taste it when I eat. I still use it occasionally but I just can't use it more than a couple times a week.
Seeking that combination of winning scent and great post shave feel I started browsing forums online. I saw glowing reviews for Speick but didn't feel like ordering a bottle for $20 when I was not going to be ordering anything else yet (still plan to order it when I order more blades).
Things with work and life got really busy and I basically forgot about the search for that special aftershave.
A couple days ago I realized I was going to need to buy toothpaste and dog food (unrelated heh) and decided to head to Walmart (only place in my small town where you can get both things in the same store) and while grabbing the toothpaste I spied a bottle of Aqua Velva Ice Blue on the shelf. I guess someone was thinking of buying it but then sat it with the toothpaste when they changed their mind. I walked away to get my dog some food but I just kept thinking about that aftershave. Walked back over and grabbed a bottle of both AV Ice Blue and AV Musk.
Used the Ice Blue yesterday morning and WOW. It felt great after a moderately rough shave. Really soothing, pleasantly cool, and my face felt smooth and clean and toned. Best post shave feel yet. Even better, it reacts very well with my skin and does not smell like an old man and does not broadcast very far.
Used the AV Musk this morning. Splashed a bit in my hand and then massaged it into my face. It stung a little but nothing reminiscent of a torture scene in a movie. Very warm, pleasant smell. Get to my office and immediately get compliments from a couple coworkers while I worked on their computers.
I will probably still buy other products as I do enjoy this as a hobby but Aqua Velva will be keeping a permanent spot on my shelf.
The moral of this story: don't let the sub $10 price tag (I paid a total of $8 for BOTH bottles) of this stuff fool you. It is good.
