Scent sacriledge!

[parapaul]

I'm a newbie here, and from trawling the first few pages of this section it appears I'm way out of my depth... I thought I had a fairly good selection of aftershaves but of the dozens and dozens mentioned here I don't recognise more than a couple. I wear 2 or 3 fragrances and stick to them because I know I like them, and more importantly, the girlfriend likes them.

And I'm pretty sensible, but I've only ever seen Bay Rum on the shelf at the barber's. It seems to be quite popular here but to me it instantly conjures images of old men in cardigans...

Is this just an English/American thing?

 

[franz]

Hey --

Who you callin' old.

 

[rickcharles606]

many (myself included) do consider Bay Rum a "classic" scent, and I'm by no means old, nor am I young. That being said, I still rock it from time to time. I always say that you should wear what you like and not worry about it. The man makes the scent...unless it's the Veg, then the Veg makes YOU, but only if chosen. Welcome to the Fragrance forum, btw ;-)

 

[rum]

It's probably due to the fact that most people on these forums are themselves 'barbershop' lovers!
Most associate these classic scents wih old barber shops that shave you with soap, a badger brush and a straight razor, so it's quite normal to associate scents from that era with us here.
The 'old' association isn't so much the age of the users here, but the age of the art that they are all fans of!

 

[The Dean]

I'm a newbie here, and from trawling the first few pages of this section it appears I'm way out of my depth... I thought I had a fairly good selection of aftershaves but of the dozens and dozens mentioned here I don't recognise more than a couple. I wear 2 or 3 fragrances and stick to them because I know I like them, and more importantly, the girlfriend likes them.

And I'm pretty sensible, but I've only ever seen Bay Rum on the shelf at the barber's. It seems to be quite popular here but to me it instantly conjures images of old men in cardigans...

Is this just an English/American thing?

Like you, I am a relative newbie here who only wears a select few scents (and even those rather rarely these days). I have no memory of ever having smelled bay rum until recently receiving some samples of "old time" scents from ebarbershop here in the states. While I was familiar with the other styles (Aqua Velva-ish, Lilac and Menthol) the bay rum was new to me. And you know what? It is really the only one of those that has any appeal for me. Maybe it's because I like the sauce. Or perhaps it is simply because I am an old man.

As to if this scent is more popular in the US than the UK--well I really can't say. Until hanging at B&B I didn't know it was popular in the states. I just figured it was an old-man/barbershop thing, too.

 

[TheVez2]

Many folks use classic after shaves because the scent triggers memories of their past. Maybe the scent of Bay Rum or Pinaud Clubman reminds them of going to the barbershop when they were a kid. Maybe the scent of Old Spice reminds them of times that they spent with their grandfather. Maybe Aqua Velva or Skin Bracer reminds them of watching their dad shave, or when they first learned to shave (for me, that scent is Avon's Sea Zone). Scent alone can take you back to a simpler time, and can be very calming, in that regard.

I remember when I first started using aftershaves, I was shocked to learn that folks here use, and love, aftershaves like Aqua Velva, Skin Bracer, and Old Spice. I always saw them stashed away on the bottom shelf at the grocery store and figured they were there just because the old guys still used them. After hearing that they were quite popular with this crowd, I decided to try them out. What the heck, they were cheap, right? Well, I immediately fell in love with them. Coming from a time where Axe body sprays, and their kin, ruled the store aisles; having a choice of something that was completely different was a welcome change. I found that id didn't matter what the body spray was called (phoenix rising, urban attitude, lady killer, etc.) They all smelled pretty much the same. And what thoughs were conjured up when I smelled them? Middle School locker room. Not good. Using classic aftershaves gave me more options, different scent ranges, and since they were classic, just made me feel more manly by using them.

It doesn't matter if this is the same stuff your grandpa uses/used, that doesn't make it an old man scent. He started using it when he started shaving, he wore it when he was dating, and he was wearing it when he married your grandmother. He continued using it becaue he loved it, and it was cheap and easy to find. So don't think of it in terms of what the old men are wearing, think of it in terms of what the youth of a different generation wore. These scents are timeless. The latest iteration from Axe, will probably only last a few years before it get replaced with another tweaked clone. Pinaud Clubman will keep on, still selling it's original scent.

If you wear the classic scents, wear them with pride. You will turn heads, because it is different from the norm. People will notice. The classic scents are much more sophisticated than the modern sprays. Your scent choices will say something about you. I personally did not like what my scent choices were saying about me when I was wearing body sprays.

In the end though, you just have to wear what you like.

 

[LoveThatBurn]

Many folks use classic after shaves because the scent triggers memories of their past. Maybe the scent of Bay Rum or Pinaud Clubman reminds them of going to the barbershop when they were a kid. Maybe the scent of Old Spice reminds them of times that they spent with their grandfather. Maybe Aqua Velva or Skin Bracer reminds them of watching their dad shave, or when they first learned to shave (for me, that scent is Avon's Sea Zone). Scent alone can take you back to a simpler time, and can be very calming, in that regard.

I remember when I first started using aftershaves, I was shocked to learn that folks here use, and love, aftershaves like Aqua Velva, Skin Bracer, and Old Spice. I always saw them stashed away on the bottom shelf at the grocery store and figured they were there just because the old guys still used them. After hearing that they were quite popular with this crowd, I decided to try them out. What the heck, they were cheap, right? Well, I immediately fell in love with them. Coming from a time where Axe body sprays, and their kin, ruled the store aisles; having a choice of something that was completely different was a welcome change. I found that id didn't matter what the body spray was called (phoenix rising, urban attitude, lady killer, etc.) They all smelled pretty much the same. And what thoughs were conjured up when I smelled them? Middle School locker room. Not good. Using classic aftershaves gave me more options, different scent ranges, and since they were classic, just made me feel more manly by using them.

It doesn't matter if this is the same stuff your grandpa uses/used, that doesn't make it an old man scent. He started using it when he started shaving, he wore it when he was dating, and he was wearing it when he married your grandmother. He continued using it becaue he loved it, and it was cheap and easy to find. So don't think of it in terms of what the old men are wearing, think of it in terms of what the youth of a different generation wore. These scents are timeless. The latest iteration from Axe, will probably only last a few years before it get replaced with another tweaked clone. Pinaud Clubman will keep on, still selling it's original scent.

If you wear the classic scents, wear them with pride. You will turn heads, because it is different from the norm. People will notice. The classic scents are much more sophisticated than the modern sprays. Your scent choices will say something about you. I personally did not like what my scent choices were saying about me when I was wearing body sprays.

In the end though, you just have to wear what you like.

Gotta love the classics man. Axe is/was nasty, and old spice was what my dad used when I was little. The smell is amazing.

 

[The Dean]

Gotta love the classics man. Axe is/was nasty, and old spice was what my dad used when I was little. The smell is amazing.

Axe scents are repulsive--at least the few I have had the displeasure of smelling.

I'm almost embarrassed to admit I really like their detailer shower tool. That thing does a great job for me.

 

[global_dev]

Not a fan of drugstore barbershop scents on me and some on others makes me gag. I have no memories of barbershops other than clubman talc and the scent of hairspray.

However I find that over-application is usually what gets me thinking how bad it can be on others

My wife really dislikes the bay rum clove and spice notes, so no harm for me...

I think penhaligons does a nice refined twist on many typical scents.

 

[NickyBobby]

Many folks use classic after shaves because the scent triggers memories of their past. Maybe the scent of Bay Rum or Pinaud Clubman reminds them of going to the barbershop when they were a kid. Maybe the scent of Old Spice reminds them of times that they spent with their grandfather. Maybe Aqua Velva or Skin Bracer reminds them of watching their dad shave, or when they first learned to shave (for me, that scent is Avon's Sea Zone). Scent alone can take you back to a simpler time, and can be very calming, in that regard. . . .

In the end though, you just have to wear what you like.

+1

Very well said. I agree with nearly everything in this post.