we all have our favorite vintage aftershaves and colognes. I have very fond memories of my grandfathers Stetson. I remember aqua velva of the good old days (now to get that it’s 30 bucks or so on eBay). Are there any aftershaves that are still the same as they were 30 years back? That is to say are there any aftershaves that have remain unchanged over time?
Unchanged aftershave
- Thread starter Hawkeye_90
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Lilac Vegetal hasn't changed. OHSA regulations mean they can no longer send people into the plant to change the settings, so they just keep piping in the ingredients and collecting the vacuum sealed cartons that roll off the belt before shipping them as far away as possible...
Skin Bracer seems the same to me. Aqua Velva seems to be really watered down and missing an ingredient. Clubman regular seems the same to me, too.
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I agree that aqua velva is missing something compared to what it was before.
Skin Bracer seems similar. Most all the other drug store favorites seem to be a little weaker than I remember decades ago. Not a lot, just a bit.
But that’s not necessarily a bad thing. It’s after shave, not all day aromabroadcasting. Its primary purpose is shaving aftercare. If you want all day smell, put on a cologne.
The one that really took a turn for the worse is Old Spice. P&G completely ruined it. I might as well spray carburetor cleaner on my face.
But that’s not necessarily a bad thing. It’s after shave, not all day aromabroadcasting. Its primary purpose is shaving aftercare. If you want all day smell, put on a cologne.
The one that really took a turn for the worse is Old Spice. P&G completely ruined it. I might as well spray carburetor cleaner on my face.
Pinaud clubman seems the same, at least as far as I can tell. 
Otherwise, my old drugstore favorites have changed for the worse IMO.
Otherwise, my old drugstore favorites have changed for the worse IMO.
Old Spice was definitely watered down extremely. That's disappointing. I think it's the same scent, though.
I own over 200 vintage and modern aftershaves. I have had vintage and modern to compare of Aqua Velva, Skin Bracer and Pinaud Clubman.
All three of these scents; modern & vintage are all the same scent. While those who are posting they ‘can remember’ one or the other smelling weaker or stronger?
Does not describe the scent being different. Weaker or stronger, comes by many, different variables, from aging, or storage in glass or plastics and even the manufacturing processes from more natural ingredients of vintage past aftershaves to the cheaper and more readily abundant synthetic ingredients of modern aftershaves.
But vintage Skin Bracer has the scent of Lavender & Vanilla and modern Skin Bracer has the scent of Lavender & Vanilla? The scent profile of the modern SB is the exact same scent profile of the vintage SB. Just sayin.
In saying all of this, I am sitting here right now, with my nose over the bottle tops of vintage and modern Pinaud Clubman and vintage and modern Mennen Skin Bracer.
Both scent profiles are the exact same to my nose. They all either smell like the scent of Clubman or the scent of Skin Bracer. However, due to manufacturing and environmental changes, while their classic scent profiles are the exact same, they are all indeed smell different from one another.
I agree with the gentleman who posted about P&G’s Old Spice compared to Shulton. They changed the formulation and are lying if they say they didn’t!
Regardless of modern synthetic ingredients or environmental changes!
All three of these scents; modern & vintage are all the same scent. While those who are posting they ‘can remember’ one or the other smelling weaker or stronger?
Does not describe the scent being different. Weaker or stronger, comes by many, different variables, from aging, or storage in glass or plastics and even the manufacturing processes from more natural ingredients of vintage past aftershaves to the cheaper and more readily abundant synthetic ingredients of modern aftershaves.
But vintage Skin Bracer has the scent of Lavender & Vanilla and modern Skin Bracer has the scent of Lavender & Vanilla? The scent profile of the modern SB is the exact same scent profile of the vintage SB. Just sayin.
In saying all of this, I am sitting here right now, with my nose over the bottle tops of vintage and modern Pinaud Clubman and vintage and modern Mennen Skin Bracer.
Both scent profiles are the exact same to my nose. They all either smell like the scent of Clubman or the scent of Skin Bracer. However, due to manufacturing and environmental changes, while their classic scent profiles are the exact same, they are all indeed smell different from one another.
I agree with the gentleman who posted about P&G’s Old Spice compared to Shulton. They changed the formulation and are lying if they say they didn’t!
Regardless of modern synthetic ingredients or environmental changes!
Brut smells the same from what I remember.
Okiestubble, thanks for your thoughtful and detailed reply.I own over 200 vintage and modern aftershaves. I have had vintage and modern to compare of Aqua Velva, Skin Bracer and Pinaud Clubman.
All three of these scents; modern & vintage are all the same scent. While those who are posting they ‘can remember’ one or the other smelling weaker or stronger?
Does not describe the scent being different. Weaker or stronger, comes by many, different variables, from aging, or storage in glass or plastics and even the manufacturing processes from more natural ingredients of vintage past aftershaves to the cheaper and more readily abundant synthetic ingredients of modern aftershaves.
But vintage Skin Bracer has the scent of Lavender & Vanilla and modern Skin Bracer has the scent of Lavender & Vanilla? The scent profile of the modern SB is the exact same scent profile of the vintage SB. Just sayin.
In saying all of this, I am sitting here right now, with my nose over the bottle tops of vintage and modern Pinaud Clubman and vintage and modern Mennen Skin Bracer.
Both scent profiles are the exact same to my nose. They all either smell like the scent of Clubman or the scent of Skin Bracer. However, due to manufacturing and environmental changes, while their classic scent profiles are the exact same, they are all indeed smell different from one another.
I agree with the gentleman who posted about P&G’s Old Spice compared to Shulton. They changed the formulation and are lying if they say they didn’t!
Regardless of modern synthetic ingredients or environmental changes!
So, I am more than confident of having an extremely accurate scent memory. As I mentioned earlier, Skin Bracer seems quite the same to me as it was 20 years ago. Old Spice smells the same today as it did twenty years ago, but that one is now much weaker in its longevity. I'll stand by that memory, too. But the one that has changed is Aqua Velva. Today's version is just not the same. The scent profile is quite recognizable, but twenty years ago there was a power of projection - with a now-missing ingredient that would fill a room with its power if one put on too much (as I noticed on others at the time) - but today I could pour a bottle over my head and detect none of that. It just wafted into the air with its powdery-like power. Does anyone know what I'm describing from back then? Aqua Velva (in the glass bottle) used to be the kind of thing that, overapplied, would linger in the hallways. Now, while smelling quite similar, fades within minutes.
I have a vintage bottle of Williams Aqua Velva and decided to compare it with some modern in the plastic bottle. They seem the exact same to me in strength not just scent. The environmental changes from the decades just makes it smell different than a newer version, no other way to describe it. But while it has been environmentally changed over the decades, it still smells better to me, like, richer in scent or concentrated over the newer stuff probably due to water and alcohol evaporation.
So they do smell different to me also. But not because of manufacturing differences or formulation differences, just simply because of age and environmental changes due to oxidation and evaporation.
However, there’s nothing truly more ymmv than individual perception of scent, or strengths, weaknesses and/or power projections.
While my olfactory perceptions are quite different or even opposite of yours, I don’t doubt in the least your memory of your past perceptions of it’s strength.
Or the lack thereof.
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Current P&G Old Spice is definitely different from vintage Shulton Old Spice. Vintage is deeper, denser, warmer and riper. The new stuff has the same DNA but is brighter and sharper. I’ve tried the P&G stuff from India in the glass bottle and maybe(?) it’s closer to Shulton, but it’s still not Shulton. Regardless, I still like the current version, even in the plastic bottles, because despite the change, it’s still Old Spice.
And I agree that Skin Bracer hasn’t changed, at least to me. When I put it on, the scent immediately reminds me of my father using it in the 1960’s.
And I agree that Skin Bracer hasn’t changed, at least to me. When I put it on, the scent immediately reminds me of my father using it in the 1960’s.
