About Scents

One of things that come up frequently in the forums is scents in shave products, aftershaves and colognes. Everybody has their favorites and then there are the ones that some people despise. Very much IMHO if you ask me. Sometimes you want to pair up sandalwood with sandalwood or citrus with citrus. Sometimes you want to be a little more subdued like when you are going to a big meeting and you don't want to knock anybody out with that ounce of your favorite aftershave you just splashed on your face. Some scents last 10 minutes while others last all day long. Usually the scent lasting factor is based on what it is. The usual sequence is aftershave, EDT, cologne where aftershave lasts the least and cologne lasts the longest. YMMV. For me, I tend to rule out the shave soap and cream in the equation. The scent is normally so fleeting it does matter what scent use. There are exceptions of course. I then us a neutral scented aftershave balm followed by the true scent I wish to linger on my face. If the shave soap and aftershave match up, it's just a bonus. If I'm going to use a cologne, I'll use a neutral aftershave like Thayer's Witch Hazel Aftershave. No matter what you do, start with a little. You can always add more. You use too much and you might hear people start to sneeze around in the workplace or you might get a phone call from your boss or HR telling you that you need to tone down your scent. In other words, more is not better especially if you use something like Pinaud Bay Rum. Not only do you get a big aftershave burn but the scent will stay with you all day long. So, for me, scent is not that big a deal. It's the finishing compliment to a great shave. The healing and skin properties in the aftershave is just as important as the scent.