How do we define what is a good aftershave? And how do we know which is the best, based on our own individual and unique sense of smell? It’s a hard question to answer but there are several ways of rating aftershaves, so let’s have a quick look at them.
Colour
If the aftershave looks like dirty dishwater, you might be a little reluctant to buy and put next to your skin. Colour does influence us more than we realise, and green and blue aftershaves seem very luxurious, as opposed to the more likely shades of yellow.
Some classic favourites in the yellow range include Boss Bottled, Acqua di Palma and Dior Homme, which is more of an orangey-yellow. Bluer aftershaves include aptly named Bleu by Chanel and Ralph Lauren’s Polo Green – indeed – even if this aftershave doesn’t come in green, its bottle does, and that influences what we think when we buy. Clear-coloured Penhaligon’s Juniper Sling is a fresh, innocent looking aftershave that’s sure to be a winner.
Scent
Obviously, scent is the most important item on the agenda when buying. We all like to have a little smell of each one before we buy. Men’s scents seem to be made up of more trees, herbs, spices and resins whereas women’s scents seem to be more flower or citrus based. Whatever the medium of the scent, there are top notes, middle notes and ‘base’ notes to take from and many of the men’s scents are of the lower, subtler middle and base notes. The sex appeal of these scents is obviously very indicative of what people will choose. If you want to try your inner Love God there’s always Versace Eros which uses all top, mid and base notes. This aftershave is made up of fresh top notes including lemon, mint and apple to give the scent a crisp feel. Middle notes are tonka bean and geranium which pull the scent up but the underlying deep base notes of vanilla, vetiver, oak moss and cedarwood give the aftershave an oriental yet woody feel. Other aftershaves with a rich scent include
Bottle and Brand
The bottle is obviously important, as with branding. One aftershave that has captivated the market is Travalo Milano. Its bottles come in varying colours and are plane-friendly for travel, and the Travalo Milano advanced Genie-S ‘pump-to-fill’ refill system transfers the fragrance without spillages or through damaging the product with exposure to air. In today’s world where we want to buy eco-friendly products, this is ideal for the modern guy. Some other classic but chic bottles include the neat and slinky Dior Sauvage bottle or the DKNY Men bottle. Paco Rabanne’s 1 Million and 1 Million Privé come oozing luxury and look like cigar boxes.
Durability/Wearability
Men do want value for money in their aftershaves and durability is a good test. The lasting effect of an aftershave like Giorgio Armani’s Diamonds for Men with its icy fragrance of vetiver, bergamot and guaiac wood contrasting with warmer notes of cedar, Szechuan pepper, cocoa and amber is sure to last well. Other more durable scents include Ralph Lauren’s Safari and Diesel’s Bad.
