TheShaveDen
Oct
16
If you grew up in the '70s, thinking about Avon products may well conjure up an association of cheese and tackiness. Arguably, some of that reputation is well-earned; to this day, a few of their more gimmicky bottle ideas make me cringe. Others were well-sculpted and clever -- the leaping rainbow trout and swordfish, for example, or the exquisite "Captain's Pride" ship in a bottle, an inspired container which Shulton should have thought of for Old Spice.
But this article isn't about the bottles, it's about the juice. And the soaps, to a lesser extent. When I obtain old Avons, almost all the bottles or containers get pitched after the contents are rebottled in more efficient, less cluttery containers (for when Avon Acquisition Disorder strikes, you could have a den the size of a storage unit and still run out of space quick when you start AADding Avon's various planes, trains and automobiles to your shelves).
So speaking as one who has accumulated gallons of the stuff over the past few years, there's two things I've noticed about old Avon juice: (1) they almost never go bad and (2) not only do they still smell GOOD but are superior to the mass-marketed, hyper-hyped B.O. repellants on the shelves today.
Now I know what you're thinking: "Okay, fine. I do enjoy after shaves, and I see old Avon junk here and there. But why should I try using it?"
I'm glad you asked. First of all is VARIETY.
Say you want something light and aqueous. You're in luck with the vaguely oriental Tai Winds (think Hai Karate, but not) or the pleasantly nice and slightly Brut-ish Windjammer.
Want to be a bit more daring and distinctive? Track down Avon's '60s era Island Lime. Tougher to find but if you like citric fragrances, you will not be disappointed. It's far cheaper than any of the lime a/s you can get today and better than most of them. It usually came in either of two unique Island Lime bottles but can also be found in the judge's gavel or a motorcycle. Why? No idea; Avon's bottle/contents logic is often baffling.
Or do you enjoy Old Spice but modern O.S. make you sad? Yeah, me too. But cheer up: Both Avon's venerable Spicy and Brisk Spice have you covered, since both are blatant, unapologetic Shulton clones. Spicy is earlier and pretty close to Shulton but Brisk Spice, from the early '80s, is to my schnozz indistinguishable from vintage O.S.
Now let's say you're in the mood for something unmistakably manly that no metrosexual would dare wear...could be a tough order, going by today's drugstore shelves, right? Right. Well, Avon's '60s era Leather is for you, pard. No joke, unisex it is NOT. It makes Stetson and Black Suede (both of which I like) smell like something out of a pink bottle with a poodle on it. I personally believe Avon condensed Leather from the collected sweat of John L. Sullivan, General Anthony "Nuts" McAuliffe and Charles "The Hammer" Martel. It makes emos cry. Charles Bronson auditioned for TV spots for Leather but, after applying only two dabs, the testosterone mix went supercritical and Chuck spontaneously combusted. He spent months recuperating in Japan, where he filmed the now-famous ads for the woefully misnamed Mandom. Now you know. Leather: turns beta males into alpha males and alpha males into ash.
Want something in the ballpark of Leather but less masculinely lethal? Then you want Oland. It's a fairly close copy of Aramis. Note, however, that this is the one Avon frag I've found that has a component (still not sure what) that can go bad or get out of balance due to age. Anyway, it's the only one I know of that you might need to be cautious with. The rule of "Take a whiff and dab it on for a few minutes before buying" goes double for Oland. When Oland's bad, it's awful. But when it's good, it's great (I'm wearing a good bottle now).
Like Bay Rum? Avon's '60s era B.R., in either a green and white jug or brown "keg," is spectacular due to its simplicity and straightforwardness. The clear-bottled '80s re-release has way too much vanilla, imo, but you may like it. Both turn up if you scrounge around. This is what they wore on the H.M.S. Bounty when they shoved Bligh in the longboat and wooed the island babes.
Or how about something relatively safe and nonthreatening that can be worn anywhere? Ah, then there's the old stand-by, Wild...
But this article isn't about the bottles, it's about the juice. And the soaps, to a lesser extent. When I obtain old Avons, almost all the bottles or containers get pitched after the contents are rebottled in more efficient, less cluttery containers (for when Avon Acquisition Disorder strikes, you could have a den the size of a storage unit and still run out of space quick when you start AADding Avon's various planes, trains and automobiles to your shelves).
So speaking as one who has accumulated gallons of the stuff over the past few years, there's two things I've noticed about old Avon juice: (1) they almost never go bad and (2) not only do they still smell GOOD but are superior to the mass-marketed, hyper-hyped B.O. repellants on the shelves today.
Now I know what you're thinking: "Okay, fine. I do enjoy after shaves, and I see old Avon junk here and there. But why should I try using it?"
I'm glad you asked. First of all is VARIETY.
Say you want something light and aqueous. You're in luck with the vaguely oriental Tai Winds (think Hai Karate, but not) or the pleasantly nice and slightly Brut-ish Windjammer.
Want to be a bit more daring and distinctive? Track down Avon's '60s era Island Lime. Tougher to find but if you like citric fragrances, you will not be disappointed. It's far cheaper than any of the lime a/s you can get today and better than most of them. It usually came in either of two unique Island Lime bottles but can also be found in the judge's gavel or a motorcycle. Why? No idea; Avon's bottle/contents logic is often baffling.
Or do you enjoy Old Spice but modern O.S. make you sad? Yeah, me too. But cheer up: Both Avon's venerable Spicy and Brisk Spice have you covered, since both are blatant, unapologetic Shulton clones. Spicy is earlier and pretty close to Shulton but Brisk Spice, from the early '80s, is to my schnozz indistinguishable from vintage O.S.
Now let's say you're in the mood for something unmistakably manly that no metrosexual would dare wear...could be a tough order, going by today's drugstore shelves, right? Right. Well, Avon's '60s era Leather is for you, pard. No joke, unisex it is NOT. It makes Stetson and Black Suede (both of which I like) smell like something out of a pink bottle with a poodle on it. I personally believe Avon condensed Leather from the collected sweat of John L. Sullivan, General Anthony "Nuts" McAuliffe and Charles "The Hammer" Martel. It makes emos cry. Charles Bronson auditioned for TV spots for Leather but, after applying only two dabs, the testosterone mix went supercritical and Chuck spontaneously combusted. He spent months recuperating in Japan, where he filmed the now-famous ads for the woefully misnamed Mandom. Now you know. Leather: turns beta males into alpha males and alpha males into ash.
Want something in the ballpark of Leather but less masculinely lethal? Then you want Oland. It's a fairly close copy of Aramis. Note, however, that this is the one Avon frag I've found that has a component (still not sure what) that can go bad or get out of balance due to age. Anyway, it's the only one I know of that you might need to be cautious with. The rule of "Take a whiff and dab it on for a few minutes before buying" goes double for Oland. When Oland's bad, it's awful. But when it's good, it's great (I'm wearing a good bottle now).
Like Bay Rum? Avon's '60s era B.R., in either a green and white jug or brown "keg," is spectacular due to its simplicity and straightforwardness. The clear-bottled '80s re-release has way too much vanilla, imo, but you may like it. Both turn up if you scrounge around. This is what they wore on the H.M.S. Bounty when they shoved Bligh in the longboat and wooed the island babes.
Or how about something relatively safe and nonthreatening that can be worn anywhere? Ah, then there's the old stand-by, Wild...
Oct
14
RazoRock Linea Officina Artigiana Artisan Shaving Soap
RazoRock has brought another wonderful line of soap to market this year, the Linea Officina Artigiana artisan shaving soap. Say it with me one more time, Linea Officina Artigiana; I know what you're thinking I don't speak Italian. In simplest terms this line of artisan soap is hand-crafted in a work shop by one master craftsman in Italy.
We here at The Shave Den have our very own master craftswomen JoAnna, who is responsible for creating some of the greatest hand-made products as well as running the TSD store. Given the care and attention to detail that artisan products entail especially soap, it was only natural that I broke down and tried the Linea Officina Artiana soaps, or LOA soaps as I will call them.
Notably what stands out when you purchase a traditional Italian soap is the general nature that, they're tallow, soft, lather wonderfully and for some unfortunately smell like cherry. The LOA soaps are all of these, with the exception of the cherry scent as there are various unique and colorful scent options to choose from, they're however fragrance oil based (In this case a blend of essential oil and alcohol) which may or may not cause problems for some.
I was fortunate enough to have Joseph Abbatangelo, one of the men behind RazoRock and proprietor of Italian Barber, take part in a question and answer session via email.
This is the exact transcript from the email, and from our brief discussion I easily gathered Joseph, is as passionate about wet-shaving as anyone.
Q: What was the inspiration for the Linea Officina Artigiana soaps?
1) Our inspiration for the RazoRock Linea Officina Artigiana came from the two legendary Italian shaving soaps, P.160 and Cella. Since I first started wet-shaving, my favorite soap has been P.160 Morbido (now discontinued) with Cella being a very close second. As many people know, we also run the shaving store ItalianBarber.com; the number one request since opening Italian Barber has been... "Why can't I get a soap like P.160 and Cella in a variety of different scents?" The more we thought about this inquiry, the more it made logical sense. Although, I'm a big fan of the classic almond (mandorla) scented soaps personally, the market can always benefit from some variety and choice.
Q: Was the base formula for the soap, a product that's currently in production?
2) Yes, the base formula is similar to both P.160 and Cella, coconut oil and tallow, although the Linea Officina Artigiana has a slight twist. Also, the LOA soaps are hand-made by a single artisan in a small workshop in small batches; because of the love and attention given to these soaps, selection of ingredients and the production process is definitely more personalized then a massed-produced shaving soap. I'd like to note that the Muguet de France soap has no tallow but instead there is shea butter added.
Q: Artisan products are generally small batch, or made to order, is the supply limited?
3) Yes, the Linea Officina Artigiana soaps are made in very small batches. Although there is room to expand production a little, these are still all made by one man, so there is a definite ceiling on production quantity.
Q: You have chosen very colorful and unique scents, do you have official scent descriptions for them?
4) At first, I wrote some scent descriptions but admittedly this is not my strong-suit and I quickly realized that my descriptions were not very good. To be honest, it's very difficult to accurately describe non-traditional scents; for me it's like food, someone can describe how something tastes to me but the only way I really ever understand is after trying the food myself. For example, I described the Third Eye as sandalwood when it is not a traditional sandalwood scent that most shavers would expect; it's really a hybrid fragrance that appealed to our noses during the scent selection process. So, we decided to drop the scent description.
Q: What is the one thing you would like people to know about these soaps?
5) The one thing we would like people to know is... These soaps are made with love and extreme passion! For my partner and I, this is truly a labor of love, not a pursuit of monetary riches. We have tried to price the soaps as low as...
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© Jason Axelrod from 8WAYRUN.COM
