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Had To Wear Old Spice For A Month....Lossed A Bet

post #1 of 41
8/2/09 at 4:09am
Thread Starter 
A few years ago I lost a bet on a football match with my friends and I had to wear Old Spice for a month. At the time I was the victim of a lot of jokes like "hello sailer" and "here comes Popeye".

At first I hated it and just dreaded going out wearing this fragrance as it is a fragrance that can bring much grief to the wearer. And the anxiety of going to work smelling like every ones Grandad brought me sleepless nights especially when I had friends who made sure everyone knew about it.

I had people looking at me twice walking down the street and a few of the older generation at work telling me with glee that thats what their Father or Uncle used to wear.

But you know what near the end of the month I am not ashamed to say I quite liked the scent, is that bad. And I even had a few girls at work who said they preferred it to a lot of the modern metro sexual pretty boy scents that are the staple these days.

So if you smell someone wearing old spice don't knock it, it has been around for a generations for a reason and has stood the test of time.
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post #2 of 41
8/2/09 at 4:51am
Old Spice is one of my favourite frags, and i have Tom Fords, Creeds, Amouages, Serge Lutens and L'Artisans. Reminds me of Dad, of course, but in a good way. Thanks for posting about your experience, Jack Hunter. Sometimes we have to go down "dark alleys" in order to appreciate what we once considered mundane.

And welcome to BaseNotes.
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post #3 of 41
8/2/09 at 7:41am
Since the mid 70's which was a few years prior to me shaving & ever since , Ive never been without a bottle & im referiing to the after shave , but for a whole month ,, ahh ahh .

ps ... Is the Cologne EDC version identical to the after/shave ?
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post #4 of 41
8/2/09 at 7:46am
I adore Old Spice, and know many ladies who feel the same. The key is small doses, and it becomes the sexiest skin scent I've ever sniffed on a man.

Not sure if I'm just a victim of effective advertising or tradition/habit- maybe a little of both- but if I get close to a man and sniff wafts of Old Spice, I'm putty in his hands.

*follows Jack Hunter down the street*
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post #5 of 41
8/2/09 at 7:52am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jack Hunter View Post

And I even had a few girls at work who said they preferred it to a lot of the modern metro sexual pretty boy scents that are the staple these days.

That because it IS better then most of those scents sitting on store shelves these days.
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post #6 of 41
8/2/09 at 8:11am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dimitrios View Post

Since the mid 70's which was a few years prior to me shaving & ever since , Ive never been without a bottle & im referiing to the after shave , but for a whole month ,, ahh ahh .

ps ... Is the Cologne EDC version identical to the after/shave ?

IMO, no. I like the cologne better. I've been through the reformulations as they say and while the after shave held up basically, I think the current cologne is better with a less harsh citrus, smoother clove and vanilla, better floral edge and smokier drydown quality with less powderiness (more refined less antiseptic), I just put on fingertip applications...my point is, it's not simply "stronger."

Hey Dimitrios, maybe we can get this guy to go a month with Aramis or even Kouros...
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post #7 of 41
8/2/09 at 8:22am
Thread Starter 
Ortho123 as long as its not Angel Men by Mugler, I could handle the frag beasts that are Aramis and Kouros. Lol
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post #8 of 41
8/2/09 at 8:26am
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Quote:
Originally Posted by petruccijc View Post

That because it IS better then most of those scents sitting on store shelves these days.

Correct. Obviously negative associations aside, I really can't understand anyone disliking Old Spice. I mean... it doesn't strike me as particularly offensive. It's not even a polarising scent like A*Men, so I don't get the biggy. It's way more crowd pleasing than Brut.
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post #9 of 41
8/2/09 at 8:32am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jack Hunter View Post

Ortho123 as long as its not Angel Men by Mugler, I could handle the frag beasts that are Aramis and Kouros. Lol

Hey, as we speak I'm wearing 1 shot of Ararmis...this stuff subtles down into magic. Believe me my wife is the biggest critic of "strong scents" growing up with her father and brothers who doused themselves in everything.

Ask others... and ask knowlegeable women...about Ararmis...
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post #10 of 41
8/2/09 at 8:38am
I let my curiosity get me once while browsing in Freddie's and opened one of these. Yea, my father had a bottle of the stuff (never wore it), and I recall I didn't even care for it then. But the pyramid listing on here suggested something more interesting than I remembered. So I pried out the little gray plastic stopper and as I did it splashed on my hand.

VILE!

I had to scurry across the store to the men's room and try to scrub it off my hand. Soap didn't neutralize the Old Spice. I had to put up with it driving home and it didn't get any better. I remembered not liking it but never dreamed it could be that bad.

No thanks!
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post #11 of 41
8/2/09 at 9:05am
Quote:
Originally Posted by ortho123 View Post

Hey, as we speak I'm wearing 1 shot of Ararmis...this stuff subtles down into magic. Believe me my wife is the biggest critic of "strong scents" growing up with her father and brothers who doused themselves in everything.

Ask others... and ask knowlegeable women...about Ararmis...

Aramis & Kouros= delicious
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post #12 of 41
8/2/09 at 9:19am
This is a true life account:

1-. A comment of friend of mine when I told him I like Old Spice, and consider it better than many present-day scents: "How can you like Old Spice? It is so dated!"

2-. Next time I see him he tells me...

- "Hey! That smells fine... What is it? One of Hugo Boss fragrances?"
- "No, it is Old Spice"
- "No, I can't believe it. You are joking..., that can't be true"
- "I am not kidding. It is Old Spice"

And here comes the tag line...

- "Must be you. On me it smells horribly bad."

I told him perceptions can be guided by preconceptions. Of course, he did not take it.

I regard Old Spice as the type of scent that marketed under a snobbish appeal would be a huge success. Sometimes I add some good quality sandalwood or patchouly essence to it, and it gets amazingly better.
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post #13 of 41
8/2/09 at 9:25am
I think a whole generation of men and women have forgotten just how good this stuff is. At one time it was probably one of the most recognizable fragrances in the world, but now I am not so sure. I would probably feel more comfortable wearing this, than I would Acqua di Gio or Cool Water. At least fewer people would know what I am using.
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post #14 of 41
8/2/09 at 9:33am
Thread Starter 
Pollux you have nailed it as people have preconceived ideas and are judging the Fragrance not on the quality of the scent but that it is uncool as their Father and Grandfather used to wear it. Of course no one wants to take a girl out wearing old spice if you are going to remind her of her Father. (no jokes please).lol..............Who knows but in another hundred years Old Spice could be one of the frags from the old days that is still standing.

You know as we are talking about old time scents has any one tried English Leather as I have never had the pleasure. Does it hold its own compared to Old Spice as it is a scent that has been around for a age as well.

And don't ask me to wear it for a month, been there and done it. Lol
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post #15 of 41
8/2/09 at 10:09am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jack Hunter View Post

So if you smell someone wearing old spice don't knock it, it has been around for a generations for a reason and has stood the test of time.

I feel the same
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post #16 of 41
8/2/09 at 10:19am
Old spice rocks...and the deodorant...thats the one for me.
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post #17 of 41
8/2/09 at 11:28am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jack Hunter View Post

Pollux you have nailed it as people have preconceived ideas and are judging the Fragrance not on the quality of the scent but that it is uncool as their Father and Grandfather used to wear it. Of course no one wants to take a girl out wearing old spice if you are going to remind her of her Father. (no jokes please).lol..............Who knows but in another hundred years Old Spice could be one of the frags from the old days that is still standing.

You know as we are talking about old time scents has any one tried English Leather as I have never had the pleasure. Does it hold its own compared to Old Spice as it is a scent that has been around for a age as well.

And don't ask me to wear it for a month, been there and done it. Lol

With respect to English Leather, I prefer the after shave. I gave it a thumbs up in a review (with a proviso, for the after shave). You can get the famous 8 oz. bottle for around 15 bucks...IMO, it too is best as a skin scent...

I def prefer Old Spice...

While we're on a cheapo roll check out Jovan Sex Appeal for Men, the cologne...I picked up 10 dollar 3 ounce bottles...

and Gilette Cool Wave after shave...if this stuff were a cologne? but believe me for an after shave (made in France) this stuff lasts...

and last but not least, Halston Z-14...
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post #18 of 41
8/2/09 at 12:26pm
I rememeber watching the Today Show and
Matt Laurer saying that "he was scared from
wearing cologne because he hated
Old Spice"

Come On People Old Spice IS GREAT!
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post #19 of 41
8/2/09 at 12:46pm
One thing Matt Lauer ISN'T scared of: having a sphincter around his nose while doing an interview...
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post #20 of 41
8/2/09 at 2:25pm
I have yet to meet a person who thinks Old Spice smells bad. I don't understand why anyone would make a joke about it - it's a great fragrance. It may not be the most complex, but it doesn't smell cheap, and is the quintessential example of what a "classic" fragrance is, just like Azzaro Pour Homme, Eau Sauvage and Monsieur de Givenchy (though OS isn't as complex as those). I just don't understand why people would joke about Old Spice. Never have.
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post #21 of 41
8/2/09 at 2:30pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jack Hunter View Post

... has any one tried English Leather as I have never had the pleasure. Does it hold its own compared to Old Spice as it is a scent that has been around for a age as well...l

I recently bought a 150 ml bottle of it after finding an old sample in my Father's home. The vintage version has nothing to with the new version. Foetidus review is quite precise in that sense:

Quote:
What I discovered is that the English Leather being sold today is NOT the English Leather that I used for a while back in the sixties. This is softer, lighter, and more refined. It is not that in-your-face, leather accord that was so vibrantly 1960s: this one is has toned down that “leather” ambiance considerably. I had overdosed on the ‘60s version of English Leather and I still have a strong memory of how cloying it could be…(http://www.basenotes.net/ID26120569.html)

IMHO, Old Spice (OS) and English Leather (EL) have some notes in common: both are spicy fragrances accentuating "manly" notes. I regard these as proper of scents launched at times when fragrances were mostly used by women, thus demanding attributes that would make clear who their target consumers were in terms of gender. In the case of EL, I can identify musky / leathery notes absent in Old Spice, of which I can say has a strong sandalwood note in its dry-down.

These musk / leather notes are much more prominent in EL's vintage version; the present-day blend accentuates flowery notes, making it, as Foetidus said, gentler. The vintage version is very strong, much in line with unpolitically correct fragrances as per styles in vogue up to fifty years ago; as a matter of fact, the vintage version strongly reminds me of Musk for Men by Avon, a stronger version of classics I tried and owned - Dana's Canoe, Avon's Wild Country and the new YSL's Rive Gauche for men - or others BN comment as being analogous, like Royal Copenhagen and Pinaud's Clubman.

I came to relize that most find these scents off puting when smelt directly from the bottle or when applied. But it is also true that among the ones I usually use, they are the ones that command most compliments.
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post #22 of 41
8/2/09 at 3:10pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Pollux View Post

I recently bought a 150 ml bottle of it after finding an old sample in my Father's home. The vintage version has nothing to with the new version. Foetidus review is quite precise in that sense:



IMHO, Old Spice (OS) and English Leather (EL) have some notes in common: both are spicy fragrances accentuating "manly" notes. I regard these as proper of scents launched at times when fragrances were mostly used by women, thus demanding attributes that would make clear who their target consumers were in terms of gender. In the case of EL, I can identify musky / leathery notes absent in Old Spice, of which I can say has a strong sandalwood note in its dry-down.

These musk / leather notes are much more prominent in EL's vintage version; the present-day blend accentuates flowery notes, making it, as Foetidus said, gentler. The vintage version is very strong, much in line with unpolitically correct fragrances as per styles in vogue up to fifty years ago; as a matter of fact, the vintage version strongly reminds me of Musk for Men by Avon, a stronger version of classics I tried and owned - Dana's Canoe, Avon's Wild Country and the new YSL's Rive Gauche for men - or others BN comment as being analogous, like Royal Copenhagen and Pinaud's Clubman.

I came to relize that most find these scents off puting when smelt directly from the bottle or when applied. But it is also true that among the ones I usually use, they are the ones that command most compliments.

Great overrview on EL. The corollary of "softer" is that the new EL cologne can get cloying, light/heavy. I too remember a more focused EL cologne years back, even darker colored liquid? But frankly, I liked the All-Purpose even then. For me to use the new EL I go with 1-2 shots max...let's not forget the citrus (kind of orange blossom? in this stuff)...which ends up yes, "floral."

Through some PM's and some recent posts I think it's very possible to spearhead a return to many retro scents for this generation, not because of "nostalgia" (liquid clinical depression) but because these scents are still WORTHY!!!

Frankly, I think people like Tom Ford have also made this look at tradition quite real and possible and NECESSARY!
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post #23 of 41
8/2/09 at 3:16pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by shamu1 View Post

I have yet to meet a person who thinks Old Spice smells bad. I don't understand why anyone would make a joke about it - it's a great fragrance. It may not be the most complex, but it doesn't smell cheap, and is the quintessential example of what a "classic" fragrance is, just like Azzaro Pour Homme, Eau Sauvage and Monsieur de Givenchy (though OS isn't as complex as those). I just don't understand why people would joke about Old Spice. Never have.

Let me help you: this puts them in a "higher" category while making a reference to their "regular guy" history.

Matt Lauer should wear whatever Katie Couric wears since they share about the same level of intellect.
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post #24 of 41
8/2/09 at 3:25pm
It is strange....even when snobbery is the motivation, there are PLENTY of appallingly bad cheap fragrances to mock! Old Spice is one of those marvelous classics that is delightful without being expensive...There are many pricey fragrances out there that smell far, far worse.

I'm not surprised that the young ladies you work with had a positive reaction -- I'm sure they've smelled enough soaked-in-aquatics boys at the club to be pleasantly intrigued by a man in a warmer scent. Plus, any "older" associations probably only served to give a "man amongst boys" aura to you. Frankly, I don't know why more young people don't break out the hidden classics... I have a theory that they are a magnet for the opposite sex. Or even the same sex, if that's what you're after. (Although, one of the perils in that situation is that your intended might actually recognise what you are wearing after having sampled it him or herself!)
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post #25 of 41
8/2/09 at 4:06pm
I agree with all the positive reviews of Old Spice. I wear it often and am never without the cologne or aftershave. Old Spice Fresh Lime is also very good, but difficult to find.
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post #26 of 41
8/2/09 at 4:26pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks for your take on English leather and Old spice guys and gals. In my search for different frags I am inclined at looking back in time to the classics. As today they seem to make fragrances that are unisex and for me that seems like the wrong way to go.

I want my scents to reflect back to the time where men were men and women were women and the scents I wear to reflect that. Thats why I am interested in Gurlains Vetiver for example. But I guess it makes sense money wise for the Fragrance houses to market one scent to both sexes. But I think that restricts any unisex scent to the middle of the road. As they have to be careful to steer the fragrance so its neither to masculine or feminine.
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post #27 of 41
8/2/09 at 4:32pm
I own both modern and vintage OLD SPICE and am happy with both. And the ancillary products ain't bad either.
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post #28 of 41
8/2/09 at 6:23pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by 3xasif View Post

Aramis & Kouros= delicious


You have great tastes !!
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post #29 of 41
8/2/09 at 6:26pm
If a person makes fun of something that I'm wearing I always ask them how many fragrances have they created and sold.....Of course the answer is zero.....Old Spice has stood the test of time....with all of the fragrances that launch and are gone in a year..... it's hard to trash a scent like Old Spice that has had such Great success for such a long time.....No jokes from me about this classic.....Just respect.
Gary
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post #30 of 41
8/2/09 at 6:31pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by ortho123 View Post

IMO, no. I like the cologne better. I've been through the reformulations as they say and while the after shave held up basically, I think the current cologne is better with a less harsh citrus, smoother clove and vanilla, better floral edge and smokier drydown quality with less powderiness (more refined less antiseptic), I just put on fingertip applications...my point is, it's not simply "stronger."

Hey Dimitrios, maybe we can get this guy to go a month with Aramis or even Kouros...

Hey !! how about i just go trigger happy on those two myself tommorow !!
Seriously , thanks for the info Ortho , I'll be getting a bottle of EDC real soon , in my next order from the States as its not readily available down here .
& JackHunter , your corny thread has kicked on nicely , bringing a lot of Old Spicers out of the closet , Indirectly its answered a few queries i had regarding Old Spice , cheers
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post #31 of 41
8/2/09 at 6:36pm
I actually own a vintage bottle of it, which at the time was called Early American (in smaller print) Old Spice (large print) by Shulton and it smells wonderful. i found it in a consignment shop for $1.00, and it is such a wonderful scent. Scent does not always have to be so involved, complex, or expensive to smell simply wonderful.
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post #32 of 41
8/2/09 at 7:01pm
I adore the aftershave, don't like the EdC very much though

Is the vintage EdC closer to the current aftershave?
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post #33 of 41
8/2/09 at 7:14pm
I am not the hugest Old Spice fan, but I don't dislike it, and it gave us that recent fantastic series of ads with Bruce Campbell!
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post #34 of 41
8/2/09 at 7:22pm
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Old spice(and eau sauvage) brings back pleasant memories of my grandfather. haven't smelled it in a while, but this thread is making me want to sniff if all over again.
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post #35 of 41
8/2/09 at 7:51pm
I like Old Spice as well. I probably wear it as often as anything else.

Your bet could have been a lot worse. You could have had to wear Terre d'Hermes for a month.
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post #36 of 41
8/2/09 at 8:34pm
I would be a bit mortified to wear Old Spice, as nice as it is, I'm just not into smelling like my dead dad.
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post #37 of 41
8/2/09 at 8:35pm
I like Old Spice. I don't like any frag so much that I'd voluntarily wear it a month straight, but in rotation, OS is good to go. It reminds me of my childhood, yet it's more than nostalgia. It is simply a pleasant frag.
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post #38 of 41
8/7/09 at 7:27am
Thread Starter 
I was out doing the weekly shopping and I picked up a new bottle of old spice aftershave as the one I used a few years ago belonged to my father.

What's happened they have taken out the spicy bite from the fragrance and tamed the scent. The one I used some years ago must have been the old fragrance before they toned it down.

Its still nice but they have weakened it, don't you hate it when they start messing around with the old classics. If it is not broken don't try to fix it.
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post #39 of 41
8/7/09 at 7:34am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jack Hunter View Post

I was out doing the weekly shopping and I picked up a new bottle of old spice aftershave as the one I used a few years ago belonged to my father.

What's happened they have taken out the spicy bite from the fragrance and tamed the scent. The one I used some years ago must have been the old fragrance before they toned it down.

Its still nice but they have weakened it, don't you hate it when they start messing around with the old classics. If it is not broken don't try to fix it.

I stick more with the cologne. IMO. it's not simply stronger. I have come to the conclusion that there was also an attempt made to make it more of a bearable after shave...
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post #40 of 41
8/7/09 at 9:43am
My first frag was a bottle of Old Spice and the matching aftershave, both in the old style ceramic bottles. It introduced me to the world of fragrance and for that it will always have a special place in my heart. It's a great frag and most people who mock it are doing so out of reflex instead of experience.
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post #41 of 41
8/7/09 at 9:50am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jack Hunter View Post

I was out doing the weekly shopping and I picked up a new bottle of old spice aftershave as the one I used a few years ago belonged to my father.

What's happened they have taken out the spicy bite from the fragrance and tamed the scent. The one I used some years ago must have been the old fragrance before they toned it down.

Its still nice but they have weakened it, don't you hate it when they start messing around with the old classics. If it is not broken don't try to fix it.

I agree, the newer version is more powdery and lame, plus the sillage and longevity suck. Old Old Spice is way better.
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