#1
After trying Fine Platinum, I'm now curious to try more of the Fine splashes. From some of you guys that have experience with these, could you tell me what some of them are like? Fresh vetiver, Orange Noir, etc?

Additionally, how is the American Blend? This is the scent from Fine I'm most interested in. I've read everything from it resembling CaD (please no) to similar to Clubman (I hope not). What is American blend like? The types of Barbershop scents I prefer are: Reef Point Classic barbershop, Strop Shoppe Barbershop, American Barbershop (Cold River). I do not like Clubman or CaD.

Let me know what you guys think of these splashes, what you're favorites are, etc.
#2

Member
Detroit
American Blend is awesome!! One of my favorite scents bar none. I don't know what CaD smells like, but I can tell you AB smells nothing like Clubman. It is supposed to mimic Yves St. Laurent Rive Gauche cologne if you've ever sniffed that. I haven't so I can't tell you how close it is, but I have heard it's not a dead ringer due to the addition of the menthol.

Clean Vetiver is probably my 2nd favorite. Its a copy of Guerlain Vetiver. It's got a grassy, smoky vetiver scent, but it also has a clean sweetness to it. You can definitely pick up the menthol in there too. If you like vetiver, get it!

I'm like you though in that I can't really use these when it's cold and dry. I have to wait until it warms up and gets more humid. Otherwise my face will feel like the Sahara desert.

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- Jeff
#3

Maker of Soaps and Shaver of Men
Cooperstown, NY, USA
(04-01-2016, 01:13 PM)SCShaver Wrote: After trying Fine Platinum, I'm now curious to try more of the Fine splashes.  From some of you guys that have experience with these, could you tell me what some of them are like? Fresh vetiver, Orange Noir, etc?  

Additionally, how is the American Blend?  This is the scent from Fine I'm most interested in. I've read everything from it resembling CaD (please no) to similar to Clubman (I hope not).  What is American blend like?  The types of Barbershop scents I prefer are: Reef Point Classic barbershop, Strop Shoppe Barbershop, American Barbershop (Cold River).  I do not like Clubman or CaD.  

Let me know what you guys think of these splashes, what you're favorites are, etc.

CaD and American Blend are duplicates of the same perfume (Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche pour Homme), so I'd skip it. I'm not fond of that scent either and, having tried both, I can tell you that CaD and American Blend are very close to each other (and to their progenitor).

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#4
(04-01-2016, 01:39 PM)wyze0ne Wrote: American Blend is awesome!! One of my favorite scents bar none. I don't know what CaD smells like, but I can tell you AB smells nothing like Clubman. It is supposed to mimic Yves St. Laurent Rive Gauche cologne if you've ever sniffed that. I haven't so I can't tell you how close it is, but I have heard it's not a dead ringer due to the addition of the menthol.

Clean Vetiver is probably my 2nd favorite. Its a copy of Guerlain Vetiver. It's got a grassy, smoky vetiver scent, but it also has a clean sweetness to it. You can definitely pick up the menthol in there too. If you like vetiver, get it!

I'm like you though in that I can't really use these when it's cold and dry. I have to wait until it warms up and gets more humid. Otherwise my face will feel like the Sahara desert.

Awesome response.  It sounds like I need to try the Vetiver pair out then.

(04-01-2016, 02:21 PM)Barrister_N_Mann Wrote: CaD and American Blend are duplicates of the same perfume (Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche pour Homme), so I'd skip it. I'm not fond of that scent either and, having tried both, I can tell you that CaD and American Blend are very close to each other (and to their progenitor).

Will I'm going to trust your nose on this one and avoid it. I'd hate to buy a whole bottle and end up with CaD. All good.

On a side note, I've heard brilliant things about their Italian Citrus and I really wish they still had that one.

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#5

Member
Detroit
Yeah, you can't go wrong with the Fresh Vetiver either. L'Orange Noir is nice too, but not my favorite of the bunch. The other thing I like about these is their longevity.

Also, Maggard's offers samples of these in nice little 12ml atomizer bottles that last a good while if you're still on the fence about purchasing a whole bottle. I'm sure you were already aware of this though...

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- Jeff
#6
I am a big fan of the L'Orange Noir, I don't have any of the others but keep telling myself I will get Platinum and the two vetivers. They are actually available here in the UK which makes a nice change.

The Orange doesn't have a ton of orange in it I get more of the Noir side of it but it compliments the orange nicely. I believe it is a copy of Terre D'Hermes.

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Oli AKA Windsor Citrus
Surrey, UK.
#7
I too, enjoy the longevity of the Fine Platinum. Its great to hear that many of the aftershaves from Fine have excellent longevity because if an AS scent is good, I like having it stick around.

Wow, the L'Orange Noir sounds great too! Does it also have nice staying power? Sometimes citrus scents do not hang around.
#8
(This post was last modified: 04-01-2016, 04:41 PM by grim.)
(04-01-2016, 01:13 PM)SCShaver Wrote: After trying Fine Platinum, I'm now curious to try more of the Fine splashes.  From some of you guys that have experience with these, could you tell me what some of them are like? Fresh vetiver, Orange Noir, etc?  Additionally, how is the American Blend?  

The "inspiration" for all the scents is on their website. If you hurry you can get $3 off most of them as the store is closing but they are rapidly disappearing. Beware of shipping costs at $9 as you need to buy 3 to break even.

Orange is a bit weird to me. Not objectionable, just different. Its OK. American Blend is awesome. Forget about Clubman, not even lose. Its everything you can think that an old time barbershop from the 50s/60s might have been, at least nostalgically. Further, the owner was interviewed on one of the wet shaving podcasts, I forget which one, and told his story. The scents are not the same strength as normal AS but more in line with weak colognes. I find this to be true.

The first time I tried American Blend and ask the wife about it, she said THAT was the one that smells like "aftershave" in her mind from back in the day. Their soap is supposed to come out 4/8 and I expect there to be literally a rush to grab it as its supposed to be based on the Tabac formula. And then the soap will come out for the other scents.

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#9
For me (and I am definitely in the minority) the menthol ruins the scent. It smells like the medicated version of those great scents...like a cough drop. I wish I could get the Fine products without menthol. That is one reason I like Stirling AS -- you can order them with or without menthol. I also love the B&M tonics without menthol (LGC, Cologne Russe).

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#10

Member
West Virginia
(04-01-2016, 04:07 PM)WindsorCitrus Wrote: I am a big fan of the L'Orange Noir, I don't have any of the others but keep telling myself I will get Platinum and the two vetivers. They are actually available here in the UK which makes a nice change.

The Orange doesn't have a ton of orange in it I get more of the Noir side of it but it compliments the orange nicely. I believe it is a copy of Terre D'Hermes.

Oli is correct,L'Orange Noir is a Td'H inspired scent.Very close one too IMHO.In addition to Orange I have the Platinum(Creed Aventus inspired),Fresh Vetiver and AB.Lo'N and Platinum are my favorites with Fresh Vet at a very close second.AB is not bad when I am in the mood for it,all though once it is gone I don't think I will replace it.The other 3 will all ways have a spot in my rotation.All have great staying power and a nice face feel.Pick a scent and you won't go wrong with Fine A/S


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