After reading a few positive opinions and reviews of "Fine" brand aftershave splashes, I had to see (smell?) for myself what these products were like. I was fortunate I guess, as they seemed to slip under the radar as far as shipping was concerned 
Fine Aftershaves were created by Todd Cerami of Fine Accoutrements, who saw a need for innovative, high quality products at a price point accessible to the average guy. They feature a refreshingly simple ingredients list : Water, Perfumer's Alcohol, Fragrance and Menthol. No "numbers" or unpronounceable organic chemicals.
They currently offer 5 different fragrances and a "death by menthol" formulation : American Blend, Fresh Vetiver, Clean Vetiver, Orange Noir, Platinum and Snake Bite.
As you can see from the photo above, I decided to try the Orange Noir and the Platinum for my first foray. The pricing was very reasonable I think - U$14.99 per 100ml bottle.
I tried the Orange Noir first. Wowza - this is a really grown-up citrus fragrance. Not a hint of cloying sweetness, just a hyper clean bitter orange scent with a smoky, earthy base. And as an extra bonus this fragrance has some real lasting power. Citrus is renowned for being a short lived fragrance, but something to do with the blending (I guess) has resulted in prolonged enjoyment of this superb scent. Todd Cerami observes "Inspired by Terre d’Hermès and is a scent that defies categorization. A totally unique, yet thoroughly sublime blend - pairing fresh orange rind with rich, earthy minerals".
Next was the Platinum. I have difficulty trying to describe fragrances at the best of times, but this is one complex bad boy. It starts with a very fresh citrus style top note, but with no recognisable citrus scent that I can identify. This is followed by complex but mellow mid and bass notes with a nod towards smoky. Todd Cerami says of this fragrance " Inspired by Creed Aventus, the scent complements a spicy pineapple top note with a smokey oakmoss basenote". Another superbly blended fragrance, again with gratifying lasting power.
In conclusion, these aftershaves are simply fantastic (to me), and represent incredible value for money. It's so good to come across tangible evidence that masterful fragrance blending doesn't cost a week's wages to put in a small bottle. I will certainly be ordering the Vetiver and American Blend to keep my existing bottles company. I'd like to suggest these products for consideration in a future Bulk Buy
There is an EBay dealer who will ship these to Australia : dluxurybarber <dluxur_jyi6798mjj@members.ebay.com>
"Hello, for the 5 Fine aftershaves the total will come out to $75 and the postage would be $30. Please let me know if I can assist you with anything else". I'm sure that increasing the purchase quantity would see price reductions for the product and the per-unit shipping cost.
A couple of links if you feel like researching further -
Fine Homepage : http://www.fineaccoutrements.com
Brief interview with Todd Cerami : http://thejakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/blogs/todd-cerami-creates-luxury-aftershave-brand/
Fine Aftershaves were created by Todd Cerami of Fine Accoutrements, who saw a need for innovative, high quality products at a price point accessible to the average guy. They feature a refreshingly simple ingredients list : Water, Perfumer's Alcohol, Fragrance and Menthol. No "numbers" or unpronounceable organic chemicals.
They currently offer 5 different fragrances and a "death by menthol" formulation : American Blend, Fresh Vetiver, Clean Vetiver, Orange Noir, Platinum and Snake Bite.
As you can see from the photo above, I decided to try the Orange Noir and the Platinum for my first foray. The pricing was very reasonable I think - U$14.99 per 100ml bottle.
I tried the Orange Noir first. Wowza - this is a really grown-up citrus fragrance. Not a hint of cloying sweetness, just a hyper clean bitter orange scent with a smoky, earthy base. And as an extra bonus this fragrance has some real lasting power. Citrus is renowned for being a short lived fragrance, but something to do with the blending (I guess) has resulted in prolonged enjoyment of this superb scent. Todd Cerami observes "Inspired by Terre d’Hermès and is a scent that defies categorization. A totally unique, yet thoroughly sublime blend - pairing fresh orange rind with rich, earthy minerals".
Next was the Platinum. I have difficulty trying to describe fragrances at the best of times, but this is one complex bad boy. It starts with a very fresh citrus style top note, but with no recognisable citrus scent that I can identify. This is followed by complex but mellow mid and bass notes with a nod towards smoky. Todd Cerami says of this fragrance " Inspired by Creed Aventus, the scent complements a spicy pineapple top note with a smokey oakmoss basenote". Another superbly blended fragrance, again with gratifying lasting power.
In conclusion, these aftershaves are simply fantastic (to me), and represent incredible value for money. It's so good to come across tangible evidence that masterful fragrance blending doesn't cost a week's wages to put in a small bottle. I will certainly be ordering the Vetiver and American Blend to keep my existing bottles company. I'd like to suggest these products for consideration in a future Bulk Buy
There is an EBay dealer who will ship these to Australia : dluxurybarber <dluxur_jyi6798mjj@members.ebay.com>
"Hello, for the 5 Fine aftershaves the total will come out to $75 and the postage would be $30. Please let me know if I can assist you with anything else". I'm sure that increasing the purchase quantity would see price reductions for the product and the per-unit shipping cost.
A couple of links if you feel like researching further -
Fine Homepage : http://www.fineaccoutrements.com
Brief interview with Todd Cerami : http://thejakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/blogs/todd-cerami-creates-luxury-aftershave-brand/
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