How to Smell Like a Barbershop

Others may not consider it manly but, my barber when he goes to brush the hair from my neck uses a bit of baby powder in the brush. By itself its not a very manly smell but along with the other scents of the barber shop it just seems to work. I think it also battles the possible over saturation of aftershave, i mean every barber is due a slip every once in awhile.

I’ve been exclusively using Taylor of Old Bond Street shaving soap, and other products, for over 5 years. When in London, a visit to their store is a must! I’ve been looking into switching to straight-razor shaving as I’ve grown tired and frustrated with conventional blades. Thanks for all the recommendations for all sorts of products.

Another old-school barbershop scent/aftershave astringent is witch hazel. Can be harder to find in places, though more common in the South, it has an undeniably old-world charm.

Hawleywoods barber shop is an awesome chain of 3 shops here in southern California that is so manly they offer you a Pabst during your cut and women aren’t even aloud through the door in the persuit of the old school barber/social club vibe. That said, they also offer their own line of products, Layrite, that maintains that same stigma. In the smells, form and function of the stuff all of it from pomade to after shave is as legit as it gets. You can order it all from their website.

that was interesting. I like the relaxing feeling in a barbershop. the comb and the scissor touching your head and all the smell you ve mentioned.

“Clancy left the barber shop with tonic on his hair.
He went into the billiard-room; he met O’Reilly there.
O’Reilly turned around and sniffed, said ‘Do I smell perfume?’
Before he could stack
His cue in the rack,
Clancy lowered the boom!”

I have forgotten. When is the talc applied? After the shave and before the aftershave?
@ James. I also use Witch Hazel. Thayers Lavender. GNC carries the Thayers line.

The smell of shoe polish. At my Dad’s barber (retired now) there was still a man that would shine your shoes on Saturday mornings while you waited.

@Frank…if you want to try a Bay Rum with less spices, try Master’s Bay Rum, which can be had at your local Sally’s Beauty supply, about $7 for a 14oz bottle…they use pure Bay Leaf oil,…I use a bit of both Pinaud V.I. Bay Rum and Master’s Bay Rum…

I discovered AOM more than a year ago, and I still can’t believe how amazing this site is. Last June I even bought two copies of your book—one for myself and one for a dear friend that was getting married. I agree with James’ comment about the Witch Hazel. My favourite is Thayers Peach Witch Hazel, but I’d comfortably recommend any Thayers product. I’ve been using them as part of my post-shaving routine for years now, and every time I splash some on, it gives me a fantastic, manly feeling. Boom. Done.

I have strong memories associated with those smell. My dad barbered in the Air Force during his off duty hours. I can still smell it when I open his kit. I recently purchased some Pinaud-Clubman for my husband. Love that shoe polish smell too (not the aroma of Shinnola so much). My dad taught me how to shine my boots myself. Now I am more likely to shine my husbands shoes than he is.

I’ve not tried it, but Mama Bear’s Soaps makes a “Barbershop” shaving soap that is supposed to smell very much like the classic Barbershop.

the Friendly Barbershop in downtown Edmond is still there – and its one of a kind. Actual father & son place. Another good place is the Downtown Barber Shop, and the Amyx Barber Shop, both in Lawrence, Kansas.

Check out http://www.ogallalabayrum.com/ for great bay rum and shaving soap .

If I could find a cologne that smells like old leather and cherrywood tobacco, I might just die from joy. Any recommendations?

I picked up some Barbicide and the jar last night from a salon shop. It set me back maybe $35. It comes in 16oz or gallon concentratre. I’m pretty sure for home use, the 16oz is nearly a lifetime supply, provided it doesn’t expire.

I didn’t see it in any of the other posts but one scent that I always associated with the barber shop was Witch Hazel a liquid astringent that was used a lot by the ones I frequented in my youth. You can still buy it at most large drug stores and most large supermarkets but you have to look.

I’ve always wanted a Barbricide jar to keep my combs in. They aren’t expensive, but I feel like I’d always be spilling blue liquid all over my bathroom in a groggy morning state.

Lee W, have you checked out the offerings at The Gentlemen’s Quarter, http://www.gentlemensquarter.com ? Some of their products approach what you’re looking for, though they may not be precisely it.

I don’t like cinnamon in my bay rum either – I use Master Bay Rum. Used it this morning, in fact. If you like Pinaud, give their Special Reserve a shot too,

The Taylor of Old Bond Street soap I use is actually called “Shave Shop”, and evokes exactly the kind of atmosphere you’re talking about.

On Amazon: http://is.gd/g0R3N

My stylist Jim, at Rudy’s Barbershop http://www.facebook.com/rudysbarbershop gives me classic touches like the tonic and barbicide you discussed – but my favorite way to get the barbershop smell is using Rudy’s Brand shampoo from their place. It smells incredible and you get 16 ounces for only $14. It’s an awesome product.

Jeris Hair Tonic, Clubman Talc, and the scent of the lather solution from the LatherKing machine for a straight razor shave and the barber also using the razor to shave the neck, sideburns, and over the ears. I enjoyed the other suggestions as well…I miss the barbers I used to frequent in Atlanta.

Clubman is the quintessential manly scent in my mind. I am 45 years old and have had only a handful of barbers in my life (mainly one WWII Veteran until he passed at age 85). All of them dispensed the Clubman talc and aftershave. It was so knit into the experience of my youth that my brother and I called it the “Secret Sauce”. When you are freshly clipped and you smell good you can’t help but feel good and be good.

I like how tonics, facial creams and aftershaves can be found to have “select” or “special reserve” brands. Its like the finer bottles of whiskey or bourbon!

Great post! I was so inspired when I read it yesterday that I stopped at the drug store on the way home from work and bought a bottle of Pinaud-Clubman After Shave and a tub of Pinaud-Clubman hair gel. Used them both this morning. My 14 yr old daughter even approved of the scent in the truck on the way to school. After reading all these comments, I think I need to find a bottle of bay rum as well. Thanks!

I highly recommend Vifrex aftershave gel. If you like the classic shaving products like Proraso, Tabac, Speick, bay rums, witch hazels etc., you will like the scent and feeling you get when you rub a little in after a shave. I use it after a Proraso shave, I think the scent would not work with all shave cream/soap scents. You can get it at http://shoeboxshaveshop.com/vifrex-after-shave-gel.html. $12 might seem like a lot for a 50ml tube, but it doesn’t require much so it lasts.

Good article! I also enjoy the smells of an old-fashioned barber shop. I use Clubman aftershave just as you do. For the actual act of shaving, I use Colonel Conk’s bay rum shaving soap. It’s a mild smell, but pleasant and makes shaving all the more enjoyable.

Another one that may not be very nostalgic but I believe is worth a mention is the smell of Proraso pre-shave cream. It smells of eucalyptus, camphor and menthol. That might sound awfully clinical, but it really makes for a nice, if somewhat astringent smell that’s still found in many barber shops around the world, especially in its home country of Italy.

Slap on a bit of Proraso, then lather up with the Col. Conk, shave it down with a Feather razor and finish off with a splash of Clubman. That’s my routine. With colder weather arriving here in the northern hemisphere, I’ll add that it’s sometimes nice to use a little Proraso after your aftershave dries. It keeps the skin from getting chapped and cracked if you’re outside very much.

I liked this post, Brett. I took your advice and picked up some Pinaud-Clubman Aftershave today. I used it a few minutes ago after I shaved, and I smell like my grandpa. Love it…

Unbelievable, I read this a few days ago and, while I liked the article, I didn’t think too much about it. I’m at the barber shop right now and see every single product listed, exact name brands and everything. Haha – I knew there was a reason I loved this place (aside from the great service)

I have the pinaud and bay rum. My wife likes the bay rum but she said the pinuad makes me smell like an old man but I like it anyways.

Several months ago, I discovered Gillette Foamy in Barber Shop Clean scent. I buy it at Drug Emporium; no other place around here sells it. It definitely reminds me of barber shop shaving foam.

After reading this the other day I went to the Local Sally’s store. I only saw the Pinaud Clubman and I did see a Bay Rum but it wasn’t under the Pinaud brand. Is bay rum a brand in itself. Other than those two that’s all they had. No other choices for Masters bay rum, nor Taylor of Bond Street. The place I have my hair cuts does have a man “barber” but also 2 women. They only sell salon type shampoos. But… she does use the Pinaud Clubman talc after my haircut – which the name didn’t mean anything to me until after I read the articles and these posts. Any other ideas on where I can get a complete selection of choices that have been listed? BTW – I did get the Clubman aftershave. Almost the exact same smell as the talc for my neck at the hair place. I like it okay but would like to try some of the others. Help!

Recommend Helmut Lang for Men – it’s a classy take on Pinaud Clubman. Alas, it’s been discontinued but can be found on eBay at a very premium price. Worth it, though, IMHO.

My barbershop uses Pinaud after shave on me after shaving my neck and outline around the ears with hot later. The other item that makes me smell like the barber shop is an item most of us probably seldom see these days- Wildroot Creme Oil.

My barber learned about it from his father who cut hair in the 40′s and 50′s- back then the barbers cut your hair to be slicked down and combed back or parted and this automatically came after the haircut was finished. My barber carries on the same tradition and always asks his customers if they want any product after the cut. it’s a great product- I always ask for a genorous helping so i get that shiny Mad Men slick finish this stuff smells great and leaves your hair very conditioned. I also like the smell of the Jeris hair tonic he uses on the customers who want a lighter product in their hair, it is the 1st thing I smell when I enter the shop.

I love going to the barber. My mother always cut my hair, until I started working and wouldn’t let her any more. I had a neighborhood barber that I went to in Philadelphia that I loved – he had been in the same place for well over 40 years. Joe was the only barber there, so it always took a while, but I never minded. He was an older Italian gentleman and he’d be playing NPR or sometimes opera. The stimulating conversation regarding the old neighborhood, politics, current affairs, etc. could make a visit last up to three hours. It was great! I’ve since moved away and unfortunately have been stuck with the “hair stylist” routine. What I would give for the old barbershop!

I’ve also enjoyed going to the barber when I travel. I was in Rome in the late spring and got my hair cut. Mind you, I know very little Italian and the barber spoke nothing but Italian, so it was a fun and interesting experience and I walked away with one of the best haircuts I’ve ever had.

The best I’ve ever had was in London – if you ever go there, get a haircut at Truefitt and Hill on St. James Street. The shop opened in 1805 and the atmosphere is great: leather chairs, wood paneling, a HUGE portrait of Prince Philip, etc. They’ve only ever closed during normal business hours once in their 200 year history – and that was for the funeral of one of their patrons, Sir Winston Churchill. While I was there, an aristocrat was getting his hair cut and was talking about going to his club, etc. – it was a fun experience. They don’t use clippers or scizzors, but a comb and straight razor. I also got a straight razor shave – pure decadence!

Recently, I went to my barber, Nat, and requested a 1940s style haircut for an upcoming swing dance. He’s a great old Italian barber in an old-fashioned shop. The idea of doing the cut he wore as a young man absolutely tickled him. Every time one of his friends would walk in, he would point to my head and say,

“Look, look! Just like Sinatra!” (in 1948, I should add!)

As he finished the cut, Nat turned around and grabbed a bottle of Jeris Men’s Hair Tonic to finish it off. That heady scent from the past put a smile on my face and a confident spring in my step. I use it often now, though sparingly. I love that smell and the way I feel when I wear it. Oh, and women like it, too!

I remember when I used to go to a barber who used Sea Breeze astringent after the (old school) straight-razor shave. Cool, refreshing (no sting/burn) and didn’t “stink” all day long.

Ahhh;you forgot “Jervis” hair tonic! I loved the smell of it when the barber (Hans’ barbershop in Ct. when i was 14/15yrs old) would soak my hair with it then comb it into a side part(haircut of the 50s’) with a little pompador in front—–ahhhhh where are those “old” barbershops of my youth??

Hi,

Love your post. I covered the beauty of Proraso shaving soap also here: https://mendaily.wordpress.com/2013/02/01/old-school-classic/ . I still have to try the sandalwood from Taylor of Old Bond Street

Another nice thing about barbershops is the business-like quietness. Whenever I have been in a modern salon with mostly women, it has been noisy with constant loud screechy noises the whole time I’ve been there. Definitely not soothing to the male ear. The low hum of masculine voices in a barbershop is at the same time soothing and invigorating. It is nice to be “among my kind”.

Great article – I have been looking for something new and unique to try!

I see you have two aftershaves on the list, I assume you are talking about using then individually rather than both together?

My dad owned several barber shops when I was a kid, and I use to love to play with the hot shave cream dispenser, that is a smell that I miss. I use to take just a small amount, and rub it into the palm of my hand.