I have been a long time clubman aftershave fan the past 13 years. While I only used the pinaud clubman shave lotion exclusively until the past couple years - then tried and still use their Bay Rum splash and made part of my weekly rotation, I had not tried any others. So recently bought some others to try like this Special Reserve. So here is the breakdown: It's an Aftershave Cologne, so it will be a little different than the Clubman Pinaud Aftershave Lotion. BLUF: It works. The smell is spicy, kinda in a small way smokey but kinda leather. It's very masculine and is what you want in your aftershave rotation. You could also just use as a cologne as well. For example, first use I later went outside and all the women came out and chased me down the street and now they are claiming child support. Its that powerful. and has the old time mens barber shop smell for those old enough to remember it last century. Because it's a cologne, the smell is more heavy and will stick around until you shower the next day. While Clubman's Pinaud is the best aftershave lotion you can buy, you need to have the Bay Rum splash for the light shaving or on the go days and the Special Reserve for when you need everyone focused on you. Bottle came secure and had no leakage, is effective and long lasting and though a cologne, leaves the skin soft. While some may call the smell older man or old timey, its for anyone old enough to shave. Read more
Such a great scent and experience. It came fast, accurately and was such an unexpected delight. I had no idea Pinaud/Clubman had so many wonderful product and so affordable s. I’m hooked. Read more
I had never smelled it so, I bought the smallest bottle I could. I was positive on it, barely. My wife was not. The scent profile is a rich blend of wood, musk, leather, citrus and traditional fragrances, it exudes a strong scent initially , but fades quickly without any floral or light undertones. Would I buy again... Not likely. It's just not a scent for me. One star removed for how fast it fades. Considering tinkering a bit by adding a touch of vetiver and maybe a touch of amber. Read more
Awesome stuff! Smells great and feels good on the skin. Nice cooling effect after a shave. Reminds me of a better time in America. Read more
You either love Pinaud or hate it, there is no middle ground it seems. I've tried the Virgin Island Bay Rum, Classic Clubman, and the Vanilla, and enjoyed them all (especially the Vanilla, that stuff is great). So I gave this one a try after reading the favorable reviews. For about $6 a bottle, the risk on investment was small. Upon opening the plastic bottle and smelling it I feared that this was the first Pinaud that I would regret buying. Then, I decanted about 5 ounces into a glass bottle with shaker top that Amazon sells for those folks who make and bottle their own hot sauce. These are great for decanting "drug store" after shaves out of their plastic bottles to remove that plastic funkiness that all Pinaud's seem to have at first. A few days later I took the plunge and splashed some Special Reserve on after a shave. It instantly reminded me of Aramis, only a bit different (much like the Classic reminds me of Brut, only different). It's strong at first, much like the Classic, so be a bit conservative with your "splash". Leather, tobacco, some other spices which I can't pinpoint, but the overall scent is warm and manly. It definitely has lasting power, but the scent is clean, masculine, not at all floral or sweet. I can smell this stuff from the time I splash it on, through the rest of my morning routine, getting dressed, making coffee, and then during my drive to work in the car. About an hour or so. Then, it starts to fade, to the point where I no longer perceive it but I get whiffs of it throughout the day. This is a good winter time after shave. The scent and feel just seem to "go" with colder temps as opposed to the menthol after shaves like Floid Blue which are definitely warm weather after shaves. While there are no obvious moisturizing or healing ingredients that I can see on the label, but my face doesn't feel dried out or overly tight when using this. I get a kind of matte feeling to my skin which is rather pleasant. Overall, this has become part of my rotation, especially in the colder weather now. The Vanilla is still my favorite Pinaud, but this is a close second. Read more
