Floid Vigoroso Aftershave Review
I’ve blogged about how shaving products have reminded me of celebrities or film characters in the past, and today is another example. In 1926 Ernest Hemingway finished writing The Sun Also Rises, the story of an American ex-patriot living in Paris during the roaring ‘20s. To quickly summarize, in the novel a group of friends living in Paris decide to take a trip to Pamplona, Spain for some fishing and to see the running of the bulls. As with most of Hemingway’s novels, this too is based on his own life with the characters rooted in his personal friends and the events tied to his personal experiences. Now, I know that the book was written in 1926 and Floid wasn’t originally produced until 1932, but somewhere in my head is a picture of Ernest Hemingway sitting in a Spanish barbershop, getting a classic straight razor shave, and finishing it up with a splash of Floid Vigoroso aftershave.
Hemingway and friends enjoying a cafe in Spain.
This aftershave is beautiful. I bought it on a recommendation from an Instagram follower, and the Floid Vigoroso has quickly become one of my favorites. The scent has incredible staying power, and I have found that I don’t typically need cologne when I use this aftershave, especially on warmer days. The powdery fragrance is relatively strong, and I have a hard time picking out the individual notes, but if I had to describe it I would say it is classically Southern European. Obviously this makes sense since Floid is made is Spain. If you love those “old world” barbershop scents that still work today, you will go nuts for this. My face feels fantastic after using this as well. With a limited ingredient list, the healing and moisturizing qualities really shine through. However, I think my favorite characteristic of the Vigoroso is the menthol. There’s a decent kick without being too strong, but the real beauty is how long the cooling effect lasts. The only other aftershaves which I have used that remind me of this is the line of aftershaves from Fine.
The Floid Vigoroso is a true “old world” barbershop aftershave and has everything that you would expect from a product like that. My only criticism is related to what might also be part of that “old world” charm. Dispensing the aftershave is a little tricky. What I like about some newer artisan brands are the plastic drip caps that give you a lot of control over how much aftershave you want to use. My bottle of Floid is all glass, including the spout, and this can make pouring the right amount difficult. I found, in the beginning, that I typically used too much because the aftershave came out a little too fast. I suggest being slow and deliberate to give yourself greater control. Other than that quirk, this is an outstanding aftershave, and I highly recommend that purchase a bottle for your shave den.
Regards,