04/23/2022
manlyscents
75 Reviews
manlyscents
1
As old school as it gets
This is my late grandfather's big ol' 220ml splash bottle from the early 80s. He used Brut aftershave every day and I assume Old Brown on formal occasions, since he only used half the bottle in 40 years. I don't know much about the Parera brand, apart that it is famous in Spain and some Latin American countries mostly for producing a cologne called Varon Dandy, which nowadays is the object of ridicule much like Old Spice is elsewhere.
Although this bottle of Old Brown was initially exposed to air decades ago, only some of the bergamot in the juice seems to be missing. Everything else seems to be intact: lavender, clary sage, a lot of florals like geranium, rose, jasmine, and a hefty dose of musk. When I first smelled this, the concoction of jasmine and heavy, dirty musk felt too sweaty and pissy to me. For a long while, more than a perfume, this smelled more like something a wild animal would use to mark its territory. So, on my shelf it remained, untouched, waiting for that very rare occasion when I would want to smell like a toilet bowl. Thankfully, now that my olfactory is more experienced, I can appreciate Old Brown for the old-school gentlemanly floral fragrance that it is, and don't keep it solely for sentimental reasons... though I won't wear it often. For reference, it's like a stronger Maurer & Wirtz Tabac Original EDC, not my cup of tea.
Projection in the first hour and a half is good. Longevity is easily over 8 hours. If you overspray, you'll regret it. It certainly is not the type of juice you want to *splash* on yourself, so I decant into a 30ml bottle with atomizer.
Masculinity Level: If you had asked me a while back I would have said Evan McGregor crawling out of the worst toilet in Scotland. But with my newfound appreciation for it, I will go with Michael Caine in Get Carter.
Although this bottle of Old Brown was initially exposed to air decades ago, only some of the bergamot in the juice seems to be missing. Everything else seems to be intact: lavender, clary sage, a lot of florals like geranium, rose, jasmine, and a hefty dose of musk. When I first smelled this, the concoction of jasmine and heavy, dirty musk felt too sweaty and pissy to me. For a long while, more than a perfume, this smelled more like something a wild animal would use to mark its territory. So, on my shelf it remained, untouched, waiting for that very rare occasion when I would want to smell like a toilet bowl. Thankfully, now that my olfactory is more experienced, I can appreciate Old Brown for the old-school gentlemanly floral fragrance that it is, and don't keep it solely for sentimental reasons... though I won't wear it often. For reference, it's like a stronger Maurer & Wirtz Tabac Original EDC, not my cup of tea.
Projection in the first hour and a half is good. Longevity is easily over 8 hours. If you overspray, you'll regret it. It certainly is not the type of juice you want to *splash* on yourself, so I decant into a 30ml bottle with atomizer.
Masculinity Level: If you had asked me a while back I would have said Evan McGregor crawling out of the worst toilet in Scotland. But with my newfound appreciation for it, I will go with Michael Caine in Get Carter.
