Pinaud-Clubman Lime Sec – A flashback after shave

I have been meaning to put a post about the Pinaud-Clubman Lime-sec for a while now, but haven’t quite known where to start.  I picked up a bottle of Lime sec at OBSCO before the Christmas break. The labeling identifies it as an “eau de cologne” as opposed to an after-shave.  Product placement on the shelf puts it along with after-shaves.  The ingredient list shows alcohol in first position, very much like other old-school after-shaves.  So I am going to just group the Lime Sec as an after-shave.

Volume wise, we are looking at a very generous portion at 370 ml which is consistent with how alcohol based after-shave use to be sold.  As you already know, this type of after-shave has more or less vanished from the market to be replaced with soothing and healing creams.  If you have ever used such an after-shave, you are in the “know”.  Splashing nearly pure alcohol on your face after a shave is not the most pleasant experience.  It’s a total shock.  But this is how things use to be.  There was a real concern about bacteria and infection.  This had to do with overall less sanitary living conditions including the shaving process. This concern is still real today and we deal with it by having antibacterial everything.

Nevertheless, there are still a few such after-shaves in pharmacies on the bottom shelves almost out of sight.  If you are looking for such an after-shave on the slightly more original side, the Pinaud-Clubman Lime sec is an interesting option.  It’s a big bottle and it proudly shows off its green contents. The labelling is a complete flashback in time and if you are by any mean nostalgic, it will certainly appeal to you.  I will admit that this is essentially the reason why I picked up a bottle.

The pricing is rather economical at some $12.  Considering the size of the bottle, it’s a good deal.  Offering a larger quantity speaks to how such a product is used.  It is poured in the hand to then be splashed on the face. As you can appreciate, a good deal of liquid is lost in the process. The idea was also to give the freshly shaved skin a thorough cleaning and a complete disinfection.  Along with alcohol being cheap, you get a larger bottle.

A small note on the actual bottle itself.  Clear plastic, but with a nice touch to it as it is grooved for your fingers.  Three grooves on the back and one over the label on the front for your thumb.  Just a nice touch so the bottle is secure in your hand when pouring the after-shave out.

The second reason I was interested in trying this product was for its suggested fragrance; lime sec.  I was imagining a spicy citrus scent.  Since the bottle was sealed, I had no way of confirming this expectation.  The scent turned out to be somewhat different than citrus.  Without a doubt there is an element of a citrus lime, but it is not the dominating scent.  The main fragrance rather reminds me of soap.  In that sense, it is a clean smelling fragrance.

Fragrances tend to go through fads.  For example, in 1986-1987 Ralph Lauren Polo was a huge thing.  It isn’t anymore.  I don’t really want to say that this fragrance is dated, but that is where I am heading.  Dated is not necessarily that same thing as “bad”.  It is a pleasant scent, but you might also recognize it from other common products.  I suspect that the copyright of this fragrance might have come to pass and has been copied in a number of daily use scented consumer products.  In that light, you will most likely recognize it from something else.  We can assume that Pinaud-Clubman was probably the first to manufacture that fragrance.

If you are looking for something simple and old-school this will do the trick perfectly.  If on the other hand you are looking for an original-unique or complex scent this will not satisfy.  At $12 you can’t be expecting the latest Armani perfume either.

The Pinaud-Clubman product offering also includes a number of old-school fragrances, such as Bay Rum.  OBSCO carries 4 or 5 of these after-shaves.

PS – When shopping at OBSCO, don’t forget to mention or use the STYLE4MEN discount code at check out.

If you can’t make it out to OBSCO, use these links to shop for this product: