Captain's Choice, Sandalwood Aftershave, 4 Ounce

Okay so a little backstory before we get to the review on the actual product. So i'm a 21 year old college student who lives at home while I go to school. Well because I shave with a straight razor I require an aftershave that cools and tones but it also cannot be a balm. I live in a desert area and balms just layer oil onto your skin because of the heat and dust. The kicker is my mom suffers from excruciating migraines and almost every single aftershave, cologne, etc will set her migraines off. I have searched for years since I started shaving when I was 15 to find an aftershave that has a scent that won't set off my mom's migraines but will also do what an aftershave was intended to do. I found that with Captain's Choice Aftershave.So now onto the review of the product itself. So I didn't get the bay rum scent because in all honesty I have no idea what Bay Rum smells like and I know that cloves will give my mom a headache so that was out. However all my shaving products (soap, preshave oil, etc) is all made with Sandalwood so I figured why not. I've heard some pretty great things about Captain's Choice products so I figured why not give them ago. When I found out that they made a Sandalwood scent I was sold on it. The main selling point for me on this aftershave is the amazing scent. So everybody who has reviewed this saying that it smells like "real sandalwood" hit the nail on the head. This truly smells like the took a knife, cut off shavings of Sandalwood, and put it into a bottle. In fact i'm pretty sure that's what they did since the ingredients list says "essential oils". I'm assuming that those "essential oils" are Sandalwood oils. This aftershave is the real McCoy and I really love that. It's made with real sandalwood not some cheap knockoff or fake test tube scent. It's made with the real stuff. The only place that I come anywhere near to getting something of this quality is when the Ren Faire comes to town and I buy some essential oil from a vendor who actually made it themselves. So this stuff has a light yet manly smell to it. It's not overbearing and it's not too sweet either. It's very woody and very very manly. The scent also fades after about 20-30 minutes which I love because I do wear cologne and I don't like it when aftershave interferes with my cologne (looking at you Old Spice).Now onto the actual effects of the product. So I am currently writing this review at 9:43pm and I put the aftershave on at around 11:00am and my face still feels smooth, soft, and toned. My face feels just like I just put the product on 5 seconds ago that's how amazing this stuff is. Captain's Choice really works and it feels amazing on my face. It does give you a little bite like an aftershave should (if you want more of a bite I hear they have a Cat O' Nine Tails one with twice the burn) but it smooths and tones your face even better than other aftershaves. The closest I've come to having my skin be this smooth and toned was using something with Aloe in it which lets face it just feels less manly. I'm sorry but it feels just really unmanly to put Aloe on my face unless my face is sunburned. I really can't stop raving about this product because it is really a fantastic aftershave and it does everything it advertises.

I hate buying things like aftershaves and colognes off the internet because I can't smell them. If you don't know what Bay Rum smells like, I would go to the store and try some other stuff first as this is a very uncommon scent now. Bay rum used to be very popular back in the day and now it's starting to become popular again because of the resurgence of classic wet shaving.So what does Bay Rum smell like? If you can't find it at your local store I will try to best describe it. Bay run smells like herbal spices with a touch of citrus and a little sweet. I was a bit taken aback by it at first because I am used to more contemporary citrus and floral based smells. If scents could have high notes and low notes, I would consider bay rum a deep note. This is a very classy and masculine scent. The more I use it, the more it grows on me.So how does it feel? Great. I think this is my favorite feeling aftershave. It's alcohol based but it doesn't dry out my skin. It has a little burn from the alcohol when you first apply it, but then the witch hazel and glycerin kick in to really clam the skin down. The alcohol is not a bad thing as it disinfects your face and prevents infections. I hope the Captain starts making other more contemporary scents because I would buy those in a heartbeat. I have some of Mr. Fine's aftershaves that smell awesome, check out Fine Classic After Shave American Blend or Fine Classic After Shave Platinum, but I think Captain's Choice has the better face feel because of the smoothing witch hazel and glycerin.

I bought this product in March and have used it for 4 months. To give some personal background, I enjoy shaving and have a multitude of various products and tools to work with. I typically shave with a Muhle safety razor, but I have used this with a Gillette Fusion ProGlide and Feather Artist Club Shavette. I believe I have fairly average skin, no acne problems and minimal issue with razor burn (unless I really try during shaving.This product has a very potent aroma that comes down to personal preference. I love the heavy smell of cloves that is present in this splash, but it does not stay heavy for very long which is good as to not overpower cologne, etc. There is a noticeable burn when using this, as is expected and noted due to the nature of the product, but it does not linger and eventually leaves your face with a warming sensation. If you are using a disposable razor with minimal nicks then you may not notice the burn as much. If you are targeting a very close shave and manage a few nicks then this will definitely point them out with a little sting, the harshness of the shave greatly affects how this feels on your face.I have noticed that my skin "tightens" after using this, so when I look up I can feel tension under my chin/throat. Also, depending on how sensitive your skin is and how "well" you shave your face may turn red in certain areas similar to razor burn (this is not an issue if you also apply lotion directly after). I have noticed that this tends to dry my skin out, especially in the colder months, so I recommend having a lotion or moisturizer to complement this product. I have not had any dryness issues when using a product such as Skin Food in combination with this. Also, in the summer months this has been less of an issue as well.In conclusion I highly recommend this to anyone who is curious. I will definitely be trying the rest of their lineup. The glass bottle is nice and this is an elegant and sophisticated product.

I like the sandalwood scent, although it is not especially strong nor lasting. Its a nice product. I just prefer a little stronger sandalwood scent that lasts a few hours. Leaves your face feeling clean and smells good. If you want a light sandalwood scent then this is the aftershave for you.