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Old Spice, a personal favourite of mine, was initially launched in 1937 as ‘Early American Old Spice’ by William Lightfoot Schultz. Believe it or not, before they started making men’s grooming products, the first fragrance released by the company was for women, miles apart from the manly man’s image they have today.

One could argue (as they have), If your grandfather hadn’t worn it, perhaps you wouldn’t exist. That may be the case, but let’s take a look to see what this fragrance has to offer the modern man of today.

Appearance

As you can see, the presentation remains faithful to the original; It looks the same as when it was sat on top of my grandfather’s bathroom cabinet all those years ago. It’s very American, and I remember when I was much younger, thinking it looked like a small milk bottle. As with many old-school fragrances, It is still a splash on, with a small plastic stopper that you pull out to get to the contents.

Where to buy

You will be able to find this fragrance quite easily, as it’s pretty much everywhere you go. I bought mine at my local grocery store for around £10, which I believe is the standard price.

You could say that this was somewhat of a blind buy, as it has been a few years since I have owned a bottle of Old Spice, and with all the reformulations, I wasn’t sure what to expect.

There seem to have been many reformulations with this one, and it has been challenging to pin down the exact notes of the version I have here in my hand. I should also mention that Proctor and Gamble purchased the Old Spice brand in the 90s, and most of the reviews I have found online refer to the old ‘Shulton Company’ versions. Those reviews are irrelevant to our discussion here unless you have a vintage bottle.

When it comes to getting the best deal, your best bet is almost always the discounters — especially when they’re running coupon codes. And the one that’s never let me down is FragranceX.

They ship worldwide, they only deal in authentic stock, and they’ve got a solid 30-day return policy, which keeps things risk-free.

Prices do move around (sometimes daily, especially during holiday sales), so it’s always worth checking the current deal. 👇

Is the scent manly?

The opening is spicy, citrusy and woody, and the musk and floral notes become more prominent as it progresses to the dry down. This scent, to me, is still the Old Spice I remember from years ago, and the nostalgia is just incredible. It has what I can only describe as a ‘Grandpa Scent’, which is a good thing and also very manly. It takes me back to my high-school days, as this was one of the first fragrances I bought when I started shaving.

Performance

Given that this is a drugstore cheapie, it does, to my surprise, project reasonably well, even better than some of the high-end fragrances in my collection. You could turn some heads with this one, particularly within the first few hours of application. I splashed this on in the morning roughly 10 hours ago, and I can still smell it on me now, and it isn’t irritating or making me feel dirty.

Want to try this fragrance on your skin?

If you’d prefer to sample it first, these are my two favourite
and most reliable places to get authentic decants:

When and where to wear it

You could wear this for any occasion and at any time of year; there’s no reason why it couldn’t be your signature scent. I read somewhere that Cary Grant used to wear this stuff back in the day, so if it worked for him, then it might just work for you.

Conclusion

So there you have it, an old-school gem still going strong today and for a good reason. I would recommend this, even if you haven’t tried it before, you can afford to take the risk for that price.

In my opinion, it is excellent value for money, and I would repurchase it. By the time I have finished this bottle, the company probably would have reformulated it, and I will have to write a whole new review.

If you have tried this or any vintage bottles, let me know your thoughts and how it compares to the original.

On a side note, if classic splash-on scents are your thing, I would recommend the Clubman Pinaud Aftershave Lotion; you can check out my review on that here.

I hope this review has been helpful to you, and do stay tuned for more of my thoughts on the best and worst men’s products of all time.

READY TO GRAB THIS FRAGRANCE?

If you’re ready to add this to your collection, here are two reliable places to check:

• FragranceX – usually the best prices, discount codes, and a wide selection. They also ship worldwide.
• Amazon – great if you prefer Prime delivery speed, just make sure to buy from a trusted seller.

👉 Pick the option that works best for you.

No matter where you’re reading from, smell good, spend smart.

WANT TO FAST-TRACK ALL OF THIS STUFF?

I put together The Ultimate Fragrance Cheat Sheet—a no-fluff guide that covers everything from notes and families to shopping smart and applying like a pro.

It’s built for guys who want to smell sharp without overthinking it.