Barrister and Mann Barrister's Reserve Classic Aftershave, 100ml

The aftershave performs very well. Does not dry out my neck horribly and I like the way my skin feels after application. The smell though...oh boy that smell is bad. Really not for me. I'm not rating it low because scent is very personal and other people may like it but...boy...that smell. I threw away the rest of my sample.

Whereas I enjoy this old-timey scent, it'll never be quite..."me". That being said, this stuff really lives up to the hype. It feels amazing and is almost 100% painless, even after the bloodiest, most careless shave you can give yourself. Trust me, I'm not good at this stuff. Anyway, long story short, Barrister's Reserve is a miracle of modern science and well worth your investment.

I'm giving this 3 stars really only for the scent. It's not to my liking at all. It reminds me of my grandpas hair spray. Performance is excellent and I don't wish to detract from that. Personally, Cool hits the mark square on.

Classic is a wonderful performer. Probably my new favorite for face feel. Never sticky. I like the scent a lot and it is light. It lasts a while, but it is so light you need not worry about offending anyone. I use it when I'm wearing an EDT as it won't clash. It would work well anytime you need a light scent. I will repurchase when it's out.

"Classic" is an odd name for a product from an artisan with 4 years of history, which is about my only complaint with this product. Like the other scents in the Reserve line, the Classic scent is based on an aftershave scent which is now no longer available, in this case something Gillette made during the 70s as an aftershave splash called "Sun Up". It apparently was a huge sales disaster for Gillette and was not around for long. The Reserve recreation of the scent presumably is accurate (Will Carius has a much better nose than most humans and he tracked down samples of the original) but I never smelled Sun Up. The scent has a perceptible sandalwood / lavender / oakmoss tinge to it, but it is a brief and mild scent that lasts for maybe 5 minutes max. This is as close to unscented as you can find in the Reserve line, but assuming you don't loathe sandalwood and oakmoss, you will like the mild. brief scent that you do encounter. Above and beyond scent, this formula works amazingly well. It dries quickly and is not sticky, can be applied to a dry or damp face, and has much less sting than other alcohol based splashes. Moreover, Reserve soothes right away and takes redness out more effectively than any other post shave I have tried. It also works well even in winter, about the only alcohol based splash I can say that about, as the mix moisturizes as much as it conditions. Reserve is a reliable fixer-upper even for the worst shaving mishaps and has become the "fireman" in my lineup, the utility infielder that I turn to when things go south in a shave, I know this is expensive, but this 3 ounce bottle will last a long time, and you are getting high tech benefits that no other post shave treatment can provide, whether it be other artisans or the Big Boys (Nivea, Gillette, Proraso etc). B&M spent close to two years designing and testing this formula and if you read the ingredients list, you will see stuff in here that is not found in any other post shave. Moreover, this is not a kitchen sink approach with stuff added for the sake of a lengthy list, this was clever design by a man who knows a lot about biochemistry. This is a revolution in post shave care, no exaggeration, and the nice packaging and appealing scent only add icing to the cake. I personally own one of each of these great scents, but if you are on the fence, try one and see if you like it. Cool is good for those who like a mild Italian style cologne scent with menthol. Spice is a tad more complex and potent, and Classic is a less powerful scent for those who want their olfactory experience with an aftershave to be pleasant, mild, and brief. If this makes it sound like Classic can safely be ignored by the typical B&M fan, that is a man who likes a complex, powerful scent. don't be so sure. Classic does grow on one, and in its mild understated way, it is a fascinating scent with a lot going on. The trick is to try and figure it out during the brief period that you encounter it; like a beautiful woman you meet every day for only 5 minutes, there can be considerable fascination in trying to make the most out of a brief interaction! One note: this is an after shave splash, not a cologne. Even if you douse yourself with it, it is not going to last three or four hours. Use a cologne or an EDT if you want to smell nice for a half or full day, and use Reserve to fix your face after a shave and have a faint pleasant odor that lingers for at most and hour or so.