Now/Then, Here/There
Aqua Velva
In Europe, Aqua Velva is still produced and marketed with the Williams brand name.
Williams is a division of the Sara Lee Corporation. European Aqua Velva is made in the Netherlands and is lighter in color and in scent than the American version.
Aqua Velva
We
start a new series of articles "Now/Then, Here/There" which will look
at famous products and compare the current production with some vintage
samples of the product and also US versions versus foreign variants of
the same product.
Confused? Hopefully the article will clarify our purpose!
We begin with one of the world's best known and most loved aftershaves: Aqua Velva.
Aqua Velva first appeared on the scene in 1929. The original product was of a yellowish color and the scent was quite different from the Blue variant, which was introduced in the 1950s and called "Ice Blue" and which remains in production to this day.
Confused? Hopefully the article will clarify our purpose!
We begin with one of the world's best known and most loved aftershaves: Aqua Velva.
Aqua Velva first appeared on the scene in 1929. The original product was of a yellowish color and the scent was quite different from the Blue variant, which was introduced in the 1950s and called "Ice Blue" and which remains in production to this day.
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The
original Aqua Velva came in a distinctive square bottle. The style
changed slightly over the years: the bottle in the color picture dates
from the 1940s.
The very first bottle style can be seen in this advertisement from the 1930s:
In 1950, Aqua Velva was given an even more squared-off bottle and a smaller, more stylish label, placed at the bottom of the bottle, off-center to the right. The 1950 bottle can be seen in this advertisement:
Faced with losing market share, Williams launched a total redo of Aqua Velva in the mid 1950s, which produced the new, blue colored "Ice Blue" aftershave splash. The move proved very successful: by 1957, Aqua Velva Ice Blue was winning awards and gaining market share.
The new product was unique and fresh and, like Mennen, contained menthol, which provided a cooling sensation to the shaven face.
The Ice Blue scent is distinctive and hard to describe, with tones of rosemary, anise, mint and subtle floral undertones.
During the 1980s, Williams made slight changes to the Aqua Velva scent, making it more subtle and a little more "spicy". The blue color was also made a bit lighter. This update of a classic was not a complete success and many of us preferred the original version.
Before parting with the Aqua Velva product line, Williams in the US had launched an Aqua Velva Cologne: the same scent, minus the menthol, in a higher concentration. It was an excellent cologne and personally I hope that Combe, Inc. will bring it back to the market.
The very first bottle style can be seen in this advertisement from the 1930s:
In 1950, Aqua Velva was given an even more squared-off bottle and a smaller, more stylish label, placed at the bottom of the bottle, off-center to the right. The 1950 bottle can be seen in this advertisement:
The
original Aqua Velva scent was a combination of Lime and Bergamot: a
pleasant citrus blend which had a refreshing and tingling effect on a
freshly shaven face. Incidentally, back in the 1940s, Aqua Velva was
also promoted as a pre-electric shave lotion, a role that was to be
taken later on by Williams' "Lectric Shave" another mainstay of their
shaving-related product lines.
The main competition for Aqua Velva, at least in the US market, was Mennen's "Skin Bracer". By the late 1940s, Mennen's scent, a cooler and more complex blend than Aqua Velva's, was becoming the preferred aftershave splash of American shavers.
The main competition for Aqua Velva, at least in the US market, was Mennen's "Skin Bracer". By the late 1940s, Mennen's scent, a cooler and more complex blend than Aqua Velva's, was becoming the preferred aftershave splash of American shavers.
Faced with losing market share, Williams launched a total redo of Aqua Velva in the mid 1950s, which produced the new, blue colored "Ice Blue" aftershave splash. The move proved very successful: by 1957, Aqua Velva Ice Blue was winning awards and gaining market share.
The new product was unique and fresh and, like Mennen, contained menthol, which provided a cooling sensation to the shaven face.
The Ice Blue scent is distinctive and hard to describe, with tones of rosemary, anise, mint and subtle floral undertones.
During the 1980s, Williams made slight changes to the Aqua Velva scent, making it more subtle and a little more "spicy". The blue color was also made a bit lighter. This update of a classic was not a complete success and many of us preferred the original version.
Today's Aqua Velva
Today's
Aqua Velva, at least in the US, is no longer made by Williams. The
product line was licensed to Combe Inc. of White Plains, NY. Today's
product has gone back to the original formula with its slightly stronger scent and darker Blue color.
It remains a superb aftershave and the menthol still gives it a cool "kick" that refreshes the face after a close shave and reduces irritation and razor burn.
It remains a superb aftershave and the menthol still gives it a cool "kick" that refreshes the face after a close shave and reduces irritation and razor burn.
Before parting with the Aqua Velva product line, Williams in the US had launched an Aqua Velva Cologne: the same scent, minus the menthol, in a higher concentration. It was an excellent cologne and personally I hope that Combe, Inc. will bring it back to the market.
In Europe, Aqua Velva is still produced and marketed with the Williams brand name.
Williams is a division of the Sara Lee Corporation. European Aqua Velva is made in the Netherlands and is lighter in color and in scent than the American version.
The
composition of the European Aqua Velva is also more complex: it
contains Citrol, Citronellol, Coumarin, Evernia Furfuracea, Geraniol,
Hydroxycitronellol, Limonene and Linalool, all ingredients that are
absent from the American Aqua Velva.
In practice, the European Aqua Velva has a more subtle and more complex scent. It is still unmistakably Aqua Velva, but, at the same time, it is clearly not identical to the American product.
Which one is best? It's largely a matter of personal taste: they both provide a superb cooling and bracing sensation and are excellent aftershave products that should be in every shaving enthusiast's inventory. Personally, I am glad to see that Combe restored U.S. made Aqua Velva to its original formula. Let's hope that the excellent Fresh Lime variant from the 1960s is also returned to their product line.
In practice, the European Aqua Velva has a more subtle and more complex scent. It is still unmistakably Aqua Velva, but, at the same time, it is clearly not identical to the American product.
Which one is best? It's largely a matter of personal taste: they both provide a superb cooling and bracing sensation and are excellent aftershave products that should be in every shaving enthusiast's inventory. Personally, I am glad to see that Combe restored U.S. made Aqua Velva to its original formula. Let's hope that the excellent Fresh Lime variant from the 1960s is also returned to their product line.
© 2007 by Giovanni Abrate - All Rights Reserved