Balms: Bart's Balm Ben Macdui vs Acqua di Parma after shave?

TonyTheShaver

TonyTheShaver

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3
Hi folks ,

First of all this is my first post and hopefully I'm not doing anything wrong (if I am, please go light on me).

Cutting to the chase - I'm a huge fan of Bart's Balms, specially the Ben Macdui fragrance which is insired by Acqua di Parma. It smells great, it's very soothing and it's long lasting but not overwhelming.

So, I'm thinking of treating myself to Acqua di Parma's After Shave Balm. I fully admit that I haven't tried it and am mostly curious about it due to Bart Balm's mention of it.

So, before I spend £50+ (a good ~6x times the price of Ben Macdui) for something that may not be what I'm expecting I've decided to ask folks that may have had access to both balms.

So, my question is, how does Ben Macdui and Acqua di Parma's After Shave Balm really compare? I would be specially interested in how similar are their fragrances and if Acqua di Parma's viscosity and soothing qualities.

I know that this is a very specific question, and may not make a lot of sense given the price difference, but hopefully I'll find someone that had / has access to both Balms around here.

Cheers,
 
I can't comment on the similarity of he two but the Bart's scent notes don't look to be an exact replica of AdP Colonia. It's missing the citrus, musk and amber. I could be wrong as I've not tried Bart's but it does so look like you'll be getting the same thing. Happy to be corrected by someone in the know.

In terms of AdP products, they're good. You're paying for the brand but they're still quality.
 
Boycie83 said:
^ I really should proof read things before hitting post. Hopefully it makes some kind of sense.
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It did for sure. And thanks a bunch for the info. I fully understand that I won't be getting the exact same thing as Bart's Balm. But despite the extra notes, would you say that it's still a primarily Rosemary and Sandalwood fragrance? Or are the extra notes "prevalent" to the point that you think of Acqua di Parma's Balm first and foremost as citric / musky?

And what about the "feeling" of it? I've read somewhere that Acqua di Parma is a "thin" Balm; not greasy, but with good "adherence" to the skin. Would you agree with this assessment? (Sorry, I know that describing fragrances and viscosity is not exactly an easy thing to do, but any extra information that you could share would certainly help me).

Side note: Apparently there's also AdP "Futura", with very different notes than the original, including Grapefruit and Pink Pepper. I would say that Bart's Balm Ben Vorlich is a close second to Ben Macdui on my book (although I understand that Futura is likely very different, e.g., with notes of Lavender instead of Tobacco).
 
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TonyTheShaver said:
It did for sure. And thanks a bunch for the info. I fully understand that I won't be getting the exact same thing as Bart's Balm. But would you say that despite the extra notes, would you say that it's still a primarily Rosemary and Sandalwood fragrance? Or are the extra notes "prevalent" to the point that you think of Acqua di Parma's Balm first and foremost as a citric / musky?

And what about the "feeling" of it? I've read somewhere that Acqua di Parma is a "thin" Balm; not greasy, but with good "adherence" to the skin. Would you agree with this assessment? (Sorry, I know that describing fragrances and viscosity is not exactly an easy thing to do, but any extra information that you could share would certainly help me).

Side note: Apparently there's also AdP "Futura", with very different notes than the original, including Grapefruit and Pink Pepper. I would say that Bart's Balm Ben Vorlich is a close second to Ben Macdui on my book (although I understand that Futura is likely very different, e.g., with notes of Lavender instead of Tobacco).
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There's a few different AdP ranges but Colonia is the 'OG' so to speak. Colonia, for me, is citrus forward with Vetiver immediately behind it. Sounds very different to what you're describing so it may be a different one of the AdP range that Bart's is based on.

It's been a long while since I tried the AdP balm - I had a sample a few years ago. I seem to recall it being more on the 'wet' side but nice feeling.
 
Boycie83 said:
There's a few different AdP ranges but Colonia is the 'OG' so to speak. Colonia, for me, is citrus forward with Vetiver immediately behind it. Sounds very different to what you're describing so it may be a different one of the AdP range that Bart's is based on.
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That's fair. Bart's balm website specifically mentions Colonia, and Vetiver is certainly a base note, but at least to my nose Bart's Balm is not primarily citrusy, nor musky. I guess it's the creator own interpretation of the smell (which is great by the way).
Boycie83 said:
I seem to recall it being more on the 'wet' side but nice feeling.
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Sounds very nice. And thanks for all of the info and everything that you've managed to recall.
 
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