In the August 2008 issue of GQ, there is an expensive six-page advertising spread for AXE’s new Proximity fragrance line; these ad pages, showing model-actors wearing not only AXE body fragrance but clothes by Dolce & Gabbana, Paul Smith and Tom Ford, are positioned right before a GQ grooming article by Chandler Burr on nice-smelling deodorants called Give Up the Funk. Interestingly, among Burr’s deodorant picks (Mark Birley, $29, HM by Hanae Mori, $20, Tokyo by Kenzo, $18) is a plug for AXE Dry Sharp Focus — $5.
AXE’s Proximity print ads are aspirational — as in AXE aspires to attract an older, more affluent customer for its $5 body fragrances. But who in their right mind would think a man wearing a Dolce & Gabbana tuxedo for a night on the town would opt for an AXE Proximity fragrance? Hell, a man wearing that tuxedo could do much better than Dolce & Gabbana’s own fragrances. But I’m here to try what scents come my way, be they $5, $50 or $150. I got all three Proximity fragrances for under $10 and I approached them with an open mind and flared nostrils.
Proximity Bergamot smells like a typical sport fragrance; it begins with that familiar cold, metallic bergamot note we all know so well, then it goes into fresh musk-light wood territory. Proximity Bergamot is not unpleasant and it smells no less expensive than sport fragrances costing 10 times more that you’ll find at Nordstrom or Macy’s (in fact I find it just as wearable as Chanel Allure Homme Sport for one!) Since AXE is certainly making a profit with their $5 fragrances, we know we’re not paying for the bottle contents of designer fragrances of this type, don’t we?
Proximtiy Vetiver smells awful upon application, rather “rotten” and “cabbage-y.” A friend said: “It smells like vegetation breaking down!” — yes, the compost bin (is this what artificial vetiver smells like?) One can also detect hints of “fresh” notes (that quickly sour and become stale) and a note that smells of warm sea water. HOW did Proximity Vetiver get approved for sale in its current form? I won’t even use it as a room spray, and after reading the many warnings on the AXE can about the dangers of flammability and inhalation, and the possibility of heat-activated explosion (“CONTENTS UNDER PRESSURE”…”can cause serious injury or death”), I don’t know HOW to dispose of the unused can in summertime! (For some added weirdness, watch the Huffing and Igniting videos at theaxeeffect!)
Proximity Amber smells like a fruity-fresh, lightly vanillic amber. When I let others smell Proximity Amber, the consensus was “It’s alright — but it smells cheap.”
Of the three AXE Proximity fragrances, Bergamot is the best, Amber is an average drugstore/discount fragrance and Vetiver is a nightmare. (After smelling Proximity Vetiver, the strong “teen” AXE scents smell downright pleasant.) All three AXE Proximity fragrances have decent lasting power but are not overpowering; they stay close to the body.
Compared to other over-designed/“decorated” AXE products, the silver and black Proximity packaging (a metal can with plastic top) is austere, but the nozzle that shoots out fragrance with the force of a water hose is still utilized (what comes out of the nozzle is more like “fog” or thick vapor than what you get from a normal natural spray atomizer).
AXE Proximity fragrances are available at walgreens, drugstore and other online retail outlets.
Based on your description, I think we should all be VERY glad about the existence of AXE Vetiver. The way I see it, this should make everything labelled “vetiver” a turn off for the vast majority of the male population. Meaning that a day might come when WE will get to wear vetiver fragrances as much as we want without needing to ever worry about smelling it on others in the bus or metro. Great review idea! cheers, borhane.
Borhane: I'm all for smelling REAL vetiver on a bus or metro! I set the AXEs on a shelf at work and Bergamot and Amber were grabbed immediately…Proximity Vetiver just sat there for a week and now I, AGAIN, have to figure out a way to dispose of it that won't kill rats at the dump or sanitation personnel!
Rats we don't have to worry so much about killing off – it's the sanitation personnel that concerns me.
eminere: I don't want wounded rats wandering around without tails or limbs on my watch. I don't know why a natural spray can't be used in such products…maybe studies have been done showing teen boys don't have the finger energy after video gaming to press down on a nozzle more than once?
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Maybe the line should have been called Adjacency.
mercurygirl: GOOD one!
Can you sneak into your local high school locker room? Or maybe casually….set it down… near a homeless encampment? Just thinking… 😉
Thanks for the laughs…between you and Robin (not to mention other commenters) today, I'm getting very odd looks from my coworkers.
boojum: maybe I”ll just hit the streets: “LAST ONE! LAST ONE! NEW AXE PROXIMITY VETIVER…FREE!”
Oh, I love this!! Aren't you the one who sent your BF in to buy the Old Spice? Did you do the same thing with this?
March: yes, that was me…this time drugstore.com was my purveyor.
The shame!!! What if they use your purchases and start spamming you with ads for fragrance dupes, etc.? I saw a really funny one today, wish I could remember what it was…
“Cheap thrill, or toxic spill? YOU be the judge (please?)!”
Kevin, leave my Allure Homme Sport ALONE! Hahaha! Actually, I don't have a bottle yet, but I would. Don't give me that look… it's fine for gardening or heavy housework! However, I think I'll pass on the Axe.
Regarding “who in their right mind would think a man wearing a Dolce & Gabbana tuxedo for a night on the town would opt for an AXE Proximity fragrance?”: You never know, Kevin, you just NEVER know. And personally, regarding deodorants, I can't really stand anything than my very lightly scented Tom's of Maine stuff — for some reason the perfumed stuff really makes me almost ill, no matter how nice the fragrance.
Joe: NOW you've done it…I'm imagining you in those Palmolive latex/rubber pink or yellow gloves that almost reach the elbows, scrubbing your kitchen and bathroom after spraying on your Allure Homme Sport!!!!!!! Psssssssssst! Psssssssst! behind each ear! HA! (Henceforth, I will not use your beloved Allure Homme Sport as a “reference”…promise.)
You guys are on a roll today. So funny. I've laughed so hard.
Now you're braver than I. I wouldn't of touched the stuff. I'm terrified of it for some reason. Maybe because it looks so industrial and toxic. However, I do recall seeing a coupon for it in the paper…
Strangely I want to smell the Vetiver out of morbid curiosity, but it sounds like I'll lose my sense of smell.
victoriamegatron: Did you watch the videos? If so you are probably cowering even more! These are hard to “sample”…but you can just spray from a can on the shelf…the top TWISTS to open the nozzle…just make sure there's not a flame or spark near!
Haha! No yellow or pink Palmolive gloves, I promise you! And truth is, I probably won't ever buy more than a mini of Allure Homme Sport (not even for doing chores) — though I still need to try that Edition Blanche. Actually I'm about to go garden wearing Rose Poivree. Thanks for the laughs.
Perhaps you could get rid of the bottle by doing a walking ad (or public art piece, depending on your taste)! It could go like this:
-write on a piece of cardboard: “this is vetiver”
-empty the WHOLE bottle of AXE on the cardboard and/or on yourself
-walk throughout the city with the cardboard in hand
You could enhance the experience by bringing a friend that would take picture of people's face as they get close to the beast… What do you think? 😉
There is definitely a performance art angle to explore here, but I'd opt for placing the cannister in the middle of a plaza and having a robotic bomb detector go to the can and blow it up. “IS THIS WHAT PERFUME HAS COME TO?”
lol!
Very entertaining review… I share your assessment of Chanel Allure Sport as smelling incredibly cheap (if I don't misinterpret). I just don't get it that Chanel “committed” that fragrance!
Yikes!
My husband is a teacher and jokes that for years AXE made stuff for the students and now they're trying to market to the teachers! He says that this stuff has already infiltrated into the classroom (worn by students) causing adults to suffocate. How my husband can smell anything over his own Fahrenheit is beyond me… But, he said the Vetiver one is being worn! ( He had to go to Wal-Mart to figure out which smell was so horrible. I recently read your review and had a good idea of where to direct him.)
My favorite packaging is that of “Bod” which looks like it is a bug spray or industrial strength weed killer. And it comes out it streams or spray like household cleaner!
AH! A friend who is also a teacher with an asthma problem had to have OXYGEN brought in after one student DRENCHED himself in the MIDDLE OF THE CLASSROOM with AXE.
LL: everyone tells me Chanel Allure Homme Sport sells like hotcakes…so they will not nix it till the numbers drop. I'd love to know how the Edition Blanche sold this spring/summer….
That's horrible! Luckily, I'm not that sensitive to fragrances, but I think some of those could do it to me. I don't know what is worse this stuff or the BO of 12 year old boys… or 12 year olds covering it up with aquatic blasts of scents.