A friend recently complained that her co-ed gym smelled like cheap perfume and strongly scented deodorants, and she blamed it all on: men and AXE. I bristled. I’ve smelled my fair share of badly (and powerfully) scented women’s body products, and AXE is not simply a “man thing”…women like it too.
A recent radio report dealing with AXE’s environmental problems in California (AXE was forced to reduce the quantity of propellants in its sprays to comply with clean-air standards) also featured interviews with AXE-loving high school girls. Yeah, “the boys’ locker room reeks of AXE” but the girls “love it.” One girl said: “…you smell it (AXE) and you’re, like, drawn to it; it smells so good.”
I’ve certainly made fun of AXE, and men’s grooming habits, in the past. I chuckled as I read Twist’s “instructions”: spray on underarms, chest and neck (apparently some overzealous boys apply AXE in places no deodorant body spray should ever touch); but I realize there are more important things to get riled up over than deodorant body sprays. So, let me mention a few positive AXE qualities:
1. AXE makes funny commercials; see the new Twist ads here and here.
2. AXE reduces teen stench. (When it comes to “smelly,” there’s smelly from: 1. a vile brew of sweat, sebum and bacteria; and 2. overuse of cologne and/or scented deodorant. Like the hormonal, grooming-obsessed teen I once was, I choose perfume smelly over sweat smelly every time.)
3. AXE supplies a $4.99 fragrance for people who can’t afford expensive perfumes (like cash-strapped teens). Enter: AXE Twist, the newest AXE scent.
AXE says Twist contains “citrus” and lime, cedar and sandalwood. I smiled at the ad copy “Girls get bored easily. Combat dating game monotony with new AXE Twist, a fresh fragrance that changes over time to keep girls interested.” The “world-renowned fragrance experts” responsible for Twist apparently never heard of top, middle and base notes, perhaps having concentrated on single-note fragrances full-time.
Twist starts off smelling like "fresh" lemon juice, citrus candy and orange-lime peel. Though the citrus isn’t real, it smells good and does not turn sour or go stale over the course of the hour or so the fragrance is active. You heard me right: after a fresh, perky citrus opening and a segue to white musk, the Twist fragrance fades and stays close to the skin. This is the nicest smelling, least obnoxious AXE fragrance I’ve ever encountered, and if I had a teen nephew or, gulp, son, and he begged me to stock his medicine cabinet with AXE, I’d buy Twist — and pray it stayed in production. And if the AXE cans weren’t so damned flammable and combustible I might even consider getting some AXE Twist for myself to use on a, let’s say, safari or high-altitude trek (Twist is convenient for “roughing-it” travel — serving double-duty as fragrance and deodorant).
AXE Twist Deodorant Bodyspray is $4.99 for 4 oz. Twist is also available in deodorant, antiperspirant, and shower gel.
Note: top image is Academic male nude by Jean Baptiste Wicar, via Wikimedia Commons.
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AXE is, indeed, not as offensive as many believe. Like everything when you spray too much you go from smelling nice to smelling rank. I shared a hotel room with a friend and her then boyfriend a few years back. This was Labor Day weekend in Atlanta and therefore ridiculously hot and said friend’s boyfriend had a bit of a BO issue when he perspired . Let’s just say that the AXE he had on hand was a godsend. No, AXE is not that interesting but it doesn’t have to be.
My brother used to use Phoenix, as well, which I remember borrowing years ago after a night of clubbing and not wanting to go home to my parents smelling of smoke and beer. And I do love those commercials. Especially the one for Twist.
Also, loving the Academic Male Nude. Yes, indeed.
Klytaemnestra: yes, there is a place and time for AXE…and academic nudes!
I agree, “scented smelly” ranks “sweaty smelly” when it comes to teenage boys. (Even my 11-year-old son can really reek.) Good to know there’s an AXE that is actually bearable.
Must comment on the “Academic Male Nude”… what the heck is his hand doing on his head, checking his hair gel? Finding (God forbid) lice?
And if he’s Academic, then WHERE’S HIS IPOD??
or ummm….his PANTS?
isn’t that almost “1st position” in ballet? I really do expect him to break into a plie or leap…..perhaps Axe Twist makes him happy?
“ALMOST” first but not quite. Yeah, I used to take dance classes back in the day. HA!
Daisy: he’s clean and fresh and THRILLED.
mals: I thought it was obvious…he’s doing the Axe Twist!
Ha. Looks more like a TWIRL to me. Like the ones you get on the top of your Dairy Queen cone…
I use these body sprays as air fresheners. i dont spray it on myself.
Rictor: when I sprayed Twist in the air it was a lot stronger than on my body…weird.
Axe is not my favorite….but it’s not really THAT bad, especially applied in moderation. But as someone who’s spent a substantial amount of time in schools (first as a kid, and now as a parent-volunteer) I have to agree wholeheartedly with Kevin—Axe is soooo much better than the unadulterated smells of adolescent and teenage boys who really do need to reconsider the importance of a morning shower (for one thing) and a deodorant (ANY deodorant) ….and once we’ve covered that ground….I’d like them to select their garments from the closet rather than the dirty clothes hamper….but now I’m just getting picky.
Daisy: a friend’s young son recently wore the same sweatshirt a week and finally she asked: What’s up? He said: “Oh, it’s OK…I used Fabreeze on it ….” AYE.
A friend of mine used to put her son’s NEW clothes directly in the hamper to trick him into wearing them.
Agree with everyone else. It’s not what you wear, it’s how much you wear of it. And I know this is my broken record moment, but JUST ABOUT ANYTHING IS BETTER THAN STINKY GOD-AWFUL B.O. AND/OR CIGARETTE SMOKE (or even better, uh, other kinds of smoke). And my latest gripe I will add is people who smell like mildew. I’ve admittedly had some “oops, forgot about that load of wash for too long” incidents, but *I* re-wash.
ewww ….you are so right! That mildewy smell is a real gagger. I used to know a girl with very long (calf length), very thick hair….and she always braided it either wet or damp so it was more easily controlled…..it would often have that smell, and I could never (gently) get her to understand that her hair NEEDED to be completely dry…. how do people not smell these bad smells and not figure out that the bad smells are coming from THEM??? it boggles the mind (and the nostrils)
Yeah Mildew is up there with awful smells…but so is unwashed hair and scalp! Uck!!!!
Btw, Miss Kitty, I sent you a pm on MUA. Much more fragrant subject.
I am sure the Axe is better than what we do here at the library with smelly patrons – spray Fabreeze around. (I do have a fantasy deoderizing chamber that I am sure would be equally as good for smelly teens!) When I was in high school it was either Canoe, Z-14, Drakkar Noir, or Polo.
But I like how you point out “Girls get bored easily.” And I say, how about Perfumistas get bored easily, lol.
AnnS: it is strange that more expensive scents were worn by high schoolers till AXE came around…maybe the guys were wearing their father’s stuff?
Probably – makes sense to go after dad’s stuff. Explains all the Jovan Musk too, lol. But everyone was wearing Polo back then too….
I know I had a bottle of “If you like Polo, you’ll love our CROQUET” when I was in HS. But I think I also got a bottle of the genuine article and Drakkar at some point as gifts.
I’m feeling as if Axe is geared more toward the junior high set and underclassmen, maybe? By junior and senior year, the students may have “graduated” to “fancy” stuff like Diesel, Ed Hardy, and Acqua di Gio?
We’ll hope.
I really liked Drakkar Noir (on boys, that is – which is probably why I’d never ever wear it now, it reminds me of my housemate’s gorrrrgeous baseball-playing boyfriend).
Fun reading!
1) That Chocolate Axe is the devil’s work and should be illegal. But then I feel that way about Angel.
2) Can I just say, as I have a daughter who brings (male) teenage friends home? My goodness, they smell funky, even though they bathe. And their feet! Holy cow. They all kick their shoes off in the mudroom and it’s like something died. It must be hard being a teenage boy.
3) This one doesn’t sound too bad.
Try being the mother of two teenage boys…STINK-CITY (of course they claim they can’t smell anything!!!) .
At least when they go to a girl’s house presumably they are trying to impress, not at home, and don’t get me stated with the …never mind it’s just too gross, but suffice it to say the smells never end!!!!
March: I never smelled the Chocolate one but the ad freaked me out! CANNIBALISM…
Oh, I know! That was was very weird.
‘A fresh, perky citrus opening and a segue to white musk’ makes it sound rather appealing in some ways. Miss kitty, your comment made me crack up–I’ve never had the pleasure of smelling a mildewed person.
I guess I must be the only lucky one that always gets the oddly-scented people on the treadmill next to me at the gym.
Oh, to add to the list, I often get the misfortune of being next to an elderly gentleman who smells not just like cigarette smoke and B.O., but also bad breath and mothballs. I’ve inhaled better smell combinations at the city dump.
My husband, a native Portlander, used to have code for bad smells. He would say : Hobo Power 1 (the least bad smell) to Hobo Power 5 (the worst of the worst).
We could use his rating system in my neck of the woods too.
That is so funny! my 16 yr. old son is too snobby to wear this stuff.
He likes the old spice body spray, so does my 12 yr. old girl!! of course they smell good.:)
No, you’re not alone, Miss Kitty! I too have smelled mildew in human form.
. . . (hit post too soon). . . and the others on your hit parade: b.o., cigs, bad breath and mothballs.
Oh, dear, I will never complain about my gym again!
As for our local library, I had been away from the area for 12 years, and what I noticed when I came returned was that there were no longer any comfortable chairs – mostly just hard benches. I guessed that this was intended to keep people from sleeping there. It’s kind of sad when I think back to how much I enjoyed my hometown library when I was a kid….
Hang out in the public library for a little while. One is bound to wander in eventually. Ugh.
I understand the library smell thing. Too bad about people who invade one of my favorite smelling places. Last week while eating lunch in a restaurant I noticed immediately upon sitting down that there was a horrible hobo (great description-perfect) rank smell emanating from somewhere near me. I kept getting whiffs of ‘no shower for weeks’ and finally looked at the man adjacent to me, an elderly gentleman. He smelled so bad I could barely eat. I looked at his wife and wondered how she could endure being with him. Don’t people smell each other? Ugh is right. Teen boy smell is rank; my son played hockey and now coaches-ever smell a hockey locker room or a duffel bag about to be thrown (holding nose) into the wash machine? Axe is long overdue.
Poor Ann. Febreez must be a staple in your environment. I’m not sure of the demographics of your town, but the issue you mention really has to be so much worse in our city, believe it or not, and almost impossible in larger cities. It’s quite a sad state of affairs that the public library has become the day shelter of our time; I’m sure this gets discussed ad nauseam on ALA listservs.
Yes, libraries do become a day time shelter. There is always a lot of conversion on listserves about how to handle smelly people – from ask them to leave to their civil rights are being violated. Our problem is mostly with old people or poor people (incl. children) who can’t afford to wash their clothes often enough or use decent detergents. Or maybe don’t bathe enough b/c of the cost of hot water. Normally they just get so used to their smell they don’t realize how bad they do smell. It is frustrating and funny and very sad too. The worst are really the crazy dog people who can’ t smell how truly offensive they are – clearly they are living with too many dogs and don’t like to walk them outside, capice? And I can believe that it is a much bigger problem in urban areas for sure – more poverty.
Um….. stepping in here very gently to say that a) many of the homeless people in our urban area are mentally ill and have almost nothing in the way of mental-health resources or places to go, much less the faculties or facilities to bathe; and b) while they also frequent our library, sleeping or talking to themselves, I find them overall less irritating than the people who ignore the cell-phone bans (whom I’d like to Taser) and the mommies who let their toddlers run around screaming at the tops of their lungs. The homeless folks have few other options, particularly in extreme weather.
March – no toe stepping here – I’ve been an advocate for homeless issue for a long time. And I have no problem with the poor, as I have not that much money myself, and most of our patrons that we serve are low income. But sometimes it is still hard when they are smelly. And actually, it is not just the poor – the crazy smelly dog people are from all kinds of backgrounds.
One thing I appreciate about our fine city is that you can find personal hygiene products in select restrooms of the main public library. Never even bothered to ask if it is official policy, or just a humane response. Nobody is forced to use; it is, however, available.
I’ve tested this and thought it smelled super-generic fresh with a hint of vomit underneath. Their worst new release in a while, the new Rise that hit at the same time was much more agreeable for me. No need to own either though when I have Azzaro’s Pure Cedrat to fill my body spray-esque citrus and white musk needs. Instinct and Kilo are still the stars of the current lineup though.
The “hint of vomit” made me laugh – I had to clean up after someone in my building the other day who had been sick freakin’ EVERYWHERE and for a couple of days I had that hint of vomit in my nose no matter what I was smelling.
Daisy mentioned it first…yup, the unfortunate reality of many an “unadulterated teen scent” is that it HAS been adulterated, au naturale, by being recycled. Some days, those shirts should be declared “dead” before the sun has set, let alone found themselves pressed into use a second time. (And yup, Mals, even at 11…in fact, that would be the person most in need of following that rule in my house.)
You’ve got to hand it to Axe…why did nobody go for the teen boys before?
Thank goodness, Gaze is wearing Old Spice deodorant these days.
But if he forgets a day – by the time he gets home from school, he smells truly hideous. His teachers should get combat pay.
You should have heard me when I was a teacher at a place planning a new school. “Locker room? Cool. But WHERE ARE THE SHOWERS!!!” Sheesh. All of those health classes and discussion about body changes and how to use deodorant (a cultural thing, btw, I know). But if we’re going to do that…can’t they at least have the opportunity to shower?
Feet. Yorrrrk. We haven’t talked about the feet.
I think we just used to spray smelly teenage boys and their shoes, jeans, backpacks, etc, with Right Guard aerosol or LYSOL before.
Brilliant review Kevin! Love the beaux-arts nude pose echoing the AXE twisty swirl! My favorite AXE is undoubtedly Chocolate! A can of it sits among my collection of CdG colognes. Mad layering fun
tjoppie: never tried it…wonder if it’s still available….
This was a fun review, Kevin. Nice to know that cheap doesn’t always mean nasty. I’d say that in addition to your two teen smell options, there’s an unfortunate third category: (c) a strong mix of sweat and sebum that someone has attempted to cover up with too much cologne.
I’m not around high schoolers, but am around many college students, especially those in their first year. Similar issues abound.
I have to admit that the smell of Speed Stick in a locker room is a very evocative scent memory and occasionally I get reminder.
See…. that’s what I was going to say. I don’t know that I mind Axe, in and of itself, that much – it’s the combo of post-gym class adolescent combined with head-to-toe Axe (or anything really).
I do feel bad for the poor boys though – here they are in junior high, their bodies have just gone haywire, they’re required to take P.E. and, while they dress out, there are no showers – so what’s a poor guy to do? Apparently, assail the nostrils of those around him with Axe and Tag in a desperate attempt to not stink too bad and impress girls at the same time.
I really feel for them, too. They are so awkward with themselves, around girls, around adults, it just makes my heart soft. And I’m not saying that just because my baby lost his last baby tooth today and will soon be crossing the threshold into adolescence.
Am I the only one with a son who changes clothes three times a day and wears a uniform to school? I guess I should be thankful, but the laundry is a drag. I don’t even know where all of those clothes come from. I complimented him on a shirt today and asked where he got it and he told me he didn’t know, it just showed up. His older brother had an Axe habit but it wasn’t any worse than their sister’s Bath & Body Works phase. Our older son has developed pretty good taste, snagging Jubilation XXV and Chergui samples whenever he can. The little one (almost 13) only uses a scented Old Spice body wash and the same deodorant his dad wears.
I don’t think that you’re alone – my neighbor has a 7 year old who changes clothes 3-4 times a day if she doesn’t catch him first and make him keep his clothes on. He’s very brand and fashion aware, too – his older brother couldn’t care less.
Joe: option three is bad. HA! Funny about the Speed Stick.
I find Axe (or Lynx, as it’s known in the UK&Ireland) almost always has a top note of rotten egg, no matter what the fragrance. I suppose that could emanate from the wearers, too. That said, my husband wore “Africa” as a teenager, and it smelled pretty good on him.
I don’t know what the ads are like in the US, but here they are nauseatingly laddish, the usual boring, predictable, soft-porn, playboy-brand cr*p I could really live without, although maybe others find them fun.
I wondered if Axe was the same as Lynx- that is what it is called in Australia as well. Luckily my teenage boy has moved on from Lynx to normal deodorant (Nivea or the like) and now has his own bottle of Bulgari Blv Pour Homme. What an improvement! Makes a difference when they have a girlfriend they want to get close to!
It certainly looks like Lynx- my son wears the chocolate Lynx and it smells so nice in the bathroom after he has sprayed it.
I’m a resource teacher in an elementary school, and let me tell you: on fifth grade boys, Axe deodorant beats hell out of nothing at all.
Amen.
sigh….I’m so happy that I have a teenage GIRL who has always loved bathing and has a taste for moderately applied high-end fragrances…I’ll always remember when she asked me, way back in 9th grade, “boys get better smelling, right? WHEN???” I told her to take heart; that they mostly started smelling better sometime during college.
Wish I was your daughter. I’d be bathing in Chanel and rooting around in mom’s fragrances. Isn’t she a lucky girl? With mom influence such as yours she’ll probably have her own perfume blog someday.
yeah, I can see it now : Great Perfume and Italian Baroque Art .
A blog about smelling good and dissing Borromini……maybe not.
Oh, I dunno, I’d read it!
Testosterone is the cause of male stinkiness – nothing anyone can do about it. Learned that years ago in biology.
Nothing else to say on the subject. LOL!
Bela: thanks for the brevity of your comment! After reading some of the above…I’m thinking about skipping my tea/snack this evening! HA!
a little bit goes a long way… axe is strong stuff
however, I would rather be able to smell axe from the guy’s locker room than stinky sweat.
What a funny review- especially with the picture montage at the beginning!. You never fail to crack me up Kevin.
i am an 18 year old male and i cant stand axe on guys it is like one of the worst stench ever I like guys who were versace pour homme or gucci pour homme or even go old skool with pour misour chanel
why are the selling this shit !!! why when i was in middel skool like 5 years ago i did not like it at all. But then i was always wearing coco madomosille chanel! if they wear nicer smelling cologns maybe they could get the girl! axe is cheap cheap cheap no good it make me get a horrid headach!
And by the way i only wear eau de parfum or pure parfum!
But the problem with some guys are that they spray half the bottle and when it comes to bo or half a can of axe quite frankly i rather smell bo! I cant stand this one or any of the axe
love, Butterscotch
Let’s face it, the guys at Axe know their thing…
I mean when I was 15 YO (and this was 22 years ago) Axe first launched here in Argentina… I remember going with a friend to buy it.
They had only 3 scents Marine, Epicee ans Musk.
I chose epicee for winter and when summer came I went for marine… Musk was toooo much. (sweet and powdery).
So what I mean is they’ve been in the business succesfully for so long!
Lately I find that they tend to put too much of what I can only describe as a Calone-clone in fagrances, but they keep up with trends too, and they released a couple of foody chocolate smelling things.
Teen girls love it. And I agree 100% with Kevin’s review… twist is a winner.
Although I find all of Axe scents too intrusive to use with my fragrance wardrobe ( I am currently using Adidas’Fair Play as my current deodorant, much subdued than Axe) I can see myself buying one of these as a quick “all-purpose” fragrance for a summer long-weekend.
This is weird.
Toady I have a sample of Amouage Dia Rose on my arm, which smells pleasently like my mom. And then I read about AXE and school and the smell raises in my nose – Jesus!
Locker rooms, smoking behind the fence of the school, hidden; wearing Amarige.
The kids I saw a few days ago in the bus, hard hit by acne and puberty.
I started then to think about if I want to have kids – they all hit puberty and if they come after me, I will have to lock them inside.
And with all this, the mommy scent on my arms – this is really weird. Some years ago I could speak with everyone, every age, now I just do not understand them. I even have problems with people who are 4 years younger then me.
And I rather like Amougae (which I do not love) then Axe.
I guess I am grown up!
About AXE, I work very well with their PR agency in Germany – there is no nose, but it is Ann Gottlieb and her agency, who create the “concept”. AXE is spending a fortune on advertising, e.g. tehy offe a VIP Lounge in Hollywood with and for A proms.
I must admit, I am a middle-age gentleman and I love all fragrance products, so this means, I really do like Axe products especially the bodysprays! I am not afraid to try anything, and who knows, you might find a new favorite. I have and like Axe Twist and I just bought Axe Music and will try it tomorrow. There is nothing wrong with trying new colognes no matter whom they’re marketed to.
Just my two cents worth…lol.