Ladies and most especially men to whom this applies: do Axe body sprays and deodorants actually work? From the propaganda the company spews, it seems to make any passer-by go into a frenzy of lust and desire for the one wearing it. One co-worker told me she thought it was very good; her boyfriend used it.
So, is their portrayal true or is it just hype?
(As an aside: The people shown wearing Axe are basically reincarnated Adones (plural of Adonis): perhaps that’s what gets the people into heat instead of the product?)
Well, here in the UK, Axe goes by the name of Lynx. We have the same adverts - “The Lynx Effect” - but I don’t think anyone buys it. (The claim, I mean. Plenty of people buy the deodorant.)
The general perception (IMO of course) is that it’s what teenage boys wear when they first start needing to use deodorant. I used it when I was at school. Scantily clad models did not throw themselves at me. YMMV.
So that UK dopers can join in, Axe is marketed under the name Lynx over in Blighty, although God knows why.
From what I remember about the stuff it is generally worn in eye-watering quantities by young lads between the ages of 13 and 16. As I remember it was almost a rite of passage, when you started to think that girls could be good for something other than scaring with rubber spiders, you swallowed the advertising and bought a can of Lynx Bodyspray. This would then be taken to school with you in your bag and sprayed under your armpits at every opportunity. Can’t say I ever experienced passers by being overcome with lust, but then again, I was a skinny spotty pale computer nerd, so that might have had something to do with it. At about age 15-16 most lads realise that they may have more luck by washing regularly and using an antiperspirant, rather than a bodyspray with the potency of VX and none of its good points.
As a slight hijack, the female equivalent of Lynx/Axe seemed to be Impulse. Again, ghastly scents sprayed in sufficient quantities to cause any canaries unfortunate enough to be in a confined space with the wearer to shuffle off this mortal coil and join the choir invisible. According to my girlfriend, however, there may be another, more TMI reason for it’s popularity amongst adolescent girls, to do with the shape of the can which I shall place in a spoiler box so as not to unnecesarily upset the more delicate dopers
The can for Impulse is slightly slimmer than many aerosols, being slightly over an inch in diameter, and slightly taller than some. Apparently, whilst it may not do much to attract the male of the species, it can do an acceptable job of, erm, substituting for him in certain ah situations if you uh take my meaning .
Axe is HORRID! It’s way to potent. There’s almost no way to apply “just enough and no more”. Anecdote: My brother-in-law was primping for a date, it’s spring, and my In-laws are running their attic fan which sucks air thoughout the whole large house. The windows in the room I’m in are open, and a fan is also blowing in the room. He applied Axe, and the stench was so strong I could taste it and he was in the other room, down wind of me. I’m not exaggerating. Axe is the male equivalent of Exclamation. Too strong! It’s a form of air pollution IMO. Scent pollution?
Mrs. Chastain bought me a can about a year ago. I tried it once or twice, but the sickly-sweet clouds of stench just do not dissipate in the bathroom.
It just hangs there, like curtains, or the way bricks don’t.
I agree with the “impossible to gauge when you’ve used too much” sentiment. I prefer to administer my scent in small, subtle doses, and with an aerosol can, it’s impossible.
My husband swears by the stuff. For its apparent incredible deodorant properties, not its supposed inciting random women into lust properties.
I make him go to the other end of the house to apply it every morning before work because it assaults my sinuses in a very rude way. I keep asking him when he’s going to start wearing a few gold chains and a polyester shirt unbuttoned to his waist.
The only time I use is after physical activity where I am unable to shower. Like when I play beach volleyball in the summer. Just give myself a spray when I finish up and keeps my car from smelling of sweat. I find it really is too powerful for social occasions, plus if the smell makes me nauseous if I apply too much.
Are you talking about deodorant/anti-perspirant in general? Or just the “Axe Effect” type stuff. Because I’m having a hard time thinking of a deodorant that I couldn’t buy at Wal-Mart or Rite-Aid, and I swear by my Secret Ultra.
Even if we’re talking about the alleged Axe effect itself, I can’t think of a single place I could buy something that actually did have that effect.
I buy Mitchum deodorant/anti-perspirant from Wal Mart and that stuff could dry out the Pacific Ocean and I quite like my Preferred Stock I buy there too.
I use the deoderant/anti-persperiant stick that they make and it seems to work. (IE No one at work has said “Damn, you stink!” Alas, they also haven’t propositioned me because of it either.) I have a can of the (same scented) spray that I use to freshen up areas that, how shall we say, are unsuited for a stick of deoderant. They spray is very strong so a 'lil dab’ll do ya. I like the “Phoenix” scent but of course YMMV.
It gets sold in a lot of stores in Casto district of San Francisco, I don’t know if it is a gay fashion thing, or just marketing to homosexuals who have lost the sense of smell.
It is the Hai Karate of the 90’s.
On the bus on the band trip to Boston last year, someone, well, used the bathroom. The kid a few rows behind me decided to combat the smell by spraying Axe everywhere. Then it got to just spraying it for fun and because people were tired of smelling it.
If you’re trying to not make people gag, Phoenix is alright from the Axe series. I wouldn’t suggest any of the others.
Little known fact: all the guys in the Axe commercials that get the chickies are really wearing Chanel’s Platinum Egoiste. Invest in a bottle of that if you want us flying at you in terrific volumes.
Axe smells like hot, fetid ass. One of my close guy friends wears Axe, and whenever he puts it on, I can’t enter his dorm room for a good hour afterwards. God-awful pong. Cadavarene’s got nothing on Axe.
I really prefer “natural man” smell. If you want my attention, wear an unscented anti-perspirant, shower regularly, and smell like yourself. If you really must choose a cologne and can’t afford to spend a bundle, I suggest Adidas Moves or Adidas Classic. Not too heavy and much better than Axe, cleaver to the olfactory system that it is.
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