9/1/24

Purple Patchouli (Axe)

Whenever I see a rack of Axe at the drugstore, I'm instantly reminded of my teenage years—my friends spraying themselves with Axe like it was bug spray, and me choking on the aerosol fumes. Within five minutes, I'd feel a little lightheaded. Anything delivered via aerosol is already compromised by the delivery system, not to mention the low budget that typically goes into the scent. But Axe hasn't changed: it's still cheap, canned swill.

Axe has a "Fine Fragrance Collection" series of supposedly "premium" sprays containing "real essential oils" and boasting ridiculous names. "Purple Patchouli" sounds like something Montale might release, so I fully expected a sweetened patchouli oil. No such luck. The perfumer seemed to struggle with the eponymous note and instead focused on an Aventus-style citrus and a dry woodiness described as oak on the can. The oak is pretty much all there is—dry, woody, no patchouli. It smells passable, if you can get past the aerosol fumes. It doesn't smell premium, but it might be an okay spritz in a pinch.

Axe often gets unfairly criticized for what it offers, especially when you consider that for the price of a gas station sandwich, you get a fragrance that delivers without being obnoxious. Sure, you can tell it's canned air, and a fraghead with $200 bottles will turn their nose up at it. But this stuff has been responsible for quite a few babies being born. I'd say it's worth using if you're a cash-strapped kid, but it's not 1998 anymore, and there are better drugstore options out there (Cremo, Dossier, Pinaud).