Diver Down
Phoenix Artisan Accoutrements (2020)

PAA notes that Diver Down is their homage to Original Seaforth Spiced. While I can’t comment on the accuracy achieved, I can say this gives off vintage vibes while not smelling too much like anything my dad or grandfather wore. Very hipster indeed!

The fragrance opens with a salvo of mentholated green notes and spices. This phase is quite lovely. The “menthol” here is eye watering in potency (I love it), though it’s not listed officially as a note. PAA indicates that spikenard provides a “cooling effect”, so maybe that’s it.

The “greenness” from the pine and (predominantly) lavender in the mid calls to mind older wetshaving staples like Brut or Skin Bracer, but this effect is fleeting, as it is draped in a bouquet of spices and light resins.

The drydown is where my enthusiasm for Diver Down fades a bit. It smells a bit like a variation on bay rum, a style I’m already not the biggest fan of. That said, I find it more enjoyable than most of PAA’s “true” bay rums, and besides, it’s a lot of fun getting there.

Overall, Diver Down is a well-crafted fragrance with a lot of character. Performance is good at around 6 hours for the “aftershave/cologne” and there are clear phases from top to bottom.

If the thought of a greener, mentholated Shulton Old Spice sounds nice, this is your ticket. Anyone into wetshaving should at least give it a sniff.

I’ve gone through two full samples and waffled back and forth on whether or not Diver Down is full-bottle-worthy for me. I may eventually spring for a bottle ($26/100 ml), but there are other PAA offerings I’ll get to first.

Thumbs up.