I touched upon this one briefly a couple of years ago when I was dissing Love’s Baby Soft, writing that it was something I had gotten back in the day because a co-worker really liked it and it put her in a good mood when I wore it. Since I like keeping people in good moods I wore it and promptly gave it to another co-worker when it was time to start college. Because I had too many bottles. Silly me. In any case I was ordering from fragranticanancenet or wherever and fell for that “add X amount to your bag and get free shipping!!” scam. So since the bottle of Canoe was about $15 per gallon, I bit.
Luckily Canoe didn’t. Although even at the time it seemed not quite the thing to me: I preferred Eau Sauvage myself, (and still do) but there’s something particularly American about Canoe. Maybe it’s the memories of all those ads where square-jawed blond guys were out sailing- trimming the jibbet and coming about while cute girls paddled over to share Gin and Tonics and be blonde together. It’s clean, it’s soapy, there’s nothing frou-frou about it. You can imagine JFK splashing on the aftershave after a day sailing off Hyannis (Jackie would have had him on Eau Sauvage fairly soon after- so much more refined, so much more continental) or on his way to orate in the House of Representatives.
I get a clean and surprisingly tenacious scent- the fresh citrus, carnation, and geranium are backed by surprisingly present heliotrope and a vanilla/tonka base. All of which means although it comes in practically half-gallon sizes, please don’t take that as an invitation to marinate yourself in it. Go steadily- over application may be the reason this one fell out of favor.
Notes (from fragrantica)
Top notes: Lavender, Lemon and Clary Sage
Middle notes: Carnation, Bourbon Geranium, Cloves, Cedar and Patchouli
Base notes: Vanilla, Heliotrope, Tonka Bean, Oakmoss and Musk
In many ways, if this one is remembered at all I think it gets a bum rap as something that is at Walgreens or some gas station. Certainly for someone starting out who wants an inexpensive way to smell good its miles better than a lot of stuff that’s advertised to cover up the fact that you aren’t showering enough (looking at you Axe, and kind of at you too Lumi)
Thanks to MizChris for the link to the Youube commercial I purchased my bottle from Jomashop. Samples of both the vintage and the new can be had from Surrender to Chance
Photos are mine, Pexels and Wikimedia Commons
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