Old Spice Red Zone Deodorant (Aqua Reef)

A few years ago, it seemed like Old Spice was staying out of the "cutting edge" so to speak of health and beauty products (being famous for the original Old Spice men's cologne and aftershave).  In about the last ten years or so, there's been a push in the hygene market (particularly body wash and deodorant) for more complex and gendered fragrances while still being functional.  Notably, Axe body spray (targeted to young men) hit the niche hard and dozens of hygene product companies started to follow suit.  Recently, Old Spice came out with a line of deodorants, antiperspirant, shaving products, and body washes called "Red Zone." The fragrances come in: Pure Sport, After Hours, Showtime, Glacial Falls, Aqua Reef, Deep Cleansing, Mountain Rush, Hydrowash and Vitality.  The deodorants, I know, come in the soft gel (the ones with the tiny holes in the top you can turn to bring up the moist gel), the hard gel (in blue), and the regular white stick. 

Today, I'll be giving a review of the hard blue gel in the Aqua Reef fragrance deodorant.  Unlike the Axe lines, Old Spice doesn't market Red Zone nearly as sexually, though it is obviously designed as a men's deodorant.  I would describe the Aqua Reef fragrance as very fresh, sweet, with a hint of cologne-like muskiness.  Also has a definite soapy quality to it, which is where that fresh, clean scent comes from.  It's also quite mild and not overpowering, like Axe tends to be (I'm using Axe as a comparison because I believe Red Zone is targeted at roughly the same market, perhaps a little bit older).  Overall, Aqua Reef is a pleasant, mildly masculine fragrance. Also a big plus, the deodorant keeps me dry much like an antipersperant would (I'm not sure what active ingredient accomplishes this).

There are only couple cons about the product.  I would like the musky, cologne-like qualities to be slightly more pronounced over the soapy characteristics (After Hours, another Red Zone fragrance, is MUCH muskier than Aqua Reef).  Additionally, the fragrance doesn't stay strong for more than two or three hours (it's still effective in keeping you dry, though).  

Old Spice must have confidence in the product as well because they offer a toll-free number on the front of the stick that you can call if you're not entirely satisfied with the product.  Overall, I'd recommend this scent over many of the other Red Zone fragrances, but not over After Hours (I may do a comparative review of this one later on).  It's masculine, but not juvenile in its sex appeal and I would recommend it to any male who is unsatified with his deodorant!