On sale at my local grocery: Vitalis and Aqua Velva?

I didn’t know they even made this stuff anymore!

If you’re under 30, chances are you’ve never heard of Vitalis. It’s an old-school hair product called hair tonic, and it provides a little hold, a lot of shine, and a scent that you’ll either love or hate (it’s a sort of antiseptic, aftershave-y smell). If you’re cosplaying as Archer or Don Draper, you’ll want to get some of this in your hair.

As for Aqua Velva, I think of it more as something that desperate winos drink rather than aftershave.

Recommended reading:

• The Dapper Society’s article on Vitalis
• The Art of Manliness on old-school men’s hair care products, including Vitalis
• Birchbox on Vitalis
• Geeky Gentleman on Vitalis
• Video review of Vitalis
• An article on Aqua Velva’s “reformulation”