Meet Blue Aloha, Our New After Shave Made In Canada And Inspired By the Islands of the South Pacific

Image: Picryl

We’re proud to add a brand new member to our Shave family — Blue Aloha After Shave Tonic.

Inspiration? The paradise that is the islands of the South Pacific, but it has to be said: the heart and soul of this thing is none other than Mark-Jason Solofa — a Berkeley, Cali barbering legend, friend, and Samoan descendent with one hell of beard.

“Dino [Caracciolo] approached me about Blue Aloha in 2018, shortly after I’d reopened my second shop,” says Solofa.” The decor theme of this location speaks to a mid-century, ‘50s to ‘60s Hawaiian style Barbershop that could be found in the likes of a hotel in Waikiki. It’s meant to pay homage to my South Pacific/Polynesian/Samoan heritage and upbringing.”

Dino was smitten with “MJ’s” shop the second he saw it, but he felt the the place needed its own signature scent, one that would better represent his Polynesian heritage. As Solofa puts it, “that was the birth of the Blue Aloha collaboration between Dino and myself.”

But, if we’re being transparent, Blue Aloha’s 10 years in the making (at least); “I’ve known Dino well over a decade,” confirms Solofa. “I found out about Crown Shaving Co. on Facebook, and as I recall, I reached out to him shortly before opening my original shop in Berkeley, CA back in 2012.”

“I really appreciated the message and story behind his branding, about him working for his family and growing up in the industry,” says Solofa. “And I admire that he crafted a product line for Barbers based on his experience and knowledge. No one was doing that back then, and even those that do it now still don’t have the resonating history to their brands as Dino’s does.”

In crafting this baby we knew the right blend of scents would get you the right kind of lost with just a whiff. We literally wanted it to smell like the islands of the South Pacific, only we didn’t want to telegraph it once that bottle’s cracked open for the first time.

So, we threw in some lime, added a bit of bergamot for that oomph, then finished things off with some classic coconut.

It’s subtle, but not shy.

By the way, Blue Aloha’s already moving fast, so don’t sleep.