Antaeus
Chanel (1981)

"A warm, woody fragrance "

Yeah that and then some huh

5/5

I don't seem to use a lot of designer fragrances, but when I do, they smell like the combination of a Hindu Temple, an oily biker jacket, and a raccoon hat. The only minor ding is longevity is not so great, but then it just means respraying and getting that amazing leathery opening again. Love this stuff. (2024 bottle bought direct from Chanel)

WOW what a potent juice from start to finish. It is "OLD SCHOOL" for sure. This is not for everyone IMO. Most likely, this has had to be reformulated due to ingredient restrictions. It is an Animalic and woody Chypre. It is a classic and if you can get your nose on it to try it you may be intrigued by it's masculine character from previous decades. It is sharp, spicy, woody and musky. Overall a neutral in my opinion... if you can wait 4 hours or so for it to start the dry down it may be worth it... but those first few hours are a battle of good vs evil lol... try before you buy...

If there was one men’s fragrance that I would wear for the rest of my life, it definitely would be Antaeus by Chanel. It was one of the first fragrances I wore back in the 80s and 90s. When people say it’s a very masculine fragrance, they are 100 percent correct. In fact, to me, it’s the most masculine fragrance ever created. It’s definitely not a unisex fragrance at all, like some “men’s” colognes are described to be, and can be carried off by both men and women. No, this is too masculine for the ladies. Perhaps that’s why some women (and some men, especially younger men) don’t like Antaeus. It lacks that “spring, light citrusy” scent that many young men and women seem to prefer nowadays. As one reviewer said, Antaeus is the kind of fragrance that most men “want” to wear, but don’t because the women in their lives want them to wear something else, something lighter and more flowery. Like how a man wants to wear a shirt he loves but instead wears the shirt his wife or girlfriend chose for him. As a man, I’ve experienced that! Still, Antaeus is very appealing to me. It’s my favourite men’s fragrance. I’ve worn it throughout most of my adult life. It’s a serious scent, dark and heady. Best for evenings and in the fall and winter.

Dark, ultra-masculine, castoreum-kissed rose hustler Antaeus. It's another (gay) icon. I've heard stories of how the Saint in San Francisco reeked of Antaeus, Kouros, and poppers in the early 80s. I am amused by these bozos who go on about how these fragrances were released when "men were men." Maybe so, but they were definitely worn by men who were WITH men. Antaeus was attracting men TO other men; how's that for flipping your rear view upside down?

Rugged, rough, and macho, yet it still has that rose, that little something to excite Daddy. I also love this impression of beeswax that I pick up in its heart, adding to the unctuousness imparted from the castoreum in the base. It's simply gorgeous. I could go on here and cause the idolaters to bristle for dashing their romantic notions, but I just wanted to keep this tribute brief. Speaking of brief....I'd like to go back to imagining that scene at the Saint.

As happens to me a fair amount in the last 3-4 years, I develop a sudden passion for something that came out years ago and has hung around a long time. This past year, Eau D'Hermes and Antaeus became big time favorites.

This is just manly elegance to me. It's a bit on the serious side, so I don't usually wear it casually dressed though I'm sure that would be fine. I'm sure when it came out it was a "clubber" to be sniffed in every nook and cranny of Studio 54. Now, it's likely mostly a mainstay of dressy mature gentlemen.

Dark, woody, very slightly floral. Grown up gentleman scent.

I've dabbled with both vintage and current version and I must say the current while different is still very "Antaeus like" and very good. Slightly less animalic, though the vintage is not as beastly as some would have you believe.

Wonderfully, Chanel continues to make this available and that thrills me because I've gone through a couple of bottles and will no doubt need more.