Perfume Reviews by manlyscents

Roccobarocco by Roccobarocco

I picked this one up because @ramseytheramsmellsgood had recommended it on Youtube a while back, and it did not disappoint.

Dark, spicy, herbaceous, floral, with a touch of civet, dries down slightly soapy. Overall, I would describe it as gothic. It's Roccobarocco's precursor to Joint, but to my nose it's much closer to Salvador Dali PH, albeit not challenging and much easier to wear.

Projection is unexpectedly low, but longevity is decent.

Masculinity Level: V from V for Vendetta.

Lagerfeld Classic by Lagerfeld

This is a cozy, ambery, orangey, talcy musk. Quite linear. Totally unisex to my nose. Influential - I can't see cK Obsession for Men happening if Lagerfeld hadn't blazed the trail. It's one I reach for sometimes after showering when I know I'll stay in, but so far I've never enjoyed wearing it outside. Make of that what you will.

This is an early Parfums International tester bottle that doen't even have "Classic" written on it. I never smelled the deep vintage "Cologne" version, and frankly I'm not inclined to investigate it further.

Projection is very good and longevity is decent.

Masculinity Level: Pat Riley from SNL.

Casaque by Vermeil

Opens piney and metallic like Jaguar for Men, then dries down woody in the same vein as Enrico Coveri Pour Homme, but weaker. All in all, it's pleasantly herbaceous and aromatic but as metallic as one would expect from a 1989 release, which isn't my cup of tea.

Projects well and lasts quite long.

Masculinity Level: Ben Affleck in Gone Girl.

Citrus & Wood by Yardley

Natural smelling zesty lime, orange, birch wood, and vetiver is what I get. You certainly can't complain about false advertising on this one. Citrus & Wood is a more linear, cleaner Terre D'Hermes, but with a strong lime note. Its drugstore origins bely its quality.

Projection is decent for the first hour, after which it becomes a skin scent and lasts about 3 hours in total, 5 if you overspray (which I always do). Not bad for a cheapie.

Masculinity Level: It's all good, man.

Caesars Man by Caesars World

*I'm reviewing the Legendary version made in USA, not the current non-Legendary formulation made in China that you can find for $15*

It's a well-known fact that sales of this fragrance shot up by 40000% when @scentsofsouthjersey reviewed it on YouTube some years ago. That's where I heard about it too. So how is it?

The opening is indeed close to vintage Drakkar Noir as they say; it's just as loud, but greener and more citrusy. The dry-down on the other hand diverges from Drakkar Noir because Caesars is missing the leather, and it's mossier too. Civilized in a good way. I enjoy wearing it more than DN.

It projects very well for the first 2 hours, and then lasts another 8 hours, mostly as a skin scent. I heard the made in China version doesn't perform well at all.

Masculinity Level: Someone who roundhouse kicks you first, and asks questions later: Chuck Norris in Code of Silence.

Rapport by Eden Classics

I picked up the modern version of this 80s drugstore scent that is well-known (or infamous rather) in the UK. It opens with spicy citrus and immediately goes into a nuclear, floral, musky soap. A very old-school fresh out of the shower sort of thing. The huge dose of musk makes it go powdery in the dry-down. The vintage version by Shulton often gets compared to big pissy florals like Roccobarocco Joint and Bogart Furyo, maybe it had civet; this formulation does not.

It's one of the most projecting fragrances in my collection. Do. Not. Overspray. And don't spray the wrist and bring it close to your nose either, because the harsh musky soap overload will induce Viet Nam flashbacks of grandma's bathroom. One single spray on the nape is all it takes to enjoy Rapport.

There are better, higher quality musky soap bombs in production (some Pradas instantly come to mind), but heck, for only €8, Rapport can hit the spot on casual occasions, especially when I'm feeling nostalgic.

Masculinity Level: Enoch "Nucky" Johnson from Boardwalk Empire.

Maxim's pour Homme by Maxim's

The 1980s was when celebrities really started getting into the fragrance game. Salvador Dali, Alain Delon, Elizabeth Taylor, and Julio Iglesias come to mind. Among them was also @maxims.de.paris, not a celebrity per se, but the chic restaurant that celebs used to visit.

This particular fragrance Maxims released in 1988 is a stunner. It has a fruity lavender opening - sweet, but not in a modern barrage kind of way. Then florals come in with a prominent carnation, followed by an ambery, musky dry-down. Not too powdery, and with a touch of leather. A fine perfume to match a fine dining celeb hotspot.

Projects well and lasts through a work day.

At this point in time, there are loads of bottles out there at a decent price, making this one of the very best vintage perfume bangs for buck.

Masculinity Level: The villainous politician from the original House of Cards on BBC.

Gucci Guilty Absolute pour Homme by Gucci

An (in)famously challenging frag by Gucci. All about leather, wood, and vetiver... but it's also like smelling Stop n Grow nail-biting deterrent solution in front of a fireplace. I'm not gonna fake that I can describe it better than that. Weird, but good stuff. Murderous in the heat.

Guilty Absolute PH was doomed from the start. Consumers in retail stores only care for the very first minute of the opening, that's all the window of opportunity a fragrance gets to make them fall in love. Many of us who own a bottle of this had to try it out 2-3-4 times before we realized we even liked it. The challenge is what kept us going back. The average consumer doesn't want a challenge - at all. Side note: Funny that many reviewers call this "niche style" simply because the perfumer tried to do something oustide the norm. Goes to show the sorry-ass state of designer perfumery these days.

Projection is good and it lasts forever and a day.

Masculinity Level: The Road Warrior. To be fair he's more Dior Fahrenheit to me, but I don't own that one because it gives me a headache.

Courrèges Homme by Courrèges

This 1970s Gerard Anthony creation has a gentle spicy citrus opening that quickly gives way to a balsamic combo of mysore sandalwood, myrrh, and ambergris. It's smooth, a bit light. The vibe I get is a cross between vintage Equipage and vintage Rothschild, but more sandalwoody and more refined.

Projection is light but longevity is good.

Masculinity Level: Peter O'Toole in Lord Jim.

Armani Eau pour Homme by Giorgio Armani

It opens with a very natural smelling blend of citrus fruits, lavender, and cloves. Some sandalwood and oakmoss appear in the soapy dry-down.

I'm far from the biggest fan of citrus bombs, but this aromatic is high quality, classy, and has depth. You can forget about getting anywhere close to this level with cheapies such as Victor or Aqua di Selva.

This Cosmair era bottle has higher concentration and projects well for the first hour and a half, and lasts about 5 hours on my skin, which isn't great, but twice as long as I get from the last formulation.

Masculinity Level: Sharply dressed Marcello Mastroianni on hot day in Rome.

Mila Schön Uomo by Mila Schön

I adore the design of this splash bottle. I never keep empty bottles, but will make an exception here when the time comes.

Mila Schon Uomo is a green freshie of sorts. The strong citrus in the opening lasts only a few minutes. Then it's aqueous, briny, slightly herbal, slightly spicy, slightly woody. Everything is subtle. Definitely clean.

The after shave concentration is too light for my tastes - reminds me of a watered down Orlane Derrick. I'd love to try the EDT, but have never seen it priced below €200. I like the scent, but I don't like it *that* much.

Doesn't project, but lasts a long time on my skin.

Masculinity Level: Jude Law in The Talented Mr Ripley.

Opium pour Homme by Yves Saint Laurent

Opium PH is nowhere as oriental as its feminine counterpart. The notes I get are blackcurrant, anise, and vanilla. It's a tad spicy, a tad creamy, a tad sweet, a tad powdery. I don't like my fragrances sweet and I don't like them powdery. Opium PH is as far as I'll go on those fronts, and I don't reach for it often. Strangely I find the dry-down quite similar to that of Lagerfeld Photo even though they don't share many notes, and both are cloying in the heat.

This 90s bottle projects decently. Longevity is good.

Masculinity Level: Robert Pattinson in Cosmopolis.

Polo by Ralph Lauren

Here in Europe, Ralph Lauren's first ever fragrance was not a runaway hit when it was launched in 1978. From what I gather, Ralph Lauren didn't spend that much money to market their products outside the US until the 1990s. Hence why it's harder to find vintage Cosmair or Warner versions around here. What I'm reviewing is the L'Oreal tall sprayer version from the mid-2000s i.e. one of the maligned later versions.

It opens a bit spicy with crisp pine and hay and then dries down to a smoky tobacco soapy leather. It is a powerhouse for the mature man, but very refined, especially when compared to Puig Quorum, which it often is.

Projection is great. Lasts forever.

Masculinity Level: Logan Roy from Succession.

Eternity for Men by Calvin Klein

Opens fresh and metallic with lavender, citrus, and a touch of green. Trying it back in the day must have been my first exposure to the annoying woody amber base that has since become the standard for modern designer fragrances. In the late 80s, Eternity For Men and Davidoff Cool Water set the trend for what we now refer to as generic, fresh, clean, office-friendly perfumes. They changed the landscape of designer perfume... for the worse imho.

This early 2000s version by Calvin Klein Cosmetics projects well and lasts 6-8 hours. The current version by Coty is watered down.

Masculinity Level: The stapler guy from Office Space.

Versace Man by Versace

A blend of fresh tobacco and saffron on a peppery bed of warm labdanum. There is a dark vibe to it, similar to that of Escada Magnetism For Men. Unlike most reviewers, I don't get any sweetness - thank goodness.

Versace For Man is far from the usual "manly man" stuff I usually enjoy wearing, and it might not be for me nowadays, but it's better than 99% of modern designer releases.

Projects well and lasts 8 hours easy.

Masculinity Level: Jeremy Irons as the billionaire in Margin Call.

Homme de Grès by Grès

On first spray I get a gorgeous melange of astringent citrus, green notes, and neroli. The strong bergamot note is restrained by the greens creating a balance that I greatly enjoy. The dry-down is still citrusy and herbaceous, but also sandalwoody and mossy.

The opening reminds me of a more herbal Capucci PH. The dry-down is like a more citrusy Loewe PH. This is halfway between a citrus aromatic and a chypre. It would have been considered fresh and contemporary in the late 1960s, but was completely out of place when Grès launched it in the mid-90s. Hats off to Grès for daring to release this when men had already been wearing Cool Water and Eternity for years.

Projection is moderate but longevity is good.

Masculinity Level: Pacino's coked-up detective in Heat. Though we never actually see him take drugs.

Romeo Gigli by Romeo Gigli

An interesting opening; huge tarragon with plum. It soon turns cinnamony and floral. Eventually it progresses to a woody amber with vanilla and patchouli. I'd have preferred something in the dry-down to tip the scale away from sweetness (an animalic touch maybe?), but this was launched in the early 90s when the market was diving head first into that. Complex for sure, and very good, just not for me.

Projection and longevity are great.

Masculinity Level: Gosling on the prowl in Crazy Stupid Love

D&G Masculine by Dolce & Gabbana

This opens fresh with a big bergamot and petitgrain. It has a spicy-herbal mid and a woody dry-down that I enjoy a lot more than the citrus-laden opening. The base is substantially woodier than citrus aromatics, which makes it a good step up from linear big lemons like Victor Original or Acqua Di Selva, and so on. Unfortunately it is hard to find these days.

Projection isn't good, but given its woodiness it lasts longer than most citrus aromatics.

Masculinity Level: Alec Baldwin in Miami Blues.

Comore by Montana

Opens with a spicy citrus. The citrus quickly fades and dry coriander *really* shines amongst rosemary and lavender. If you're averse to coriander, maybe you should stay away. A cypress note soon joins in the fun, and we're left with what I am tempted to describe as the best smelling aromatic antique furniture ever. That won't make sense to anyone but me, but I'm going with it anyway.

Comore offers a similar old school vibe as Guerlain Coriolan and, to a lesser extent, Boucheron Pour Homme and Cerruti 1881 Pour Homme. Hard to believe Comore was launched in the mid-2000s. Needless to say, it was a flop and was quickly discontinued. It flopped so hard that you can still find it at discounters for a pittance. Brave move by Montana nevertheless... we salute you.

It projects surprisingly well and longevity is 8 hours on my skin.

Masculinity Level: Donald Sutherland saying how JFK left him standing with his dick in the wind during the Cuban missile crisis.

Jaguar (original) by Jaguar

A fresh, synthetic hodge-podge of oranges and herbaceous notes riding a huge metallic wave from beginning to end. It's more metallic than Drakkar Noir or even Cool Water or Platinum Egoiste... we're at Lomani Pour Homme levels of dihydromyrcenol here. There's too much of it for me to even smell the flowers and tobacco and leather and moss and woods that supposedly are in this. Sergio Soldano Black is close to this, but more citric and less metallic, and I prefer it.

Projection is okay at best, and longevity on this vintage made in France formulation is 5 hours max.

Masculinity Level: Hound from The Transformers, green and metallic.

Narciso Rodriguez for Him by Narciso Rodriguez

The bottle colour says it all - this is notorious for its "niche wet cement" smell. I get the violet, the lavender, and the musk, but how their concoction smells the way it does is a mystery to me. It veers into powdery territory in the deep dry-down, but not enough to bother me.

Narciso Rodriguez For Him puts me in a reflective mood. It makes me want to wear a raincoat and go for a walk alone in the cold rain. Hats off to the house and the legendary perfumer for releasing something stupefyingly daring by 2007 designer standards.

It projects very well for the first 2 hours, and lasts a good 8. No complaints there.

Masculinity Level: Alain Delon wearing a trenchcoat on a grey day, walking hurriedly in the streets of Paris - a gorgeous city when it's drizzling.

Loewe Pour Homme by Loewe

We are greeted by geranium, clary sage, rosemary, petitgrain, and also bitter orange. Sandalwood, vetiver, and moss come alive in the dry-down. To my nose the citrus is not strong enough to warrant comparisons with popular citrus bombs.

Loewe PH is sadly overlooked, maybe because of its typical structure: spicy-herbal-citrus opening and woody base. Maybe it wasn't ground-breaking in 1974, but I appreciate its ability to be inoffensive while retaining its unabashed masculinity. You could easily rock this at the office today instead of resorting to something fresher and less masculine.

Projection is moderate but longevity is good.

I hear this 2010s formulation is less floral and less mossy than the vintage. It's well worth a sniff, but I can't attest to the juice in the newer tall bottles.

Masculinity Level: Gordon Gekko delivering the "Greed is Good" speech.

Montana Parfum d'Homme (original) by Montana

A solid burst of aldehydic, spicy, incense-y pine soon leads to typical 80s florals, followed by a healthy dose of oakmoss and leather. The scent profile is classic 80s masculine green; nothing ground-breaking, but an outstanding perfume nevertheless. It's not as loud and rugged as many beasts released during this period such as Basile Uomo or Loewe Esencia, but it's still substantially stronger than say Orlane Derrick which to my nose is a distant cousin.

Projection is decent, longevity is good.

Masculinity Level: Covey Leader to Raven. Come in, Raven.

Magnetism for Men by Escada

Unlike most reviewers who rave about this one, I didn't wear it back when it was readily available, so I have no nostalgic attachment and emotional bias towards it.

This is an unusual blend of mostly dark berries and a little bit of fountain pen ink. It has a very warm woody base that's slightly powdery. A mature fragrance for sure, but not my type.

Magnetism For Men is unique in its own bizarre way. If you fell in love with it before it got discontinued, there isn't much out there that's similar. John Varvatos OG comes to mind, only because of the dark fruits up top, but Magnetism isn't as sweet.

Projection is moderate at best, but longevity is good.

Masculinity Level: Travolta in Get Shorty.