Welcome back to the Gentleman's Gazette and part two of classic men's fragrances.
If you're interested in part one, you can check it out here but today, we look at
ten more fragrances to see how they've stood the test of time.
Scents are deeply personal and some men would never think about leaving the house without one
whereas others, never use one in the first place. Personally, I agree with G.
Bruce Boyer who advocates that a man should have a wardrobe of fragrances so
he can choose the right one for the right outfit and the right occasion.
That being said, experimenting with fragrances can be quite expensive
because once you open it, you can't return it. Even though there are
thousands of fragrances out there, we wanted to focus specifically on the
classic ones have been around for a while because there's a lot of marketing
hype and marketing dollars in the game but we wanted something that was truly
classic and gentlemanly. Just like in part one of this series, we only
considered scents there for 30 years or older. So without further ado, let's jump
right it. We'll talk about the cost of bottle, the fragrance notes, the history
of the cologne as well as our personal review. The first fragrance is 4711 or in
german, "sieben und vierzig elf"; it is now at Mäurer & Wirtz but it used to be
from Mülhens. It was originally created in 1792 as an health elixir. These days
though, it's only used for external application. Like when a fragrance is
this old, this was made from men and women. It is a classic citrus fragrance
and it doesn't have an atomizer, so you have to apply directly to your skin.
Overall, you can get this fragrance project more if you add a spray head or
if you decant it. In my experience, it's a weak longevity but it's relatively
inexpensive so you can reapply it many times. Some people in Germany like to add
it to their guest bathroom. Personally, I'm not a huge fan of that. Top notes are
orange oil, peach, basil, bergamot, and definitely lemon. In a heart note, people
could smell lily and melon. Personally, I smell more of the rose and jasmine.
In the base notes, get some patchouli, vetiver, and musk,
as well as oakmoss and sandalwood. Some people also smell cedar.
So what's our review? We had four people on our team test this cologne just so we
get a more well-rounded review rather than just my personal opinion. So what
did our team of four think about this cologne? Well personally, I think it
smells like the classic unisex cologne or perfume for grandparents. Maybe I'm
biased because I grew up in Germany but at the end of the day it's old people's
stuff. It's great beyond your 70s or older. Personally, I would not wear it.
That being said, our team liked it more than denied it but they didn't grow up with
it. It's far as the $22 for a hundred milliliters which is quite inexpensive
in the fragrance world but I would rate it at a 2 or 2 and a half at most
and it's just not something I'd wear. Next up, let's look at Aramis, which was
created in 1966 and is undoubtedly a very masculine scent. Aramis is a member of
the Chypre fragrance family which is built around citrus, oakmoss, spices and
woods. It's considered by many to be one of the first fragrances to combine
citrus notes with a more masculine sense. It's also one of the few fragrances
where leather is a very strong detectable note and on a top note, I can
smell cinnamon, I can smell some bergamot, and something flowery; some people call
it gardenia. In a heart note, I can definitely smell some sandalwood, vetiver,
and patchouli. The base notes for me are leathery, there's some oakmoss
and some people could smell amber, I couldn't. In my mind, it's definitely
heavier in the 4711 but it still has that citrus note. It's a great masculine
cologne and personally, I'd rather wear it in the fall winter season than in the
spring summer season. It's definitely a scent with a strong presence and because
of that, I think it's better suited for evening occasions, not so much for the
office because some people may just think it's too strong. To learn more
about the proper office etiquette, please check out this video here. At a price of $25
for 110 milliliters, Aramis is definitely on the lower end of the fragrance scale.
Our team rated it unanimously at about 3 out of 5 stars.
Number threeis Dr Harris Classic cologne which was developed in London in the
late 1800s in one of the oldest pharmacies there. It has been on
St. James Street for over 200 years and they hold the Royal Warrant from Prince
Charles. It is characterized as an aromatic fougere scent with a citrus-forward
note. While some people can smell some lemongrass, rosemary, and rose water into
hardened base notes, I could just smell the lime in its hop note because it's
the dominant scent. In my mind, this was a citrus all the way and it smelled more
like a tub cleaning product to me than a high-end cologne. It's like for me a
lighter, fresher summery scent which is great for day wear and it's definitely a
unisex. Our team really likes the fruity and spicy and citrus for a profile. Personally,
I don't want to smell like a cleaning product, so I would not wear that one. My
rating is 1 and a half out of 5, our team rated at 3 and a half out of
5. The price is $60 for a 100 milliliters, it is not super expensive
but somewhere in the middle. Number four is Geo F. Trumper Extract of West Indian
Limes, was created in 1880 by George Francis Trumper who was a master barber
and the name says it all. This one is all about lime. It's one of the brand's most
favorite colognes and as a brand describes it, it is the essence of those
West Indian limes. When I smelled it, it's very clear, direct, limey. There's not much
else there. When I smell it for the first time, I instantly thought of Caipirinha
and because of that, it's a very beachy summary scent. It's not just unisex, but it's
also priced at $60 for just 50 milliliters of cologne and frankly, I was
wondering if I could just put some lime on my skin, I would probably smell
exactly the same. On our team, people liked that it was unisex but they complained that it
was actually not long-lasting. Preston and Kyle thought it was the favorite
cologne in the lineup. So my rating would be just 2 out of 5 stars, their rating
would be 4 out of 5. The fifth scent is Dunhill for Men which was
created in 1934 by Alfred Dunhill, the son of the founder of Alfred Dunhill
Limited which was a well-known London luxury goods maker specializing in
tobacco and leather goods. Very much in line with their brand cachet, they create
a fragrance that was heavy and manly. On the top note, I can smell some lavender and a
nutmeg, some people could smell geranium. I thought there was also a bit of a
lemon. The strongest heart notes for me were woods and a smell of a fresh cut
carnation. Other people could also smell iris, rose and jasmine. The bass note was
definitely leather, vetiver and sandalwood and it was something else.
Looking through our people's notes, it seems to me the tonka bean because the
oakmoss and the cedar was there but the characteristic part was a tonka bean
that just made it smell different. Price is $46 for 100 milliliters. It's
definitely somewhere in the middle. Frankly for my first sniff, I came too
close and was just overpowering and overwhelming. At that point, I would have
given it a negative 1 out of 5. After the initial shock, I could smell some
lavender and it made me think of a 1950's women's powder room not a London
gentlemen's club. On men test scents, we always smell them very close in our
skin and I think sometimes that's not quite realistic because other people
will smell you from much further away and the scents really smell differently.
Because of that, I gave it more chances I wore it in regular days and try to
experience what it felt like, and I liked it more than I initially did. I would
definitely still call it an old-school scent,
some people may call it dated, others may call it just serious. Overall, it's a
mixed bag. So the team rated it at 2 out of 5 stars, I probably would give it a 3 out
of 5 now that I've worn it a little more often. Scent number six is Chanel
Pour Monsieuryou, it was created in 1955 by Chanel's second chief perfumer, Henri Robert.
It was announced first fragrance for men and is such a novelty. On top
note, you can smell some lemon, verbena and orange. The heart note have some ginger,
cardamom, and coriander. On the base note, there's definitely some cedar and
oakmoss. Overall, it felt like a very round elegant scent. Personally, I like
anything related to verbena or lemongrass, but this Chanel cologne
wasn't overpowering. It was very elegant and not as much in your face as a Geo. F.
Trumper or a DR Harris. Smelling it, I could tell it was designed for the
Parisian gentleman not for the American cowboy. Why? Well, it's not this distinct
heavy men's cologne like the Alfred Dunhill, it's just a bit more rounded but
it's also not female. I think the Chanel Pour Monsieur could be worn in the
evening but also at the office. Personally, I gave it
a 3.5 out of 5. Some people in our team hated it, others
really liked it. Price at $98 for 100 milliliters. It's
definitely more in the upper echelon of men's colognes
that are quietly available. Number seven is Caron Pour Un Homme De Caron, created in
1934 just like the Dunhill for Men. This scent was one of the first ones that was
specifically marketed towards men. The two founders of Caron individually liked
the vanilla and lavender so they just combined those two in this scent. It was
a known favorite of James Dean and the current owner of Caron says that the
formulation has never changed. The top note for me was very lavender heavy,
it was maybe a bit of rosemary, some people say bergamot but to me it was
just lavender. In the heart note, there was maybe a bit of sandalwood, some
people say sage but definitely a strong vanilla and as the lavender evaporated
the vanilla was still lingering. Base notes had some musk and oakmoss and
again that's something special, I think it's a tonka bean. While someone on our
team called it understated, personally, it felt like an assault to my nose. At first, I
smelled it too up close and it was just strong lavender and
especially vanilla and personally, I really disliked vanilla colognes or
scents. It's just not my type of thing. It reminds me of a woman's hair salon
in 1950s and the closer you get to it the stronger the vanilla gets. Frankly in
my mind, it's a lavender vanilla balm and I can see it being used for a milkshake
flavor, maybe a chocolate flavor or ice cream, but not for a men's cologne. People
on our team said it's not like candy with a licorice note, in my mind it was a
straight 0 out of 5. I would never ever wear this. Our team on the other
hand, gave it a 2 out of 5 with a caveat that they wouldn't wear anything below a
3. Even though it's just priced at $30 for 180 milliliters, this is a
solid NO for everyone on our team. Number eight is Old Spice and even
though this seems to be the classic grandpa cologne in the last 50 years, it
was actually invented much earlier in 1937. At that time, it was created by Shulton
Inc. In 1970s Old Spice pivoted from just an old school
shaving, more on to fragrances and so eventually, it was bought by Proctor and
Gamble. The true original formula of Old Spice is no longer available because
Proctor & Gamble reformulated it in 2016 to comply with current regulations. If
you grew up in the US, Old Spice is probably a scent that you're familiar with
because your dad might have used it or your grandpa and it was just a very
commonplace aftershave. Because of that, many will probably associate an
old-school vibe with it and nostalgia. On the top notes, I could definitely smell
some nutmeg and citrusy, maybe lemon or orange and some star anise. On heart and
base notes, people could smell all kinds of things from carnations to Jasmine to
vanilla, personally, I thought it wasn't such a strong sense. It was hard for me
to pick a specific sense. Not having grown up in the US, I wasn't really exposed
to Old Spice, and I just know it from advertisements, for cheap men's grooming
products basically. So frankly when I smelled it, I thought it was surprisingly
good. Of course, when you look at the flacon and anything else,
it looks really cheap because in fact, it is. $8 for 120 milliliters is
hard to beat. It's definitely more subtle scent, it won't last long and it's not
too extreme in any way so it's kind of a crowd-pleaser.
In that sense, it reminded me a bit of Acqua Di Gio because it is just something
that most people will be okay with or somewhat like no one will love it, no one
will hate it. In my mind, Old Spice is a lot better than 4711 and I would give
it a 3.5 out of 5. Everyone on our team liked it and it
made people feel very nostalgic. Number nine is Habit Rouge from Guerlain. The
brand was founded in 1828 and is now known as a more high-end skin care
cosmetics and perfume producer. They have a rich history because they created
sense for Napoleon and Queen Victoria. Habit Rouge was created in 1965 by one of the
last family members in the company. It's considered by many to be an oriental
woody fragrance. The top notes contain a lot of citrus such as tangerine, lemon
lime and orange, some bergamot, it's pleasing. The heart note,
I could smell some flowers and sandalwood. Some say they could smell
some vanilla on the base note but frankly by no means, it is as strong as a Caron
Pour Un Homme. At first, I thought it was an interesting scent, it was not too much in
your face and so more pleasant to wear. Nevertheless, it was distinctly masculine
and so I thought it was a great office cologne. I also didn't think it was
particularly seasonal so it's a good year-round thing, maybe something would
bring for business travel. The team only gave it a 2 out of 5,
personally, I gave it a 3 out of 5. It's far as a $40 for a 100 milliliters which puts
it somewhere in the middle. Last but not least, we looked at Paco Rabanne
Pour Homme. Paco Rabanne is a pseudonym for Francisco Rabaneda y Cuervo. He was a
Spanish fashion designer for the Basque region who made a name for himself
because of his avant-garde designs in the 1960s. Because of his success, he
eventually opened a fashion house and in 1973, introduced fragrances. The scent is
characterized as an aromatic fougere fragrance. Top notes include
rosemary, sage and rosewood. Heart notes have some lavender and tonka bean. The
base notes, I could smell a bit of sweetness musk and oakmoss. Overall, it's
not very manly mossy and bold to me. Because of that, I'd associate it with maybe
velvet dinner jacket or something but even then, it was too much for my
nose and I would just give it a 1 out of 5. The team, on the other hand, rated it a 3
out of 5. If you want to go for it paired with sumptuous fabrics such as silk or
brocade or velvet and then you can wear it maybe during the colder months of the
year. Price of $29 for 100 milliliters, it's definitely not expensive but again price
alone should not be an indicator whether you should buy a cologne or not. If at all
possible maybe a little sample or try it on your
skin because on a tester, it will just smell very different than on your
personal skin. And with some scents, you just need to try them a little more
often to just get an idea of whether you like it or not. So out of all the
fragrances, our favorites were probably the Chanel Pour Monsieur,
surprisingly Old Spice, and then Geo. F. Trumpers West Indian Limes.
So today's video, I'm wearing a three-piece suit with a double-breasted waistcoat and I
felt like the Chanel Pour Monsieur or maybe the Old Spice could have both
worked with it. It's a grayish Brown with kind of a very faint orange stripe which
is somewhat of vintage-inspired. I'm picking up the orange tones of this suit
in this pale peach dress shirt with French cuffs and a very wide open cut
collar. In order to accommodate such a collar, you need a very big tie knot,
I went for a Half Windsor because I'm not a fan of the Full Windsor. The tie is
a jacquard woven silk printed with a diamond pattern in turquoise and orange
picking up the color of the stripe on the outside but also the lining on the
inside. It's from Fort Belvedere and you can
find it in a shop just like my pocket square which is wool silk and orange
with some paisley patterns on it. Because of the warm tones in my outfit,
I went with a gold pair of monkey fists knot cufflinks also from Fort
Belvedere and I tied together the outfit with a pair of burgundy shoes by Meermin
and with the socks, I could have gone with something shadow stripe but I kept
it a bit more muted with just a pair of gray socks with clocks on the side that
had red and white that pick up the rest of the color in the outfit. Last but not the
least, a little pinky ring with a bloodstone that is greenish and red
which picks up the color of the tie and brings it all together.