Givenchy Gentleman Vintage formula

Bergamot, Lemon, Rose, Honey, Cinnamon.
Patchouli, Jasmine, Cedar, Orris root.
Amber, Vetiver, Patchouli, Leather, Moss, Musk, Vanilla.

Risking the snobbery label, once again I have to praise the vintage formula over that of the current rendition. I have tried several wearings of the newer and there's nothing wrong with it. It simply doesn't compare to the original.

You have to love the patchouli note to admire Givenchy Gentleman. This is refined ruggedness as opposed to hippie. Patchouli is, more or less, a pigeon-holed note. The difficulty lies in making it appealing to those who don't necessarily love the aroma of it. I suppose if I was on the fence with patchouli, I may pass on Gentleman ( in any of its renditions ), but it's such a well done masculine version that the possibility of numerous sample wears would be likely.

The vintage formula is aggressive from the initial application, but within 5 minutes or so calms down to reveal a dirty jasmine-rose smothered in patchouli. The citrus accompaniment is rather short lived on me and it seems to be present only as a conventional courtesy. It dilutes the patchouli enough to where it's not overwhelming.

By the time the heart accord arrives, an earthy tone envelopes the composition and precedes the arrival of leather. The ratio of vetiver and leathery moss keeps Givenchy Gentleman in the masculine category. It is this combination that ( to me ) is the magic of this fragrance. Surprisingly, it's not overbearing and the volume of the accords is acceptable.

Through the life of the wearings, Givenchy Gentleman never attains a genuine softness. It is always a bit edgy, even when everything becomes smoother. The volume ( naturally ) dies down, yet Gentleman never fully

relaxes into a comfort scent. It always has something left to do and I enjoy the insinuation of energy in this creation.

The drydown and beyond is merely a continuation of gritty floral notes, earthy patchouli and a well done woody-mossy-leather combo. Long into the life of the scent, a wispy oriental vibe takes this home.

Sillage is good to strong and longevity is half the day. Big thumbs up for Givenchy's classic Patchouli bomb that goes by the name of Gentleman.

Comments

Black Suede by Avon

Nutmeg, Clove, Amber, Musk, Moss, Wood Notes. Yes.........I am reviewing one of the Rodney Dangerfield's of fragrance. Black Suede has been gracing medicine cabinets, for better or worse, since 1980 my friends. If you're expecting me to inform you ( like others may have already ) that Black Suede is a nasty scrubber, you will be disappointed. On the other hand, if you're expecting a glowing review claiming it's a diamond in the rough, you won't hear that from me either. I will say though that Black Suede doesn't deserve the hate it's received and most of that is due to snobbery aimed at Avon products in general. I kid you not when I state that a close relative to this fragrance is Cacharel Pour L'Homme. The array of spice in both ensure comparison, but the "smoother" of the two is Black Suede due to its implementation of Amber. While wearing Black Suede, one can detect a hint of "drugstore". That quality doesn't manife...

Chanel copying Guerlain. Why?

Last month, I had the pleasure of trying Comète by Chanel, the latest addition to their prestigious Les Exclusifs line. This fragrance follows the release of Le Lion in 2020, another standout in the same collection. Like Le Lion , Comète is a beautiful perfume that captures the essence of Chanel’s refined elegance. However, both fragrances bear a striking resemblance to classic creations by Guerlain, leading me to ponder the direction Chanel is taking. Chanel has a great fragrance history. Not as hallowed and old as Guerlain but for past three decades it has far outshone Guerlain. In my view, no other perfume house has come close to Chanel’s excellence in this century. This makes their recent approach of echoing Guerlain classics somewhat perplexing. Have they run out of fresh ideas? Is Roger Dove at the helm of their fragrance division, or have they perhaps...

Teatro Alla Scala - Krizia

I tried Comete by Chanel today and wanted to write about how Chanel is going by the way of Roger Dove - copying old masterpieces. I did not know where to post that and then I realized I have been neglecting this blog. When I logged in I saw an unfinished post I wrote a year ago about Teatro Alla Scala by Krizia. Teatro is the best full bodied floral - better than any Chanel or Patou. Even better than Gucci L'Arte. A brief background: Teatro Alla Scala is an Opera theatre in Milan. The bottle's design is an homage to the theatre and the perfume an homage to its sophisticated patrons. I wanted to write a symphony for it. Maybe some day. For now here are few notes I wrote comparing EDT vs EDP. And if you don't have Teatro, your wardrobe is incomplete Rose, Jasmine, Tuberose. Jammy berries (more in EDP) . Honey note listed is probably the jammy part Vetiver & moss - more in EDT Rose and carnation is more than jasmine and that is what separates it from other florals like J...

Il Mondo di Odore

Search This Blog