Jovan Man 1977 ....A blast from the past

There is nothing I like better than finding......or stumbling......upon an impossible to find old school masculine that is not only intact with its integrity, but smells excellent as well.

I had been looking for "Man" by Jovan for a few years now and as you'd expect, it rarely rears its head on ebay or anywhere else for tht matter. The notes intrigued me initially since I'm a sucker for leather scents, but after awhile and having no success, I no longer cared about the accords. I wanted a bottle, mini or whatever because this juice truly is hard to find.

Lo and behold a few weeks ago, I snagged a 15ml bottle of not only "Man", but it came with its counterpart "Woman" which was also 15ml and perfectly intact. The image is of the actual set with "Man" being on the left thet fits perfectly into the "Woman" bottle. Very sexist, cheeky and 1970's retro. Not pictured is the weird little box they both came in.

Jovan Man is a leather Chypiental that is constructed in such a way as to signal that this is a 1970's era implementation once you smell the accords unfold. The notes listed below are courtesy of ScentDirect.

Top : Anise Oil, Basil Oil, Begamot Oil, Lavender, Lemon, Petitgrain

Heart : Carnation, Cedarwood Oil, Cinnamon, Fern, Geranium, Orris, Patchouli, Rose, Sandal, Vetiver

Base : Castoreum, Labdanum, Leather, Moss, Musk, Tonka, Vanilla

"Man" begins with a smooth opening of dense citrus, basil and wood. It's retro no doubt, but that term has gotten a bad rap. Not all fragrances that denote the past are crude or brutish. This leans lush with the cedar and spicy citric accord leading the way.

Underneath is a heart that's passive, but noticeable. There' whiffs of green note and cinnamon along with an appearance from vetiver that (on me) trump the floral notes and even the patchouli. There's a slight nod here to Aigner No.1 ( also a leather chypre), but just a nod since Jovan Man is more like a blue collar brethren.

The leather slowly but surely works its way into the accord and teams up with a clean rendition of vetiver that isn't used much anymore. The castoreum and labdanum are a nice addition because they are used very, very sparingly and simply augment an already hefty scent. Only in extended drydown does any oriental notes soften Jovan Man and take it to the finish line.

All in all, I am very pleased to have these in my collection and no doubt will look for more half-ounce bottles or larger. There's just something about well made retro scents that put me in a happy nostalgia. There's plenty of vintage juice out there that does the opposite. Big thumbs up for Jovan Man from Aromi.

Oriental Lounge by The Different Company

Bergamot, Curry Leaf, Pepper, Red Rose, Tonka Bean, Labdanum, Satinwood. I suppose the first thing I noticed about Oriental Lounge is that as a man, this is a bit of a stretch to pull off. Since the core of Oriental Lounge is a powdery tonka and amber duo, it really does lean a bit too far feminine for me to wear. However, it would smell just as lovely on a woman and more appropriate as well. I bring this up simply because it's marketed as shared. I was wondering about the curry leaf. Actually, this "note" brought nothing to the table with the exception of possibly enhancing the pepper note just a bit. Even so, the pepper note itself was low key ( at least on me ) and both blended nicely with the citrus opening. From the onset of Oriental Lounge, it's unmistakable that this fragrance is.......well.....an oriental. From other opinions, I read some gripes about longevity, but it lasts on me quite awhile. This fragrance is uncomplicated and without much movemen...

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...

Silver by Etienne Aigner

Basil, Bergamot, Green Notes, Juniper Berry, Lemon. Carnation, Cedar, Cinnamon, Jasmine, Patchouli, Pine Needle. Castoreum, Labdanum, Leather, Moss and Musk. 1984 brought us yet another terrific and underrated masculine. Etienne Aigner's Silver is ( of course ) under the radar and mostly disregarded by the fragrance community at large. I have no answers for this other than possibly bad timing and marketing mistakes. It could also be that Silver is sophisticated and long lasting without the bombastic qualities that were inherent in many releases of that particular time period. It may have slipped by unnoticed. Silver opens as an extremely smooth ( and I mean smooth ) rendition of herbs and dominant basil set atop a light citric accord. It leans green like you would expect, but this is not a conventional aroma of green. This has a low center of gravity and within a minute or two, an elegant moss begins its journey from the base to incorporate itself into the opening. Silv...

Carrie MeredithMay 22, 2011 at 5:23 PM
That is such a kickass find! I LOVE how those bottles fit together, it's worth it just for the bottles alone, I think. Very glad you're happy with the juice too, enjoy!
AromiEroticiMay 22, 2011 at 6:36 PM
Hi Carrie!!! I know I've been a stranger, but I've been busy and needed time off from blogging.

I really like the Jovan set and like you said, the bottles are way cool. Even the Woman rendition smells good with a more pronounced rose note than the masculine. It can definitely be worn by men.

I may have to give the feminine a full wearing !!!
TreborMay 24, 2011 at 12:51 PM
You love your retro fragrances, don't you? ;-) It's great to see such long forgotten gems being reviewed. Keep up the good work!
Durward DiscussionApril 25, 2012 at 4:53 PM
I loved this fragrance and have been angry with Jovan ever since they discontinued it. I actually wore the "Man" as a perfume as it was one of the few that didn't fade on me. There is something really sensuous about the smell and would love it if they brought it back.
UnknownSeptember 21, 2013 at 1:31 AM
My father got this when I was a kid.Still love the fragrance.Have a bit left in that unique bottle.Really something to be annoyed about since they discontinued it.
UnknownSeptember 21, 2013 at 1:32 AM
My father got this when I was a kid.Still love the fragrance.Have a bit left in that unique bottle.Really something to be annoyed about since they discontinued it.

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