4711 Original Eau de Cologne

4711 Original Eau de Cologne is the ultimate rebel in perfumery—a fragrance that has been kicking ass since 1792. Wilhelm Mülhens, of Cologne in Germany, produced this perfume, actually the original “eau de cologne,” that flipped its bird to ephemeral trends for several centuries. Other perfumes come and then are gone, while 4711 stays the same because of frank simplicity and its timeless appeal. This is no ordinary cologne; this is a touch of history that can still pack a punch. Opening? Real citrus slap in the face—lemon, bergamot, and orange, all pungent with freshness. It’s the kind of wake-up call that loudly and clearly says, “I am here, and I am not going anywhere.” As it settles, 4711 reveals a tender floral heart of rosemary, lavender, and neroli—contributors enough to keep things interesting, not enough to get too fancy. The base? Well, practically non-existent, because who needs those heavy, lingering notes when you can easily stay light, clean, and refreshingly honest? Some, of course, would say that this is too light or doesn’t last long enough, but that’s the point—it’s meant to refresh, not overwhelm. Let’s be real: 4711 isn’t trying to be some long-lasting, overpowering beast. It’s a traditional cologne that you’re supposed to splash on throughout the day. The sillage? Light, but just enough to let people around you know you’ve got your life together. It’s not going to bowl anyone over from across the room, but that’s because it’s confident enough not to need to. Carry a bottle with you for reapplication—hell, at this price, why not bathe in it? And here is the kicker: 4711 is the ultimate middle finger to modern-day overpriced colognes. Why spend a paycheck on Tom Ford’s Neroli Portofino or Acqua di Parma’s Colonia when 4711 offers you the same bright and citrusy kick for a fraction of the price? When I say fraction, I mean it—this stuff is dirt cheap. You can even get an 800ml bottle. Yes, 800ml—let that set in. It’s just the thing cologne lovers dream of finding. It’s insane but true. It might take some time to really click what 4711 is all about, but when it does, you’ll realize it isn’t about relevance; it’s about essence. The simplicity of its matter-of-fact charm kept it going for over two centuries, proving that sometimes, the most badass things in life are the ones that just don’t need to change. Go ahead and give in to the original, because 4711 is not just a fragrance—it is legacy, and it is here to stay.

TLDR: It smells great. Sharp clean citrus blast. Haters will say it smells like industrial citrus cleaner and they would not be entirely wrong. Reading this entire review will last longer than this scent. Just a little 80s kid being dragged away by my parents to visit some relative so the adults can yap yap yap all day long. Go to the bathroom and flick on the light. Look to the counter and spot this large, strange, and old time looking bottle. The heck is this thing? I look at the very stylized label, my mind believing it to be some sort of ancient writings of antiquity. "ECHT KOLNISCH WASSER"...... what is this witchcraft! It also says "cologne". I know what that is. Like Indiana Jones before Disney, I reach out carefully and skilfully to grab hold of this mystical artifact of old. I go to pull the cap off this seemingly magical brew to give it a whiff but the cap is affixed and won't pop off. How do you spray this?....... More witchcraft. Give it a turn instead... this must be like that green bottle of Brut that has been kicking around my own home forever now. I bring it to my nose and give it a whiff..... Even more witchcraft but it's too late! The spell was placed on me and I have been a sucker for that sharp and clean neroli citrus blast that 4711 delivers. Love at first sniff and forever afterwards. I love 4711 but can't recommend it as something to wear due to the VERY poor longevity. Anton Korchev's review below says it all when concerning why you would want this. If you want an inexpensive 4711 clone to actually wear then look to Alhambra Blue Pacific, Alhambra Neroli Portofino, Al Wataniah Lazuli, Al Haramain Neroli Canvas. 4711 has been around for nearly a quarter of a millennia, there's no shortage of dupes and inspirations. Tom Ford... they make one, it smells great, can't recommend it, countless do better for a cost that is 90% less.

4711 isn’t just a cheap cologne to me, it’s where my relationship with fragrance first began. I was a boy growing up in a small town in south state of Peninsular Malaysia, in the 1970s. Every month, I’d follow my routine trip with my late dad to the local Indian barbershop. It was a simple place, warm, familiar, always filled with the hum of clippers and the scent of talc and aftershave. The barbers were endlessly kind and they treated every haircut like a small ritual with plenty of passion and care. At the end of each visit, came the part I loved most: a brisk neck massage, a steaming hot towel pressed gently over my face and then, just before I stepped out, a generous splash of 4711. It was bright, citrusy, almost fleeting... "gone in 60 seconds". But in that brief moment, I felt fresh, awake and somehow grown-up. More than 50 years later, that memory still lingers. Recently, life brought the story full circle. On a river cruise through Europe, I found myself standing in Cologne, inside the historic 4711 store. Not far away was Farina, the oldest perfumery house, two pillars of fragrance history within walking distance. I even won a small bottle of 4711 during an cruise’s treasure hunt while we were there. It felt like fate had quietly tied past and present together. Of course, nothing has really changed about 4711. It still disappears almost as quickly as it arrives. But owning the giant 800ml bottle, picked up for just AUD50, I can splash it on liberally without a second thought. You can line up hundreds of niche fragrances, each more complex and long-lasting than the last. But for me, 4711 will always hold its place. It’s not about performance or prestige, it’s about memory, ritual and that instant burst of freshness that takes me straight back to a small barbershop in the hometown I grew up. Splash. Smile. Feel alive. That's 4711.

I feel like something is missing in my life unless I have a big glass bottle of 4711 on my vanity. I live in the hot, humid, swampy Southeastern US. The power of 4711 to refresh and awaken the senses during those dreadfully hellish summer months is underrated. 4711 has three notes I love in summer fragrances: neroli, lemon, and bergamot. These three notes sparkle and pierce the sweltering summer heat to calm and cool the blood. The neroli in 4711 is so explicit, so powdery and intoxicating. The bergamot, orange, and rosemary gives the scent some body and roundness. No, 4711 doesn't last long on the skin, but that initial splash is oh, so refreshing. It serves as a psychological reset of sorts on those weary summer days where the heat pushes me to my limit. I personally decant it into a small spray bottle and spritz myself on breaks at work where I can't wear regular fragrances but the AC in the office is kept at 80F in the summer, so a little scent refresh is necessary if not mandatory. If Mäurer & Wirtz ever released this in an EDP they'd make a fortune (a FORTUNE!!!), and it would be an instant signature for me. The only fragrance I've found that even remotely approaches 4711 in beauty and freshness is Neroli Portofino (which I'm convinced is a knockoff of 4711), but I refuse to pay the extravagant Tom Ford prices. I can see myself in 50 years sitting in a rocking chair on my porch listening to the crickets greet the fireflies at the end of a Southern summer day, listening to the whispers of the oak trees, ice cold glass of jasmine tea nearby, as I fan myself with a white silk handkerchief doused in 4711. I never want to part with my beloved 4711.

I have to try this because I am curious about what the first colognes smell like. It is truly fresh, crowd-pleasing, unisex, and never outdated. I have a sensitive nose and I can smell it for about 1-2 hours on my skin if I sit in a cool room, but less in hot weather. I spilled some on my bathroom floor one night and was surprised to find the smell lingers the next morning. I feel that it stays longer if no other scent is around, like on clean skin or clean fabric, but it quickly gets overshadowed by any other fragrance or body odor. Comparison with TF Neroli Portofino: 4711 stays quite linear after the initial blast, retaining the citrusy and floral aspects to the end. TF starts very similar to 4711 but on my skin it dries down into an unscented soap, a little like Diptyque Eau des Sens type of soapy. It is the soapy part of TF that lasts longer than 4711. Since I don't like the soapy part, I would rather keep splashing 4711 over myself than TF. Update: I put a few drops of a floral essential oil (my dirty little secret) in a decant of 4711 and it lasts longer both on skin and fabric. The smell of 4711 got softened by the floral scent and lasted for >1/2 day on my clothes! I highly recommend people play with layering options for 4711 since it is so cheap and versatile.

This is a love for me. Timeless. Romantic. A genuine historical artifact. That fizzy bitter citrus opening is so pleasing. I love neroli though. Yes, if you are looking for modern and sweet, you will be off put by this scent. I know I was.. but, if you are a bit of an old soul, you will love this stuff. I admit the first time I sprayed this I did get the old lady vibes... like someone having their diaper changed in 'the home'. But the more I smelled it, the more it grew on me, and now it is my favorite out-the-shower fragrance/aftershave. This is a very low price of admission to see if you like the classic cologne style. If you do, check out Acqua di Parma Colonia, and Colonia Essenza. Can't live without these. And I'm currently on the hunt for variations of this style. Update: I sprayed this on my hand earlier just to enjoy the opening, and about a minute or so into the drydown I got a corn tortilla accord! And it really wasn't bad at all! I actually wanted to eat my hand, it smelled so pleasing. Anybody else get this? lol. Update: I recently discovered after trying Murray and Lanman Orange Blossom Colonia that it is the orange blossom that gives me the tortilla accord. 😂

Just read this was one of JFK's faves. And that some Brits use it as a facial toner. I have the 27.1 oz bottle and my son and I share it, not only as a refreshing cologne, but as a hand sanitizer and a underarm deoderant. He is a 14 year old jock...adopted...and although no one biologically in my family has suffered from b.o. (while other girl's in the locker room in Jr. High and high school were using full fledged deoderant, my mom would say, "No one in my family or your father's family have b.o. Here's a bottle of 4711"). My parents are both from Western Europe and 4711 has been used in their families and now ours for many, many years. My poor son stinks to high Heaven without his 4711. So out of that huge 27.1 oz bottle of 4711, I decant him a 3 oz. Bottle he discretely keeps in his backpack along with the wipes for his face to keep a rogue pimple away and germy fingers for touching his face while playing baseball, football and soccer. It is dirt cheap, smells so refreshing and can be used for so many things. My son even cleans the lenses, nose piece and earpieces of his sunglasses with it. Funky feet?...Gone with 4711. Will come back and list more uses as I find them.

I should preface this by saying it's German and I adore stuff that's German. This product is, atleast according to wikipedia the reason Cologne is called Cologne, like the city Köln. We call this perfume over here "Kölnisch Wasser." Scentwise, this is very citrussy but also herbal. It faintly reminds me of something you'd use to clean the bathroom with. My partner said this reminds him of Curaçao, an alcoholic beverage for those unfamiliar like me. For 6 euros this is very sophisticated. I can imagine using this as a room or pillow spray too. The bottle has the nicest vaporizer I have yet come across on a perfume. It's like these mist showers heads. This doesn't at all last long on me, no perfumes do on me and this quickly turns into the dry down, which all just smell like a less intense version of the one before. There were also many flankers at the store which I didn't care for. If you want an easy pick me up that's all citrus variations in one, this is your Freund.

I'm originally from Germany and my family is from Cologne. So of course I grew up with everyone slapping 4711 into their face, clothes, armpits, everywhere they could. Slap dash, slap dash. Everyone. That's how every generation was doing it in Cologne. Females and males, this stuff has always been seen as gender neutral. It has always been a refreshment rather than a perfume. A big bottle of it would stand in every bathroom or on the side table at the entrances. And that's exactly how I use it. I don't expect it to last or project, but I expect it to freshen me up. It's such a good pick me up fragrance after a shower. Originally you don't spray it but slap dap it. It evaporates so quickly that it is easy to do. I love this stuff. It reminds me of home, my childhood, my parents and my grandparents. It's so fresh and citrussy without smelling like toilet cleaner. It has that iconic multi dimensional citrussy scent, just wonderful.

PORTOFINO TASTE ON A CATALINA ISLAND BUDGET If you live in Southern California... then you've heard of Catalina Island. You really can't be bothered with anything when it comes to this scent. It smells great, great price and delivers exactly what you thought it was going to deliver! Listen, at this price all you need to do is close your eyes and dream about your Italian escapade. And when I say Italian escapade I mean: -The tiny beach club on Catalina Island -The pool in Palm Springs -The winery in Santa Ynez -The golf course in Newport Beach -The....well you get the postcard This is a great heat escape that is wonderful to layer with. I layered it with a few of my rose base fragrances and it delivered wonderfully. The easiest grab without having to give daddy TF all your money. Now go live out your citrus fantasy from wherever you are.

This fragrance has really grown on me! I went into it with tempered expectations, because, yes, it’s true it does have weak longevity. It’s so refreshing, pleasant, and affordable though! Smells like orange blossoms. It lasts longer for a decent amount of time on clothes, but it’s so affordable it’s also easy to reapply on skin throughout the day. It’s great for an inoffensive fragrance to use around those more sensitive. Yes, it’s also true that it smelled a little dated to me at first, but I find that to be part of its charm. I find this scent both relaxing and uplifting simultaneously. Definitely unisex. I’m excited to try this in summer because I think that’s when it’ll really shine and feel most refreshing, but I’m also enjoying it now during winter when I need a refreshing pick-me-up as I dream of spring/summer.

It’s getting crazy hot in Tokyo and I knew I HAD to get my hands on this. I’m getting neroli the most on my skin, with a soft lavender note singing in the background. Although I don’t have any specific nostalgia attached to this particular scent unlike many of European fragranticans have expressed, I remember getting a similar scent from playing with the garden flowers in my school’s backyard when I was a kid! Summery, cheery, refreshing and uplifting! Edit: you know what this reminds me of? A fresh ramune! Particularly the sparkling mist after you pop open the glass bottle, on a hot day, to cool off...this is such a fruity, green, floral goodness yet everything is so perfectly balanced. I love it and I’m sure I’ll have to repurchase this soon!

I'm truly shocked by how good 4711 is. Because the price is so low, I foolishly assumed it would smell cheap, dated, or worse, harsh. Wow, was I wrong. This stuff is wonderful. It's a classic, but it doesn't smell classic. It just smells fresh. I get a lot of neroli in the opening, and then the citruses show up. I'm surprised musk isn't listed, because surely there's musk here. Everything else blends together nicely. Of course, as we all know, the downfall here is longevity. But 4711 is clear, which means it won't stain your clothes, and it lasts quite a while on a shirt. No, this isn't beast mode bro juice, nor should it be. This is a wonderfully fresh eau de cologne. Anyone can wear it. Any age, any time. Highly recommended.

My grandmother from Germany bought me a bottle of this when I was 9, in 1965. My mother was horrified because I was too young to be wearing a fragrance. I loved it, the exotic beautiful bottle, the beautiful fragrance that took me away somewhere. The bottle disappeared, as things disapproved by mother did, but I never forgot it, and 50 years later I saw it in a tobacconists shop in Ann Arbor, ohhhh, buy it! and I did. It stays on my dresser now, wouldn't be without it's fabulous, light, summer memories of Detroit, and Germany in 1965. I have the small purse bottle too! Don't poo poo me, sometimes I even throw a little on when I'm wearing something else.

I love this. Its unisex but it smells rather sweet to me that I'd say it leans more feminine. After the initial burst of lemon on lemon it becomes sweet and smooth reminding me of lemon hardboiled lolly's. My daughter said it smelt like fruit loops which I thought was weird but I've seen someone else comment the same thing so she must be on to something there! As it dries down (and before if disappears unfortunately) it does become a little more herbal/spicy and I can smell the faint whiff of lavender. I wish it lasted longer, if I douse myself I get about 3 hours before I can't smell it at all. I'll always have a bottle of this in my collection.

From hating it as a child to loving it as an adult, this is a truly timeless classic that deserves a place in every perfume lover's collection. It smells like a classy grandparent (grandma or grandpa alike) and evokes memories you might not even have. This scent calls for no forced stories or AI-written descriptions. It's simply a concoction of beautifully blended fruits and herbs that people have appreciated for centuries. How often do I wear it? Almost never. But it sits on my perfume shelf, and every now and then I pick it up just to give it a sniff.

Anyone serious about fragrance should keep a bottle, as a reference, as a detox diet even. You go back to it and reset your nose and any other senses, when needed. Really a honest thing from another time... bergamot... lemon... lily... jasmine... cedar... go for a big bottle as this is to be splashed allover. It’s not about lasting, it is about resetting. Happiness of the moment, always gone and just enjoyed in the present without much thought and certainly no judgement. Something so simple, when time is right, is a luxury.

Some of the criticism of 4711 has me laughing. Sure, the longevity and projection is very weak and grannies may like it. This isn't a cologne for others to smell on you; it's a splasher, a cool boost for the face whether it be on a hot day or after shaving. It has that slightly medicinal vibe that is just so fresh and feels like it's doing you good. Lush! If you want it to last longer, decant some into an atomiser and spray. It settles down a little more slowly and remains as a skin scent for a couple of hours.

Super strong lemon, citrus cologne for an after shower splash (think a more potent Jean-nate bath splash) or a refreshing fragrance that wakes the spirit and cools you off on a hot day! It's a cologne, so although it bursts on to the scene, remember when it evaporates the scent does as well shortly there after. Spiritual people use it to do limpias/cleanses of all sorts. And, I have nothing but respect and love for it's history! Love it for life!

Natural, refreshing, and an absolute essential. The quality you get for the price is unbeatable. It’s one of the few fragrances where you can actually buy a gallon of it to use as an after-shower splash. What is most impressive, however, is its incredible heritage. As the oldest cologne in the world, it remarkably doesn't smell dated. Instead, it feels timeless and clean, serving as a perfect olfactory palate cleanser.