Dunhill for Men

First off I must thank MisterCrazyLegs for leading me to Dunhill For Men. his wonderful review convinced me to blind buy this fragrance. Dunhill for Men by Alfred Dunhill of London speaks softly of waking in Mayfair on the street where she lives. It is a glimpse of young men down from the country stepping off a train at Victoria Station in a cloud of steam. It is Kensington Gardens in the fog and Belgravia in the spring, Harrods at Christmas, and the British Museum anytime. It is very upstairs behind closed doors, it is Ivor Novello, David Niven, The Duke of Winsor, more than any of that it is Bond, James Bond. Quintessentially British and completely undeniably dangerous. The first spritz is an eye opening surprise of English lavender, Amalfi lemons, nutmeg and geranium. A short overture that momentarily off set me but then the curtain rose on splendiferous evolving notes of iris, a perfect English rose set near a bed of carnations near some stunning woodsy notes. A glorious jasmine entwines the rose and one would be near swooning if it were not for the fact that the leather comes up fast and gives all these flowers a commanding macho edge. It all becomes intoxicatingly masculine without being over bearing. This was the moment I fell in love with Dunhill for Men. The dry down is a class act of citrusy vetiver, rich sandalwood, heady oak moss and refined Virginia cedar. A dash of old Tonka bean vanilla encased in fine tooled dark leather that is sublime. It is a very adult masculine fragrance of supreme urbanity and sophisticated charm. Indeed old school, in fact old world and that is what makes it exciting and challenging. Created in the twilight of the British Empire in 1934 Dunhill for Men is a time trip back to an age of elegant sartorial grandeur. But yet there lurks just below the surface that danger that draws you in with a promise of adventure and sex. This is a fine rich introduction for young men to the sophisticated possibilities that lie beyond the fads of today. Not “Fresh”, not “Clean” but rather it smells like a man. A little dirty, a bit animalistic, and very dangerously sexy. Dunhill is the scent for the kind of gentleman who is really not a gentleman at all. He is a man who knows his way around the casino at Monte Carlo as well as he does the back alleys of the Wan Chi in Hong Kong. I put it on at six in the evening and when I woke at six the next morning it was lingering still and daring me to have another go. As dangerous as that may seem, that's just what I did. Five platinum stars *****

Dunhill for Men is the ultimate James Bond fragrance! Ignore the fact that he wore Floris in the novels, it should have been Dunhill! It combines the two aspects of 007's personality; the affable, stylish gentleman and the dangerous spy with a license to kill. If Aramis embodies the American gunfighter, Dunhill is the English inflection of the heroic man of action. Along with Caron Pour un Homme, this fragrance is a historic landmark for scents designed expressly for men. There weren't many in the 1930's outside the barbershop. So the renowned merchant of tobacco and leather goods, Alfred Dunhill, decided to launch one that could help men express their masculinity. He enlisted the help of his sister, who was educated in perfumery in France. I don't know if it was common back then for women to design major fragrances, but I doubt it. If working in a male-dominated field drove her to prove herself, she more than succeeded! She designed an English classic that still remains relavant 85 years later. What an achievement! Though there is no tobacco listed in the notes, she definitely took inspiration from the aromas of the London shop. So if you're on the fence about this fragrance, allow me to tell you: it's an absolute treasure. Whether it contains synthetics or not, it smells completely natural. It is genteel without being wimpy. It's masculine without being brutish. I would say it works best for men aged 30 and up; established, in other words. If your palette is only geared toward scents like Cool Water and Aqua de Gio, you probably won't feel this fragrance is for you. But if you like scents like Rive Gauche, Azarro PH, Paco Rabanne PH, you will love it. Dunhill is not quite a barbershop fragrance, but it's about one step removed. It's more approachable than Aramis or Yatagan and could be paired well with Pinaud Special Reserve or Mandom Aftershave. However, I highly recommend buying the set that contains the tube of aftershave balm, it's fantastic.

Here is one spicy lemon! 🍋 I can't tell if this leans more fresh or dry - there is a warm cozy hum that the nutmeg and woods provide. And yet the fleeting citrus from the beginning doesn't fully abandon it in the dry down. This contrast is quite enjoyable. Upon first use, I've found it was not very complex or noteworthy. A bit "dusty" and musty with the simplicity of a citrus based spice (it reminded me of moth balls or a grandparent's dried out bathroom freshener). I imagine this is mainly the vetiver speaking, but after 20 minutes it smooths itself into a creamier nutmeg. This doesn't come off as a gourmand/food-like though, more like the bowl of dried fruits and cinnamon you'd find in a potpourri. Even though I can't help but compare it to an elderly house last updated in the 1970s, it also delivers that sense of comfort and nostalgia. If you think too hard about what you're smelling, it's easy to say this might be dated. But overall it's just so good and comforting. This fragrance makes me feel happy, and I'm happy to wear it! It's not as exciting or uniquely niche as others, but it does seem interesting to me with this well-blended passage from striking crisp lemons to a buzz of spices. I usually prefer a refreshing floral citrus (ex: Eau Sauvage's subtle lavender and lemon) though I'm surprised to find Dunhill for Men sits along with my current favourites, with a bit more of a bite to offer than the others. This fragrance has a natural smell to it, so I don't think it'd become headache inducing. Though the dryness of the woody spices are what might become "stuffy" if over-sprayed indoors - maybe more for weekend leisures than the office. I feel like this would be a great cool weather alternative to a citrus scent if you also enjoy those!

This is indeed similar to the yellow Versace, especially after the opening (where Versace is more assertive and can veer perilously close to smelling like a quality fusty lemon furniture polish) but to me somehow seems more detailed, complicated, rounded, interesting, unusual and recessed/restrained/refined/laid-back, and less brash or animalic. (The leather in the Versace is quite direct.) There is something about it that makes me think of both cola (leather, tonka and nutmeg?) and lemonade (no big mystery), but that is not conspicuous--to my nose, in a good way, nothing here is--and anyway I like it. This does not smell as brashly old-fashioned as, for example, the original Worth (which I also love, in context). It doesn't have any sweaty cumin skank or excess of barbershop or fougère flowers. It is not as spicy, green, dank or mossy as Dunhill Edition (even though moss is listed in the ingredients of the current iteration of this one but not on the box of my fairly recent bottle of Edition). It is not modern in its approach but smells classy and very well balanced. Performance is average to modest, but if you've got this wanting it to yell in people's faces, you should probably have got the Versace--and maybe an eighties leather jacket or two. This one is not about testosterone or even flair. It's too self-assured to bother with all that. It's been around the block. It's happy driving about in its spotless old open-top Aston Martin--perhaps it's a Bugatti, but I wouldn't know--and, with the best will in the world, doesn't much care how you feel about that or whether you're impressed.

I have been on a kick of wearing "classic" fragrances lately, particularly ones with a bit of an old-timey barbershop vibe. My work fragrance rotation for the last few months has mainly consisted of YSL Rive Gauche, Guerlain Heritage, Guerlain Vetiver, and my good-old standby Chanel Pour Monsieur Concentree/EDP. When I read about this fragrance a while back, I was intrigued -- created in 1934, barbershop fresh in an old-world sense, and enjoyed by people who seem to have similar tastes in fragrances to my own. When I saw this at a local discounter for a good price (plus it was a gift set including the aftershave balm), I figured it was worth a blind buy. Oh my goodness.... this is some really nice stuff. If you like classic fragrances with a barbershop vibe and you happen to see this, BUY IT. It opens with a sharp citrus, along with a little bit of "bite" from the nutmeg and geranium, then softens down to a smooth, relaxed, floral leather, slightly powdery and very, very masculine. Just... wow. It shares so many of the characteristics of the classic fragrances I have come to love, but it is unlike any of the others. It does not project like Rive Gauche, Heritage, or some of the other fragrances I have mentioned, but I get the impression that it is not meant to. It sits close to the skin, does not impose, and gives me a pleasant feeling of comfortable, calm confidence. Overall, it a very welcome addition to my collection and exploration of "classic" fragrances, and one that will get some serious use in the future. I give it a very solid 8.5/10.