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.

Whoever said on this thread that there is ambroxan in this is just delusional. There is absolutely zero (thank God), or I would've tossed it into the trash immediately. Also, the 'smells like' section is laughable.. There is a slight trace of similarity to Versace L'homme, which I would assimilate to the lemon -and that's about it. It also smells absolutley nothing like Denim, which I adore as well. It smells a lot like Tabac, which a few others have mentioned, but with lemon. I thought I had gotten a bad bottle at first because out of the first few sprays I got a very pickle-type smell that dissipated after a few minutes. I thought the top notes had soured. I put it on the shelf disappointed, but throughout the day I kept wanting to smell the dry down more and more. A week later and I couldn't get enough of this stuff. That pickle in the top is still there juuust a little, but it is so barely noticeable now I don't even care. Maybe it was because my bottle sat in the mailbox all day with below zero temps outside when I sprayed it first, I don't know if that's even a thing, or maybe there was a little bit of spoiled juice in the sprayer tube at first--who knows... all I know now is that out of my 300 bottle collection this is in my top 10-easily. It is so clean and masculine and classy. I immediately bought another 2 bottles. I easily prefer this over Edition, and while Edition is good, it is much more clove heavy where this is more soapy clean--like old timey medicine cabinet clean, just like Tabac.

Dunhill for Men Batch # 13242 I noticed the myriad notes listed in this cologne and it seems to me that this is typical of these older classic concoctions. Sometimes it seems as if they have added everything but the kitchen sink! I will admit that I don't have the most sensitive of noses, and rarely can I detect all of the notes listed, especially when there are so many. So, my rather unrefined nose detects an opening explosion of lemon which soon morphs into a fresh woodsy scent and finally settles with a powdery oak moss, vetiver and tonka bean combination which stays soft on the skin for hours. I became interested in this cologne after reading a novel by John Colleton, who wrote series of erudite semi-pornographic novels in the 1970's. Many of the stories took place in or around Charleston, S.C. in the late 1960's and this cologne was the protagonist's “go to” scent. Dunhill, as many of you know, makes quite a few colognes, and it was rather difficult to locate this particular “flavor,” it being derived from the original, started in 1934. I am not certain how true the current version stayed to the original, but I love it. Dunhill for Men is a very clean, fresh, masculine cologne with lots of class. Incidentally, the moment I smelled this as a grown man, I was transported back to my youth, because this cologne or one very like it was worn by my father, and I had no idea what it was as a boy. Older, confident men who want a classic scent should give this one a try, if indeed it can be found.

I will try to withhold or restrain the usage of hyperbole with this review I swear... (crosses fingers behind back). My god what a STUNNING fragrance. Simply CLASS. The opening to the dry down is just one classy and elegant experience. You get the feeling you are wearing something that was on the necks and wrists of the late greats. The opening is a very lovely combo of leather and lavender and it is already oh so satisfying right upon the initial sniff. As the scent progresses the carnation, oak moss and citrus arrive with a bit of earthy freshness to this rich backdrop of leather. Dunhill for men then sees another layer of richness that comes from a lovely mix of nutmeg and sandalwood and other woodsy notes adding a dusty spicy element to this composition. Finally this scent goes out with a floral bang of iris, rose and geranium (there is a nice hint of jasmine as well). The florals are given some muscle with vetiver, cedar and tonka. The dry down is pure leathery barbershop bliss. Dunhill for Men is a class act through and through and is definitely full bottle worthy! Think fall, winter and early spring with this fragrance. This works perfectly at work or for just casual occasions. Think tailored suit or chinos and a dress shirt with this scent. A few sprays of this this juice will smooth out out of the rough edges and take care of the rest!

I remember this fragrance from 40 plus years ago when Dunhill had retail shops in US cities. I liked it then, but was at that time too young to fully appreciate it. Today it is as close to a cold weather signature fragrance as any I own. I probably wear it to work twice a week in the winter. I pick up on different notes nearly every time I wear it. Today it's all about the lemon and nutmeg; another time I concentrate on the flowers, while the third day I might pick out the leather and woods at the base. It's inoffensive, easy to wear, professional, and very masculine. I love fragrances with history, and few have as rich a history as this one. Yes, it's been reworked a bit since the version I remember from the late 70s-early 80s, but not so much that it isn't immediately recognisable as itself. It may not be as powerful (or perhaps I apply it much more judiciously), and the floral and wood components may not be as bright as they once were, but this still smells like Dunhill. I layer it with the very good quality matching aftershave balm. It is getting scarce, although just this week I've seen several discounters offering it at excellent prices. Don't wait on this one, as I sadly suspect its days are numbered.

Dunhill for Men is a classic, historic (released in 1934), and influential fragrance. It precursors several fragrances that were not launched until decades later but would go on to become classic fougères in their own right. One example where you can easily identify DFM’s landmark DNA is in Azzaro Pour Homme (excluding Azzaro’s signature anise note). After a lemony-sour opening, DFM’s dry down mellows into a nice lavender mixed with some soft soapiness. Not a complex scent arc by any means but carries a nice balance of depth and subtlety. I would characterize DFM as “dandyish.” If you enjoy collecting classics like Caron PH, original Aramis, Dior’s Eau Sauvage, Guerlain Vetiver or Habit Rouge, then this is a must have for your collection. Unfortunately, Dunhill for Men doesn’t receive much attention in YouTube FragComm. Lanier Smith gave a thorough review and I thank him for bringing this gem to my attention. EDIT: I recommend the EDT + after shave balm box set. Score: 8.5 out of 10 Would I purchase a replacement bottle? Definitely, this is surprisingly nice to wear after a shower. An affordable, mature year round scent with a classic profile.

I have an older bottle of Dunhill for Men, dated from around the mid-late 90s, early 2000s at the latest, and it is a marvelous soapy clean, spicy lavender-dominant fougere that wouldn't have been out of place in my recent video on YT for "wonderfully dated fragrances." It's far from youthful by today's standards, it could not be a "daily driver" (whatever that means exactly). It never leaves the house without its trilby hat and a pocket square, and remembers a time when someone from the working class still knew how to include some culture into their life. Don't touch it if you can't appreciate a bright lemon with your lavender, if you can't handle powdery, or if you can't deal with a leather that doesn't smell like a modern car interior juice. Do touch if you appreciate Habit Rouge, Floris No. 89, roses and carnations, watching Antiques Roadshow, spend much time grooming your ears and nose (raises hand here), and can sit through black and white movies and actually, you know, pay attention to them. It would be a real joy for anyone who, like me, embraces anything charmingly fusty. Dunhill for Men is a forgotten classic, full stop.

I picked this one up online just to educate myself on a classic. The bottle and the packaging are like the one depicted above but i have no idea which batch or reformulation etc... and its made in germany! fancy that. Im not going to go into the technical breakdown of the smell since others have done wonderful jobs of that out here already. This cologne was originally released in 1934 and is the progenitor of a lot of classic mens colognes that have followed it, i get whiffs of English Leather, Stetson, even Aramis and a few others i cant put my finger on, in fact if you are 35 plus i guarantee you have smelled either this or something exactly like it growing up on dads, uncles, grandpas, the lot. lasts pretty long for an EDC and the dry down is divine. you owe it to yourself to pick this one up even if it is just to give your nose a history lesson. I am so glad i did!!! Probably never has so much been owed by so many to one !!!! 8.5/10

Dunhill for Men is one of my favourites. It opens big with lemony, flowery and powdery notes, and I can easily understand if someone considers that initial blast a bit old-fashioned and intimidating. I, however, don’t mind it at all because there’s something wonderfully invigorating in it. The top notes settle down quite quickly and make way for a beautiful barbershoppy scent of luxurious shaving soap. The leathery, woody-mossy drydown is also nice. The only drawback is that the fragrance stops projecting well quite soon, although the base notes stay on the skin for a long time. All in all a great classic that can be had for very little! I also like the package design: The twirled bottle, strangely chunky black cap and brown box make an endearing combination which at the same time tries very hard to be both completely classic and awkwardly modern.

I've gotten my hands on a very old 5ml miniature from the early 60's. This is a chameleon of a scent. A professional, mutable gentleman who adapts to every situation that life throws at him. He's just as comfortable sharing a cigar on a leather couch during a meeting with an important client, as he would be helping his daughter out with her lemonade stand. He can be a perfect fit for a passionate romantic, surprising his wife with a bouquet of red carnations & sensual roses, as he's fully at peace with himself just relaxing on clean sheets of powdery geranium & iris laying in his sandalwood bed. I wonder if the modern Eau de Toilette version is as good as this? Because I definitely need a full bottle! Edit 29.06.2026: The modern reformulation is excellent! Absolutely worth it to grab a new bottle!

I was given an almost full 100mL bottle of this by someone who is travelling overseas and am very grateful for it. What a materpiece! At first I thought it was an old version of Dunhill Edition, which comes in a similar bottle, but comparing them, the difference is clear. The bottle I have is reasonably old: the words "for men" do not appear on the front of the it and it has a brown lid. The combination of leather, citrus,spice and floral notes is perfectly balanced so no note dominates another. This could have the tendency to make a fragrance bland, but not so with Dunhill. The longevity seems to be low, but I might just be getting used to it. I have a splash "cologne" - which I am assuming means it is an EDC. I will be wearing this one a lot. Thanks Mrs. H!

Fragrance enthusiasts tend to deep-dive into a fragrance. We delight in the challenging notes, embrace each stage of development, and compare reformulations. It takes a fairly experienced nose to appreciate a Kouros or Knize Ten. But for the average adult man, a guy who doesn't know a Fougère from a deck chair, Dunhill for Men is what a masculine cologne should smell like. And for collectors, Dunhill's 1934 British pedigree will surely fit the bill. Most importantly, for those of us who still remember—and understand—what "traditional" and "gentlemanly" once implied, Dunhill's early-twentieth-century English cologne will align with your tastes and sensibilities.

Smells similar to Acqua di Gio by Giorgio except with less sillage and less invasive base notes. I enjoyed Acqua until everyone started wearing it. For me Acqua is too overwhelming and lingers for ten+ minutes. It almost makes me sick to my stomach as the scent sticks to the top of my mouth. I'm not hating on Acqua, it is a fair cologne. It is just way too strong for my taste. Dunhill is a nice compromise with less sillage (though I would argue it isn't as long lasting)and spicier base notes. I would definite the characteristics of the scent as clean, refreshing, and sophisticated.

@richmilton Seriously, is it not possible to write a positive review of a classical men's fragrance without launching into a nostalgic manly man's diatribe that reads like some arcane inscription from The Time That Time Forgot? What the heck is all that even about? Do you not smell, say, the powdery iris in this? This is hardly Eau de Grizzly (partly why I really like it), and even if it were, I still wouldn't need you to turn that fact into any kind of weird reactionary critique of the last 45-60 years of Western civilisation.

Dunhill for Men was launched in 1934, and to me it conjures up an elegant, swanky and sophisticated gentleman who doesn't take himself too seriously. Think William Powell as Nick Charles in the "Thin Man" movies. If it were music, it would be something by Cole Porter or perhaps Duke Ellington. Definitely the Art Deco era, and definitely more city than country. They don't make 'em like this anymore, so its an olfactory trip back in time to a more genteel era - refined, rich, and classy.

Makes me want to go back to the 80's and work out of a suit shop I used to work in. This would get you noticed by the girls working the woman's section. It reminds me of drinks after work, Harvey Wallbangers after a hard week. Groups of girls from Vidal Sassoon's with their French bob haircuts and then hopefully some energetic snogging in shop doorways. Will she or won't she offer me a "nightcap?" Usually the Dunhill would be one to answer that question for both of us!