New West for Him

I LOOOVE this fragrance! So, I also own Guy Laroche's Horizon which this gets compared to and they DO NOT smell alike imo. I suppose they get compared to each other bc these are both "experimental aquatics" which use aldehydes and a leather note. New West does have a fruity freshness to it, but Id say that the slightly smokey Leather and the Aldehydes are more pronounced in New West than the Leather and Aldehydes in Horizon which smells a bit more modern and features more of the fantastic fruity citrus (mainly Mandarin) with the Aldehydes and leather being much, much more subdued. New west seems like it can be used more for formal events as its not as sweet or fruity as Horizon is and has this that slight smokiness from the leather along with that awesome, classic aldehydic push which again, is not all that noticable in Horizon.. Cant yet speak on performance for New West as I have yet to give it a full wear, but I can tell that the performance will probably be slightly better than Horizon's because it does smell just a bit more potent. Anyhow, New West certainly is better suited for guys who appreciate more classic, aldehydic dna's and who like leather notes as again, the leather and Aldehydes are pretty prominent in this, although NOT as prominent as say Aramis by Aramis, Gres by Cabochard for YSL's Kouros for instance. Great unique "odd-ball" fragrance. Its a love for me and Im sure this dna will macerate and change a bit within the next few months. Ill be back for an update on performance, but for now this is a blind-buy SCORE😊 and I recommend New West along with the before mentioned caveats. Thanks to whomever took the time to read my thoughts on Aramis New West. Oh and btw, this also most certainly DOES NOT smell similar to Escape for men🤣

People who grew up in Oregon are usually quick to notice others who did not when the weather begins warming up, because they talk of the beach, and not the coast. We call it that because even if Portland is 85 degrees, that same day just 2 hours away the best the coast can give you is shorts and a hoodie. And even then, the coastline is rocky and full of cliffs, rough sand or pebble beaches, with dewy mornings and cold breezes that spin through the mountain ranges and forests. I call NYC home now, but I grew up as an Oregon coastie, and it’s been so long that all I have are now impressionistic memories fueled by melancholy. Aramis’ New West captures paints some of those expansive open water skies as the first thing I smell is the round feel of the sea notes and aldehydes, very clean and mellow. Then you notice the clouds above forests covering the land as far as eyes can see with the hints of mint, caraway and pine/cedar coming though. It is a slightly spicy and herbal touch that lingers on, as more woody notes start to roll in like low fog from Pacific. That roundness, the expansiveness, and that touch of oceanic cleanliness never fully disperses with this fragrance, playing with the just-so-slightly woodsy and barely spicy+herbal distant fog horns. I love every time this fragrance wafts quietly into my headspace, which is adequately often and for a long while (once I caught a waft of it while showering, an amazing 11 hours after application, and as a fairly conservative spritzer). I’d recommend this to someone that is a bit of a day dreamer, who remembers a lot of nothing memories, and wants to paint a picture of the outdoors.

I bought Aramis New West original, in the blue bottle with the totally yellow lid in 1990 shortly after it was released here in ZA. As I have learned, Aramas has changed the shape of a few of their containers and I think the bottles are now even more amazing! Wow! This is a winner in what can be promptly described at first as crystal clean, metallic, icy, settling to a smooth sweet, and simply joyful. Now I know why! Reading the accords on this super informative site has revealed to me that this is what I admire in so many other fragrance compilations. Initially you are greeted with a sharp twist of uncomplicated minty, sea blue freshness. The middle notes are predominantly Jasmine and Pine which somehow blends with the sensation that you have just stepped from and icy sea blast rock shower into a forest of pine trees. I can also detect a Juniper Berry, gin note, but only now that I have read about its presence. The light musky, leathery sweet dry down is very potent and long lasting, settling the potentially harsh pine, giving it an even better air of quality, as can be expected from many Aramis scents. I remember it being very powerful and long lasting, which is always a winner for me. I highly suspect that the scent has been changed, but I may be wrong. Still, it does not matter, this is one I may want to re visit and add to my collection despite the sort of “done it - cannot go back on the same road” battle I sometimes get with perfume. For its service to me 22 years ago and a new understanding of my favourite notes in men’s perfume, it gets a solid 4.2/5.

New West for Him by Aramis is one of the iconic men’s fragrances of the late 1980s. Classified as an Aromatic Aquatic, it evokes nature and ocean air with a distinctly American character. First launched in 1988 and created by the renowned perfumer Harry Fremont, it emerged at a time when men’s perfumery was beginning to break away from classic fougère conventions and move toward fresher, saltier, cooler, and more transparent marine compositions. The original 1988 formulation had a personality that was bold, dense, and unapologetically aquatic, very much in line with the aesthetic of its era. The current formulation has been adjusted to feel lighter, brighter, and more transparent, placing greater emphasis on fresh mint and the imagery of lush, dewy pine forests to suit contemporary tastes. Despite these changes over time, the core DNA of New West remains clearly recognizable. While many men gravitated toward Davidoff Cool Water, I chose to stand apart with Aramis New West for Him. It is deeply tied to my personal memories back in my freshman year, I wore this fragrance while nervously courting a fellow first-year student. For me, this scent is not merely a fragrance; it is time captured in a bottle*. Whether vintage or modern, one thing has never changed: it is truly "The Beast” in my collection. Exceptional longevity, powerful projection, and performance far beyond what one would normally expect from an EDT. **No more than four sprays** are enough to carry the scent effortlessly from morning until evening.

Seems light, balanced, with some mild peppery spice contributing to a mental image for me of walking not through any kind of lush, moist, verdant wonderland but through more of a scrubby landscape, or at any rate a fairly dry one. I do picture the sea, but then I would. The marketing demands it. I'm not sure that it's central to this scent. This isn't overtly marine to my nose, though it may have a certain salty tang. I get more of an image of walking with open-toed footware through probably thin soil with maybe dry conifer needles etc. getting crunched underfoot. It's definitely sunny and warm. I suppose that most if not all of this is, yes, consistent with a Mediterranean seascape. (I haven't been to the States.) The bergamot is all in favour of that. I actually don't find this anywhere near as outdated as a lot of the more obviously marine fragrances that it preceded. It's soft and impressionistic, and I don't think it's especially well suited to extorting attention. Whether all that is good or bad is up to the individual. I didn't smell the watermelon for more than a few seconds. I don't know that it's needed, but I like it. I do think it's more a fruity rind effect than something juicy to sink your teeth into. I like the combination of the watermelon and the herbaceous and woody notes. These seem almost like different shades of sappy green to me or something. I don't smell any offensive note along the lines of pickle juice or whatever.

Today I received a bottle of New West (Gentlemen’s Collection) that I ordered for nostalgic reasons: I wore this as a teenager in the 90s (as so many did) and was curious about its (assumed...I don't want to make any assumptions) reformulation, and my snobbish progression as a scent enthusiast, banning aquatics because of their reputation as tired and outdated. I understand New West for Men for being all about calone, and even though I couldn't at the time distinguish between my fougeres and my orientals, the melon is what got stuck in my mind as the defining feature of this 'skin scent'. But now for the current formula of New West. It is more aromatic, drier, and woodier than I remember, with to my nose a prominent accord of pine, cedar and patchouli. And indeed (cue bf saying it smells like deodorant), as some reviewers have implied, a bit functional smelling, particularly in the top notes. But contrary to what some brands of shower products purport to deliver, New West is actually succesful in painting a vivid picture: a mediterranean pine forest at noon in summer, the sea in view, a bright blue cloudless sky ahead, dry heat, dappled sunlight, and a salty breeze that tells me to relax, kick back and enjoy the scenery.

Loved it when it was introduced. Love it now. This is the second Aramis classic that I decided to revisit and again ... I am very pleasantly surprised. New West was always in my personal top 5 at the time it was introduced so I decided to take the plunge again after a couple decades. To be certain: the reformulation is missing a BIT of the depth I recall, as with most 80's fragrances that have survived in some form. But I can tell you as an original fan that most of the character is retained with this. The batch I received does not have a chemical synthetic vibe at all, to my nose. That "pre-Eternity-freshness" is quite present, as is the longevity and sillage on my skin. Speaking of the CK house: I do think that Encounter got a good deal of its inspiration from this often-overlooked juice. It just added some booziness and subtracted some of the berry/melon vibe. So often, I see people say this classic and that classic are shadows of their former selves and they should never have been brought back. Well, perhaps that is true for some fragrances. All I know is that New West is a mighty good comeback that is suitable for all ages, not just "mature men." Unique then, unique now. Well done, Aramis!

This review is based on the orginal version blue bottle with sliver cap. The current version is nothing like the orginal, it's exceptionally made well! At 1st spray, I smell the fresh pine needle with cedar and Juniper berries. After a good 20-30 minutes of settling on my skin, there's a unique blend of soapy/herbal base notes. The herbal notes are coming from sage/oakmoss. Both bay leaf and mint add to the complexity and unique blend from this iconic brand. The only note that would give it a soapy/fresh/sweet vib might be musk. I'm not convinced that it's musk, I believe that some other notes is giving it that softened sweet cozy vib. I'm puzzled by the watermelon and floral notes. I'm not able to pickup any such notes 😕 Longevity and Sillage is excellent..at least 6hrs past arms length. The dominant notes tend to lean towards a fall/winter cologne. This juice is the opposite, perfect for the spring/summer season. I would wear this more for evening because of the predominant notes. In all, I wouldn't swap this juice with anything that's on the market today. Good luck finding the orginal version at a reasonable price. 9/10

One of my all-time favorite scents and one I still wear weekly! It sadly looks like New West may be discontinued again. Time to snatch up as much as I can. New formula is about 95% there to what was in the blue bottle which I've been wearing for about 15 years now. The only difference I can really make out is that the oakmoss in the new formula is a synthetic note. No big deal, the oakmoss is one of the most subdued notes in this fragrance. The heart of it is the pine and patchouli. New West smells like Big Bear, CA in the fall. Pinions and pinecones. It smells like Christmas morning, almost like that artificial tree scent you spray on your plastic xmas tree, but oh so much better! For a skin scent it really projects well, and sticks around all day. During the summer it becomes a "peekaboo" scent, you'll think it's gone, but as soon as you do anything that brings your body temp up- there it is again. This is an unmatched scent and I have yet to find anything else even similar to it. I own lots of colognes, but the one I consistently come back to wear at least once a week three seasons out of the year is New West.

So i have had (and loved) my gentlemans collection bottle for years now, thus i finally pulled the trigger on a vintage bottle from the early 90s assuming it would be even MORE great. Well, lol i have to tell you these two bottles are almost IDENTICAL. The only differences i note is theres more noticeable oakmoss (but doesnt make a big difference at all) and the herbal facets come off a little stronger in the vintage after the first 10 mins. The newer formula has a big herbal blast but it fades very quickly and the vintage behaves more smoothly. So if you really try, theres some very minor differences, but if youre deciding between hundreds of dollars for a deep vintage and a ~$50 gentlemans collection bottle, i definetely advise you to go with the latter unless you have money to burn (the vintage really is a really cool a** bottle that looks like the memphis design group created it) Update: while the scents are both extremely close, the vintage does project longer and generally lasts longer. I still maintain that the best deal is with the gentlemans collection bottles for sure

So i may have left a review of this previously, i cant remember. but im just popping in after receiving a vintage (1994 splash) bottle of Calvin Klein Escape to let you know that Escape is a weaker and less complex (as BigBear said below) clone of New West, even comparing a vintage bottle of Escape to the reformulated New West. I think its bizarre so many people disagree they smell similar. Somebody below said New West smells like a generic aquatic compared to escape lol....dude, escape is THE most generic aquatic ive ever smelled, even compared to Acqua di Gio. You could say Acqua di Gio took alot from Escape, but who cares since New West came out in the late 1980s lol. New West is THE aquatic for vintage fragheads, hands down in my opinion...you could maybe throw Voyageur by Jean Patou in the mix too, although theres more going on in New West despite the quality of ingredients in Voyageur. Its so complex that its like they were trying to make an aquatic polo green or something.

This is a re-review as you can scroll down and see my original, no so positive one below. I have to say I've completely changed my opinion upon revisiting New West, I can totally see why I said what I did first time around but with a few crucial clarifications. The opening of this fragrance is down right awful, it really is I can't even begin to describe what's going on but it's an acrid, unfriendly attempt at a kind of fresher top, with a powerhouse body. However, when left to dry down New West develops into an extremely well rendered and peppery, masculine, aromatic. It's full of the best elements of woods, I can see how pine, cedar, juniper, bay leaf, oakmoss are in here all making for a nice wearable scent. I can sort of see why I thought this was one of the less interesting, and paler versions of Aramis scents but I'm not too proud to admit I was wrong. It's great and when dried right down smells absolutely wonderful.

I found a store that had New West from Aramis, at first I thought it was heavy. After it settled it took on an excellent blend of greens/herbal aroma from Artemisia and pine needles with a light woodsy base from the oakmoss and sandalwood. If you like this frag its a good chance your in 40's and up. The aroma is a very mature/sophisticated scent which is acquired when you can appreciate the unique blend that this fragrance has. Longevity is Superb...well past 10hrs. Sillage, this frag isn't shy..you can pick up the aroma well past 3ft away. Overall thoughts, I enjoy a frag which isn't plan or boring. This fragrance is a classic from the 80's-90's when frag's were going through a major make over. It is hard to find a frag with the same staying power as NINE WEST has. Aramis has always produced fragrances that stand out...this one is one of many...EXCELLENT !!!! 8.5/10

This is a really nice fougere, true to 80's types but lightened up a bit. You still get your leather, oakmoss, geranium. artimisia and bergamot, but also bits of juniper, bay leaf and coriander. I don't get any aquatics or watermelon, which I suspect was mostly a marketing angle when this first came out. I also don't understand those who say this has chypre leanings, but fragrance is subjective. Performance is in the 5-6 hour range, though nose down the shirt is closer to 8. Probably won't appeal to those under 40 unless you have an OG streak in you. Unlikely to get compliments, but it will make you feel strong and confident if you are a fougere guy. If you are, picking up a post-production bottle for under $100 may well be worth your while.

Unsweetened, unabashedly masculine, and the pine, oh yes, the pine. It smells like the outdoors. New West has some of that overwrought 80's-ness about it, but somehow it is better behaved and more wearable than some of its contemporaries. I sometimes actually can detect that watermelon note. Its masterfully done and not synthetic, as natural watermelon isn't an intensely sweet smell, just an essence of juicy watery fruitiness that swirls around and occasional pops out in this mix. I do not really sense any aquatic note here, but it could easily be overpowered and buried under the stronger notes of pine, cedar, moss, and aldehydes. New West is your safe space from all the sweet speech out there these days. Quality stuff from Aramis.

After reading many satisfying reviews about this fragrance and the fact that I liked the notes listed, I went and bought it from eBay for $60 (quite a deal I guess).Despite knowing the notes it was a blind buy and was my first Aramis. From first sniff it was a very manly and serious, slightly harsh fragrance, the sea notes with the woods and other notes, oh was just so mesmerizing and back in the day my dad used to smell like this I guess he used the vintage version or something. For me it brings back some beautiful memories and gives me a feeling of confidence. It smells different and sexy and not like the common crap these days in my opinion. Smell = 9 / 10 Longevity = Beast Mode I'm looking forward to try other Aramis colognes.

This is only my second experience of another Aramis fragrance, the original and I do have history and it's a fragrance that has fallen in and out of favour with me and is currently ...out! I wasn't expecting much from this and sure enough it didn't deliver. New west has something of a fresher opening which certainly makes it less abrasive than the original but still not really fresh it has that dated leathery, woody, herby, floral character underneath. Takes a while to get to grips with the heart of this fragrance but when it settles it's just disappointing. This scent is not my cup of tea because I found it boring, just like a tepid, watered down version of classic male perfume and didn't offer much in the way of differentiation.

Dear Fragrantica Friends, S. Eath, bellow, puts it better than I will ever be able to. This is an incredibly nostalgic fragrance that paints a certain rugged picture of the outdoors... beautiful rough piney cliffs overlooking dark waters. More impressionistic than realistic. I believe this is an achievement in modern perfumery. Beautiful piece of olfactory art. However, this is not for everyone (is any perfume?). My bottle is from 2017. The smell of the original is still there but the performance is not. 5 hours of duration with mild projection during the first hour and soft during the second. In any case... it's still a beautiful work. Ah ode to a time and place that one can never forget.

This is fantastic. I scored a bottle at a great price at a local retailer, and I am stunned by this. It takes the fresh style that Cool Water would popularize, and adds a load of pine and woods. This is quite an complex fragrance, but it works. It also feels more grownup than many of the fresh 90s fragrances i.e. I would gladly wear this with a suit and tie for a formal function. This isn't without it's faults. It's a fragrance from 1988, and smells a tad bit dated, but I don't care. It performs great on my skin, and just works for me. In the end, that's all that matters. Longevity is 8 hours or so, with nice projection. Rating: 9/10

There's something incredible about this one, I generally hate most aquatics and find them overly cloying and basic. As mentioned in other reviews, New West gives the sensation of looking over a beach from a pine forest, earthy and dirty but with the added lightness of a sea breeze. I picked this up for $20 and didn't think much of it, but after wearing it once, it had a hold on me and was all I wore for a good couple of weeks. Get it while Aramis is still producing it and it's available for cheap, if its ever discontinued, I can see it going for hundreds on eBay. Would work for all seasons and situations. Just really fucking good.