New York for Gentlemen

Here is a part of chandler burr’s Review from NY times article, it goes over the raw materials used very interesting I love when I can find out which specific musks and whatnot were used in a fragrance. “ And so Herpin set off. “The idea was to create a tension between the fresh top and the base of mystery and comfort,†he said. The top is natural bergamot and lemon oil from the peel, “but less sharp and without bitterness. Also a bit of hyper-reality mandarin reconstitution [molecules mixed into a mandarin scent] for juicy, smiling, mouth-watering.†He added a trace of the synthetics Calone and Melonal, which give watery/juicy, and petitgrain, the stem and leaves of the orange tree, “which is really there in almost sub-therapeutic dose to fingerprint the thing as a †̃classic.â€TM†Then carnation enhanced with the molecule eugenol, which is crucial in clove. Eugenol smells cold and makes carnation one of the spiciest flowers you can find. To undergird that, some excellent Firmenich synthetic musks: Muscenone, Muscenone Delta (very expensive, but, Herpin says, Brooks Brothers and Como insisted) and Galaxolide, which is not expensive “but has this magnifying-glass aspect that warms the juice, clarifies it and gives you warm, clean skin, slightly milky sensuality, part maternal, part animal.†Second, vetiver SFE, an extremely high-quality vetiver created with carbon dioxide extraction. “Pure, clear,†Herpin says, “it gives you all the fresh astringent and takes out the potato and earthiness you get in cheaper vetivers.†He sighs. “Youâ€TMre limited by price. Vetiver SFE is extremely expensive.†The result is a very nice masculine whose traditionalism is apparent and yet one step ahead of that category. One quibble: the mandarin and lemon simply donâ€TMt adhere, and if there is “juicy, smiling, mouth-watering,†it doesnâ€TMt wind up in my mouth. What I get is astringent vetiver grass + eugenol spice + musk reassurance + a bit of sharp, biting petitgrain. There is no shock value (e.g., Narciso Rodriguez for Men), but thatâ€TMs the point. Here is an olfactory Lexus LS: fine-tuned, amazingly stable, solid engine. It wonâ€TMt blow anyone away. But it will transport you very nicely indeed, in comfort and security. Not such a bad thing.”

Brooks Brothers was generous enough to accommodate me with a small bottle of New York Gentleman, the masculine counterpart to New York for Ladies. NYG has the peppery opening of a 40 watt light bulb (powered by true to life verbena and bergamot), which gradually dims down to a comforting green glow stick, emitting a trace of warmth from spice and vetiver. At one point, it feels like it almost wants to turn aquatic, but veers away just in time. Whew... The citrus is front and center in this fragrance and has the same exact bone structure and fashion sense as someone you used to know but can't quite place. It reminds me of the vetiver/rosemary dynamic in Jo Malone's Grapefruit, and the dry down reminds me of L'Eau de L'Artisan, due to that verbena-woody moss combo, which is much cleaner in NYG, and mustier/melancholy in L'Eau de L'Artisan. Jo Malone's Grapefruit and L'Eau de L'Artisan both don't sit quite right on me. The Grapefruit in JM seems at odds with the spice/rosemary and vetiver as if the grapefruit had been scribbled over with a pen that only pulls ink some of the time, and not when you want it to. The verbena/herbs in L'Artisan remind me of visiting an empty band shell in Central Park when everything is shrouded in mist.I don't get the uplifting feeling from it that so many seem to experience. New York Gentleman on the other hand, is a steady, uncompromised, herbal-citrus glow. It is dry and fresh without being sharp or aftershave-like, and more masculine and complex than L'Occitane's Verbena due to the vetiver. It's in the same family as JM Grapefruit and L'Eau de L'Artisan, but this uncannily familiar and understated fragrance succeeds for me where the other two failed: it sits just right. It is by no means groundbreaking, but who cares? Apply it, enjoy it, and get on with your day.

OUTSTANDING SCENT!!! For me, this one receives an AWARD in my TOP 10 of best designer fragrances which have flown "UNDER THE RADAR"- fragrances which are NOT popular or mainstream *Decent longevity & Projection for what you pay and the note breakdown *Has a certain unique appeal to it: people WILL NOT READILY put their hand on it and you WILL NOT smell like just the "other guy" *It is a TREMENDOUS bang for your buck!!! New York Gentleman is a very nice masculine scent whose traditionalism is apparent and yet one step ahead of the rest. One minor flaw: the mandarin and lemon simply don’t adhere, and if there is supposed to be a “juicy, smiling, mouth-watering” appeal to it, it doesn’t wind up in my mouth. What I get is astringent vetiver grass + eugenol spice + musk reassurance + a bit of sharp, biting petitgrain. That for me rounds out thus blend into a MARVELOUS Lime Chypre..... For those of you who are not familiar with the term: The classical chypre is defined as a combination of five notes—citrus (often bergamot), floral (classically, rose or jasmine), woody (often patchouli), oakmoss, amber and/or musk.

This is indeed a safe, conservative gentlemen fragrance. It's fresh classy bergamont and vetiver provide that fresh suave one-two punch for any dressy gentleman looking to make an impression. It's important to say that its not a statement fragrance that will leave a unique impression on anyone. That being said, I'd be lying if I said this couldn't be a signature scent for someone as it does have that capability. Now the only (and I mean ONLY) drawback I would have is that it does carry a bit of a somewhat synthetic smell. That being said, the longetivity is fantastic and the silage is very "gentlemanly" meaning it's noticeable but not overwhelming. All and all, I have BB New York Gentlemen and 9.8/10. It has also earned a place in my Top 5 fragrances (see my profile for more). I also HIGHLY RECOMMEND you guys go out and get it as it's been discontinued

An exceedingly gorgeous bouquet of blindingly brilliant freshness and floral glory! There are very few perfumes that come close to this type of wonderful and heady accord; maybe K by D&G. I hadn’t worn this in a while and I kept getting whiffs of an opulent and thoroughly appealing air of beauty. It smells nostalgic and contemporary at once, but fragrance like this is absolutely timeless. It lasts forever. The initial whiff after applying is an effulgent bouquet, like diamonds in the sunlight, wild with frenzied prisms. A seductive potion without parallel. This is worth much more than the discount price for which it may still be sold.