Herrera For Men

A unique experience is advertised from the first moment, when a blast of rosemary confuses your nose- it is certainly al zaatar al jabal, but its usual resinous quality is completely absent. Then comes the softest of lavenders and nerolis, made even more gentle by the greenness of the rosemary; and, finally a lemon. This lemon bears some consideration. It is not a sweet lemon, nor is it a sharp lemon, nor is it soft like an amalfi lemon. It is a dry lemon; dry not in the sense of the opposite of sweet but the scent of lemon zest and pulp, completely absent any of the bitter white pith, perfectly dried and preserved without any addition of the smell of dessiccation or age. The chemistry of this note is amazing and its endurance throughout the life of this scent is a remarkable olfactory achievement that by itself would put this scent in the top class of perfumes. However, the foregoing is but a too brief first five or ten minutes at best, a moment for a gentleperson to enjoy in contemplation while he (or she) accomplishes their toilette. And now this review shall digress. It has required three full wearings for me to even contemplate writing about this scent. In large part this is because considering this scent has ensconced in my mind's eye the image of a three foot high creature that looks something like a giant, long necked hamster, with an enlongated muzzle and awkwardly long legs terminating in oddly splayed three toed feet. This creature is my memory of an illustration in an elementary school textbook of the hypothetical creature that stood in the evolutionary line between that generic rat like protomammal and the earliest identifiable ancestor of the horse. It came to my mind because when I think of Carolina Herrera scents, I think of the club blaster 212 series or the sugar bomb CH edition. But Carolina Herrera for Men is, from its pyramid and place in time, a traditional gentlemen's perfume. But within it are the genetics of something more, the capacity for explosion into the loud and unabashed 21st century all night rave silage monster is plainly there and the tension between the traditional structure and the explosive potential gives this scent a delicious tension and makes it crackle with human electricity. Geranium and clover introduce the middle phase of this perfume. The clover is dry, much like the clover silage one would feed a lucky horse in its winter stable, and with the continuing green from the rosemary the geranium is stripped of its floral aspect. It is there, it is delicious, but it is not in the least bit floral. The single note of the dry clover then begins to expand, joined by alight dry tobacco, a refined pale leafy scent reminiscent of the shade grown Connecticut leaves used for wrapping fine cigars. This is a tobacco whose purpose is not to distract from other more important scents, but to bind them together and play a supporting role. The stage is now set, a small stable on a Connecticut estate, gotten ready for a prized steed but not yet occupied by any animal, decorative plantings of geraniums, warm bales of clover, a nearby bard hanging the summers cash crop of tobacco. And onto this stage come the stars of the show; the lemon suddenly returns in a joyful reprise and escorts onto the stage the true protagonist of the first act: the cloves. This clove note is soft and almost sweet, lacking the sharp or anesthetic quality of the cloves in mincemeat or a christmas ham, comprable in quality if not volume to the soft clove note in Amouage's Memoir Woman. The middle notes, once in their order, are left to themselves by the slow retreat of the green element of the rosemary and present a scent that is perfectly balanced between the almost sweet of the gernaium, lemon and clove and the dry yellow leaves of the clover and the tobacco. The final stage of this perfume starts at the very outset of the middle act and is very much the reason this review required several visitations. At first I thought the clover had a slightly animalic quality. Almost undetectable at first, there seems to be something in that dry fodder that seizes the attention of the most primitive parts of the olfactory system, raising an alarum that you are in the presence of the ichors of something that moves and breathes and consumes other living things. This aspect slowly grows over time until one can distinguish it from the clover, this is the ambergris- salty, organic and sexual. As the sexual tension rises, the geranium, the clove, the clover, the tobacco bid farewell- pleasant company but third wheels for the final act. As the supporting cast leaves the stage, the wood reveals itself. The notes say sandalwood, but this is not like any other sandalwood I know. The soapy element is completely absent, and it is rich and strong, reminding me of a real cedar, not some ISO super E similacrum, but the real heartwood of a mighty tree that saw the fall of empires in its antiquity. And there returning without fanfare, as if it never left, alongside the mighty wood, the erotic ambergris, again one senses the delicious lemon and the quit chorus of cloves. And this scent, perhaps aware of its own magnificence, does not leave the stage until escorted off with a good shower. This is, perhaps, the best "date" scent in my collection. An opening that puts one in a pleasant and cheerful frame of mind, a middle that exudes geniality and good manners, all the while slowly and inexorably transitioning into a final act of restrained eroticism and quiet strength. Carolina Herrera for Men makes the point of the evening's programme quite clear, though subtly and with manners that are, perhaps, as dated as myself. Its descendants, the VIP series and other analogues, dispense with the manners and the subtlety, making quick introductions and swiftly negotiating their ultimate ends. And with this, we return to our poor splay toed furry friend. Carolina Herrera for men is not some quaint missing link in the genealogy of men's fragrances. It is the powerful wild horse of the Asian steppes, strength and beauty befitting no purpose other than its own magnificence. From this proud creature has been bred the swift but fragile racehorse, the powerful but plodding draft animals- each to their purpose but none as complete or dignified as their ancestor. I freely admit and qualify my review by stating that I now appear to be of that age when, suddenly, the mores and manners of my youth appear superior. I know this is an outstanding scent for a gentleman, and certainly it is appropriate for a gentleman to wear under almost any circumstances. I hate to label it mature, but will say it is most fitting upon someone who subscribes to a thoughtful and well paced approach to life. In short, a fragrance of the highest order.

I was so excited to acquire another bottle of this juice so many years later. Herrera for Men was first launched in 91'. When I was trying to finish post secondary, I splurged when money was tight and bought this FABULOUS frag. I remember the amazing aroma so I didn't know what notes were being used...I just loved it !!!!!! I walked into my usual frag store that carries frag which are no longer in production so when I came across Herrera for Men, I reminisce the memories of my younger years and recall how EXQUISITE this frag was from Herrera. Without any hesitations I bought a 100ml and wore it that same day. When I sprayed it, I could pick up the aroma of neroli which is very distinct accompanied by lemon, lavender and the herbal aroma of rosemary. After it settled it took on a more woodsy/floral base from sandalwood, tobacco and geranium. When It completely settled it had a beautifully aroma of a herbal/sweetened scent giving it overall a warm/spicy aroma. I find longevity excellent..well past 8hrs. I also find Sillage to be excellent, if you know this frag you certainly know when someone is wearing it !!! Overall opinion, I don't want to sound redundant, this frag is EXQUISITE. I found that this frag is one of a few that could worn all year round. I don't find it to be overbearing at all, I have used it during the daytime at work as well during the eve when you are with your special partner and it might heighten your night....you know !!!. It's been several weeks now and I must of had at least 8-10 complements from women who didn't recognize this frag but found it very interesting. Final note, I now have from Carolina Herrera 212 for Men 2011, CHIC for Men 04', CH for Men 09' and now the CLASSIC HERRERA FOR MEN 91'. I use them all and enjoy the variety that Herrera has offered. The 91' bottle is now part of my signature frag's.....EXCELLENT Herrera 10/10, 5 stars !!!!!!!

carolina herrera for men smells definitely like a freshly opened pack of cigarettes. very herbal with a strong note of tobacco. u can feel also something like geranium and clove with neroli and bergamot in the opening, but the tobacco is the leader of the fragrance. it's refined and uber masculine, ch for men reminds me someone well-dressed, serious, a bit surly like h. bogart. the blend is abosolutely well-made, it comes from the 90's but it has something from the 80's. on my skin is quite strong in the first hours, then became more gentle. absolutely for fall and winter, better for people over 30-35. for casual but not playful situations. it takes time to be appreciated, a young man can find it too dated and complicated, so be careful for a blind buy. overall, i dont think it is a compliment magnet or a sexy smell, but ch for men is something different from the current offering and maybe someone can find it attractive for the super masculine vibe. if i have to pick something similiar my choices are trussardi inside and versace the dreamer. they are not identical but play in the same league: ch for men is more serious, trussardi inside is more elegant, versace the dreamer more artistic. for mature, elegant gentlemen! profumo molto mascolino, dominato dal tabacco e qualche note lieve di agrumato. elegante e serio al tempo stesso, lo consiglio a uomini dai 35 in su, seri ma con buon gusto nel vestire. original vs reform- the review is based on the original formula, box with yellow dots, short list of ingredients. the original is stronger and dense, but i found the current version very good too. the reform is weaker and more synthetic, but more modern and less in your face, better for people of nowadays. scent-8,5 long-8 sillage-8 versatility-7 uniqueness-8,5 bottle-8,5 compliment factor-7 rebuy?no my vote- 8 in one word- cigarette alternative- trussardi inside

It may not be an old cologne, of those classics that date back to the 70’s, for example, but is undoubtedly a classic of the male perfumery, in the less literal and more extensive sense of the word. It was created in 1991, not just by one, but by two illustrious renowned perfumers: Rosendo Mateu (Puig, Carolina Herrera, Antonio Banderas, Paco Rabanne, etc.) and Carlos Benaim (Bvlgari, Avon, Cacharel, Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, etc.). It contains notes of neroli, Lavender and leaves of citrus fruits, in the output; geranium, clove and green pepper leaves, in the heart and sandalwood, amber and tobacco, at the base. Some people say that there are also notes of fern (at the top) and cedar (at the base of the fragrance). The scent is strong, elegant and classic without being dated. It has a leathery and dry aspect as soon as applied on the skin. I consider it linear, because it only loses a little of the dry aspect, getting slightly creamy and woody, but not enough to have diversified facets. The projection is deceptive because it is very good, although it seems that is no longer working. But some people claim that it was stronger in the past. The bottle is beautiful and although I don't have the knowledge about the inspiration, some say that it was made to resemble a tie (it makes sense). The spray is quite generous! Finally, it is a scent that fell in limbo in recent years, staying below the radar, but that remains an excellent choice for the man who doesn't give up a beautiful and mature male scent in his collection.

The very first Carolina Herrera fragrance for men, and to this day it's still the most enigmatic and complex of them all. After 30+ years this is still in production, which is quite remarkable for an industry that overflows of redundant flankers and generic freshies. This is a smooth tobacco scent with a clean musky lavender accord, on a light sandalwood base. Classic and mature. It does carry shade of a classic fougère structure. Lots of interesting nuances here, from something tea-like to a really balanced use of cloves. What amazed me at first sniff was how surprisingly close to tobacco this is — way more than other more praised 'tobacco' scents that were kind of a disappointment to me (e.g. Pure Havane/Aramis Havana, which are great but don’t remind me of tobacco that much). I managed to find a 90's formulation where it's written 'eau de toilette' on the bottle, in contrary to the newer productions where it's just written 'Herrera for Men'. It's an absolute masterpiece by Carlos Benaim and Rosendo Mateu. Even after all those years the quality of the juice has remained in such pristine condition with the juice being thick and incredibly potent. Even after showers I'm still catching whiffs off of my wrists. This is the type of 'masculine scent' I very much enjoy, and even if that term has been the subject of some comments in recent years, this is to be regarded as a relic from the pre-political correctness-era.