Lauder for Men

How the hell is this a men’s cologne!? Was Lauder having a big gut-laugh at men’s expense in 1985? It’s an enormous green floral chypre perfume quite similar in character to Youth Dew, Azuree, Private Collection, Clinique Aromatics Elixir (also a Lauder) and then Knowing that would follow Lauder for Men; it smells just like what they would make for their blockbuster feminine perfumes. Which, this said, means that I find Lauder for Men to be a brilliant creation, but I don’t understand how this would’ve been acceptable to men in the 1980s. Lauder for Men just goes to show, as did its predecessors and a very small number of contemporaries, that Lauder is perfectly capable of creating brave and beautiful perfumes - so how, when, and why that changed to where the brand is at today is a sad mystery. Bergamot and lemon and orange juice - not just one or two of them, sharp green galbanum, marigold, spices and herbs and juniper are all shoved into the opening in completely incomprehensible sizes and proportions. I distinctly remember the first time I sprayed Lauder for Men and my first sniffs; my reaction included words not quite appropriate for a public forum. I was completely overwhelmed at the enormity and the expansiveness of it. Sour, juicy, bitter, spicy, herbal, floral, waxy bitter fruity, aldehydic, and everything else in between without seeming like a complicated morass. The heart section takes the same approach with jasmine, carnation, rose, muguet, and cool seed spices, the latter spice notes being far less prominent than the florals almost to the point of not really being individually distinguishable, but they’re there to make sure the florals do not become too engrossing despite their enormous size. The huge oakmoss at the base also works to keep the florals on the “masculine” side of proceedings in so much as Lauder for Men can be, and, just like the rest of the perfume, this oakmoss is enormous. Beautiful, woody, damp green leaves and earth that will fill a room and trail for miles. Further into the dry down a soft worn-leather note pairs with sandalwood and patchouli for a classically earthy, woody, and animalic finish that is superbly dialed in. When it comes to “men’s fragrances”, wearing Lauder for Men is an experience like wearing Amouage Gold Man. They don’t smell similar, but they have very similar personalities: very powerful, very floral, very complex pieces of work to only be worn by the brave, bold, and the classy. You are going to get noticed, so make sure you are ready to be noticed. This is easily one of the best fragrances Lauder has ever made, right up there with its feminine marketed predecessors but standing aside from them because of its completely baffling personality and mandate. Love it. Potentially more thoughts to come for a vintage 80s vs. new formulation comparison if I feel like attempting that.

I'm reminded of this for a couple reasons. Foremost, I have a bottle and hadn't yet reviewed it on Fragrantica -- thought I did, not sure how I missed it, but oh well. Secondly, another scent reminded me of it today: Quelques Fleurs Original, surprisingly enough. This is definitely a mid-80's power bomb, very elegant and well-composed, very much a day fragrance, more refined as for a business setting. This isn't the sort of scent one would call "sexy" by current standards as much as they'd say it carries a sense of very formal and classic style. The opening is a series of very bright green notes and the headiness of juniper and clary sage. The middle is pure, classic fougere in every sense of the word: Rose, carnation, jasmine. None overpowering, none trying to out-do the other. The base is a great amber/woody/musk combination, the hint of vanilla just present enough but not shouting itself above the other elements. One word: Classic. This is gentlemanly refinement. Now to why Quelques Fleurs. My wife sprayed Quelques Fleurs on earlier in the day, and I kept smelling it off in the background while we were shopping. I finally smelled myself, recognizing the aroma but not why, then I said "Something smells very familiar". I realized it was her fragrance, and I said, "I need to show you Lauder for Men when we get home." We tested it, she smelled it, and concluded, "You're right, it's a man's version of Quelques Fleurs!" Take our Quelques' florals, add more greenery to the opening, and change some of the note emphasis around and you've achieved Lauder. They're just close enough for confusion unless you smell the two side-by-side. Nonetheless, someone else nailed it when he said "OLD SCHOOL". It is. That isn't necessarily a bad thing, but this isn't for someone in the under-45 crowd to toy with as they won't understand how to wield its power without marinating in it. It fits squarely in the space between middle-age and "The Geritol Set". It's brilliant stuff.

Wearing my vintage this morning, and convinced this is top 5 for all time classics before 1990. Yes, as the reviewer just below stated, vintage has a great oakmoss. It also has pine or fir, which is the main note for me, not listed here in the note breakdown. The lilly of the valley is what makes it so classy and elegant. This is similar structure to Givenchy Insense, which has fir and lilly of the valley. This is so well blended. It is a timeless classic, in that the compostion is so pure, it will never smell dated. On finding Vintage: It's hard to find the really good smelling vintage bottles. I just threw out two used 50 ml spray bottles that we're advertised as vintage on eBay. Here's a few tips of what I learned. The 100 ml spray bottles (vintage) are 3.3 ounce vs 3.4 of the new bottles. The vintage 100 ml spray has a dark olive drab green plastic cap, whereas the new has allmost a black plastic cap, or very dark green, allmost black. When I've purchased the small 10 ml spray travel bottles, they have allways been the good vintage juice. It's easier to find vintage aftershave splash bottles, those are usually genuine when marked (vintage). I just purchased an old vintage 50 ml spray. If this is not the good stuff, I am quiting with the 50 ml vintage spray bottles, because I've never got one that has the real original juice. It's easier to identify the real 100 ml spray, if they have the lighter cap, and are 3.3 ounce vs 3.4. Update: My 50 ml spray came in and it was the good vintage juice, but the sprayer was clogged, and I was able to exchange the spray nozzle, and get it to work, yay! OK, the real vintage 50 ml spray, on the bottom label says 85%....the newer version, bottle is exactly the same, gold cap, but the bottom label does not have 85% in the description.

This has gone back to my top 5 for cold Winter days. I get a beautifull pine note softened by lilly of the valleys. I am wearing the vintage, more natural and richer than the present form, which is still not bad. Im wearing it today and it has a smooth piney soapy opening, but I was impressed that the mid to dry down was even better than the first hour. I get a rich fruity amber. Its my only fragrance of 25 that I can say the drydown is the best part, even when the opening and mid are great. It balances the freshness of great florals, green aldehydes with anice, and juniper berries, with the warmth of amber, clary sage, cardomon, and cedar wood, and a nice earthy oakmoss. The florals are just nuances blended in that lift and brighten the composition. So men dont worry about this being overly floral, it's not. The amber note adds an amber fruitiness along with the mandarin. Overall rich, clean refreshing, luxurious. A great classic, that has been under the radar. The drydown I just noticed may be the best part, amber and juniper, woods, dark and inviting. This is my top 5 from 1960-1985. Guerlain Vetiver, Paco Rabanna, Z-14, Caron Le 3 men, and Lauder for men. PS, If you want to try a modern version of this, Guerlain Heritage is allmost identical, in notes, but dosn't have the barber shop soapiness and is richer. The vintage is much better, although the present formulation is worth having. The vintage one is 3.3 ounce and has a dark green cap vs the new one is 3.4 ounce and has a black cap. The vintage has a gold cap for the splash. Rating: Vintage, 10/10. Present, 8/10

I bought the 100ml EDT of this a few times in years gone by, I loved it from the very first moment I smelt it and it instantly became one of my alltime favourite fragrances. I will leave it to others to review in detail the particular notes and composition, all I will say is that it is, out of all the fragrances I have ever owned, the one which makes me feel the most 'expensive' when I'm wearing it. It has something about it which just exudes wealth and it always made me feel amazing when I wore it. I generally have a particular type of fragrance I always tend to go for (Chypre) which are all on the lighter side of the spectrum and this, to me at least, fits with that vibe I always gravitate towards but also possessing an extra magical something not in any of the others. Out of all the other fragrances I've loved and worn, this one feels the most luxurious and expensive, like I'm made of money and dripping in good taste. I love it to bits. Unfortunately from my own experience of trying to track it down it's largely been discontinued now and it's hard to find. I did find some units available for sale in the U.S. recently direct from Estee Lauder (some of the last ones left), but I'm located in Australia and they would not sell or ship to me per their policy, so disappointing, and I guess this fragrance is now relegated to a memory for me.

Lauder for Men is insanely good. It is rich, well blended and classy. Every time I spray Lauder for Men the complexity of this scent takes me to so many places and different times. The first images are concrete and flowers. Yes, imagine the cold air of the early morning as you pass by a florist over a rain dampened sidewalk. The other image is a floral garden in San Francisco on a slightly damp, foggy yet sunny spring day. Lauder for Men is a masterpiece and absolutely stunning. I appreciate it more and more each time I wear it. Lauder for Men can be tough to pull off, but on the right occasion with a smart ensemble, this fragrance becomes the ultimate finishing touch. I love the floral and citrus notes that swirl in this cloud of dewy, powdery, mossy, musky, greenness. Lauder for Men is never dull, never boring. As a fragrance, it is not at all dated, this is timeless perfumery but definitely for the older crowd. Lauder for Men can be worn in the office (occasionally) and it works perfectly on important dressed up occasions, or when you just need an olfactive inspiration or challenge. This scent works beautifully in fall, winter and spring, day or night. Give Lauder for Men a few sprays when you want to face the day in the most suave way; like Redford or Newman.

And we have a blind-buy SSSCOOORE!😁!! Wow! So freakin' GORGEOUS! Im so glad I that got over my fear of "redundancy" due to me collecting quite a few mens classic Fougeres as of late! Ive been debating grabbing Lauder for men for about a year now, but as soon as I confirmed that this fragrance is now dicontinued I just went aghead and pulled the trigger and after trying it fir the first time I am SO GLAD I DID! Now, if Im being honest I am getting shades of Azzaro Pour Homme and Aramis-Tuscany, but Lauder for men is much for floral and seems a bit fresher that either if those which really does help set Lauder apart from those making it it's own thing. I feel like its a combination betweern Estee Lauder's Knowing and Azzaro Pour Homme making Lauder smell more like a Chypre/Fougere. Now where Lauder truly comes into its own, unique fragrance is further in the dry-down where I could swear that I get a very strong Minty/tea note with hints of sweetness along with tbose classic aromatics making Lauder quite unique indeed! I have yet to give it a full wear so I cannot honestly speak on the performance, but I think it'll be great! Ill be back for an edit soon when I report back! Im super excited about having Lauder for Men in my collection! 😉

Lauder for Men is like the “green brother” to Guerlain's Habit Rouge. Overall, a classy smelling fragrance, with a substantial herbal base that distinguishes it from other traditional green frags. This is not the usual green genre where you instinctively want to wear it on overcast days or misty/foggy mornings. The ideal setting for Lauder for Men is a sunny, breezy morning in the springtime. The presentation is worth one’s attention as the bottle/box are great examples of the 1980s revival of Art Deco. I imagine this fragrance was popular in the 1980s "high society.” Lauder for Men is a bit of a cultural artifact, and is an example of why I love classic fragrances — the good ones can take you back in time to get a glimpse of a bygone era. In this case, a snapshot of 80s sophistication that often gets overlooked by the clichéd "excess" and "greed is good" portrayed by Gordon Gecko, Patrick Bateman, etc. Score: 8.5 out of 10 Would I purchase a replacement bottle? Yes, it’s one of my favorite springtime scents.

If Kouros is king of 80’s men’s fragrances, then Lauder for men is the prince of 80’s men’s fragrances. Lauder screams 80’s but somehow is timeless, like a Bob Ross blue button down shirt. I can imagine this has been worn by many white collared men over the decades, especially during the “greed is good” time it came out. Lauder has an earthy freshness, both green and clean. The galbanum and oak moss are strong, but not bitter. This is balanced just right that it’s on the sweeter side while being a masculine powerhouse. Like a lot of 80’s fragrances, there are many fragrance notes, so it’s hard to point out specific ones. Other than the galbanum, oak moss, and green notes, I can’t really detect any other strong notes. I can see why it’s still in production today, I have gotten compliments when wearing this and it lasts all day while projecting just right. May not be a safe blind buy, but I don’t think any man over 30 will regret buying this, especially if you’re a fan of vintage fragrances.

This is another retry from my younger days back in the 80's! I liked it(mostly) back then, but it seemed a little more smooth than my loud, rowdy youth was looking for. NOW, I'm loving this! It's a wonderful scent for the high dry desert fall/ winter climate! I always wore this after labor day, back in the day; the scent reminded me of those first sunny but cool days of Fall! This isn't your average DUDE scent, this all gentlemen and old-school charming!I had been hemming & hawing on retrying it, but my local Macy's made it a "Let's buy"! It's nice to smell like an elegant gent, the scent is similar to what I remember years back, clean, refined, smart and manly!I'd like to smell the vintage and the current versions side to side to see if I could discern the change in formula,but it wouldn't make much of difference in my choice to try it again, I am taken with the scent and the good feeling it invokes! Please try it fellas, esp. my fellow gray-beards, this one is for us!

One of Nicholas Calderone’s calling cards seems to be these subtle subversions that open his fragrances to interpretation and styles of the wearer without deviating from classic genres too radically. Lauder for men speaks to a buttoned up masculinity of offices, cocktail bars, country clubs. And yet, through sly winks, a dainty, prim, and feminine muguet chypre peaks through the bravado of the quite beefy carnation. Altogether the composition doesn’t feel so different from Avon’s masterful chypres of the 50s and 60s, though I imagine the original customer base of the fragrance might not appreciate my saying so. By puffing its chest in true 80’s style Lauder for men doesn’t so much convey masculinity as it does suggest louche dandyism — and thank goodness for that! Does Lauder for men wear a double-Windsor-knotted tie? Sweatpants? Or a tea dress? Somehow all three feel equally viable. Regardless, sturdy chypre spine conveys an aura of winking self-assuredness.

Lauder For Men is marketed towards men. I seldom use gender term for fragrances but here I agree! The use of oakmoss and musk here just takes me back to the 80s where deep, strong, unapologetic, intense aroma are appreciated as masculine. When regulations were less prominent and companies pushed the boundaries. Lauder is an oakmoss bomb. It is supported by more intense aroma of juniper berries, clary sage, galbanum, vetiver, musk and a host of intense notes. This is one of my all time greats that I will always have. Of course all good fragrances must be reformulated, and this is not an exception. I like the new formula also because people tolerate it more in these "modern age" of ambroxan. But I still keep the old formula for nostalgia and self indulgence. I know it's a far cry from Diaghlev by Roja (which I own) but has 60% similarities in the opening. Experience this and you might fall in love or at least experience what the men of the 80s smelled like.

I have a bottle of the first original Eighties version with the all gold cap. Also I've managed to get the second vintage from I believe the mid Nineties, the one with the green cap and gold top. I've been comparing them and it's really interesting how they develop on the skin. The Original Eighties version opens up green but softer with great note separation. It's aromatic and develops slowly in the air around you, very beautiful. It also has a ton of oakmoss which other notes slowly show themselves from. The second vintage version is more fresher, focused and piercing. The oakmoss though is still there though has been greatly reduced. Both are fantastic with top quality ingredients but have a different character. The original develops like a flower opening it's petals and scent goes wide. Very aromatic, but wow. The 2nd vintage is more vibrant and intense and tightly woven. Pleased with both, blows away most fragrances on the shelves today. Wow!

I have not come across this fragrance since it was first launched way back. At the time I recall this juice having quite a bit to it...almost overbearing. I finally found a 50ml bottle with a gold cap and my experience was totally opposite. A VERY RICH aromatic scent starting with juniper berries giving way to oakmoss. As well there's a mix of lush green notes and clary sage with floral notes from jasmine and carnations. Longevity and Silage is very good lasting at least 6hrs. Overall, My youthful mind didn't process this GEM of a fragrance. Now with maturity, there's much more an appreciation for this lost jewel. This juice has a real green/powdery/soapy underlying sweetness which comes across after it settles. I'm so fortunate to of found this PHENOMENON fragrance. I will use it for special occasions. A real attractive fresh aromatic scent.....9/10 Anyone who wants to try an old school juice with a one of kind aroma...this is it.

This is a mucho-macho oakmoss bomb that pokes you in the nose straightaway, but dries down so handsomely. Here's where you get consumed with jealousy- I just picked up this full, pristine lil' 1/4 oz at my local thrift store for a DOLLAR! I'm smiling as I write this because the fragrance is so good. Too many reviewers erroneously claim fragrances have been discontinued, but a quick check online shows this is still in production. Perhaps this is due to so many calling reformulations 'dead' as a result of IFRA regs. Mine can't be a reform, this baby is powerful. No pine, but I do get lovely tobacco and a twinge of leather after an hour. Imagine fledglings emerging from the nest all flying in different directions; one is Cabochard, one Aramis, another is Bandit, and the other? Lauder, of course! I'm an unusual woman with a body chemistry that fragrances love, so I can enjoy whatever I damned well please. This is a good day.

Epic Journey Into the Bottled Yonder, 029 ------------------------------------------------------- Purchased May 2017 Decades ago my dad had something like this, maybe I remember a bottle like it. But upon receiving my bottle of Lauder for Men the scent was nostalgic as hell. Like with Azzaro Pour Homme this transported me to decades past. It's a true babe of a frag, smells like victory and those who conquered lands to build what we live in now. And that's a bottle you'd love to see among your collection. Modelled after Trump Tower sans the setbacks this bottle design is for fans of the insane '70s-'80s New York mafia and architectural period. There's no other bottle before this with this much balls in its aesthetic.

I just had to review this wonderful cologne. I'm a woman, but it is the first fragrance I ever bought for my husband. It was the Summer of 1993, and I was about to give birth to our one and only child. I smelled this fragrance, and knew that I had to get it for my husband. I liked it so much, that I bought a gift set for my husband and for my dad, for Father's Day. Little did I know, that it would become my favorite men's cologne. It's so very soapy, clean, and green. I just love the oak moss in it!! I never get tired of smelling it. My husband was about 35 when he started wearing it, and now he's about to turn 60, and he still wears it. Lauder for Men will always be a classic in my book. Five stars all around!!

My first purchase based solely on Fragrantica reviews...the bottle was in dept stores, but no testers available. Well worth the reasonable price tag, a fantastic and truly unique creation! Opening had me thinking twice(You guys warned me, though), but I was sold within half an hour, and it only gets better from there. Outside of Summers here in the Southeast, I think Lauder for Men is an EASY green light, and I respect that kind of versatility and value. True loves will always be Herrera for Men and Minotaure, but Lauder for Men allows me - with only one or two sprays - a beautiful whiff into a time I'd left unexplored. Bonus track: EL gals also gifted me up some savage lipsticks for the wife and Mom.

Many have said they don't find this to smell "dated" - I actually do, but I don't consider that to be a bad thing, lol! This absolutely smells like something from the 80's. Very masculine, sophisticated, and gentlemanly! I actually picture, someone like Blake Carrington or Bobby Ewing rocking this! There's just a touch of that old-school funk people mention - probably a combination of the oak moss, carnation, and patchouli. I'm in my 40's, but feel very confident wearing this to the office and dressed appropriately. I think this performs extremely well for an eau de cologne concentration. If you are looking for a different style of a scent that will get you noticed, look no further.

This is WOW, believe me grab it if you find it and I promise you that you won't regret it! even blind buys are a great choice here. I'm wondering now how the hell didn't I notice this perfume earlier? maybe because i'm not a fan of oakmoss? even 20s men can easily pull this off because it is obviously has no age restrictions. The juniper berries-carnation opening, jasmine-lily are the heart, and sandal-amber-musk at dry-down GORGEOUS AND YUMMY! every time I apply this on my arms I almost eat them! pardon my expression but it is THAT good. .......I'm praying for God to save it from extinction and bad reformulations!.......