273 Rodeo Drive for Men

Dark and mysterious 80's style frag comparable to Jacques Bogart. I'd say its worn best casually or on a date, not very strong or long lasting, but definitely makes a statement that's sure to grab some attention from the uninitiated to the world of 80's fragrances. Buckle up for this one. This fragrance invokes an image a man stepping out of a 1982 Firebird Trans Am in a disheveled suit with a 5 o' clock shadow wearing sunglasses at night. On my first spray I thought it simultaneously smelled like burnt and unburnt incense. I assume that was just something synthetic because that scent quickly dissipates. It maintains a resin/incense smell in the forefront even a little camphor/balsam that plays along too I'd say. Oakmoss/musk takes the middle ground being present throughout and perhaps why I've been wearing it so much lately (really down with earthy/musky fragrances). The dry down really reveals the undertone of the lavender that has been there the whole time just waiting for it's time to shine. There's also a bit of brightness to the whole fragrance I can't pin, perhaps the amber scent, maybe the citrus others have said they smell, but I feel its closer to a fresh spicy than citrus. Cedar also fits right next to that scent but I'd surprised if that's what the brightness is, this smell is the most reserved of all but there certainly is a woodsy scent even when the oakmoss is gone. This is nothing like Drakkar Noir unlike what others have compared it to, but I guess its the easiest comparison because this fragrance isn't common anywhere else. If you have any interest in something different or are on the fence about this style of fragrance you really can't go wrong here. You can grab a large bottle for below $15, that's basically a large combo at Mcdonalds.

I have bought Rodeo Drive blind based on the observation that if a bottle this dated and tacky is still sold, the content must be something special - and it is. This is what I think it is made of, after wearing it for days non-stop: Top - Lavender or a mix of lavenders, with medicial sharpness and soft floral undertones usually not found together - Bergamot - Arizona cedar: a fresh citrusy cypress - Artemisia Heart - Texas cedar: a woodier juniper - Amber: Enough styrax to make the whole composition dry, labdanum, real vanilla, something similar to coumarin just darker - Something smokey - I am not that good with notes - Another aromatic note Base - Sandalwood - Cedar or cedar like conifer - Woody musk or combination of musks - Oakmoss Supported by a variety of aldehydes. Well thought out and masterfully executed, Rodeo Drive appears simple with a single main accord featuring over a quieter background at every stage. All the notes are transposed (excuse my extension of the musical metaphors) supported by similar notes in the background and fortified by synthetics. Like a symphony. The opening is light fougere. Once the lavender fades a very strong birch tar type leather appears, except it is not actually a birch tar leather. The dry down is woody. Note separation is very good. The composition is somewhat fickle like all composite leathers. Wear it exclusively or apply enough to overpower the remains of yesterday's fragrance to get the leather - definitely the best stage for me. When Rodeo Drive came out, the synthetics blended in would have been the main attraction. These days it is the prevalence of natural materials and the simplicity. The only compromise imposed by the low price is the strength - which is easy to overcome by applying a bit more.

Great stuff! Someone one said why bother owning, it smells so close to Antaeus. Well, the better Antaeus versions cost minimum $125-150 for a silver sprayer bottles. The early vintages versions, $300+ easy and all day. Why own 273 Fred Hayman? I think I paid $8 for my full bottle. Even if I have to spray a couple more sprays, it scratches a similar itch to Chanel Antaeus or other animalic 80’s fragrances like Furyo, Davidoff Classic, Marbert Gentlemen, and many, many others. Projection is pretty good and longevity is there. It always amazes me how many wonderful cheap fragrances were available before IFFRA came in and decimated perfumery. It’s a shame. Why own? Because one day scents like this won’t exist. You may sit there and regret not buying that $8-10 fragrances that smelled a lot times gone by. Either way enjoy the hunt!!

I love this cologne! It is only EDC strength, but it still commands attention. The musk is a particularly animalic type that smells more like civet to me. This is coupled with a strong lavender, citrus, herbal accord that makes it dry and sharp. Purplesun was correct in calling it austere: it is in the same company as Yatagan, Antaeus, Montana Parfum d'Homme and other fragrances of that ilk, but almost like a base to which more notes were added to get all the aforementioned colognes. Its simplicity is what gives it its beauty. EDIT: the box says it is an EDC but the bottle itself an EDT.

I love this stuff. I first heard about it on Scents of South Jersey YouTube channel, and it did not disappoint. It's simple but interesting, doesn't smell like anything else I have. Something about it reminds me of Kouros, but they smell totally different. 273 Rodeo Dr is so funky, but in a very enjoyable way. Not sure I would wear this to work, it feels like more of an evening scent to me. But I could see this as a signature scent for the right type of guy.

Back to the classics! FH's 273 Rodeo Drive is somehow "sweeter" than Caron's Yatagan, a bit "darker" than Antaeus, younger in spirit than GBH Giorgio For Men and certainly dryier than Montana PH. All in all, the same familly. If you like one of those, you'll love 273. Not really a powerhouse, even it keeps the vibe of the 80's. A very good male perfume, for sure. Very appropiate for a signature scent. A deserved 8,8/10 - and maybe more.

Looking for a masculine fragrance from the 80's? This is it - along with Obsession, Polo Drakkar, and Giorgio Beverly Hills, all have distinct powerful scents that capture the time period. 273 seems to have a richer and more balanced approach to the powerhouses while still being on its' own. It's inexpensive, great scent and interesting bottle design.

Beautiful dark oakmoss saturated fragrance. Some warm spicyness. A refined male fragrance. Reminds me of retro 80’s and LA at that time especially Beverly Hills. Love it!

Fantastic scent ❤️ the smell of my beloved Beverly hills in the 80's ❤️ Fred Hayman was the ambassador of the Beverly hills in the world 🌎 rip my friend 🙏

There is absolutely nothing synthetic in this. It smells 100 percent natural. Smokey woods and subtle citrus. Amazing.

273 for men is a dry, somewhat floral aromatic fougere in the style that typified late 1980s men's fragrances. For a fragrance compounded when it was, 273 is rather simple. It doesn't have the "everything but the kitchen sink" approach to ingredients that was commonplace in the late 1980s, relying instead on a few well blended notes. The opening is a floral lavender highlighted and lightened with a bright bergamot. In the middle, indeterminate spices (but I'd bet there's some basil here) and a slightly sweet amber accord unite with oak moss (some probably real, the rest a decent synthetic substitute) to dominate this fragrance. The oak moss stays around through the finish, but it is tempered by a vaguely animalic musk (older formulations had some of the real thing and were, as a result, dramatically more animalic, rougher and leathery). There is also a warm cedar note that gets stronger as the base notes linger. Longevity is 6-8 hours on me. Projection is at most moderate. The heart of this fragrance is where a note emerges that is somewhat reminiscent of the camphorous beeswax note in Antaeus. This note brightens this fragrance and lends it an almost niche feel. Coupled with a somewhat leathery note that emerges from the blend of the oak moss, musk and cedar, this fragrance is really enjoyable and smells like it cost vastly more than the low, low prices for which 273 sells. But do not think this fragrance is identical to Antaeus; similar in someways, yes, but distinctly different, considered as a whole. There are also notes that will remind you of Bijan for Men, Jacomo de Jacomo & Tsar. But, at the risk of being repetitive, 273 for Men is its own thing and is a copy of none of the aforementioned scents. The bottle appears interesting from a little way off, but up close it is cheap looking and even cheaper feeling. The cap, in particular, is barely a half-step above rubbish. The atomizer is just OK. The box mimics the interesting bottle shape, but is little more than poster board and tears easily. These presentation deficiencies are the place where you can see Fred Hayman cutting corners to get 273 down to a low price. If you're a fan of classic 1980s and early 1990s fougeres, this fragrance is a great blind buy, especially when it is available for less than $15/100ML bottle.

The original version of 273 was rich, mossy woody, sexy. An oakmoss-centric fragrance that smelled sexy and expensive. Wore this at university in the early 90s, so frequently that 273 became indelibly imprinted in my memory. A few years back I saw that it was still available and got some out of nostalgia. All my hopes of taking a trip down memory lane were shattered. The new version is unrecognisable. The latest version is NOT the same fragrance at all - screechingly artificial, like car exhaust, dominated by an abrasive rubber-plastic note. 273 has suffered horrendously due to reformulation and IFRA restrictions on oakmoss and mutated into a cheap, artificial nightmare, and they even changed the goddam bottle - what was once a unique, stylish, triangular bottle of opaque ceramic crystal shaped like an arrow head that was not only attractive in its own right but a cleverly artistic piece of design, has been debased into something cheap and nasty. What was once a legendary fragrance by an iconic California designer has been reduced to somethingo so tacky, cheap and horrible that what was once a tribute to Fred Hayman's boutique on Rodeo Drive is now a mocking insult that must have him spinning in his grave. Edit: November 2021 Someone discovering 273 for the first time could well experience this very differently since they would 'come to it without expectations or preconceptions - but I only bought this out of nostalgia for days gone by, to re-live a fragrance that was an integral part of my youth. I can only comment on how this latest version compares to the original. Or doesn't. This is one of the most awful reformulations ever. Even though it has the same name and similar packaging, it's not 273 (as I remember it). 273 is named for an address on Rodeo Drive - the original version of this fragrance smells correspondingly luxurious. It used to be something one could actually wear on that famous street in Beverly Hills.

As well as 273 Rodeo Drive PH (purchased October 2019 & probably batched a few months prior), I have Jacomo de Jacomo (purchased Aug 2019 & probably batched a few months prior). I'm astounded that the comparison between the 2 in "This perfume reminds me of" above doesn't rate the the pair as more similar (as of 11 Nov 2021- it's 8 Yes & 9 No). A primary reason I enjoy them both is their shared dark "oily leather" smell. I suppose 273 arrived a bit late to the dark, mossy, oily, leathery party, since it was released in 1990 at the forefront of the "fresh fougere" revolution. I am just now also reminded of being ensconced in Trussardi Uomo's initial dark oily leather cocoon (1983 version!, not the 2011 version, which is in the "fresh fougere" vein). Like 'em all.

I recently acquired a 2.3 oz. bottle of 273 Rodeo Drive for $13 on Ebay; a blind buy and I'm not disappointed. I don't have a wide enough familiarity with so many frags that I can compare it to anything else as other reviewers below have - it smells like nothing I've ever encountered before but I do like it well enough, as it is completely unique. I haven't gotten any feedback on it yet so I'll comment on the container. The half-pyramid design of the bottle ignores the rule "form follows function". For me, it is virtually impossible to hold this thing, and at the same time, aim and spray without either completely missing the target or dropping the bottle; it is so anti-ergonomic one wonders - what were they thinking?

My first fragrance of the next Heyman brand,allured me in words,but after a while,convinced me more!The first spritz was like"and thats it?",but after more and more wearings,i changed my mind,i like it,really i like it,it is fresh,then smoky,then a bit sweet,very mysterious and as someone said,dark.The only downside is that is really simle,not so much going on,nothing really complex out of what i said,but good,performances are sadisfying for a cologne.

With a beautiful lavender note 273 Rodeo Drive is one of the calmest, most serene and inoffensive aromatic fougeres I've encountered. With moderate longevity, sillage and projection it's ideal for work and a relaxed evening. Not a head turner by any means, but sometimes you might want to smell good but be mellow. A true all-rounder.

i purchased this fragance back in 1999, i love how it smells,woody,spicy,very nice scent, it brings back very good memories, i started to date my first girlfriend in 1999 and this scent always reminds me of that teenager love haha lol i had 15 yrs :D

It's a basic fougere but that's all it needs to be for an easy going casual fragrance. Well priced, moderate sillage and longevity. Yeah its good, TSAR would still be my favourite in this category but sadly I think that might be discontinued.

Possibly the simplest fragrance I own. A light citrus and lavender start evolving into a wood and amber finish. Decent longevity and projection. Very nice and very inexpensive. If you're into old school scents you should grab this!

I was in middle school when my slightly younger friend brought the tiny travel sized Splash with him to avoid smelling like cigarettes we had just started to smoke and its was so amazingly fruity and classy I “lost it” just so I could jeep it and he didnt care so he then brought out a small bottle of Lauder and that was definitely for an older man but smelled nice as too. I tried going down memory lane with this ufffffffff ABORT! ABORT!!!! Smelles like drakkkar with an overbearing smoky incense vibe which KILLED THE MEMORY. Cheap and crappy and not worth buying IDGAF how much u think u liked this back in the late 80’s and early 90’s (I smelled this first in 1989) I have since purchased 273 indigo (smells like lavender and urine) and the 273 RED which is very berry lemon zingy and thats okay i liked that one best from 273 .