Gentleman Cologne

We all know how it is with “Cologne”s. They dazzle you with their bright fresh uplifting openings, and then they vanish into thin air leaving you begging for more. This is no different. Gorgeous, bright, clean opening that thanks to the Iris smells unique and interesting among fresher scents, fresh yet refined, with very little alcohol hit. Smells high quality. Hard to say a bad word about the opening really, it’s so so nice to smell. This soon transitions to a more subdued and not quite so exciting (though still pleasant, could be worse) base note that hangs around as a skin scent for a while. It’s probably quite un-exciting for most fragrance enthusiasts, but I imagine most average people will still think it smells good. Wouldn’t have minded if the Iris stuck around a bit longer personally. Prada L’Homme carries it deep into the dry down so it’s definitely possible, and that alone would have taken this fragrance to another level. Almost a masterpiece... so close... Still, it’s a fantastic dumb-reach office fragrance. It’s become my go to “white Tshirt fragrance” for when I just want something simple and clean and pleasant to wear around the house and my wife personally loves it on the opening and through the drydown, so for me, I’m glad to own a bottle. Also the bottle itself is gorgeous, love that white cap and label, just looks so nice sitting on a shelf. You can find this discounted a lot these days and I think for a cheaper price (I found it £40 for 100ml), it’s a fantastic little mood-lifter and day freshener. Makes me smile each time I spray it on. Don’t be overly put off by the bad performance (after all it never stopped us all buying and loving D&G The One, Mugler Cologne or Dior Homme Cologne did it...?), I would definitely recommend giving it a try/sample if you haven’t already... if for nothing else, just for that gorgeous, gorgeous opening.

Light, airy & comfortable fragrance for Gentlemen. Inoffensive and pleasing though that individual(s) will have to be pretty close to catch a whiff of this scent. We'll put together fragrance that just announces a freshness that is very welcoming. To my nose it has that slight clean iris with a citrus nuance at the top that as it dries down gives me an aromatic flair from the Rosemary combined with a woody musky vibe that is smooth. Maybe 45 mins to an hour of soft projection then a total skin scent for about 5-6 hours on a good day. My Mrs gets very light smells of it after an 8-9 hour work day on occasion so, body temp & skin ph may have something to do with that. I go completely anosmic to it within a couple of hours but, it has teeth and lingers on skin for some time. It really is a beautiful fragrance that encapsulates linen pants & shirt vibe having a light brunch or casual dinner date out in the opening at a favorite bistro on a nice warm evening. Great for the office as it won't permeate to another's nose where you might catch a side eye (I can give 2 craps if it offends or not) from those that are sensitive to fragrances. If I were to stay exclusively to the Givenchy Gentleman line up, it would be Gentleman Cologne, Gentleman Intense & Gentleman Boisee. These 3 would cover a Man year round with class, taste & sophistication....

Givenchy continues to impress with another solid release in the Gentleman lineup, one that pays homage to the classical concept of men's eau de cologne. Much like last year's Gentleman EDP, this cologne is drastically different from the 1974 original and the 2017 re-release. Gentleman Cologne is incredibly light, green, and fresh. It brings into perfect balance fresh citrus, powdery iris, and aromatic rosemary. Every note is entangled in a dance: the simple and airy composition allows every element to shine through, none overpowering the other. Following a fairly linear scent progression, a woody ambroxan/vetiver base with a tea note gently reveals its presence. With a lot of eau de colognes released recently, the aldehydic/citrus facet is overplayed and goes into cleaning product/air freshner territory. Gentleman Cologne completely avoids this issue; it's unbelievably smooth, an extremely safe wear for men of any age in the warmer weather. Not groundbreaking by any means, but a flawless execution nonetheless. Despite carrying the name of cologne, this is an EDT concentration. But, as expected for this kind of scent, longevity is not the best (4-5 hours) and projection is quite soft. Carry a decant and reapply if you want to smell fresh all day.

Amazing blind buy! Get it while you can! Off the top, I get a bright and juicy bergamot note with a floral component from the petitgrain and iris. As it dries down, the citrus loses just a little bit of its potency, and it reveals a fairly standard but very pleasant floral/woody dry down. Even though it's just a citrus fragrance, it actually has a surprising amount of depth. Sometimes I get florals. Sometimes I get citrus. Sometimes I get soap. Sometimes I even pick up a green tea or bamboo note. It's just a wonderfully crafted fragrance. Also, don't worry about the ambroxan note if you're not a fan. It's basically only there to lay down a solid foundation for the rest of the notes to sit on top off. It doesn't smell like a woody shower gel. It just smells clean. The same thing applies to the iris note. It's not waxy, just fresh. Overall Score: 9/10 Strong Blind Buy Recommendation! I'm pretty harsh when it comes to giving scores, so a 9/10 is actually really good. It's nothing terribly unique, but the citrus, iris, and green notes are blended to near perfection. Performance is really the only negative (it's extremely weak), but I don't really care about that. Based on scent alone, this has instantly become one of my favorite fragrances ever.

So happy we got another day in the 90’s so I could wear this gem one more time before the freshie season comes to a close. This stuff has a GREAT opening! That is essentially what this is all about, and let me tell you it nails it. Fresh, clean Iris with some light citrus and that greenish/white pettigrain...it’s just such an uplifting scent in the opening alone that it justifies the purchase of the bottle. Others have said it, and it’s true. This is not a beast, nor should it be. Not everything has to punch people in the face or last for 3 business days. This lasts as long as it should, maybe a little less. Dry down is nothing more than a clean smelling skin scent, sometimes I can pick up just a a touch of that Iris lingering. After 3 hours, I can’t pick up much of anything a have to spray again, which I don't mind at all, because as I said...one of the best, most uplifting openings in men’s fragrance, and all without much complexity whatsoever. I spray this now and then, on my arm, on my hand, when I just need a little something to boost my spirits. Do yourself a favor and at least put your nose on this to see for yourself!