Gucci No 1 Eau de Parfum

I don't typically review women's scents, but this is an epic masterpiece. With the passing of Guy Robert just two days ago on May 28th, I wanted to say that this is a bottle of amazing quality - a masterpiece and timeless beauty. While classified as a "Floral Aldehyde" - it is stunningly deep, rich and full of earthy and wood notes. Oakmoss, patchouli, amber, cedar, musk and a benzoin/vanilla base further enhanced by tonka bean. So deep and warm. The color of the Eau de Parfum in a 60ml spray I bought for my wife is bronze and all the notes are true to form. It is closer in color to Guy Robert's 1970 masterpiece he created for Hermes in Equipage (4 years earlier) than his bottling of Gucci Pour Homme Original just two years later...a chypre. Now, while I am adventurous in scent and adore his 1976 creation - a masterpiece for men! - there is a part of me that believes this scent with it gorgeous base notes and integrated oriental tones and depth could possibly be worn by a confident, classic man! I have floral scents for men that are far less rich as this and could easily be worn by my wife. While I believe this is perfection in scent made for a confident and elegant woman of taste - understand that this plays off Carl Jung's archetypes of both Dynamic Feminine and a strong presence of Static Masculine in the base notes that could easily rise to the forefront. It smells as good today as it did nearly 40 years ago - and, perhaps in comparison to so many scents that are not nearly as well-composed...even better. Timeless. Just like a piece by Bach, or Chopin - does it ever sound "dated"? No, it is classic...as is this fragrance. I see this as a centerpiece for a woman's collection - it is chic, amazingly elegant and gorgeously rich. Not for the faint of heart. Age appropriate is 30's to 60's, but it is how a woman carries herself and her aire of sophistication that will allow her to adorn this fragrance. This is a confident Woman's scent that is never going to be out of style - like Monsieur Robert's Pour Homme bottling...you must wear this proper or it will wear you. 10/10. Masterpiece.

Maybe I am too subjective in here, because I have worn this svent for almost three decades and at that time I did not know nearly as many fragrances as I do today. Whatever the reason, I love this fragrance. I do not usually like carnation that much, which is to me the most preeminent note in this fragrance, but here, although very obvious and as noticeable as in other famous carnation fragrances or even more, it is used in a very good balance from my viewpoint with the other notes. Its scent goes and comes, and, at the breaks, lets you smell fully the round full sweet side of this fragrance, to me achieved mostly from jasmine and amber. It also smells a lot of cedarwood, whose scent mixes up very tightly with carnation. Also, this fragrance is really strong and powerful, everyone in a room wil notice it, and has excellent silage and staying power. Well, it was created at a time when eau de parfum really meant what it is supposed to mean. Guy Robert really created masterpieces. I have owned for decades all his three to me main fragrances, Madame Rochas, Caleche and Gucci no 1. It is a pity it has been discontinued, although some five years ago I still found a bottle in a London Chemist.

Guy Robert is one of my favorite perfumers. He weaves his compositions into a tapestry that illuminates each element and has them singing a chorus of dramatic movements throughout each discrete work's development. It's not to say that this has anything to do with some wondrous alchemy on the part of Robert, but each vintage I own seems somehow immaculate, spared from the ravages of time, still sonorous after decades. It is quite a coincidence, though, and makes me wonder (and oh how I love to wonder!). In Gucci No 1 EDP, Robert's penchant for arresting grandiosity is in full effect: an announcement of aldehydes ringing in the glamour of full-bodied florals, most notably rose, hyacinth, heliotrope, and lilac to my nose, with strong suggestions of carnation and ylang-ylang. It's intoxicating, with the blooms bursting and effulgent, reminding me of walking through an arboretum at the peak of spring with all manner of blooms emanating their seductive aromas. Yet it still manages to feel baroque and tender, especially as the dry down softens the edges, as if the flowers all retreat to a welcoming moss-lined cedar chest to reflect and rest. It is sensational.

This is perfume artistry, so elevated compared to Gucci by Gucci or Gucci Rush. It is easy to just think "oh that's pretty" but then the complexity of the ingredients keeps bringing more. I'll have to wear it more to have a review that does this justice. Addendum: I have a LOT of scents, so it has been a while since I wrote this. I wore it again today, and the first application as I said before was "pretty". It seemed very floral and kind of Joy/Fidji/Anais Anais-ish. The scent would be kind of on my periphery and then dissipate when I tried to get a good sniff. Then, after lunch I reapplied my vintage edp, spraying a bit more, not a lot. Same bottle, mind you. It was like putting on a different scent! All of a sudden the herbal/green/woodiness flowed forth and enveloped me in majesty! Now a few hours later, I have some of each the floral and the woody quality. Oh yeah, this is a real masterpiece, alright.

Stunning!! I love green, I love ambers and I love carnation, this fragrance has all three!! I received this vintage perfume from a friend. I never smelled it before and as soon as I got it I sprayed some on. I didn't know what the notes were in the fragrantica pyramid but the very first thing I smelled was aldehydes a little bit of hyacinth. Soon it started to change into a very warm fragrance. This is mostly a spicy honeyed carnation with thick gooey Amber. I get the oak moss in the middle notes along with the Ylang Ylang. It smells like there may be some civet in here but it just adds to the class and sophistication of this perfume. It lasts so long at least over 12 hours. Sillage is an arm's length and after 30 minutes sits closer to the skin but still very noticeable. This is such a beauty and I feel very lucky to have this in my collection.