Gucci No 3 Parfum

At first No 3 is bitter, cigar-like, earthy (minerals? clay? chalky?) After it settles, there is a pleasant floral lift present, like a slight fleck of soft pastel teal somewhere behind an in-your-face wall of mahogany-coloured fuzz. The overall sensation is like being submerged in a bathtub filled with a heated mixture of inky oakmoss, mud and flowers as a part of some decadent skin treatment. Perfumes that showcase oakmoss (especially chypres) have made me feel puzzled, and this does the same. It completely lacks moisture, freshness and sweetness, ie. it doesn't share much of a palette with any of my modern nature-inspired scented shower gels and cleaning products, which I think explains its anachronistic queerness. It more than makes up for these 'lacks' with strong smells from some foreign depths. Trying to wrap my head around how anyone could have intuitively experienced this as smelling 'good', I suddenly envision an older vision of nature that does not merely seek to replicate its pleasures, but to refine and make mystifying rhymes with all shades of its profoundness. A sort of abstract religious language that you were "supposed to get". That, or rambling conservative statements that seem dubious to relay in modern contexts. For now, I wouldn't wear this for anything else than sitting on the sofa in my bathrobe, pondering its historical context and what this scent has meant for the people who have worn it decades ago. I can't deny that there is an addictive quality and a complex character to it, in all of its scorched earthy bitterness.

I have a miniature bottle of Gucci 3, unopened and seemingly well-preserved. It is an old-fashioned inky-dark, earthy chypre - of its era and manages to be simultaneously dense yet muted. Gucci 3 opens with a blast of soapy aldehydes and bergamot, bolstered by earthy green notes. There is some musk in there too. The bergamot is bitter yet realistic, and there is a smokiness to the opening. The dense, mossy base notes are present from the initial application, with murky oakmoss and dry vetiver in prominent roles. As Vilja Vee below put it, "scorched earth" describes it perfectly. As it develops, G3 unexpectedly loses a lot of its earthy darkness quite quickly, and becomes more powdery and floral - iris/orris root and narcissus are most evident to my nose, and a subtle white floral accord in the background adds a feminine edge. The mossy earthiness of the opening becomes very suble, adding a hint of depth to the florals. It fades to a leathery-amber accord, while retaining the subtle earthiness. Restrained patchouli features in the drydown. G3 is not long-lasting on my skin, unusually for a parfum concentration. It is subtle and quiet with intimate sillage and could be unisex by today's standards. Ultimately G3 is quite nice, but doesn't come close to other classics of the genre such as Givenchy III or Mitsouko. 3/5.

I have a newly acquired mini of Gucci No 3 parfum, and it is exactly the way I would expect a chypre from this era to smell. Big aldehyde blast of soapy musk, followed by oakmoss, orris and narcissus. After it settles, a light dusting of rose emerges. And boy, does this last! Put it on last night at about 8 PM, and 12 hours later I can still smell it on my wrist. Not a huge sillage, but I suppose if I'd been more liberal that might have been different. In reading about the EDT, I might have to hunt for a partial somewhere. I'd love to smell a more rose-forward version. Very nice!

The last 3 reviews have summed up everything you need to know about the scent. Spot on descriptions and I have nothing else to say on the matter. What I WILL add is a note for any tiny perfume goblins: There is a 3mL parfum splash bottle and if you can get your hands on it, DO IT. DO IT IT'S ADORABLE AND SO VERY TINY AND BRINGS ME SO MUCH JOY. LI'L ITTY BITTY TEENY TINY PERFUME BOTTLE. I LOVE IT SO MUCH. IT'S SO CUTE. ASDFGHJKL--

Definitely an '80s scent. Aldehydic, citrus, oakmoss opening to a dry down of smoky, wet earth, lily of the valley scent. I like it, it's okay, but it reminds me of other '80s scents. Smells like an earthier Balmain Ivoire. Update: It differentiates itself from Ivoire in the rosier dry down which is delicious.