Special for Gentlemen

Special for Gentlemen is what a classy man should wear. And a classy woman for that matter. Forget the gentleman, this is a special cologne/fragrance/perfume done in the old fougere style a la Jicky, and therefore reminiscent of Shalimar as well. As much as I love Jicky, and it's bracing lavender/vanilla combo, I'm lucky if I get 30 minutes out of it. So it's my go to instant pick me up before I wear something that I can actually smell when I finish getting dressed. Enter Special for Gentlemen. Unaware of the brand I blindly tested this, hoping to find a fresh fougere. The immediate opening was Jicky on steroids, what I hope mr. Wasser will do with Jicky soon. Lavender and vanilla galore, with a citrus touch to add freshness and sparkle. Creamy, aloof, put together. A perfect dandy scent. A perfect lady coiffed and dressed to the 9s scent! The opening goes for about an hour on my skin, I'm able to indulge in the goodness without feeling like I'm wearing a lavender ice cream. The heart notes are mostly lost on me, a very hazy floral gives of a 50s feeling that goes well with the picture in my mind; black and white movie, set in the Italian Riviera. Or Paris. Or my bedroom! The drydown is where Shalimar enters the picture. Whereas Jicky has a pronounced civet base, here I get the leather and castoreum of Shalimar, draped in oppoponax but very creamy courtesy of vanilla. And it lasts for a good 7 hours, with above moderate sillage, especially if applied freely. Smelling it next to the 2 Guerlain's, it feels of the family. But it also has its own character, only taking the best of the 2 and giving it a unique touch. If you love Jicky and lament it's poor staying power, or love Shalimar, give it a try. And bonus points for being able to smell it at the end of the day. Or at least the creamy leather that clings on skin forever. Excellent introduction to the brand. I hope the rest of the collection is as good!

The name is surely off-putting to anyone born after 1980, and if it wasn't an old and solidly established classic re-invented for the age I would bet a million it wouldn't have passed the first marketing meeting unscathed. The juice itself though is far and away the most exciting and most wearable of the three Le Galion perfumes I sampled recently, the other two being Whip and Aesthete. In a way, it's so much of its kind, such a 'special for gentlemen' that I could forgive guys (especially younger guys) dismissing it as another cologne with a mossy base and filing it under 'boring barbershop - where the flames at?'. But they'd be SO wrong! What truly took me back with this was how incredibly complicated yet subtle and cohesive the fougere composition and its meandering progress was, how the ingredients one expects (the lavender up top, the amber and patchouli at the heart and base) come and go and also dance around with other, less expected notes such as vanilla and labdanum and what seems a surprisingly heavy dose of cistus - it's the sonata form of masculine everyday perfumes, and not only that, it's late Mozart! An extraordinary wolf in ordinary merino wool.

Originally released in 1947, the modern iteration of Special for Gentlemen is a beautiful amber fougere that opens with a dry citron and herbaceous lavender than is reminiscent to that of Jicky, but the core is all opoponax. This resin, with honey- and toffee-like facets, almost salty and savory contrasting with sweet, is best known for its use in Shalimar and Bain de Champagne (Royal Bain de Caron). In fact, there are moments where Special reminds me of the latter, with lavender carrying it through the heart rather than rose and lilac. Warmer, more cinnamic and vanillic further into the dry down, Special for Gentleman feels appetizing and almost indulgent. It's heavenly and light, this is no Le Lion denseness, its buoyancy may appeal to those who may feel stifled by thicker, stickier, labdanum-heavy ambers (I have a soft spot for those two, naturally). Those who tend to scoff at early-to-mid century fragrance will definitely want to steer clear. This is for the fumeheads who crave the oldies but goodies. I am happy to have this along in the collection—it certainly helped that I found it for a great deal, well under retail price.

Round lavender (the star of the show), supported by citron, but doesn't come out as fresh, more fruity. Then it goes towards a nice labdanum note, that is given a smoky/plasticky facet by the cinnamon (it sounds pejorative, but I swear, it's not!). The base is a simple oakmoss note with a vanillic touch. Overall a cousin (but not a brother) of Guerlain Jicky/MdM, giving a more modern take on these, but also in a more simplistic/ less artful manner. It might result a bit more wearable than its cousins (even though I have no problem with the 2 Guerlains), but also a touch less exciting, imho. Like its cousins, it tends to perform modestly, shortly after the opening, but has a better longevity. A very solid choice for fragheads who doesn't already own Jicky or MdM (does it exist?) but its not-so-cheap price point and modest performance doesn't make of this one a safe blind buy, imo. A big like for me. Spring/Fall, 30+, unisex leaning masculine (a bit more than the Guerlains)

This feels like a contemporary version of vintage Jicky parfum (if that makes any sense). While the bergamot at the top is of the modern, attenuated kind, it still feels beautifully aromatic and it harmonizes with lovely lavender and maybe cinnamon and some other spices. I definitely smell the shoe-polish-meets-lacquered-wood aroma of opoponax which here feels smooth rather than just powdery. It's all on a bed of restrained vanilla, amber, and musk. You don't get the big civet punch of Jicky, but there is a slightly smoky castoreum/birch texture. It's not as extreme as the similar leatsher accord in Shalimar, which is why this resembles Jicky more than that one. This is lovely and I'm glad to own it for days when Jicky is a hair too challenging, but in some ways it does feel redundant to own both.

Very nice! The shop assistant immediately brought up similarities with Jicky and Mouchoir de Monsieur. I owned a bottle of Mouchoir de Monsieur, unfortunately for a short while because it fell on the floor and exploded (!) but I can definitely feel the similarities. It must be mainly the lavender. So expect something very, very, very old fashioned but in my book that means 10/10. I was playing with the idea of having another go at Mouchoir de Monsieur but after trying this on paper I’m more likely to buy Special for Gentleman. It’s a bit softer. Something is missing but that’s a bonus for me. It’s probably the absence of civet that makes it more comfortable. I really appreciate that something like this came out in 2014.

* معرکه است این عطر * شروع این عطر با انفجار ای از بوی نوشابه ای(کولا) هست که تم آبنباتی داره و شبیه آبنبات نوشابه ای های قدیمی هست که از وسط‌‌ اش گَرد های سفید و تُرش بیرون می اومد یک عطر پیچیده با بازی نت بسیار زیبا و نمایشی بی نقص همون امضای همیشگی این برند که رایحه ی مُرکباتی-ترش شروع کننده این سمفونی هست کم کم رگه های دودی-اسپایسی رو به نمایش میذاره و حس خاکی-معطر ای از اسطوخودوس در فرمی نیمه صابونی و گیاهی شیرینی کنترل شده تا اواسط عطر حضور داره اما بعد از فروکش کردن طوفان اولیه؛رایحه سمت و سویی انیمالیک به خودش میگیره و جدی و خشن میشه. هم خوانی اسم و رایحه کاملا گویای شخصیت عطر هست. ************************** scent:9/10 longevity:10/10 sillage:8/10 purchase value:4/10 ******* overall:7.7/10 ----> for me its 9/10

Update after five years owning it: It is such a beautiful and classy gentleman scent! Another amazing one from Le Galion. I own three and love them all dearly: Sang Bleu, Sovereign and Special for Gentleman. Special is an astounding scent. I recognize a bit of Sang Bleu with a less harsh opening and sustain (meaning, the main notes evolve over time while with Sang Bleu, they stay the same the whole time). Reminds me also a bit of Fougere d'Argent from Tom Ford. Wore it another time yesterday. The dry down is actually very reminiscent of Invasion Barbares.

Excellent fragrance doing exactly what I wanted from it. Very smooth and easy wear to have such a lavender scent. I find it divine for an evening out though not what I would consider a casual fragrance. Replaced my Guerlain Mouchoir de Monsieur (discontinued) with this and it works. I dare say I like it more. Not overwhelming and sillage is moderate and longevity good. Keeps you interested in it all night.

Beautiful fougere lavander bomb. Hints of vanillia and spice add wonderful depth and complexity. You can easily dress this up or down it is just a true classic. Leans very masculine in compsition but I believe all fragrance are unisex. Must have for any fougere lover.

This is so smooth that it feels like honey made by bees who live in the middle of a vast lavender field. Special is a dream fragrance fragrance for me. It is without a doubt vintage in style, but it wears somewhat timelessly and is most appropriate on cooler nights.

A good scent for every day. Citric at the beginning, it becomes very warm-balsamic after a while. The base of the fragrance appears thus to be solid. The silage is moderate on my skin. Overall impression: a classical discreet fragrance with a modern touch.

A slightly medicinal lavender that reminds me of Rania J Lavande 44, another lavender-dominant gentlemanly fragrance.

Went through a 10ml sample and it wasn't what I expected. Certain videos I saw compared this to Mouchoir de Monsieur - I haven't smelt the Guerlain because it's discontinued but judging by the notes and accords mentioned here, it suggested that the Guerlain scent wasn't amber or balsam-heavy. Turns out that Special for Gentlemen is very much an amber-fougere with the emphasis on the amber. This is not a bad thing by the way. Ultimately, what made this scent stand out to me, in addition to its unquestionable quality, are the medicinal lavender and the unique amber/balsamic/resinous characteristic that the "opoponax" note brings - it's definitely an identifying feature of this fragrance...I didn't get much oakmoss in this...but there is a little bit of an animalic hint in the drydown with the unique resinous quality of the opoponax. Definitely worth sampling at the least if you're into amber fougeres.

the resurrection of this French brand is the best news of the year. All their perfumes are really beautiful creations, delightfully classic. They compete with Guerlain quality or Rochas or older formulations of Dior before the current disaster. This one is nothing less than a little brother of Jicky which the very musky animal base is replaced in part by opoponax. It's incredibly good, I can not believe my nostrils...Heaven!

Sweet lemon and herbal lavender over a mildly fuzzy sweet animalic base. I have no relationship with the fragrances it is based upon and no soft spot for vintage genre perfumery. Honestly, the closest scent I can think of that I’ve smelled is Habit Rouge — but they still have very many differences. From a contemporary perspective, regarding my own taste, it isn’t a masterpiece but it is nice enough to sample. But from what I hear, it is a must try for vintage appreciators. To me it slightly conjures “rich old lady” rather than young gentleman. But she is one badass old lady. 7.4/10

Lavender and lemon notes at first then the Amber comes and all I can smell is that. Amber with geranium and vanilla smells. I hate it to be honest but it's only my tastes. 💙 More male ❄️Cold Seasons 📌 Personal Note: 4 / 10

I see that the people are really going hard with the Shalimar and Jicky comparisons. If i had to choose, then I would side with that Jicky assertion. In some ways, Le Galion is Jicky without the icky. A matter of fact, this is Jicky Sport if Guerlain were to ever make such a frag. Not as earthy as lets say..Eva Kant but it's definitely a close relative for sure. In the fragrance world, the word gentleman and lavender are like two peas in the pod. The maker wastes no time in correlating that point with the lively opening. Woody is another thing often times paired with "gentleman" fragrances. There's a lot of stuff going on here in that arboraceous department. With careful observation, these woods have curry features, acrid moments and some sweet stuff. In the middle phase, there's enough cluttering to distract you from unlocking that wood puzzle. There's another war going on around the corner and it consists of vanilla, amber, cinnamon and labdanum. If i'm judging this based on the vigor of notes, then i would say that the aforementioned quartet of flavors is losing the battle bigly(Donald Trump pun). The majority of the composition is muted. In the fragrance vernacular they will deem this to be a skin scent. When it all comes down to it, this is indeed a fragrance reserved for people that can grow facial hair.

Heavenly. I won a testers of the Galion fragrances, and I wish that they had put a full one of this in the packet! It is the most beautiful fragrance, and I believe is suitable for men and women. It is refined, warm and inviting and somehow manages to sparkle amidst this beautifully balanced scent. For me, I think of English leather chairs and me wearing a beautiful couture evening dress and high heels. This bottle of loveliness could easily be my go to summer evening fragrance, or comfort on those warm and fading autumnal sunsets. I want this in my bag, in my coat pocket and in my dressing room at all times. I wore this one evening and it was still there the next day on my skin. Warm, yes warm, and still inviting. I think I might just be addicted to sticking my nose to the bottle of lovely golden juice. Oh... what a lovely way to spend the afternoon. Sweet and special moments whilst reading a favourite book.

This is not your typical amber. However, it really did live up to my expectations. It's very nice. I would say, it's very easy to enjoy. It does have somewhat of an 'old school feel', but it's perfectly wearable in 2023. For me, it's not the lavender, but rather the cinnamon that stands out. I really like cinnamon, it's elegant, but you have to be very careful with it. This is perhaps verging on a little too much, to the point it might be overpowering. Anyhow, this is definitely very nice, one of the nicer ambers I've tried. Very versatile in autumn and winter, and definitely worth sampling.

This is the scent greeting you as you enter an upper class restaurant at late afternoon, it‘s pouring outside and the raindrops from your umbrella, as you’re folding it, stain your crisp white shirt. The room is filled with quiet chatter of elderly, very well dressed man and you will sit down for a light drink, taking out the book you‘ve brought, and not in a performative way, because you actually enjoy literature as leisure activity. If you are a young woman and you cannot yet afford to have a very sexy, tailored suit of dark wool made for you, this scent will do in the meantime.

Le Galion's Special for Gentlemen is a drier, more aromatic take on the Shamilar, Jicky, and Mouchoir de Monsieur concept, but rather more substantial than the latter. If you're familiar with Mouchoir de Monsieur, try to replacing in your mind's eye (nose?) the bad breath-like civet with Shalimar's opoponax and Jicky's dry, green, aromatic lavender. It's good stuff. But it left me wanting less of the lavender and more of the cinnamon, patchouli, amber, and opoponax. I like it very much, but rarely find occasion to wear it. So it's effectively an expensive bed time treat for me.

This has a very similar opening to Shalimar (much bergamot, geranium) but then shortly, lavender pushes through, almost dominating the composition. About 15 minutes later, the sharp topnotes are almost completely evaporated, and Special for Gentlemen becomes softer, ambery creamy vanilla. V. Guerlain, v. Shalimar.

Very strong lavender opening. Then comes the suede, tonka bean and patchouli. It is also ambery and there is a bit of sweetness from the vanilla. It is also musky and aldehydic. It makes me think of 2 fragrances that are very far from each other in terms of price: MFK Masculin Pluriel / Jovan Sex Appeal.

Either have this or Jicky (in any formulation). They are way too close and having both would be redundant. Both equally good in scent and materials used. If Special for Gentlemen was put in a Guerlain bottle, you would think it's a legit Guerlain.

This aromatic Fougre is more than a barbershop frag. It’s upscale albeit conservative class in a bottle. I have about 80 fragrances in my collection and this is my Sunday going to church EDP. GREAT STUFF 😊

The only fougère that I dare to wear. Timeless, slightly animalic, still soooo elegant. A bit vintage but magnificent on a young wearer.

As lovely in its warm and comforting (in a very classic, quality manner) citrus-amber/vanilla dry down as those revered Guerlains.

Superb lavender. I find it really opens up in hot weather.