Dude No. 1 All-Natural Cologne

This goes on a bit raspy, but quickly settles into something lovely. I think I prefer the 'beard oil' used as a roll-on, but the drydown might be worth the wait. The rose shimmers in and out of focus in a way that may work for rose-lovers and non-rose-lovers alike. One thing is nagging at me about this: it reminds me so powerfully of the smell of something else (a thing, not a perfume), and I can't figure out what it is. I wonder, if it ever comes to me, will that help or hurt my experience of this fragrance?

Sampling MCMC Fragrances Dude No. 1, a 2013 release from this house based on the earlier beard oil, a modern men’s scent with some classical barbershop influences with a healthy dose of vetiver. Beyond the vetiver, woods (cedar, sandalwood) mix with pepper, there’s definitely a bit of floral/citric freshness, particularly in the opening, which adds to the sharpness of the mix. Overall it’s a pretty dense, intense experience while still being quite classy. At $98 for 50ml in allegedly cologne but seemingly quite strong concentration, the value is great for this and the house’s other fragrances, and this is easily a perfume I’d recommend anyone try, especially someone looking for classic-meets-modern men’s scent. It does not reinvent the wheel but is nonetheless a nice twist on a few intersecting concepts and is a robust expression of vetiver that, while dark, is neither especially ashy nor smoky or earthy. 7 out of 10

Please note: this fragrance was out of stock on MCMC sit for quite a while. It’s now re-released in the larger bottle for the same price. As far as I can tell it’s not reformulated. This fragrance has been a favorite of mine for quite a while. The cedar and sandalwood are amazing but then there’s a dry down of floral rose and ginger that really shines through. It’s raspy sharp and delicate at the same time. Almost smells like stepping back in time. In my opinion this is a scent for a mature man. I don’t see this working on a teen. This is a great fragrance. The beard oil is also very nice.

This cologne lasts only for about an hour. Maybe this is due to the fact that its all natural. Initially I very much enjoyed the cedar and sandalwood but a quarter into the bottle these notes have become harder to smell. Now I only smell lots of ginger and spice. Very weird.. but I don't complain as this is one of the more unique colognes I've worn.