Oscar for Men

“Can you imagine the sound it must have made?” I said almost to myself in the garden of the House of the Faun as I caught sight of Vesuvius over what remained of the ruined back walls of the villa. “Or how frightened they must have been?’ My mother said as she came up beside me. She took my hand in hers and held it. She hadn’t done that for a long time. Not since I was a little boy. Not like that. It was February 14, 1999, my mother’s birthday. My step-father had brought my mother to Italy on a tour with his old Alma Matter to celebrate her entry into her seventieth year. He had invited me along because since I was a boy I was fascinated with Pompeii and all things Roman. I was so enamored of the civilization that after the rains came to Southern California I would build roman cites in the wet adobe mud. They would bake in the sun until the other kids in the neighborhood found my roman cities and destroyed them. I called those children “the barbarians.” Pompeii is deserted in February; it is the only way to see it. Our group of fifteen on the Cornell University Alumni tour was as it turned out on this chilly afternoon, the only living people in the entire city. As we wandered the remains of the House of the Dancing Faun our Italian guide explained that when the gardens of Pompeii were excavated the archaeologists found remains of the plants that had been living at the time Pompeii died. The remains were analyzed and all the gardens were replanted and look just as they did exactly 1920 years before. Almost the same as they had been that noon day in August when the city was full of people none of whom knew that there was a continent beyond the Pillars of Hercules that would one day be called America or for that matter what a volcano was. The guide explained that there is no word in Latin for volcano and that the Romans had no idea that Vesuvius was one. After lunch we had a little free time and I told the guide I wanted to explore on my own. He gave me I had a half an hour before we were to leave and said we could meet up by the gate to the city. In agreement he volunteered to tell my parents where I had gone. I strolled into the Forum and peeked into a warehouse full of objects found in the excavations. Rows of amphora behind a wrought iron gate, and in the center the plaster cast of a crouching man in the position he had been in at the moment that the pyroclastic flow from the mountain hit him. Further on the garden courtyard of the temple of Apollo found me at its center. I took in a quick and deep breath of awe as I stood before the one remaining statue of the god. He looked from where I stood as though he was about to set the top of Vesuvius alight like an ancient lamp. The smell of the garden was soft and full of aromatic evergreens, cypress and a few very early plum blossoms. I closed my eyes and I could hear off in the distant voices murmuring on the edge of reality. “Hello? Do you speak English?” I opened my eyes to see a beautiful young man standing under the statue of Apollo. “Are you lost?” I smiled and told him no, that I wasn’t lost. I turned to point to the entrance of the temple courtyard. “I am with my family and a group off.....” I turned back and he was gone. The wind came up from the sea and made a low moan as it pushed against the trees and through the columns of the portico. It was so sudden and strong that I staggered against it. The distant voices grew clearer. They were calling a name, my name. What had just happened? Everything was suddenly intensified a thousand times, colors, sounds and most of all smells. I was flooded by the smell of, rich resinous fir trees and garlands of roses, jasmine and lilies, violet leaves as purple as the roman sea. I could smell the ancient market filled with oranges, nutmeg and cloves and a bright sharp dark Indian pepper that bit into my senses. There was leather and sandalwood from the humming workshops along the edges of the forum and the musky smells of pack animals entering the city. Above it all swirled the intoxicating heady aroma of temple incense. The perfume of the gods used to carry offerings and prayers to the very gates of Olympus. I stepped back and reached out to steady myself against a marble column older than anything I had ever touched before. The voices were more urgent now that called my name seemingly over the centuries; backwards or forwards I could not tell. I walked to the gate leading to the street. Turned for one last look at the statue I shook my head to clear it. “There you are!” My mother came up and swatted my arm. “Why did you wander off without telling anyone?” “I did tell the guide.” I mumbled still in a fog. The others in the group were laughing and my stepfather patted my back. “You gave your mother a scare.” We walked through the city gates and down to the waiting bus that was to take us to Sorrento. I was seated next to our guide as the bus navigated the corkscrew that is the Amalfi road. He studied me with knitted brow and then smiled. “Something happened to you in Pompeii, didn’t it?” “What do you mean?” I said. His look was all knowing and warm. “The city remembers you. It happens sometimes. ” Not until today when I first sprayed Oscar for Men my Oscar de la Renta did I think again of that moment in Pompeii when time slid away and I just may have met Apollo, the god of the Sun. ************************************* Oscar for men opens beautifully and instantly transported me to the smell of Southern Italy and the gardens of Pompeii. The Top notes of this very masculine perfume are mandarin orange, fir resin, bergamot and pepper; middle notes are nutmeg, lily, lavender, jasmine, violet leaf, cloves and rose; base notes are leather, sandalwood, musk, balsam fir, vanilla and incense. It lasts on my skin for a good ten hours and the projection is immense. This is a spicy, woody incense blast that would do any roman emperor proud. It could fill the Flavian Amphitheater and eradicate any other offending smells of bloodstained gladiators, lions, senators or saucy prostitutes under the arches. OSCAR FOR MEN five gold stars *****

I bought this a while back and waited for warmer weather to wear it as I had a bottle back when it was released (sometime in the early 2000's) and adored it! There are two fragrances Oscar de la Renta has made for men, this and Pour Lui. This sat on my shelf in cellophane from a few months ago when I made purchase of 4 or 5 fragrances from a great seller I know - all of which I wore since at least once. Why did I wait? Well, my memory of this fragrance (about a decade ago) was of late Spring and Summer - warm weather, sunshine and great lifted notes that radiate. The sun came out yesterday after days of rain. Today, it started cloudy and I was considering my SOTD - then the sun peaked through and I looked up...blue skies ahead! It hit 72 degrees fahrenheit yesterday - today, a touch cooler is predicted. But, this will be perfect. I applied a nice full application about 10 minutes ago and have been smelling myself while typing...and thinking back. What a gorgeous, original scent. Nothing has ever smelled like it over the years - this is, in a word, stunning. Oscar for Men starts with a bright and beautiful peppery-citrus infused opening. Imagine slicing bergamot, lemons and oranges and grinding fresh pepper over the top of the fruit and then allow the smell to waft up to your nose. On the tray, this array of peppered citrus sits are branches of fresh-cut pine...those notes come in at about 10-15 minutes. This is what I remember - no other scent I have smelled in all my years touches on this blend so gorgeously! You have to smell this opening - it is worth the price of the bottle...but, it only gets better. That note in the composition is elemi, a wonderful aromatic resin from a tree native to the Philippines. Ironically, the country it comes from has the word "pine" in it and elemi is described as "a fragrant resin with a sharp pine and lemon-like scent". It has also been used in other fragrances that I love and have this special note. Gorgeous and rare. Then, some fresh-grated nutmeg is sprinkled into the composition (not too much for me at all - I agree with knightz, excellent review!), as I find it blends perfectly with the distinct clove note. If you have ever smelled fresh, whole cloves, then you will know what this note is. The cloves, however, along with the fir transcend seemlessly into a nice light bouquet of florals (no single flower is too dominant here - again kudos to knightz), but the violet leaf is a great addition to the florals...in essence, the "fragrant" greenery added to a nice spring bouquet. Beautiful, but not too pronounced - it is seamless. The fir note and pepper at the top with the clove and nutmeg in the heart all lead to the base that will win virtually anyone over who has an affinity for incense in their fragrance. This is a light incense - not heavy or burning. Very natural...not headshop or heavy. A lifted note that is one I adore. It is like smelling a blend of incense cones that is flavored with florals, pine (again, from the elemi), vanilla & sandalwood. I have a large collection of incense and burn it regularly...sometimes to match notes in the composition of my fragrance. Sounds strange, but to smell an accord diluted in alcohol on your skin now in plumes of smoke in the air - you have both liquid and fragrant, ethereal, airy aromas combining - very aromatic and excellent for meditation or just serenity and pure olfactory enjoyment. I found the key is to burn the incense in a room (or two away). You don't get the smokiness, but you get the smell more naturally. It is spiritual and very natural. I don't get any leather here - until the very end, and it is more of a soft suede...almost more of a "feel" that you get from the fragrance rather than a note. Hard to describe, but once you wear it - you may understand my perspective. Never heavy - that is why I see this as warm weather and that is when I initially wore it. My wife (as this is a surprise for her) will remember this on me...it was special. And while the longevity is not that long on my skin, it's because I love the richness of the top and middle so much - I find myself re-applying sooner than maybe one should. It does last, however, much longer and develops differently on fabric. I recommend applying to both skin and your shirt in a full-wearing. This never gets cloying. It truly is fantastic and invigorating. There is so much happening in this bottle! A final nod to Knightz - "Graceful. Refined. Elegant." I will add that I absolutely love this fragrance - not just like. MisterCrazyLegs...I agree with you, Oscar de la Renta for Men is a true "treasure" and something very special. It is an incredibly well-made, chic and sophisticated scent that only someone who is confident can wear. I was confident when I first wore it (and it made me feel incredible) - and I feel even better today, because I understand the scent even more over the years. I will wear this year-round, but it will definitely be in my regular rotation this Spring and Summer (especially summer evenings) - both casual and formal! A wonderful, well-composed unique fragrance that seems to showcase different notes each wearing...but always fantastic. No score as I cannot attribute a fractional value to the pure pleasure of this fragrance...Oscar de la Renta is uncompromising in his taste of creating timeless fragrance, so I will not compromise and give a mathematical equation to judge it. Salud!

This woody spicy fragrance is, for me, a very complicated one! After reading all reviews I see that many say different things about it as well, which confirms my thoughts. I own it now for a year and start liking it more and more and more! I am very sensible for black pepper and the oil of this spice is exactly what is used a lot in this fragrance! I can smell the delicious smell of black pepper for hours in this fragrance. It is surrounded by all kind of notes. Cloves and nutmeg on the background, light citrus and neroli surrounding the spices, flowers coming in during the heart stage and a base of leather, sandalwood, musk, balsam fir, vanilla and incense! Impossible to detect all these notes as they are so well blended with the spicy notes! This is a great casual outdoors fragrance for the spring and early summer and can also be worn during the fall imo! I saw a comparison to Cacharel pour l'homme in a review and if that is so (it was cause of the nutmeg) this is Cacharel's BIG brutal pepper brother living far away. Both very good frags in their own way however! Sillage is huge, first hour, and longevity is like 6 hrs. Very good and thumbs way up! Rated: 8/10

Last night after I changed the bed sheets I looked for a bottle I haven't worn in a long time or have stopped weraing it completely to spray the sides of the pillow and have a good night sleep. And almost blindly I got Oscar for Men, the last bottle behind all others. As soon as the spray hit the sheets I was reminded of how gorgeous OfM is. It seems that I forgot all about it. The beautiful citrus and pepper opening made magnificent by the fur, so manly and yet so temple divine, too. for me, Oscar for Men is about religion, temples, churches, Catholic churches, mass, rituals. The floral notes add a layer of delicacy and never feminine. The spices are warm and soft. But the best is yet to come. Incense and sandalwwod complete the scene, and it is really holly. One feels like a high priest in an ancient ritual, with the offerings going up to the skies helped by the incense. Because of these images in my head it is difficult for me to wear Oscar for Men so often. I need to be in tune with it and the circunstance also. That's why it's been way, hidden. It does not belong to this material world. Oscar is a first class male scent and there aren't many anymore today.

I have a sample of EN and for me it is not dark at all, it smells very sweety violet to me, I know sounds strange. What exactly one means by " more smokey " ? a very smoky fragrance but in anohter direction altogether, more church like, inocent sacrifice sort of vibe, is Oscar for Men, Oscar de la Renta. There is pepper, incense and f ir resin enough to make me want more and that's why I am trying to get some Hermes Rocabar. Again, O for Men nowadays smells like temple, like a lost and forbidden place few will comtemplate. Oscar makes you wonder where have you been all this time without coming across such a magnificent fragrance? A few days after I started wearing OfM I wanted all my bottles smelt just like it,and oh boy, what a let down. I still put some on only when I feel I am in the right mood and the wholle day is just a breeze from heaven.

I sprayed this on as soon as I un-boxed it today, and immediately stuck my nose up to my arm to sniff. Big mistake. The pepper opening is unbelievably strong - strong enough to almost burn your nose. However, move away a bit and the pepper smells less potent, and the bergamot is pleasantly smellable. The pepper will stay there right through to the drydown, but give it a bit of time from the opening, and the middle notes - especially the lily and lavender - will shine through. This perfume would be too cloying if worn in the winter; it is a fragrance suitable only for a hot summer's day, that is perhaps a little windy. That said, I don't think I've come across a fragrance that would suit such conditions better. Longevity is good - 7-8 hours - and sillage is reasonably good. 8.5/10 overall.

Modern, fresh, woody-spicy. Of course that could describe a lot of fragrances these days. Oscar is very refined and well put together. A spiciness is present throughout the scent life, which doesn't dominate the scent's nature, instead lending a bit of character. There is a smoky edge to the woods in the base, with a bit of soft incense and resin mixed in which make for a sexy yet discrete drydown. The pine note is light and fresh, giving the whole scent a slightly airy, clean demeanor. Contains no overt sweetness which is common to most modern woody-spicy scents. A big plus. Overall well-blended and put together. Projection is not amazing, but this scent does not aim to stand out. Top-notch juice at a decent price. For the well-groomed man.

Seeing this in a discount dept. store for $17 for a 3.3oz made me curious. Never seen it, never smelled it. So, I hop on fragrantica and glad to see so many good vibes for this. I was a little turned off by the floral notes. I do not like florals at all. But I like pepper, fir and cloves, so I got it anyway. Really impressed! This is the most masculine floral I've ever put my nose on. Certainly refined and well blended. Feels really fresh, but verging on being too peppery. However, everything seems to compliment each other. Overall, a great blind buy. I recommend giving this one a try. Oh, longevity is pretty good and it evolves nicely.

I just can't help going back to this magnificent fragrance time and time again, and each time I do I seem to appreciate it a little bit more. A powerful, masculine opening of citrus, pepper and woods which takes you through the day, changing very little along the way other than a slight softening and maybe, just maybe, a touch of late balsamic, vanillic sweetness. 100ml of this can now be had for less than £15 but it punches well above its price bracket and, at the moment, is probably the closest thing I have to a signature scent. Great projection and staying power: thumbs right up!

I purchased this fragrance along with Pour Lui after the passing of Oscar de la Renta two years ago. I'll be brief...although it's not my favorite scent, but I found it to have a decent citrus-peppery opening and later a pencil shavings drydown, which I really like. I've added this one to the rotation of my "old-school" fragrances that I'll wear from time-to-time, usually a few times per month. Performance is a pretty good but not great; it lasts about 6-hours on my skin and projects moderately. Overall, a nice little under $20 scents. Give it a try!

This is the kind of fragrance that elicits a "Wow! What's this?" In a good way, of course. A very sharp citric/peppery opening (elemi?) which makes you think about pencil shavings mixed with lime and black pepper (!). Then, it transitions into a masterfully blended combination of incense, nutmeg and fir, with the citrics and a slightly perceptible floral note lingering all the way to the end. Very manly and refined. Absolutely wonderful.

@Joey79 Yes, the one Made in France is the vintage (has also slight different dots on the package; more pronounced compared to Made in Usa). Smell and performance wise it is also way brighter, powerful, lasting and better blended. The Made in Usa one is the same in smell but has like 80% of its performance and is almost like a lighter version. A side by side makes all this pretty obvious. Old: 8+/10 New: 7-/10

I have an older bottle, made in France. I find this to be of high quality, very natural, well blended. It ́s an aura of peppery nutmeg, incense and fir, particularly the flowers are really nice. No synthetic sweetness, no modern chemical blob where all smell very similar. To me this is a bit different, and in a really good way. Try to find an old one, it will pay off.

I Love this juice... Very Masculine Fragrance..No little boys need apply here. Classic old school scent with A very unique twist.. must smell and wear to truly appreciate..A true original Masterpiece! This would make A wonderful signature scent on the right Man... Power Scent pure and Simple... Pups be warned an Alpha is Near.................

A great woody spicy that can rival anything I have tried to date. It is a complex fragrance, that never gets boring. A mixture of green,spicy,floral and woody notes put together superbly. The way that the pepper stays prominent is a masterstroke. A fab fragrance for a great price. Longevity 8+ hours. A must have for a collector.

What of all these notes? It's orange for Gods' sake. Jesus... Super sophisticated elegance, not dry but with fresh, sweet orange. Fantastic! Still the best one I have, and I have a lot of perfumes. And it's like 30 dollars, lol... This and Pour Lui is all I need. Some charge USD750 for perfumes like this.

This is for guys who like peppery woods. It's hard to imagine how much more peppery a fragrance could get. This is a masterpiece, an uncompromising nasal assault (in a nice way). The fragrance lasts well and has a fresh, uncongested aspect that serves to amplify the central spicy theme.

Marvelous really,citrus,peppery,musky and woody. So strong and enduring, it elevates my mood! I sometimes think about it during the day while wearing something else. It's also very versatile, I get away with wearing this year round,with spray adjustments, of cause. Just marvelous!

Oscar de la Renta has 2 great mens scents.. This and Por Lui... Very reasonably priced, decent sillage and decent lasting power... I have to give thgis a solid 8.5 out of 10 stars.. Definitely a try it type scent.. hey for $20.00 you can't go wrong..

Gorgeous , Fresh peppery spice that smells like a man should smell. Not an old school barber shop scent at all, but a much more modern spicy scent. I have a couple backups of this.