Minotaure

Unforgettable... one sexy beast! Pablo Picasso was a passionate man. He lived according to his passions, emotions and desires... life, art, women, he enjoyed everything (he was also a controversial and difficult type of man). Throughout his work he featured the theme of a "Minotaure", a mythical beast half-man and half-bull. It was often said that to Picasso this was his alter-ego. His "inner" persona, the animalic "beast" inside every man. Nearly 20 years after his death, his daughter Paloma released a fragrance inspired by this very personal theme of her father's work. The "inner" personality of her father. Minotaure is quite a unique fragrance to me. It's a heady cocktail of vanilla, musk, fruits and citrus... with strange notes for a male fragrance, like lily-of-the-valley, aldehydes, galbanum. It's such a mythical beast! I cannot describe every single note here but it is blended really well. I get a "vibe", of sweetness, warmth, sensuality, and human sweat. It's sweet and candy-like, but also somehow masculine. I think this perfume represents the loving, caring, sexy nature inside every man. Like male sexuality under a strong, physical exterior. You can imagine a man who has just been swimming in the Mediterranean, coming out of the water, embracing a girl. They lie down on the beach, in the hot sun... there is a basket of fruit beside them. The smell of flowers and her perfume mixed with his warm body still wet from the sea. This really is a classic fragrance for men and it's one I enjoy wearing. I have found that this works better in cooler weather, as I once sprayed too much of this in the high heat and it was overwhelming. I think the salty, musky mix of amber & vanilla, fruits and sweat is very intoxicating. I also think that (due to the wide range of notes) this could be worn by a woman - in the same way Habit Rouge could. This reminds me of a mix between Habit Rouge and Aqua di Gio by Armani. But it's so nice! Wonderful use of vanilla in a very sexy, raw, Mediterranean & masculine way. Try it out if you get the chance to!

Minotaure. Named after the Greek monster Minotaur - part man and part bull. Condemned to the depth of Daedalus' Labyrinth. You'd think with a name like that and its association with a monster of myth, it would be extremely potent and overwhelming fragrance, that's where you'd be wrong. Minotaure, is a smooth, aromatic, fruity and vanilla fragrance which sits closely to your skin and lasts quite moderately - edging towards around 7 hours on skin, even longer on clothes. It's a more masculine scent, akin to that of Roma Uomo by Laura Biagotti. Upon first spray you get the gentle fruits notes combined with Aldehydes and a slight tinge of Bergamot, upon settling down to the middle notes - it envelopes you in Rose and Geranium akin to that of Eau Rose by Diptyque - this is where it shines the most and is at its strongest and when you get the most compliments. Finally, the Base notes. Tonka, vanilla which smells akin to Le Male by JPG. That's not to say this fragrance just imitates them, it makes them its own and makes them stand out from the other frags with the same notes. A lot of people have mentioned that there is an almost plastic smell upon first spraying within the newer reformulation, I can't tell for this cause I have the original formulation from the 90s. If you can get the original get it, if you can't then I would still recommend it because the dry down is where Minotaure really kicks off. The bottle is fantastic and would make a nice addition to any fragrance collector for the bottle alone. I can say that this is a safe blind-buy, you'd be hard pressed to find an actual tester for this in your local fragrance shops. It is extremely versatile, so it can be used all year round, day and night. Sillage: 8/10 Projection: 6/10 Scent: 9/10 Longevity:7/10 Price: 8/10 Overall: 8.5/10

Blind bought this, due to the good reviews and I always have a soft spot for orientals. Glad I did, this is a warm, sweet and wonderful fruit salad combined with vanilla and some early alcohol. There is also an earthy note in the recipe. To bad the projection and duration is so poor. I never got to try the original version which apparently had some better stamina. However, I like Minotaure a lot and will place it on my favorite fragrances shelf. Update: This stuff is so addicting, I could just sit and sniff it all day long. Wish it had more power... Update2: I had the good fortune to find myself a bottle of the original Cosmair-branded Minotaure. I'm no grand master of notes but I would describe the new version as sweeter, brighter, more booze and the original is more complex, a tad spicier and dirtier, also a soapy, smoky vibe that's missing in the new formula. Could that come from genuine sandalwood? Drydown makes me think of JPG Le Mâle. I'm not saying that one of them is the better smelling, à chacun son goût. I actally appreciate the freshness of the new Minotaure, a little like a sport-flanker. But, and most important, what makes the original Minotaure the clear winner is quality. It has decent projection and longevity while the new has nothing of that. It is terribly weak, 6 sprays on the chest are all gone in no time. Let's hope L'Oreal will release the Intense Minotaure in a near future!

Even when it was released it split opinion, on everything from the juice to the bottle. I've never really had that many mainstream fragrances in my stash (no, not snobby disdain, just the way it's panned out) but this is a persistent exception. I'll confess: it was that Paloma Picasso had put her name to it that attracted my attention in the first place. My admiration for her has less to do with who her daddy was and more to do about how she brave-faced the hisses and boos wearing 1940s vintage to 1970s Paris catwalk shows long before "alternative" fashion was a comfortable choice. Certainly, I loved - still love- the bottle that showed her signature as a jewellery designer, albeit mass produced. And when it came to the fragrance, I was very impressed. I have no idea why. It's not like I expected her to sign up to anything mediocre. I am far too lacking in technical knowledge as an enthusiast to claim I know what makes this juice stand out for me. Sure, it has those woody notes and geranium that I readily recognise resonate with me, but I suspect it's the transformed whiff of tarragon that makes it one of those I can recognise across a crowded room. There are few fragrances that I personally think work in any season; day or night. This is one of them.

A shame that this gorgeous fruity woody oriental attracts so much hate. No doubt due to its emergence in the early 1990's amidst the shift from power scents to masculine fresh-cleans (CK's Eternity, CK's Escape, Davidoff's Cool Water, etc.). Don't be distracted by its roots and related legacy. This mouth-watering scent is still at the top of my list, and every bit deserving of its ubiquitous presence upon release. Given the rarity of good fruity woody orientals, it's a decidedly good predecessor to YSL's L'Homme...but in no way eclipsed by it. I'd personally say the journey on this goes from citrus to vanilla to leather, though others perceive it very differently. Very few fragrances are so prolific as to stand out as fresh-cleans while doubling successfully as woody orientals, but this one really does, and is about as diverse as it gets. Good for all occasions, but perhaps best as casual temperate evening wear. The current formulation in circulation by Luxury Products LLC may be a tad lighter than the original by Cosmair, but still offers above average longevity and average projection for me. While the larger 125ml flacon is currently discontinued, the 75ml is still affordably available as are several accessories. ★★★1⁄2 (out of ★★★★).