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 ★★★★).

I bought this signature fragrance 15 years ago. What struck me and what I have remembered is the floral spicy opening with some citrus. I soon experienced the distinct smell of orange earthenware pots. Found it very special and Mediterranean. In my mind I walked in a Spanish southern mountain village in the sun with people strolling and a stall with lots of colored cotton. This somewhat stony scent was a bit disappointing for me. Strangely enough, however, the impressions in my memory are positive. This is why I find the world of fragrances and well-crafted perfumes so fascinating. Maybe I'll buy a bottle soon after all. -- Well, I finally did buy a bottle with the new formulation. And the smell was a bit disappointing and certainly not as good as the original. So many re-releases are often watered down version from the original. And this is no exception on that trend. The smell is there but not as potent and luxurieus and mediterranean Spanish like it used to be. But if I close my eyes and smell this on me the memories are coming back. So fortunately this turned out not to be a bad purchase. I love the unique bottle and cap but the cheap plastic sprayer is a pity.

What an opening! Minotaure opens herbaceous, screechy and slightly pissy. It is this chaotic opening that sets up the beauty of the fragrance, after the strong opening dissipates we are treated to a sweet fruity amber with aldehydes, vanilla and tonka swirling around. As we hit the mid notes there is a certain warmth exuded by this fragrance; sandalwood and musk come through giving Minotaure warmer depth. As this composition evolves we are treated to some floral freshness with jasmine and rose and a bit more woods with some cedar. As the base of this scent hits we realize that Minotaure is as rich as it is complex. This is a statement fragrance, and it says; "Sophistication and class without trying too hard!". Minotaure is great for late fall early spring and sings in a cooler climate. This can be worn by both sexes and does well in the office but would be better served during evenings or weekends. Minotaure is very chic and very French, so definitely use it when your attire has been carefully chosen and you are aiming to impress. Give Minotaure a few sprays when gallivanting with a special someone and getting lost and making memories is on the agenda.

I had a bad post-Cosmair experience with Minotaure, but my newest bottle came in, today, and it's a good time. Still thin, of course, but I prefer it to what I tested 5-7 years back, so I'm thankful for the reviews that built some trust. As a big picture thought on Minotaure, I would say it smells "of" Almairac but not necessarily of the '90s. There is a particularly subtle blend to it that just never oversteps and does not leave a "time stamp". Gotta give propers to the mad scientist, Michel Almairac, he is a gift to many. Minotaure can - and hopefully will - live on for years to come. Absolutely unisex, perhaps more of a Spring or nice, light office scent, now...for that, there is still some heartache because Minotaure was truly born for Fall. Lasts okay as a skin scent. One side note, the matching shaving cream I ordered was from the Cosmair era, and while the fragrance is beyond faint, the cream itself is next level. It seems like if you rolled with Cosmair back in the day, quality came before all else. For all the incredible products they created/produced/distributed, I'd still put their Minotaure EDT in the #1 spot.

Eu era ainda uma criança/adolescente quando senti esse perfume e comecei a usar, foi o perfume que me trouxe uma paixão pela perfumaria, usei muito, recebia muitos elogios, isso lá pelos anos 98-2000... Lembro que um namorado da minha irmã tinha e ele deu um urso de pelúcia pra ela e ele passou esse perfume (Que era o que ele usava, surfista playboyzinho da época) que não saia nunca do ursinho de pelúcia e o cheiro era muito bom, fixava demais!!! Depois disso minha mãe fez uma viagem pro Paraguai e pedi pra ela trazer esse pra mim, usei por muito tempo como assinatura, depois foi difícil achar, tive acho que mais 1 frasco só da formulação antiga que era uma bomba de projeção e fixação, fiquei muito tempo sem conseguir ele e pedi novamente acho que em 2012-13 quando eu já importava perfumes pra revender... Ainda era muito bom mas infelizmente muito aquém do antigo, mais fraco, sem muita fixação também, mesmo ainda tendo uma essência muito top! Vi aqui que alguns falaram que sofreu nova reformulação em 2016/17, acho que vou tentar comprar novamente, afinal ainda tenho ele na memória como o melhor perfume que já senti!

The original formulation relied heavily on natural sandalwood, which today is almost as endangered as rhinoceros horn or tiger bones. Insisting on natural sandalwood just to smell great cannot be justified. But don't besmirch Minotaure's memory with that horrible re-issue* either. That, as well, cannot be justified. So, let us bid adieu to Minotaure. It was one of the greats. I still have a tiny, tiny bit left in a bottle, a remnant of my college days, probably no more than 2ml. I'm saving it for Christmas this year, and then it shall be no more. Farewell, old friend. Maybe someday I'll see you again at the Osmotheque...between two other greats, Zino Davidoff and YSL pour homme. *********************** * - The synthetic sandalwood (I'm guessing it's either bacdanol or ebanol or sandalore or both) employed gives me a headache and is much too sweet with no depth. 10/11/2014: LOL! I spoke too soon. Nobody else was bidding on a full vintage Minotaure from Cosmair on eBay. So, I won it for a few pennies short of $40, shipping included. True story! Happy days :) :) :) :)

This fragrance from the early 90's was pure dirty, warm, lusty, sensuous, sex in a bottle. The deep, warm masculine scent had a very sexual appeal to me. I have never been excited over most men's colognes before but when I smelled this, it was instant lust! I immediately bought it for my mate then, and with the mixture of his body chemistry and this scent, it was nothing short of pure abandoned heat! lol It's a woodsy, jasmine, vanilla heavy deep scent that has no notes that irritate my sinuses like many colognes affect me. I don't think this would be a great scent for a woman..way too earthy and heavy I think. It's definitely a very male animalistic scent. I've never smelled it on anyone else, so don't know how it would be on another person. I had never seen this advertised, only saw it at the counter in the dept store. It's certainly knocked out every men's scent in cologne I've ever smelled before or since. It's not something I think would be worn every day as a general all around cologne, but of other occasions, it would be most welcome.

The original was one state of the art perfume! It was so masculine and sexy,pure lust and desire. Really when in the 90's I smell this in the air I was sexually excited..it was a magic poison,this scream:" Danger! Girls there is a true beastly handsome viril masculine prince of darkness around,who still come and seduce you with only one look and you will be lost in his trap" and my answer was "oh I can't wait!!!" This smell a very sensual tall and muscular hairy vampire with long hair,bear and kajal eyes. IT'S warm,rich,powerfull and aromatic oriental-woody-leather-flower-earthy,a trip in foreign,dangerous and far lands were women are not safe. I think that is not a perfume for all men,only true masculine confident and sensual men whom have not fear to seduce and wants show their sex appeal (not the egocentric style of some fitness enthusiast at all) and makes women happy . Casanova style.A barbarian, an arab prince ,a greek god. To me is very similar in feelings with Kouros. Minotaure is more oriental and mediterranean atmosphere.

The original was one state of the art perfume! It was so masculine and sexy,pure lust and desire. Really when in the 90's I smell this in the air I was sexually excited..it was a magic poison,this scream:" Danger! Girls there is a true beastly handsome viril masculine prince of darkness around,who will come and seduce you with only one look and you will be lost in his trap" and my answer was "oh I can't wait!!!" This smell a very sensual tall and muscular hairy vampire with long hair,bear and kajal eyes. IT'S warm,rich,powerfull and aromatic oriental-woody-leather-flower-earthy,a trip in foreign,dangerous and far lands were women are not safe. I think that is not a perfume for all men,only true masculine confident and sensual men whom have not fear to seduce and wants show their sex appeal (not the egocentric style of some fitness enthusiast at all) and makes women happy . Casanova style.A barbarian, an arab prince ,a greek god. To me is very similar in feelings with Kouros. Minotaure is more oriental and mediterranean atmosphere.

Blind bought this yesterday as they didnt have a tester to check it out. Opening is like sculpture aromatic and fresh and then it dries down to an AWSOMNESSS i cant even describe.Hands down this thing is addicting.Too bad longetivity and sillage isnt good.Too soft and it doesnt last.I understand that it might be the concept of the frag,being a skin scent,but i wanted it stronger... The good:The drydown OMG THE DRYDOWN is out of this world soooo sexy. It can easily be a niche scent as it smells like having great quality ingredients. The bad: I found that it isnt that well blended.There is a note in the opening that tingles my nose and doesnt correspond with the other notes in balance... Weak projection and longetivity is 4 hours max Overall score:8.5/10 This thing could easily be a masterpiece and a signature scent of mine but that minuses prevent it from being a pure 10.Overall im more than satisfied with my buy!!! PS.Maybe im getting crazy but i get an animalic tone in this frag

A nice woody oriental with a bit of fruit and some booze, almost like our friend Zino skipped his sour topnotes and then got drunk. It has a little of the cherry aura that I get from Dunhill (2003) and a few others. Unfortunately it's weak, and my vial is tiny so I don't feel like going for broke with it. Still, I can tell that the wood is the licorecey, aged, thickly varnished sort that you get from things like Tommy Bahama; it's just not as unpleasantly resinous to me as TB. The basenotes on my fingers are a lot more vanilla-focused, which is nice, leading to a closer kinship with Zino. What's strange, though, is I could have sworn I was blown away by this stuff when I tried it before, that it was exactly how I like my spiced woods to be done, but I may just be confusing it with Nemo. I could do without the cherry and licorice, but since they recede a bit in the base, I'll begrudgingly give this a thumbs up.

It was 1992, a winter in western part of Turkey. I was young. didn't have strong feelings towards any of scents. walking down the street I saw the sparkling shelf of the perfume store where some spot just got me. I got inside and asked to show me this scent with such a magnetic name Minotaure. Since that exactly moment I never parted with Minotaure. Paloma Picasso did a really great job creating those perfumes of her. there are 3. two for women and one for men. and the one for men is the greatest creations of L'Oreal and Paloma. Considering how L'Oreal loves to bring out the different kinds of the scent such as eau fraiche, legeree, intense, L'eau de.. etc, why this perfume does not have the same thing? well I was very grateful when I learned that the manufacrurers have decides to keep it in production after the announcement that the Palome Picasso Parfums was closed. My signature scent. Thanks

To anyone who hesitates to buy this -- thinking that they missed out on the original and don't want a reformulated version -- I just want to say buy it it's very good! I'm a painter and own dozens of fragrances I keep a bottle of this in my studio for inspiration. Paloma really did capture the scent of her father's work. I can't really explain it but it works for me! The price is now are so modest I don't know why anyone would hesitate to pick up a bottle. There is a dreamsicle aspect to this but that doesn't explain it all. It's fruity and spicy and grounded by a really nice musk. I noticed some people mentioned an animalic aspect to it and I agree with that -- it's very subtle and it works very well. There's nothing remotely stinky about it it's just a healthy masculine cloud that you can enjoy all day any season. It's quality is apparent in the HD clarity of each ingredient.

I still remember the first time I smelled this fragrance. It was a sample in one of my Mom's magazines (Cosmopolitan I think, haha) and omg, it was the first time I can remember feeling that special tingling sensation because of a scent. It's also the first time I bought a "men's" fragrance for myself. It's been years since I smelled it, so I can't really go into detail about the notes, but I vividly remember how amazing it was. To me the bergamot, sandalwood, vanilla, amber, and cedar are most prominent, but it is way more than the sum of its parts. It's warm, fresh, and extremely sensual, and it will always be one of my most favorite fragrances. Whoever mentioned a comparison to the original Joop and Zino fragrances is on to something, because they are also two of my early favorites.

The vintage Minotaure is a beautiful fruity fragrance. It share similarities with Nikos Sculpture (which is fresher) and Diesel Plus Plus (which is less fruity and more chemical). Minotaure is not a typical 90s fragrance. The vintage one is better than the years later released Le Male and One Million. The vintage Minotaure is a fruit basket with especially red fruits which would give the fragrance a red colour. Minotaure is the fragrance of red. Good staying power and sillage. A fragrance to remember. The reformulation is an absolutely different story of chemical mess. The only real alternative for this fragrance was Maxim Basic Instinct, which was even better because of lesser used Aldehydes.

Minotaure is warm, mildly sweet and very masculine with a unique and definite elegance. The sweet citrus and aldehydes reveal a floral/aromatic heart that has an almost magical quality and develops into the warm, sensual base of vanilla and woods. Unlike anything else I've ever encountered, it's a very comforting scent that seems to induce a sense of euphoria on those exposed to it. A friend of mine described it as "a beautiful sunset in a bottle". Always picks me up and get complimented every time. This used to be my signature scent, unfortunately like many of my faves it's hard to find... Still have a bit left and save it for special occasions, my last bottle is about 15 yrs old.