Hero

Very light, fresh clean and green EdC, with citrus/lavender opening that quickly transitions to a white floral note that is more prominent than in similar frags. Good casual hot weather scent. Reminds me of Mugler Cologne.

Scent profiles of yesteryear smelled very similar to one another like modern ones do. Its just that the vintage yesteryear profiles are better to my nose. So I've got a lot of the vintage masculines, which now includes Hero by Prince Matchabelli. A Fragrantica author wrote an article on Hero, in which he compared it to Paul Sebastian Fine Cologne and Stetson, both of which are in my collection. Well it doesn't smell that similar to the classic Stetson, but does show some similarity to Paul Sebastian Fine Cologne. Although the Paul Sebastian is much more musky and has much better performance. The author also compared it to Cacharel pour L'Homme, but Cacharel has more sharp, biting citrus and more prominent and sharp fir note and deviates more in overall profile. It does converge closer to Hero as it dries down though. Although I have and like Cacharel, I just like the powdery softness and blend of Hero more. Someone down below compared Hero to Chanel Pour Monsieur, but to me it smells more similar to another fragrance that was inspired by Pour Monsieur, released just one year after Hero: Tiffany for Men. Hero's accord stack of Woody, Fresh Spicy, Aromatic, Powdery, Warm Spices, Citrus, Vanilla, Lavender, Mossy, and Fresh doesn't appear too dissimilar to Tiffany for Men's accord stack of Warm Spicy, Woody, Citrus, Powdery, Amber, Aromatic, Fresh Spicy, Floral, Vanilla, Earthy. Its closer to Tiffany for Men than to Giorgio for Men by Giorgio Beverly Hills, another fragrance I have. But again Hero is a thinner concentration and performs worse, but has a similar spicy powderiness to TiffanyforMen. So add another comparison in classic Old Spice, with a similar concentration and performance as Hero but similar in spicy powderiness. It was the Zeitgeist of the time. If I were to be a bit critical, I would like to see a bit more prominent lavender, which is accurately positioned third from bottom in the accord stack listed at the top of this page. Lavender is easily detectable, but I'd just like it a bit more prominent. Update: Hero smells REALLY nice in the far drydown, like 15 or so hours later. I'm getting beautiful wafts the next day, which says a lot for the scent profile and the longevity. Its a sneaky longevity. I splashed a lot on, including clothes, and its showing. Update 12/26/25: Wearing again, and another comparison comes to mind: Ralph Lauren Safari for Men. Also, Hero is more of an Aromatic Fougere than it is a Citrus Aromatic. With some Spicy Woody facets as well. I've picked up a splash bottle and a rare 50ml spray bottle of Hero.

Matchabelli's Hero is descended from Chanel's classic Pour Monsieur, to which it bears more than a passing resemblance. It opens with a fresh citrus and lavender accord that quickly gives way to a warm, smooth blend of spices and vanilla, with a hint of musk to blend the ingredients. As other reviewers have observed, this is no comic book superhero demanding attention in a brightly colored costume, nor a swaggering "action hero," but rather a self-assured mature man who has no need to show off his strength and abilities, simply knowing that they are there when needed. Think Henry Fonda, Jimmy Stewart or Gregory Peck --- not John Wayne, Bruce Willis or Sylvester Stallone.

Giving a fragrance a name like Hero gives you the impression that it's going to be some macho, in-your-face, powerhouse that screams 'HERE I AM!!!!' every time that you walk into a room wearing it. This offering from Prince Matchabelli however is unfortunately more of a barely audible whisper and certainly doesn't live up to that perception. Quite the contrary in fact. On the plus side it's a very clean, green and soapy scent which is great for using when you've just gotten out of the shower. It can also be purchased very inexpensively which is another point in its favour. However longevity and projection are appalling, and even though I do quite like it, it is also rather bland and uninteresting compared to a lot of fragrances out there. A regrettable thumbs down I’m afraid.

Years ago when this was introduced, like everything else it was a real beast. It'd last a good eight hours on skin and forever on clothing... I know, because it was my absolute favorite "fresh" scent in the late Eighties/early Nineties. But again, like almost everything else, ten thousand reformulations later, it's but a mere ghost of what it once was. The OG wasn't overly powdery and had a real big blast of Artemisia that I LOVED. The new juice is REALLY powdery and that Wormwood isn't at the front of the line anymore. The longevity is appalling now. I'm lucky to get three hours out of it. I wonder if one of the Middle Eastern Houses has something similar these days, but in true "ball kicker" form... like it used to be?