Sport de Paco Rabanne

Wow! I bought some vintage perfume from etsy or ebay or something and the seller kindly included some unexpected, masculine gems at this was among them. The samples are 80's but clearly impeccably well kept because the top notes and everything smell intact. What a scent as well! I like to think I know all these and can recall them in great detail but truth is even the ones I wore (or my Dad did) are faded memories or rose tinted, pedestal stuff of legend, which they probably weren't. I don't recall this sport ever being something I'd tried, the original of course is a classic but this one not as well known, but it's a cracker! It's much fresher and more 'sport' accent the soapiness, without the piney aspect, it's spicy, earthy mossy drydown is of the era, Sport is great and that seller is a massive enabler (probably seeding people with samples because he has a glut of PR Sport bottles to shift) because I may seek out a bottle of this. There's me thinking I was done with vintage BS'ery.

PR Sport is a masterpiece of its era but with an atemporal class. The mix of green, herbal, mossy, citrusy, and woody notes is just perfect. At first, it may feel "simple" at first but that is an illusion: then you realize you cannot pinpoint what it smells like. With a little focus, you can discover how the notes may be interplaying. It feels tangy and woody, but highly classy, never cheap. Everything smells natural. It is "sporty" in a traditional rowing or tennis club sense and though it has an air of many fragrances of the era (PRPH and Drakkar Noir come to mind) it is its own thing. Remarkably, its longevity is phenomenal (10/12 hours) and transitions from citrus-woody to green-woody in the drydown. I found two bottles (30 ml and 100ml) at an old chemist's shop on sale at a bargain price: one of the best purchases in my life! If you find one and have a soft spot for classics, buy it. Best.

H & R's Fragrance Guide classifies this as a "Citrus Fantasy" fragrance, although the listed notes are those of a classic chypre. My guess is that the oakmoss and patchouli in the base notes are so understated as to leave the dominant effect one of an enriched and enhanced citrus. It's wonderfully fresh and invigorating, but not in that bland 90's aquatic way --- Rabanne's Eau de Sport has plenty of distinctive personality. For those who lament its passing, I recommend Pierre Cardin's Insatiable, which has a very similar overall effect and many of the same ingredients. The listed notes are: Top Notes: Lemon, mandarin, bergamot, petitgrain, lavender, green complex, artemisia Mid Notes: Jasmine, juniper, estragon, rose, orris, carnation Base Notes: Oakmoss, fir, cedar, patchouli, vetiver, musk, leather

Update: In the heat of mid-August I have to say again how much I LOOOOVE this! Why oh why on earth did they discontinue this gem. Le sigh... Love it! Would love it more if my mini had more longevity. I found a very cheap mini, and while time may have affected Paco Sport's longevity, the bones are still wonderful. It is fresh, handsome and well balanced. It's freshness lingers throughout the overall composition. It is citrus without being obviously so, herbal without being too dry, and all layered on it's standout (to my nose) basenotes of vetiver, cedar and fir. Thanks to Ericrico for the full note listings...

Simply the best and bravest Sport fragrance out there! Beautiful aroma, pure springtime to me! Its discontinued but they should bring it back! It is so optimistic and leaves such a great, manly and fresh impression that only very few fresh & sporty scents can stand their ground like this one. Many memories attached also! Amazings stuff inside, cool color and even the box is very appealing. Clean and juicy while manly and sophisticated! Love it!