Royal Copenhagen

I first remember this cologne as a child. it was and still is my dad's favorite scent. During the 80's and early 90's my dad would go on long trips with his best friend just to purchase cases of this strong manly scent. It lingered in the air like his invisible shadow. In fact once on a secret date with my first fiance' with whom my dad had no knowledge of this cologne actually alerted me to his presence. We were at the mall and I smelled his signature scent wafting though the air as if it were sounding a silent alarm screaming, "Your dad is close, alert, alert!" I turned to my mom who was with us and said, "mom I smell dad!" My parent's were divorced and although she approved of my relationship I knew my dad would never. She said, "oh honey the perfume and cologne aisle is just a few aisles back, it can't be him don't worry!" I calmed down a bit and grasped my fiance's hand a bit tighter. Soon we would be in the theater, away from my mom, and any small chance of running into my at the time overly controlling dad. Yet no sooner had we rounded the next two aisles did my suspicions get proven correct! There my dad stood dressed far too well as always for just a regular shopping excursion, his eyes scanning me and then my fiance' with a look of utter instant disapproval. Oh, Copenhagen you did try to warn me lol! That story is still remembered and told, though thankfully my dad has mellowed with age, and now he actually likes my old fiance' with whom I still have a close friendship with. From time to time one of us will recall and tell that story and we always comment on the strength of this cologne. Those are now fond funny memories and we laugh about it still after all these years. My dad who is now 69 years of age still prefers this cologne over any other. Does he like Dior, Dolce and Gabbana, Polo, Gucci, nah, he wants his Copenhagen! He used to bathe in it and still does, splashing a hefty amount in his large hands before patting down his clothing, beard, hair, and ears. As far as the scent goes it is eternal, manly, unique in a vintage way, and seemingly still attracts the same amount of attention from women as it always has. My dad has always been very popular with the ladies and sometimes we joke that maybe this was his secret weapon all along. Manly, an alarm to hide your fiance', and your dad's secret weapon to attract women in every bottle!

I got burned out on this several years ago, and it was that burnout that started me on my quest to find a fragrance that I enjoyed wearing that not only smelled good but was uniquely me. And in that quest... I really couldn't find anything I liked. (not anything reasonably affordable, anyway) As such, I recently came back to it, and it's kind of like running across a long lost friend. Describing it without sounding like a cliched perfume commercial is a bit difficult. It does have a soft, clean, powdery musk smell to it, but it's not an animal musk or a flowery white musk. It's warm and masculine smelling without being overly spicy and in-your-face, unlike the actual "Musk" version of this fragrance that Royal Copenhagen produces, that fragrance almost burned the hair out of my nose the first time I smelled it. What burned me out on this product originally, however, is that the projection of it is not that great, and with it being a cologne, it doesn't last terribly long regardless of how much I put on. I decanted this newest bottle into a different bottle with a higher output atomizer, so I'm applying more of it when I spray it on. That's helping improve the projection and durability of the fragrance quite a bit, but it's not where I'd like it to be. I would pay good money to have a bottle of this as an EDT or Perfume concentration if they ever produced it.

Got this Christmas of 1986, my sophomore year in highschool. Loved this stuff. So classic and clean. Just got a new bottle this month after decades. While the older was better, I have to say the current formulation does it justice. The older one lasted FOREVER and was richer, rounder and would explode off your skin when you heated up, yet still remaining pleasant. The current formulation is a little bit more 2 dimensional but retains the soul of the fragrance. I'm not upset or disappointed by it considering that it legally cannot contain some of the ingredients it once did due to IFRA. It still smells like RC and it still smells wonderful. I forgot how much I enjoy this. It's classic man's fragrance of a forgone era. And it still lasts a good long time with wonderful sillage. PS : This is unorthodox but I ordered a small bottle of oakmoss absolute from Etsy, put 1 drop (small gooey glob) in an 8oz splash bottle, let it dissolve over a few days and the end result was heavenly. It really adds that three dimensional effect along with buttery smoothness. PS: I got two vintage bottles off Ebay and they are similar to splash bottle, slightly better. I got the 1.5 oz spay bc some people said it's different and better. It's different. It lasts a long time and does smell a little more like the OG.

It's just impossible for some people to distance themselves from their associations. That is why you see words like "dad" and "grandpa" directed toward this fragrance. Yes, Royal Copenhagen is old school, but that doesn't mean it needs to be exiled to the old folks home. I get incredibly weary of how dismissive some reviewers can be toward classic fragrances. People really don't keep an open mind when they smell the classics and it blinds to their merits. I wear RC at age 39 and I get lots of compliments. It smells nothing like modern mens cologne, so it comes across as very unique. To hell with "grandpa" and "dad". What's old is new again! This is a fresh, regal fragrance full of lavender, tonka, florals and musk. It's not the sexiest fragrance, but that's what Royal Copenhagen Musk is for! You have to be a certain kind of man for it to suit you. But if you're polite, confident, and intelligent, there is no reason adult men of many ages couldn't pull this off. Reviewers greatly exaggerate how dated and old fashioned this cologne is. They're projecting their own fears of becoming old and irrelevant onto it. If it got the Pabst Blue Ribbon re-branding treatment, people would be clamoring to wear it because of the cool factor.

One thing to keep in mind is that the formulation of Royal Copenhagen varies depending on which size bottle you purchase. The splash goes on strong and fades more quickly. The aftershave has a slightly fresher smell than the cologne. I also find that the juice in the 1.5 ounce bottle is stronger than the juice in the 3.5 ounce. I have no idea why. The 1.5 ounce juice smells and performs the best. The 3.5 ounce is more floral and slightly watered down. I just sprayed both of them on each hand, and after ten minutes, the 3.5oz is defintiely more flat and subtle. The 1.5 is more...musky, maybe? The difference is about 10%, but for me it makes the 1.5 a little more rugged and masculine. It also remains as a skin scent for much longer. I have purchased 2 bottles of 1.5oz cologne and they both have more of a base structure than the larger bottles. I cannot say whether this is batch inconsistency or whether they are intentionally different. My guess is that it is intentional, but I cannot say why. Maybe they water dilute the larger bottles with more alcohol, top and heart notes. If you want the boldest version, get the 1.5 ounce bottle. I really prefer it to the others.

Epic Journey Into the Bottled Yonder, 043 ------------------------------------------------------- Purchased June 2017 Instant classic. I wore this a lot. Has a slight animalic side to it, if you spray enough it becomes obnoxious. That's why a lot of people hate Royal Copenhagen because most people don't know when enough's enough. The animal part is basically akin to animal urine. I know it's hard to make it your own scent, but it's a great one and I've always loved it. Hendrix would've loved this one. Edit: Nope not so animalic, because the entire profile is shared by Stetson, Zizanie, Black Suede, apparently Old Spice in which I have Phoenix Shaving's Cold Spices which is a first/early formulation of Old Spice. Basically this is pappy's Old Spice and does a damn good job at representation, one of the most effective scents I have. It's very versatile in terms of performance. You can overspray it and take the risk, and spray lightly to more tightly control the possibility of "animal" within the projection. It's for men who know themselves.

For decades, the mere mention of RC made me gag inside with memories of choking on so much powdery sweetness that it put Avon's worst offender (later production Wild Country) to shame. Don't know who made it but that was a very light blue version of RC. But then I obtained a full bottle of Tsumura's (pre-1997 with darker juice) as well as Swank's. Apparently fairly well-preserved, both are something totally other than repellent powder bombs. Rich, dank oriental of sweet spice and subdued florals, like a cross between cheerful Pierre Cardin Pour Monsieur and the more serious Grey Flannel. Dries down to a light musky powder, nothing remotely offensive. I imagine a very light touch would work in the heat but it seems built more for cooler weather. Anyway, this stuff is EXCELLENT and highly recommended, but only if it's verified vintage. My bottles of Swank and Tsumura smell nearly indistinguishable, by the way.

It says a lot about Royal Copenhagen that someone can compare it to a 90's or 21st-century fragrance. It's definitely a testament to the palatability of this scent, even 55 years after its inception. I'm unsure how much of that is thanks to reformulation (I wasn't even close to being born when this fragrance was in its heyday). I definitely detect the "baby wipes" note, which seems to be a combination of the musk, orris, and aldehydes. I also detect a nice blast of raspberry-esque sweetness. This is still a great summer fragrance in 2024 if you can stomach the powdery overtones. This is the most youthful and the best "barbershop"-era cologne I've smelled. Projects for hours, too.

a woman at work told me she loved this scent i took her advice and bought a bottle for about 17 bucks online from amazon it didnt disappoint... its a sweet barber shop scent and i love sweet scents the projection is moderate not weak and the performance is also moderate some people say it reminds them of old spice but i dont see it ..... some people also say old spice is like walking into a black barber shop and royal copenhagen is like walking into a white barber shop i have no idea how true that is because i cut my own hair but i hope this helps someone who is trying to decide to buy this ... if you collect or like the older scents this is a good buy

Royal Copenhagen reflects the taste of someone who celebrates nostalgia. It's a time machine for old souls who embrace the notion of "old-fashioned." Yes, Royal Copenhagen is old-fashioned—in the best sense of the word. An elixir for romantics who revel in the nuance and beauty of traditional style. For anyone who delights in those romantic sensibilities, Royal Copenhagen is a handy escape to simpler times. This powdery 19th Century concoction will calm your nerves, encourage flights of fancy, and reassure you that somehow everything will be alright.

Aquatic chypre that's powdery throughout its life. Bright aldehydes paired with a powdery lavender, geranium, rose, and musk. There's a notable 'wetness' to this scent that persists, even after the lighter top notes have tapered off. Feels exactly like when you've first stepped out of the shower with the droplets still on your skin. Can be worn all year round, but I love this in hotter months, it just wears better. Surprisingly big sillage, will see how this lasts.

Vaseline hair tonic + Scent of baby oil + florals + musk. It is a sweet but at the same time elegant scent. Many say it smells dated but by definition that is hard to achieve. It has been around for a while and is 51 years old. THAT might label it dated. The scent can ever only smell like what it smells like...whatever it might be. It is a happy heavy sweet and powdery scent. Two to three squirts and you are set for the day.

This has become my go to morning fragrance since the weather has turned cold. In the summer I'll usually give myself a spray of Pinaud Clubman as I'm shaving and moving into my morning. This opens with a clean, powdery, floral, musk and lasts as long as I need. A good gym scent. I wouldn't wear it in the heat, but it's a great replacement for Clubman in the cold weather. An old time no brainer. I like it.

Some of the criticism of the scent is fair: it is a bit medicinal and dank; it is reminiscent of an event space that was filled earlier in the evening by older gentlemen doused in musky lavenders and ladies in aldehydic florals. But I love it for that very reason--love the superb tobacco, vanilla, honey, lime overlay, the cannabis head, the amber and heliotrope heart.

One of my all-time favorite colognes. It still smells so good. It’s great for all seasons but really shines in the winter. A clean, fresh masculine scent. Update 5/29/25: I just picked up a vintage bottle of this on eBay. Omg this cologne smells soooooo good. I haven’t had this cologne in years. The best part is it’s so cheap!

Easily my favorite old-school chypre. Yes, it smells a bit dated, but I don't care. And, yes, my dad wore it too. So is that why I like it? Not a chance. Oh, I have plenty of modern frags in my collection. I'm just not biased against the classics. Don't be fooled by the price. This is sweet barbershop perfection.

The original perfume was soft and utterly lovely. It had a hushed muskiness with an understated fresh and soft flowery accord. A blissful beauty. I smelled a reformulation some years ago that was harsh and tawdry; a feeble shell of the original. I shudder to think what the latest reformulation offers.

I have a deep love for this scent. It starts off as baby powder before drying into this warm masculine vanilla scent. It's as if it takes you from birth to maturity throughout the day in the best smelling way possible.

Powdery and musky in a very comforting way. My dad always wore this and every time I smell this, it makes me feel happy...guess that's why it's comforting!

Very confident fragrance btw, i can smell it on me right now and its just over the top ladies and gentlemans. muhehehe11! A definately signature for me?