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?

Excellent, elegant fragrance, very chic, scent is very pleasant to wear. Longevity: 9/10 Projection: 10/10 Scent: 10/10 Uniqueness: 10/10

Such a wonderful and soothing scent. I love throwing some on after I get out of the shower at night before bed.

If Stetson is a wild and back country fragrance, Royal Copenhagen is the townsmen’s cologne.

Very Old School, and, one of my favorite fragrances for men. Masculine, Clean,and, Sexy.

When I first got this, I sprayed it on paper. OMG!!! WTH is this?? In high school I once went on a field trip to a hospital. We were given the grand tour and at one point we stopped briefly in the psych ward. One thing that stood out for me was a certain floral-clinical smell. It was different from other parts of the hospital. I didn't think much of it and then forgot about it for decades... until now. THIS reminded me of that smell. Yikes! So I was totally apprehensive about spraying it on me. I waited a week until I finally got up enough nerve to give it a go. I didn't like the start. That hospital fragrance lingered. Yuck. But then something happened. That clean floral chemical edge began to disappear. It took a little while but before long this became a pretty decent complex scent. Not bad at all. I'm not sure it's my kind of scent, but I won't bash it to kingdom come because of that. On its own, this is well done. Btw, the version I have is the spray bottle with the large black cap, not the small color striped one. UPDATE: I was going to get rid of this, but before doing so I let it sit collecting dust for a few weeks. Then out of curiosity, I sprayed it on my hand once more. Very different experience. Now I get this solid aldehyde heavy vanilla powdery musk, with some tobacco and sweetness of honey. Underneath that there's still more going on. It's a dated scent alright, but quite nice in its own right. Definitely not a safe blind-buy. Solid 7/10.

This scent always makes me think of walking home in the fall and getting a haircut from a real barber shop (with the spinny pole and everything). You know-guys hanging out and BSing, warm towels, talc and straight razor shaves. This was released when I was less than one year old and is (to me) a reminder of a bygone age, a simpler time. Yet I feel it is still wearable today and has a very classic clean feel to it that is very manly and comforting... Bright citruses, greens and refined spices blend with powdery lavender-was there a mens scent in the 70s or 80s that did NOT have lavender:-). Very dry florals and earthy roots blend to create an earthy yet sweet airy feel here and cedar just adds to its gentle warm strength. Honey, tonka and amber create a smooth sweetness that is rich and heavenly. Musk, tobacco and oakmoss give it a natural grounded feel while remaining quite aromatic, and this all rests on sensual vanilla and powdery blossoms of heliotrope. This is classic but still very attractive, kinda like Sean Connery: it gets better with age... Sillage: very good Longevity: great Overall: 3.75/5 Dated? Maybe Good smelling? Absolutely Worth buying? A great bargain for such a classic scent!I got a two ounce spray cologne for $9.99...and it's worth way more than I paid for it!

While at JR, the big discount place alongside I-95 in North Carolina, I smelled this on a paper strip for the first time. I have been avoiding the Copenhagen line for no good reason, really. I have it in my head that they probably smell badly dated and are fit only for older men who have gone to seed, or do not possess the mental dexterity to try something else after a few decades of dedicated use. (You know, you've seen old men wearing vinyl shoes. Those guys.) And, besides, this stuff is blue. Experience teaches me again and again that I don't like scents for men which are blue. And doesn't the Royal Copenhagen line have a rather bad reputation among perfumistos and perfumistas? But, hey. It's... kind of nice. Very soft, very powdery. I suppose merely spraying a liquid baby powder on myself is not advisable, but... I need to give this a better try. --------------- Tried on wrist: Wow - liquid vanilla baby powder! I like this, but I'd probably never wear it. It smells too much like baby powder. It's in the same category as the cuddly Hermes Equipage, the soft Hermes Narcisse Bleu and Avon Wild Country, which smells not wild but like baby wipes.

I like Old School perfumes. Now with that confession out of the way, Royal Copenhagen is one of the better ones. To my nose, this is a aldehydic Vanilla Musk with hints of tobacco,florals, some sweetness which i am guessing is the honey or tonka bean. The dry down is a nice powdery vanilla musk that goes on and on. The longevity on me for RC is fantastic. I sprayed it on this morning, and now almost 10 hours later I still get strong whiffs coming off me. This is on the same axis as Dunhill Cologne, Stetson, Aramis, so if you have liked and used any of them, RC will fit into your wardrobe very comfortably. moderate projection, great longevity, lovely scent. 8/10 for me. This would seem dated to most unless you like powdery scents. Edit : This just smells so clean and powdery, it's perfect when you come home tired and sweaty after a long day's work, take a shower, and maybe it's the baby powder association but I sure sleep like a baby when I have this on. I just find this scent very comforting.

Royal Copenhagen is in every sense a classic barbershop aftershave style accord. A dusting of powdery menthol notes mixed with light florals, herbaceous greenery, some citrus, soap, and woods. This is a scent you'd find the barber splashing on you after a haircut or shave. During the dry down there's almost a muscle balm or old school bath powder in there. Anyone who had grandparents born before the 1940s or who visited an old school barbershop in the 80s and 90s will know the scent I'm talking about. There are similarities to Stetson, Aqua Velva, Preferred Stock, Jovan Musk, etc. in here as well. An absolute steal for the price point if you enjoy the classic men's fragrances of yesterday. Even though I'm only in my 30s I've always enjoyed these type of fragrances as they remind me of my grandfather and work well for me as opposed to the modern overly sweet ambrox bombs and aquatics.

Ok, so I tried the 1.5oz bottle of RC Cologne Spray. I must say that it reminds me a little of Stetson, but more lemony. There is a bright musky, spritzy lavender and a beautiful dry powdery effervescence to this fragrance. After several wears, I can honestly say that for the money; it's well worth it! Longevity is about a solid 8-10 hours that will sit very close to the skin for the first 2-3 hours, sillage is very soft at about 1 foot or less, but try getting this at these insanely low prices of $6.99 per bottle!!! The honey, lavender, tobacco and especially bergamot; it's all here. A nice fragrance for the money. Definitely a keeper imho. Who says that you have to spend $$$$$ for quality and happiness. You don't with this fragrance. Yes, it's not niche, but so what, and some of those niche scents don't last like this does.

I keep changing my mind about this one. It's really going to depend on your body chemistry. It's mostly a balancing act between florals and spice. If the spice wins, you're going to smell masculine, like cardamom and woods. If the florals win, you're going to smell like Grandma. This is definitely a fragrance that you want to test-drive on your skin before trotting it out on a date. I own the 100ml eau de cologne as well as a big bottle of the after shave. The cologne is far more complex than the after shave, with lemon top notes blasting off in addition to the spice and florals. I have found the after shave to be among my most lasting after shaves. I put this on one morning and it was still hanging around when I went to work in the evening. Almost got me in trouble!

Royal Copenhagen is a sweet oriental, yet somehow the overall effect is cool rather than warm. It feels brisk and bracing even though the ingredients would suggest something warm and a bit spicy. H & R's Fragrance Guide lists the components as: Top: Bergamot, lemon, lime, aldehyde, cardamom, green note Middle: Rose, jasmine, patchouli, orris, carnation, cedarwood, vetiver Base: Tonka, amber, honey, moss, vanilla, musk, heliotrope It resembles Kanon original (another Scandinavian-themed sweet oriental) a little, and its descendants include such classics as Lagerfeld, Chaps, Stetson, and JHL. It also has an affinity with Zizanie and Imperial del Oro's Russian Leather, which I suspect may have been among the inspirations for RC. A 5-star classic!

Royal Copenhagen (1970) If you’re testing this out on paper, you’ll only get a strong smell of baby powder. However if you test this out on skin, thats where you’ll be able to detect that this fragrance has alot more going on. Honey, vanilla, tobacco, lime, and wood notes really stand out. Yeah the lavender, rose, musk, and heliotrope notes are still there, but at least it’s more blended once reacting with your skin chemistry. I’m not sure this holds up to the other heavy hitter barbershop fragrances from the 70s, like Paco Rabanne Pour Homme and Azzaro Pour Homme, but i definitely think it’s still worth owning if you enjoy the classics. If you’re looking for something thats a little softer, fresher, and subtle, then this will work perfectly.

I first was introduced to royal Copenhagen at a barbershop in the old town section of Kingston back in the late 1980s. I had stopped in for an emergency haircut and the barber offered a hot shave and afterwards he splashed me down with this lotion. It is quite heavy and it has its place but I can only wear it when the temperature is below freezing. It really shines in the cold. In the heat i find it overpowering. Not everyone agrees about that as youll find this stuff is more common than bay rum in certain locales in the Caribbean. It's perplexing in the most delightful way and it doesn't need to make sense. I get strong notes of lavendar, rose, honey, and tobacco. It's the quintessential old school barbershop aftershave.

Great florals and spices in the vintage. Rose, lavender, carnation and jasmine make this one unisex IMO. The patchouli is well modulated by a warm sweet vanilla. As a woman, I don't wear it often, but It is one of the male frags some women may want to investigate. Powdery and sweet with honey and tonka bean, the cedar and tobacco smooth and deepen the base. I thought I smelt no heliotrope on me, and was surprised late in a creamy dry down with a distinct heliotrope. More an oriental than a chypre on me, it nonetheless has a great vetiver musk combo that Leans Green.

Ah, youth. It's like a stroll down memory lane. I wore this often when I was in High School...that's where I should have left it. I have an older bottle that clearly indicates that it is not the reformulation. It goes on with a burst of lavender and bergamot. It then fades into a carnation and vetiver, then for HOURS you get this over powering powder and heliotrope funk that makes you feel like your into your a great granddad. The cologne is of the 70's...and that's the way it makes you feel. Great for nostalgia...but, that's where I think I'll leave it.

A perennial fave of mine since the middle 70's. I always recieved so many compliments from ladies with the fragrance. In the Summer it is musky and kind of spicey on my skin. In the Winter the powdery sensual side of the scent is very evident. Very long lasting and beautiful on my skin. The newer fromulation is certainly different that the original scent. In the 80's it was bought by another company and the formulation seemed to have changed. Though it is different it is still a very nice frag on me. I make sure I'm never without it!

Vintage. Barbershop. I still have about .5 Oz left in the bottle my mom gave me as teenager. I just dusted it off and put some on, and the lavender, and citrus reminds me of Aqua Velva without the blast of mint, and the stickiness of AV. Given the age of what I have left, it may be a bit concentrated due to evaporation. I like it, but partly for the same reason I like vintage fragrances; nostalgia. But this is a Saturday AM fragrance, for me, to be worn around the house, just for me.

I remember I had this cologne in 1989 or 1990, it smells good and I bought a few more times after that, but, after you spray it, you'll smell it, it lingers maybe 30 minutes to 2 hours and after that it's like I never sprayed it to begin with. Am I buying this again? Ughhhhhh NO!!, I'm into Fougere scented men fragrances and I come to realize that this is not Fougere, it's a Chypre, which may explain why I don't care for it anymore. But if anyone likes it, Go for it

The opening is very powdery then it settles down into a floral musk with a bitter edge. This has less aldehydes in this and is more complex compared with the sister fragrance (Musk). I do like the Musk version much more though. This is different to Musk and is more potent and much more floral. Royal Copenhagen is a nice white musk and floral scent that has quite a silage and lasts too! This may turn out to be too powdery for me. In my opinion this is unisex.

I recently ordered the small square 1.7oz spray bottle with the V-shaped cap. I'm impressed. Seriously. This is so much better than the square rectangular tall bottles. I mean they are very different. I can't stop smelling myself. Beautiful, intoxicating. The lavender and honey, the prominent rose, musk and then tobacco; all play nicely in harmony. Three small bottles for $20. Unheard of quality at a unheard of price! I'm loving this!!!

See username to know that I am new to fragrances but am becoming obsessed. For me, I primarily get powdery floral notes with patchouli. It's definitely a classic fragrance and not like the fresh, clean fragrances that are more common these days. From what I remember of Stetson from way back in the day, plus comparing the notes between the two, Royal Copenhagen reminds me of Stetson.

My dad used to wear this...a Korean war vet, all-around tough guy, and/but also the most well-read person (in about five or six languages) I've ever met. Is this why I gravitated towards Habit Rouge (and consider powdery notes to be butch) and Caron Pour Un Homme? Probably. I'll leave this (and the unfiltered Gauloises) with him, but I appreciate the memories.

Long lasting, good sillage fresh & clean scent. No, its not "modern" but it is one I use rather commonly and I do enjoy the powdery scent with the floral hints that become more evident and complex after the dry-down. A decently strong presentation without being offensive or overwhelming. A reliable, inexpensive workhorse.

This is one of those scents that's the equivalent of putting on talcum powder after a shower. I would classify it as musky/powdery. Along with Zizanie and Caron PUH, it's an old-fashioned staple. Nothing particularly stands out about it but, by the same token, I have no idea what anybody would find offensive about it.

If you are in old school fragrances, it's a gem... I like it very much : a manly one, but very different from other vintage scents like Quorum or Sung because it softens in a musky and vanillic way and doesn't offend anyone. A classic.

Picked this one up by accident. A local radio host was raving about the brand and so I ordered a bottle; come to find out later he was talking about the musk version instead of this one. Oh well, it was inexpensive. This comes across as extremely powdery, like a fresh out of the shower scent. I don’t pick up much else until well into the dry down where a light spice emerges. I pretty much only wear this when I haven’t showered and want to come across as clean.

Straight from the bottle, and for about 10 minutes after applying to the skin, it smells like if the nose behind this was asked “what if there was a cologne strength of Aqua Velva?”. It’s lavender-y and aldehyde-y with a touch of moss and a hint of citrus. As it dries down, the original Aqua Velva-esque odor becomes more faint and it morphs into a more floral, musky scent a la Stetson. Royal Copenhagen doesn’t seem to develop the same cat urine tang on my skin that Stetson or Lilac Vegetal do, if this helps at all. As this phase fades I’m left with a slightly powdery floral woody barbershop type scent that lasts 8 or so hours as a skin scent. It’s not overly impressive, but it’s not bad at what it does. If applied lightly, dabbed rather than dumped, it is a relatively pleasant and inoffensive fragrance that performs considerably well. If over-applied it becomes a cloying flowery powder that reminds me of the inside of an old woman’s purse (vinyl, not leather). Less is more, and an 8oz bottle would be about a lifetime supply. Overall, this is one I really wanted to like more than I do. If you’re a fan of Stetson I’d definitely recommend this, especially for the price. If you’re not a fan of Stetson it may be worth a blind-buy, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.

I received this as a gift a couple of years ago. I guess it was a good thing since it led me to start wearing cologne again after a long hiatus, but the scent itself is pretty awful. This is the only scent I own where my son runs from the room holding his nose whenever I dare to spray it. My wife finds it equally if not more awful than my son. My own impressions are that this is a below average fragrance but not one that should send people screaming in horror. The initial hit reminds me a little of Windex. It's a very alcohol-y, cleanser kind of smell. I suppose it is a clean scent, but clean in a kind of synthetic industrial way rather than clean like a clear stream or a spring breeze. As the scent evolves, more and more powder comes to the fore and the Windex goes away. It's kind of like the smell of talcum powder sprinkled on a potpourri of pine needles and twigs, only the pine needles are more like Pine-Sol than the real thing. It doesn't project much or last especially long, which I suppose is a virtue from the family's perspective. I wear this every once in awhile in hopes that, somehow, it will have morphed into something more appealing or interesting. After 2 years, this still has not happened, so I don't think it will. Bottom line: Avoid.

Rarely do I click "dislike", but this one got it. I tried a modern bottle and was repulsed. Perhaps the vintage smelled better? I'm one who loves most vintage fragrances. I'm known for that. This one, I just don't get. I'm willing to give it more chances just to see why it's still widely purchased and worn. Whenever I read comments referring to fragrances as "household cleaner" or "bathroom scrubber" type scents, I usually chalk it up to a lack of experience or tolerance. Well, I'm guilty of thinking that with Royal Copenhagen. I'm perplexed how this one is thought of as anything more than the scent of a freshly-cleaned toilet. I promise you, faithful Fragrantica user, that I will update this review as soon as I try this again and figure out what could possibly make this appealing.