Activist

Long before I had a fragrance collection my daughter gifted me this for Christmas. I suspect around 2010, and having owned many Avon and drug store fragrances this was great, sweet spicy and dark, I smelt delicious, yet masculine. I was really pleasantly surprised because I had two previous Body Shop scents, and really did not care for either. This would be my introduction to gourmand type fragrances, it interested me that fragrance could be this good. I sprayed this on today, and noticed for the first time that it reminds me of John Varvato’s Vintage. This might be due to the age of my bottle (which has about 1/4 remaining) but they are strangely similar now that I know a bit more. This lacks the rhubarb, and the depth overall, but they are IMO quite close. Longevity for this was solid for me, and projection as well, getting a respectable 4 hours performance before it gets soft and more a skin scent, for the price this is a solid piece, and probably the best male scent from Body Shop to date. I have looked to see if it is still being sold, the website indicates it exists but no luck actually finding it, even Amazon indicates it exists, but both flip to Arber when you hit a purchase point? I am fortunate enough to have two back up bottles from years back, because I never wanted this to run out, and perhaps sadly it might be done, which I think has become the fate of John Varvato’s Vintage as well. If you can get this at a reasonable price I highly recommend that you do, it really is a hidden gem tucked away in the mall, and even those are getting discontinued. Cheers all, be safe and smell GREAT! PS...Yes, the opening has a brief Root Beer vibe, but this is far deeper than that.

A favourite of one of my sister's and a familiar fragrance visually over the years; you know the one that seems to be in lots of friends and family members' bathrooms and in the store-fronts, but you've never taken the time to actually smell it and drink in the notes, feelings and sensations? I tried 'Activist' today and have to say that the first thing that hit me was the relative quality in terms of price. If you're on a budget and want a decent offering as opposed to some low-price generic fare (as seen in a multitude of drug stores), Activist won't disappoint. The second major thing (apart from the very pleasant effects I experienced) was it's relation to 'Opium Pour Homme' by YSL. I've read other reviewers references to 'Antaeus' by Chanel and their perceptions that the two are similar, if not directly, then in general terms. I have Antaeus and I have to say that the powerhouse characteristics it has are not shared with Activist. Rather, it shares a lineage with Opium PH in terms of its oriental characteristics, richness and body. If you couldn't afford Opium PH, Activist would be a more than adequate lesser alternative. Enjoy!

I used to work at TBS in my early 20s and would mix this oil with Juba, which smells a lot like Calyx by Prescriptives. I now use the cologne, which smells like citrus and woods, with very few middle notes or "meat" in between. The notes here aren't very descriptive; I remember the original notes definitely including hay, several citrus fruits, and perhaps tobacco and sandalwood. It smells like a young callow man trying to smell like his grandfather! It's not refined but is pleasant and has good intentions--quality notes that I don't think are done very thoughtfully. Do I like it? Yes! As a woman that wants to smell different from the mainstream, this suits me when I am wearing leather and/or spending time outside. In fact, I went camping this weekend, and this smelled divine with the wood smoke and sunshine. Another woman spritzed some on too--it smelled natural so blended with the other scents around us. I would definitely advise people to spray (and wait) before buying.

The notes on The Body Shop’s website are different than the ones listed here, but I don’t get those notes on that page. I mostly get what’s listed here on this page. So, I don’t know about the discrepancy, but I get a linear fragrance that is mainly composed of amber, spices, and a wood mixture. I can smell the citrus initially, but they don’t make up a big part of the fragrance. Activist is a very warm fragrance. It seems to be a heavy scent, but it somehow remains lighter than what you might think. The amber gives it a very smooth and velvety feel. The scent itself is very nice. I used to love this when I first purchased this a few years ago. As I'm winding down on what's left in this bottle I'm much less impressed than I was when I first bought it. However, it was only like 20$, so no huge complaints. I wouldn't purchase again, however.

My first bottle was gifted to me by a friend back in 2007 and I had carried it with me on several trips. I recently bought my current bottle and right after a few sprays, I was already trance travelling in flashbacks down memory lane! Moderate longevity lasting 3 to 6 hours, it is very refreshing in terms of Middle Eastern climate - where I reside. Equally great for moderate European climate; not for Winters. Its diffusion radiates within arm length and isn’t heavy for the wearer or surrounding. I personally prefer a few sprays in the evening for a stroll down the street during Springs & Autumns. I think this is a great product by Body Shop, especially when they are not specialized in perfumery. Good value for money if you want a great scent for a low budget – either for yourself or as a gift. Trust me, you will not be disappointed.

I've had a bit of a thing for the Body Shop lately. They keep bombarding me with discounts, and i've fallen into the trap. Working through the men's fragrances, I quite liked Arber and White Musk, positively loathed Kistna, but Activist I utterly love! It's not a fragrance that develops on the skin, the initial spray remains unaltered on my skin for a good five hours. A warm mix of Amber, Spice, Wood and an almost minty note, it is very pleasant, great for work. It is very unique, I don't know that this reminds me of anything, the reviewer that compares it to Million sorry I don't get that in the slightest. For the price there is no reason not to have this in your collection. A real gem!!

so many memories.this was a release of 90s and I got this in 2001, in malaysia.Jaya Jusco(Aeon now) in wangsa maju.i was always a member of The Body Shop and used all their men's perfumes.this by far was the best.and still in production thank god.spicy sweet leather amber citrus and grassy notes.it is so long lasting and projects really well. can be worn formally and also casually.winter would be perfect for this but in summer you can use it if there is air conditioning.i used 4 bottles, my dad used more than 5. I got this back in my rotation after 8 long years and im so happy. its such a gem of a fragrance, incredible pricing for 100ml 10/10

Wow, I haven't thought of this cologne in forever. It annoyed me when I couldn't find it in the shop one day and the employee told me it was discontinued. It was such a good product. Smelled good, very simple, reasonably priced, plus the name made me smile. Hey everyone, smell me! I'm an activist! Supposedly, from what I was told, The Body Shop was moving towards more complex fragrances, with more notes. Funny, huh? Now the trend is towards "transparency" and fewer notes. At the time, Activist was priced more like a drug store fragrance (aNd I don't mean the ones they keep in a locked glass cabinet .)

I bought this scent for my boyfriend based on the fragrance description on this site. I went in blind and rolled the dice. It really paid off. He loves it and I love it. To the point where I was envious there wasn't a more feminine version of it. He isn't normally one to care about cologne but he mentions how much he likes this one all of the time. It has a subtly sweet masculine scent. Lots of woody and spicy notes with a touch of something sweet and clean.

PLEASE! I'm begging! If someone knows something that's actually similar to this, or has a similar scent DNA, please tell me! this was my first fragrance and though it smells cheap now to me (or perhaps its gone stale?) I crave this DNA!! I simply must find something with the same citrus-spicy, fresh oriental vibe...

This is the fragrance I created an account for - it is so underrated! Almost no reviews on youtube and none of the big channels talk about it. It is such a fantastic fragrance and so unique. Nothing else quite like it. This will always be on my shelf.

This is very nice perfume from Body Shop, I can feel calmness in it. It started mild fresh then it drydown to little bit sweet aromatic. Its very nice to wear in the morning before you go to office.

One of the few spicy, energetic smells. Not a very unique smell but it definitely is a pleasuring smell to wear. Fresh, spicy, & little green. This one is for the fresh & sport fragrances fans.

I bought this for my guy a couples years ago and it's still one of his and my favourite it smells soooo good on him. he gets compliment on it all the time and the price is also really good

one of my absolute favourite body sprays of all time. layers well on top of something deeper. its warm and spicy, elegant and strong. lasts a long time when sprayed on clothes.

I am totally love this fragrance. I think it similar to Lapidus Pour Homme but this frag is less powdery compare to lapidus..

The Body Shop's website lists these notes, later in the description paragraph about Activist. I believe the above listed notes/accords were merely the thesis statement of the brief description: "...Top notes: lemon and orange combine to create the citrus top notes- Helps to moisturize the skin. ....Middle notes: cedarwood and ylang-ylang combine to create the spicy heart note. ....Base notes: sandalwood, patchouli and amber combine to create the warm, woody base..." This is still in production (Jan 2018) but 40% off right now on TBS website! NB: Also, since I have been seeing it (and gift sets featuring it) here & there in grey market retailers; I am assuming it may become discontinued. (So naturally I bought roll-on deodorant, body wash and 100 ml EDT! What? It came it a great retro/throwback tin!) It's very ubiquitous (spices, citrus, greens) yet there is something undeniably something dark and sensual going on here. A languid warmth is lurking underneath the notes, padding softly like a black leopard, purring and ready to pounce...or not, depending on the intensity of the scenario. It's no drop-dead gorgeous niche diamond-in-the-rough or anything; it is a dependable fresh green spicy woody scent wearable just about anywhere, in any season. It smells good...but the more I wear it the more I feel myself falling under the spell of that delicate ylang that is threaded so artfully through the entire composition, so it never gets boring (or hasn't the last few times I sported this). smell swell & be well, GP xox

Quality: 4 out of 5 – It’s a beautiful, high quality scent. Originality: 4 out of 5 – It’s quite original yet reminds me of the dry-down of Jean Paul Gaultier Le Male. I’d wear this over JPG which is quite amazing at this price! Projection (Sillage): 3 out of 5 – moderate; Only people in your immediate vicinity can smell your scent. Versatility: 3 out of 5 – This scent works well for night, autumn/winter, ‘dressed up’ occasions for males over 25. Value: 5 out of 5 – At £16 for 100ml (before adding promo codes); instead of grabbing a fast food meal, I’ll get me a bottle of this stuff! Compliment Frequency: 2 out of 5 – Nobody moved away yet I didn’t get compliments when wearing it either. Packaging (Bottling): 3 out of 5 – The bottle and sprayer are functional, but nothing special, aesthetically. Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 – Great – This fragrance does just about everything you could ever want from a fragrance of its type (meaning it’s good enough for a lack of projection, compliment frequency and plush bottling to ignore). There aren’t any significant problems with the fragrance, but you are not left in complete awe, either. Recommendations: Try before you buy but only because everyone has different nose and skin combinations. Personally, I’d check the notes in this fragrance and if you know they are also found in some of your other favourite fragrances, I’d do a blind buy.

Spicy and sweet, Activist is a welcome part of The Body Shop's men's line. I get vanilla, black pepper, and amber mostly. I don't get a green vibe, nor do I smell any citrus, though it's possible that the citrus simply fades very quickly. There's not much evolution--it opens brighter, and dries down to something softer. Projection and longevity aren't much to speak of, as it's a very light EDT concentration, but this makes for a pleasant light cold weather scent to be applied in informal situations. I liken it to C.O. Bigelow's Elixir Black, although Activist is somewhat sweeter and has a less alcoholic scent. I liked the Antaeus comparison as well, though the sheer strength difference makes it difficult to compare, and Activist is much sweeter than Antaeus. At $28 for 100ml, and often on sale, Activist is a great item to have in your rotation for casual and daytime light wear during the colder months, for which I believe it is best-suited. The scent is pleasant--it's fun to smell while it lasts. 7 out of 10

I won this in a raffle during Christmas 1996. Thought it would be naff, had a conception that The Body Shop was for women and being a teen I wanted to smell like a man and attract ladies like the ads on TV. Only used this as I wanted to save my Jazz and I ran out of Old Spice. After the first few sprays I was addicted, the scent and the way it progressed was amazing, how stupid was I to think like this as a young teen. It knocked Jazz off the shelf. I went through another bottle and I enjoyed everything about this scent. Started being interested in Frags again and purchased Ted Lapidus Pour Homme and immediately I was transported back. Quite simply this is a weaker less complex version of TLPH. Similar notes and similar DNA on my skin anyway. Unfortunately after finding and loving TL there is no going back to this for me. I will always be thankful for the memories, my trusted wingman for a few years!