Before the 1980s, fragrances were local and few in choice. Colognes were the domain of beauty store counter clerks, high-end designers, and a few fashion houses that men would sometimes use certain grooming products in place of cologne. Ironically, today’s fragrance market is oversaturated! So let’s take a trip back in time to the ‘80s and ‘90s to see if the fragrances from our youth hold up to today’s standards.
Table of Contents
- Our Team’s Review of Retro Colognes
- 1. Calvin Klein Obsession For Men
- 2. Dior Fahrenheit
- 3. Davidoff Cool Water
- 4. Acqua Di Gio Pour Homme
- 5. Issey Miyake L’eau D’Issey Pour Homme
- 6: Jean Paul Gaultier Le Male
- 7 . Givenchy Gentleman
- 8. Calvin Klein CK One
- 9. Drakkar Noir
- 10. Eternity for Men by Calvin Klein
- Kyle’s Verdict
Our Team’s Review of Retro Colognes
The following 10 fragrances have been tested and reviewed by our team but I haven’t smelled any of them yet. So for each one, I’ll give my first impressions as well as the considered opinions of the rest of the Gentleman’s Gazette team.
As a side note: all of the fragrances that we will be reviewing are going to be shown in their full retail price at the time of writing. Although some can often be found at discount retailers, be aware that sometimes you can find counterfeit products by doing this.
1. Calvin Klein Obsession For Men
This is one of the most characteristic and dominant fragrances of the 1980s. Even though this wasn’t Klein’s first fragrance, it was one of their most successful fragrances that they produced and it helped launch Klein to be a serious contender in the market.
Obsession For Men was released in 1986, one year after the successful launch of Obsession For Women. The brand itself in its heyday in the ‘70s,‘80s, and ‘90s was known for being classic and minimalistic. The scent is sold as something that is clean, versatile and is suited for everyday wear. So, that matches the brand’s image, but does it match the scent?
It’s still packaged in its original packaging: a curved bottle, that actually feels a little outdated, and a little bit feminine. But what can be expected from that came from the 1980s? The price is $82 for 4 ounces or 118 milliliters.
Fragrance Notes
- Top notes include tangerine, grapefruit, lime, bergamot, lavender, cinnamon, and coriander.
- Heart notes include carnation, jasmine, rosewood, nutmeg, pine, myrrh, and red berries.
- Base notes include amber, sandalwood, vanilla, musk, patchouli, and vetiver
Upon smelling this the first time, I felt that it was a very light, clean, and mature fragrance. This is something that I would highly recommend that most people add to their collection.
2. Dior Fahrenheit
They’re not as famous as Obsession, Dior Fahrenheit was released in 1988. Dior as a fashion house has actually been producing fragrances since 1947 so they weren’t new to the game when they released Fahrenheit.
The brand describes its fragrance as a woody floral musk, and intense. That sounds rather busy to us. Just from that description, we can imagine that this is going to be an acquired taste. This is still packaged in the original bottle which while suited to the name, does make it appear like a drugstore-level product rather than a department store level product. The price is $95 for 3.4 ounces or 100 milliliters.
Fragrance notes
- Top notes include lavender, mandarin orange, cedar, nutmeg flower, hawthorn, bergamot, chamomile, and lemon.
- Heart notes include nutmeg, honeysuckle, carnation, violet wood, sandalwood, jasmine, cedar, lily of the valley.
- Base notes include leather, tonka bean, amber, vetiver, musk, and patchouli.
Upon smelling this for the first time, I did find that it was a tolerable scent but not something that I would probably go for.
What Does The Team Think?
One person wrote: “Opener lighter fluid… Yuck! Hawthorn and chamomile are over-dominant!” Another person wrote, “It’s undoubtedly unique,” another wrote, “It gets better but it’s highly unusual,” and someone else wrote that, “It’s so, so strong.”
As far as if the team here at the Gentleman’s Gazette would actually wear this fragrance, overall, we see that most of us would actually prefer not to be wearing this fragrance. It’s a little bit outside of everyone’s wheelhouse.
3. Davidoff Cool Water
Davidoff Cool Water is an icon in this era. It was actually launched in 1988. Even men who aren’t familiar with fragrances are also going to be able to recognize the name Davidoff Cool Water due to the extensive advertising. This is still seen as a very common fragrance, so if you want something that’s going to smell classic but not have you stand out too much, this is a great one to consider.
It is described primarily as fresh which makes sense, given the name. Some have claimed that this scent is a little bit of a dupe for Creed’s Green Irish Tweed, which if true, would make the value of this amazing. Although they do have some similarities in top notes, we end up disagreeing on this because of the differences they have in both their base and heart notes. They really settle into being two different scents over time.
Fragrance Notes
- Top notes include seawater, mint, green notes, lavender, coriander, and rosemary.
- Heart notes include geranium, neroli, jasmine, and sandalwood.
- Base notes include cedarwood, musk, amber, and tobacco.
My first impression when smelling this was you can never get tired of Cool Water. It’s a clean and fairly timely scent that will work for a lot of different personalities and age groups. This is something that I would recommend having in a collection. The price is $75 for 4.2 ounces or 124 milliliters.
What Does The Team Think?
One person noted, “It is light and fresh. They noted that there are baking spices in the background and that it had a touch of warmth, mint, and vanilla.” One person went ahead and called this a “Douchey” scent. Another wrote that it smells like cheap, mint body wash. And another wrote that “It seems like big companies are knocking this fragrance off for cheap hotels and cheap body washes.”
Overall, the consensus with the team was that most people found that they’d be willing to at least wear this fragrance.
4. Acqua Di Gio Pour Homme
Like Cool Water, Acqua Di Gio is an icon of this era. It was launched in 1996. The price is $88 for 3.4 ounces or 100 milliliters.
Fragrance Notes
- Top notes include mandarin orange, bergamot, jasmine, lime, neroli, and lemon.
- Heart notes include coriander, floral notes, nutmeg, sea notes, and rosemary.
- Base notes include white musk, cedar, oakmoss, patchouli, and amber.
My first impressions were that this was an elegant, light, and yet masculine scent. This is definitely something that I would personally want to wear on occasion.
What Does The Team Think?
One wrote that “It felt very familiar to us.” Another wrote, “It’s light, inoffensive, and pleasant.” Another wrote, “It’s a crowd-pleaser and quite mainstream… almost generic.” Another wrote that it’s very wearable because it’s not a big statement. Another person wrote, “There’s an Abercrombie and Fitch lightness to it. A bit of precursor to what many fragrance brands will actually use.”
Overall, the consensus of the team is that most of us would actually consider wearing this fragrance. However, not with Raphael. He found that it was too pedestrian.
5. Issey Miyake L’eau D’Issey Pour Homme
Launched in 1994, Issey Miyake L’eau D’Issey Pour Homme was described as a woody, aquatic fragrance. The price is $97 for 4.2 ounces or 124 milliliters.
Fragrance Notes
- Top notes include yuzu, bergamot, lemon, and tarragon.
- Heart notes include nutmeg, water lily, mignonette, cinnamon, and geranium.
- Base notes include tobacco, sandalwood, cedar, vetiver, musk, and amber.
My first impression when smelling this was there was a bit of fruit and floral scent to it. Kinda reminded me of a farmer’s market. I found that this was a great scent for daywear, for casual outings, especially for the warmer months.
What Does The Team Think?
One person thought that “It smelled fresh, citrus, and of mild woods.” Another wrote that “It had a bit of a grassy element,” and another wrote that they didn’t really have any strong feelings for it. Overall, it appears that most of the team would consider wearing this fragrance.
6: Jean Paul Gaultier Le Male
This fragrance launched in 1995 and was incredibly popular for well over ten years. Many have described Jean Paul Gaultier Le Male as a bit of a safe buy that’s classic yet unique as it has warm baking notes and a lot of vanilla inside. The price was $94 for 4.2 ounces or 124 milliliters.
Fragrance Notes
- Top notes include mint, lavender, bergamot, artemisia, cardamom.
- Heart notes include cinnamon, cumin, and orange blossom.
- Base notes include vanilla, tonka bean, sandalwood, cedarwood.
What Does The Team Think?
One person wrote that it had anise top notes. They found when anise is blended with other scents, it smells quite pleasant. One person noted the vanilla and baking spices and a slight mintiness. One person noted that the bottle was well endowed. And others noted the very dominant vanilla and how unique the fragrance actually is.
When I first smelled this, I really enjoyed the spice and vanilla combination. I think that this scent would be intriguing to those who happen to smell you without overpowering everyone else’s noses.
Most of the team found that they would be wearing this fragrance. However, not Raphael as he found there’s a little bit too much vanilla in the finish.
7 . Givenchy Gentleman
Givenchy Gentleman was launched in the 1970s, though there’s some confusion, as various sources list either 1974 or ’75. We mistakenly saw 1994 as its launch date when including it in today’s list, and while it’s therefore a chronological outlier in this group, it’s still in good company with other ’70s fragrances we’ve covered, like Paco Rabanne Pour Homme and Creed’s Green Irish Tweed. The price is $89 for 3.4 ounces or 100 milliliters.
Fragrance Notes
- Top notes include bergamot, lemon, and petitgrain.
- Heart notes include rosemary, iris, and vetiver.
- Base notes include ambroxan and musk.
What Does The Team Think?
The team noted that “It was an intensely masculine fragrance,” and others noted the spices, aromatics, balsamic, and sandalwood notes.
My first impression of Givenchy Gentleman was, “Wow, this smells like success.” Initially, this scent does come off a bit strong but as long as one does not completely bathe in it, I think that it will be great for a sophisticated and mature individual. Overall, the general consensus with most of the team was that we would actually not be wearing this fragrance.
8. Calvin Klein CK One
Like its predecessor Obsession, Calvin Klein CK One became an iconic and very popular fragrance upon its launch in the 1990s This is actually one of the first to be introduced as a unisex fragrance. This really suited the brand at the time as they constantly were featuring models, male and female wearing the same underwear. The price is $65 for 3.4 ounces or 100 milliliters.
Fragrance Notes
- Top notes include pineapple, green notes, mandarin, orange, papaya, bergamot, cardamom, and lemon.
- Heart notes include nutmeg, violet, orris root, jasmine, lily of the valley, rose, and freesia.
- Base notes include sandalwood, amber, musk, cedar, oakmoss, green tea, and green accord.
What Does The Team Think?
One person noted that it was very lime forward and not as sharp as other lime forward fragrances. In the description, we’re seeing pineapple and green notes as top notes. And the rest of the team was noting soft citrus rounded by other fragrances. Another person noted that “It’s definitely a unisex scent; it doesn’t mean too far into being either too feminine or too masculine.” And another person noted that it’s a crowd-pleaser but not too strong.
Upon smelling this for the first time, I found that I don’t usually go for very strong scents but if you’ll give it a minute, you’ll notice that the intensity appears to melt away and you’ll have a very tolerable scent. I especially enjoy the hints of the mandarin orange and the green notes.
Overall, the Gentleman’s Gazette team is finding that they would consider wearing this fragrance.
9. Drakkar Noir
Drakkar Noir was launched in 1982. This was so popular that it won a FiFi Award for best men’s fragrance in 1985. Its heavy and masculine advertising made it a household name in the 80s and 90s. It was the bestselling men’s prestige scent in 1991. This is described as an aromatic Fougere scent and it really helped cement the trend. The price is $65 for 3.4 ounces or 100 milliliters.
Fragrance Notes
- Top notes include rosemary, artemisia, lavender, basil, verbena, bergamot, and lemon.
- Heart notes include coriander, carnation, cinnamon, juniper, and jasmine.
- Base notes include leather, sandalwood, fir, amber, patchouli, oakmoss, vetiver, and cedar.
What Does The Team Think?
The team found that “It smells sweet, herbal and soft.” They found that the base notes were extremely subtle and a bit of a boudoir smell. Another person noted that it smells quite bohemian. Another noted that it’s not traditionally masculine but calling it unisex might be a bit a stretch. And another noted, “It smells like a French guy made it.”
Upon smelling it for the very first time, I had to admit that I was pretty surprised but actually liked it as much as I did. Although I shouldn’t be too surprised as I do have a bit of ahead going after the scents of cedar or sandalwood notes. Although this is not my favorite or my first choice, I could see myself occasionally considering wearing this fragrance.
However, it does appear that most of the team would actually prefer to not wear this scent.
10. Eternity for Men by Calvin Klein
Launched in 1990, Eternity for Men is yet again another famous fragrance from Calvin Klein. The price is $82 for 3.4 ounces or 100 milliliters.
Fragrance Notes
- Top notes include lavender, mandarin orange, bergamot, and lemon.
- Heart notes include coriander, lily, orange blossom, juniper berries, basil, jasmine, sage, lily of the valley, and geranium.
- Base notes include sandalwood, amber, musk, vetiver, and Brazilian rosewood.
When I smelled this for the very first time, I really liked it. I found that it was clean, fresh, and almost reminded me of a barbershop for some reason. I definitely feel that this is something that could be worn in both casual or business settings.
Kyle’s Verdict
Out of this list today, I would say that my personal favorite is probably the Aqua Di Gio. I love how clean and light that fragrance is. But I would say, if I were to talk about what kind of fragrances I usually would go after, as mentioned before, I do kind of find myself really enjoying things that have woody, cedar, sandalwood notes; things that have a bit of leather or kind of a tobacco scent to it, mint, citrus notes in there as well, too. Nothing that’s too overpowering but things with those kinds of combinations are the things that my nose is typically drawn to.
