Gucci No. 3 (1985)
by Gucci

This review is for the pure parfum. Everyone below has described this very well, although I wish I could get the civet note that's supossedly present. On me it's all warm patchouli/oakmoss with hints of rose and a very brief and fruity note at the opening (maybe it's the aldehydes). As it dries down there is a kind of wonderful leatheriness that emerges. The sillage is perfect...not too close to the skin and not 1980's loud. A man could definitely wear this as well as there is nothing sweet about this scent.

Thank goodness the chypre category finally clicked for me last year so that I can finally enjoy the Sikkim, Patou 1000, Acqua di Parma Profumo and other chypres in my collection that before now, I had only collected for references. Gucci No. 3 is a good one, so snatch it if you can find it.

UPDATE: Wow, the civet note finally hit me today. Love it!

3rd November, 2011. (Last Edited: 13rd November, 2011.)

Earthy, leathery and once the top notes have faded it could even be thought of as masculine, but fabulous none the less.

The bright introduction fades very quickly on me, leaving only hints of rose and iris along with the oakmoss and leather.

31st August, 2010.

On me Gucci 3 is very fresh but at the same time inviting, the adelhydes and bergamont are very dominant in the top notes lending a soap like characteristic to the composition but it is very pleasant. these notes are present throught the perfume though they loose some of their initial strength.

the rose in the heart is completely lost to my nose; on me there is nothing floral about this compostition.

I clearly detect the musk, leather and amber in the dry down which give the fragrance a sexy sophistication.

There is nothing pretty or girly about this scent but instead there is a mystery, the scent dares you to invetsigate further and eventually seduces you with its uniqueness.

It is not a fragrance for girls but is a potent weapon in the hands of a mature woman who knows what she wants and knows how to get it.

16th August, 2010.

Opening is very dry cooking spice -- coriander is the note listed; I would have guessed cumin -- that softens as florals. predominantly rose, take over in the heart. The moss/civet/patchouli base makes itself evident early on and gets funkier and funkier, with a strong punch of rooty/powdery iris taking over from the rose.

Not my kind of thing at all, but I can tell it's nice for what it is. Rose chypres sound like such a good idea, but so far I haven't found one that works for me. I didn't care for Rose de Nuit, either. For what it's worth, I find this richer and smoother than RdN, so fans of the Lutens might want to check it out.

30th March, 2010.

I enjoy this chypre a great deal. It's a very retro fragrance, not even of its own decade, but reminding me strongly of a sample of 1950s La Rose Jacqueminot I had an opportunity of trying a while ago. Here is that which distinguishes many older fragrances from their younger counterparts: a rich and vibrant vein of oakmoss, something that's often a mere ghostly presence in the mossiest of moderns.

The top notes come on bright and aldehydic, with a peach-tinged bergamot leading the way into the heart. The heart is ruled by rose and moss, not a thick and heavy sensation as in Rose de Nuit, but transparent and serene. Deep into the drydown, the rose disappears and moss quiets down a little, revealing a distinct musky animalic side aided by the presence of patchouli.

Unlike many, I do not find this a dry fragrance. If anything, I'd say it's far lusher than the average chypre, and rather than being an aggressive fragrance like Bandit or Azuree, it conveys a sense of classicism and proportion, and an atmosphere of a calm, sunlit morning.

It's been sadly discontinued, but not surprisingly so, as this is one mossy fragrance I can easily imagine mutilated at the hands of the new regulations. It's still widely available online as of this review, however, so get it while you can!

7th February, 2010.

I always loved this unique fragrance. It is a shame that it has been discontinued.

4th December, 2009.