1881 (1990)
by Cerruti

Oddly pleasing top combo with the juxtaposition of lavender's airy sweetness against the pine-green of juniper. As 1881 descends into the heart, it gets drier and I get a vaguely musky floral accord which lasts for 1-2 hours before it fades to a drydown of moss and sandalwood. Definitely one of the more distinctive, rather classy scents from Cerrutti though I can't help but feel a little let down after the refreshingly crisp opening.

I first encountered Cerruti 1881 back in the late-ish nineties while at University. My housemate used to wear it when we went out clubbing. He was a big guy, an even bigger drinker and in all honesty no oil painting. However, I did notice that when we went out he always smelt good. I found out what fragrance he wore but never purchased myself as it was his fragrance. He did also manage to get a few ladies while out so I also put this down to the fact that he smelt better than he looked! I had pretty much forgotton about 1881 until I found a bottle in the sale and decided to test it. Straight away I remembered why I liked it. It really is a fresh, clean, masculine and classy fragrance, although I'm not overly clean on the bottle or the name. I decided to purchase a bottle and really enjoy wearing it. It also has a fantastic drydown. As for other comments that describe this fragrance as old, I just don't get it. I never once thought my old housemate smelt old when he wore 1881 and he would have been early twenties then. I only though he smelt good. I am also surprised that there aren't more reviews of 1881 considering it has been around since 1990, but perhaps many have missed out on this hidden gem, or also been put of by the name and bottle! This is a highly underrated fragrance that is definitely worth a try!

The first time I bought this was in Southern France with my (then) French girlfriend. I really wasn't too keen on it, but purchased it because she quite liked it. However, it never really grew on me. A few years later, I foolishly purchased another bottle of the stuff whilst in Madrid – I thought I'd give it another chance. Bad decision! How relieved I was when I finally managed to finish the bloody bottle...

The problem with this fragrance is that there's nothing special to make it stand out, among the myriad of fragrances currently on the market. To be honest, I preferred Eternity For Men than this. Oh, and the bottle design is so ugly!

[Original submission date: 10 April 2008]

I don't like the female counterpart at all but this is a very nice warm, clean citrusy smell. Smells expensive but is actually dirt cheap to buy in the UK.

Cerruti 1881 is easily my No.1 choice for daytime wear during spring and summer. Its powdery sweet bergamot, lemon and rosemary Mediteranean style makes me feel comfortable and at the same time, very special. It is great as an office wear but you will love it for all casual occasions. This powdery effect is actually what makes it interesting since you would expect it to be sharper to your nose. I tend not to like powdery feeling in my scents but this one is right on the money.

I prefer Cerruti 1881 over Chanel Pour Monsieur due to its longevity. However, Chanel is definitely more complex and refined.

Still, 1881 is a scent that you simply need to have if you want to feel like those Italian guys driving scooters in the movie Roman Holiday.

I Loved the aroma of this when I first tried it a year ago and recently rediscovered it. The first notes hit like a rush of spice and downplayed sweets (which is a fave). The fruity, yet floral mid-notes continue to play with my senses, but after a 10 hour day the scent almost disappears and (one more then one occasion) begins to have a peculiar sulfur smell. Anyone else experience this?

I still like it and rank it at my tops.