Reviews of Antaeus (1981)
by Chanel

Simply put, before I ever got into cologne, this is what I always assumed cologne should smell like. Something about it reminds me of Santos, but it’s less edgy and more gentle. Don’t trust the smell that comes directly from the bottle (splash or otherwise). After my first whiff, I thought it was nothing but whiskey in cologne form. That’s not how it smells on your skin.

Fire up the Quattro!!!

Another 80's powerhouse that smells nice enough, but is totally unwearable in the vein of Van Cleef and Arpels. Elegant? Sophisticated? -- I don't think they equate to 'in your face' and 'heavy' do they? Try Versace L'Homme (1984) instead for refinement and ditch the hipsters with the white belt.

A dark, delicious mysterious scent. Its powerful fragrance reveals itself in whiffs of exotic intensity. Refined and timeless, I cannot imagine not having this fragrance in my collection. The olfactory equivalent of indulging in the richest, creamiest perfect devil's food cake.

This is Chanel's best offering for men, bar none. It is one of the quintessential powerhouse 80s fragrances, and certainly one of the finest, being virtually without peer! The fragrance opening screams with myrtle and Alpine lavender, then settles into a seductive and masculine heart of clary sage. The base is very rich, deep, and long-lasting, being a combination of patchouli leaves from Indonesia, labdanum, and beeswax absolute. You could not ask for a more masculine and confident fragrance than Antaeus. I know that it is very hard to find in some areas, but I pray and pray that it will never be discontinued!! It may be too strong for some people, but if you can handle it, its rewards are endless. I always feel very confident and strong when wearing this fragrance, as it exudes an uplifting yet potent aroma. The longevity is also amazing; 1 to 2 sprays lasts almost 24 hours on my skin, which is remarkable for an EDT! This one will always be in my collection for as long as it continues to be produced, which I hope will be forever! A true classic; accept no substitutes.

I've been wearing this cologne since 1999 and I still like it a lot. It's the best woody fragrance for men. It's a true round frangrance with real development. It's sweet but well balanced, not strident. This is a sensual frangrance not suited for boys without personality.

Smells like many other oakmossy fragrances of the 80's/90's. Wait, this is one of th originals! The patchouli smells vastly different from those others, though, making this unique and the others seemingly copies and konck-offs. A good woody-masculine.

For 25 years my personal favorite and signature fragrance, and it was love at first scent. Yes, Antaeus is big, but it is as perfectly balanced as any fragrance I have known, the soulfulness of patchouli and sandalwood lightened by the herbaceous top notes. And the dry down is a long, solemn church-candle experience. Yes, it is a big, sexy, fragrance, but probably the least vulgar and most thoughtful of its kind--if there is a way to combine sex and church, then this is it. Of course it's not for the gym or a morning coffee or the office; I only wish I could wear it all the time.

I didn't think much of Antaeus years ago. I also never really liked it out of the bottle. Once I tried it on my skin however, it really warmed up and revealed its true elegance and majesty to me. It is a sexy, sophisticated dry chypre scent which reveals a surprising warmth on my skin. It dries down into a fascinating beeswax base. Excellent when dressed up and out to the theater or fundraiser. I have to control myself to avoid wearing it during the day at work, since it really is much too formal for that; but I love it so that sometimes I just don't care and I wear it whenever I want!

Maybe Anteus is good for lot of people....but today I test it in a department store and my experience was not very good in the begining because was very feminine....When I said feminine, I imagine different ladys of 70.75, 80 years old playing domino or poker....veteran girls....
After about 15 minutes, the scent develop other sensations on my skin, much better....strong, mysterious, masculine....but this scent is not for me, doesnt make me pleasure....I will test it 10 years more. Now, I m 30 and I prefer other good options that evoques me happyness.

This has always been one of my favorites. It's in a class of its own. Yes, it's strong but when worn in moderation people always comment on how pleasant it is. "Timeless" is the best way to describe this classic Chanel fragrance for men.

It's hard to describe this fragrance... It's a very deep and complex scent, that's for sure, but it seems to me that it has no personality, you can't really put a label on this one. The smell is ok... green, but with no particular earthshaking or original notes. I agree it's elegant and classy, but definitely not a top fragrance.

Heavy, cloying, spicier version of Victorian era rosewater and completely unusable as a male scent.

This is "No. 5 pour Homme" - Chapeau Monsieur Polge!!!

Brilliant. From start to finish, pure class. It was destined to be a classic. Fascinating choice for a name. Recommended.

I was previously hesistent on giving me take on this(quite afraid of getting burnt). I'll start by saying that I have developed a strong and thick fragrances like my fave in the ranks - CD's Sauvage(one spray at home and one splash that i carry around), and the slightly more recent Paco Rabanne PH and Givenchy Gentleman,Aramis Tuscany and CD's Fahrenheit. I would put my review down to personal preference. Those i mentionned earlier, were worn previously by my late grandfather. I was extremely close to him from birth till the end of my teenage years and i reckon it was my sentimental side that grew on those scents. The antaeus tho strong and lasting, did not appeal to me. I still wear Eau Sauvage, and Gentleman quite alot these days, but found it quite difficult to draw any likable similarities. I would liken this to my inability to finish my bottle of Armani EPH which i found the stronger notes to have over stayed. If one is for the classic, then this would be quite fit the bill. But i agree to what was earlier said, one doesnt have to make this occassion-specific, but it would be more suitable for the grander nights. I guess there is some truth in me saying that the more inflexible a scent, the more it can be a classic and later on, a legend. I loved the Eau Sauvage despite having friends tell me i smelled like what their older relatives used, I love Gentleman and Tuscany despite some saying to me it smelt like tyre(ouch). With Antaeus, it needs acquiring of taste like with most classics, which i personally have not. Scent wise i would have to steal the word "herbal" from the review before mind as i found it to be most accurate. The herbal scent is quite nice in Eau Sauvage actually imo , if one is able to sense it at the end, but just too much in Antaues for my liking.

Are you sure of your footing?

If I remember the Antaeus story correctly, he gained his strength from the earth, and Hercules was only able to defeat him once he realized that he would have to break Antaeus’s contact with the earth.

Antaeus, the fragrance, is rooted in the earth, and is deep, dark, and unshakable. It goes on strong and stays that way for the entire day. Because it is from Chanel, Antaeus is as refined as an 80s power scent can be. It has probably been toned down, but still has more depth than the majority of men’s fragrances out there today.

Antaeus is for the man who is sure of his footing and mind.

No, the main trump of this fragrance isn’t its smell per se (it’s quite classical). Antaeus is a very important part of the magical olfactory world and that’s not without a good reason. First of all Antaeus has an exceptional strength (even the compliments I get for Antaeus sound like “oooh, that one is REALY good”).
Very often, when I come out from my room (with Antaeus on my neck) ready to go to work, my father says:” Is there any liquid left in that bottle?”. That strong it is.
One more example: A female colleague asked me one day: “Were you in the accounting department yesterday (I’m working in the marketing department) at about 11 am?” I was astonished: “Yeah, how do you know that? I didn’t see you”. “I detected your scent in the corridor”, she said with a smile. Of course, I was wearing Antaeus.
It is strong, but it is elegant as well. There is no doubt; Antaeus is a Rolls-Royce among the scents… the big, black, shine Rolls-Royce.
It’s not indispensable to love Antaeus, but one has to respect this true legend.
Just one more remark: you don’t have to wear black clothes when you have Antaeus on your skin, but that would make your look somehow complete.

An all-time classic that will never be forgotten upon first sniff by the women who appreciate quality in fragrances. Too bad its either discontinued or totally watered-down when you do come across it on the internet. I always wonder why tamper with perfection... anyway, no complaints other than that. A lifetime keeper for me.

I know, I know this is a classic, but I just can't stand it. I scored a mini of this and was extremely excited because I'm a huge Chanel fan and because I've read such great reviews - plus, I'm a fan of the classics. Very strong, pungent herbal opening that doesn't dry down into anything more pleasant. I'm glad to have the bottle for my Chanel collection but that's where the enjoyment ends.

What I would like to know is - what Mr Polge was thinking of when creating Antaeus - what was his state of mind ??


I still not believe that By "mixing" - you can create such beauty - when smelling Antaeus it is like admiring Catherine Deneuve's beauty and perfection.

It is and always will be a perfect love story with this creation.

Mr Polge is you other name "Grenouille" ???

Pure beauty !!


Laurent

My favorite out of the Chanel line. Even though I've never owned a bottle. I plan to have a bottle in my collection. I wouldn't say that this stuff is subtle. Makes me wish Christmas was in May. Perfect for Fall & Winter wear. I hope they never get rid of this stuff.

One of the best scents ever. Dry, clean, sexy, classy, and long lasting. It is hard to find here in the US. I'm thinking of making this my signature scent for winter and fall. As usual it is difficult to find a comparable quality scent for summer/spring (well, maybe Eau Sauvage?!).

Antaeus is a remarkable scent and since 1990 when i first experienced its elegance it has been my all time favourite. A true classic.

It's been reformulated and lacks the complexity of the original. The castoreum has been reduced, the accords are not as free, and there's a more prominent grassy vetiver note in the drydown. Not as interesting as it was, but it's still a quality fragrance.

A CLASSIC !!!

Antaeus is a deep, dark, spicy and leathery fragrance, and definitely one of the most masculine and dominant scents out there.
It's very complex and overwhelming at the first sniff, and often regarded as outdated, but you have to try this one a couple of times (on your skin) before you can admire its beauty.

Antaeus is also a very elegant scent (a signature of the CHANEL fragrance line), which doesn't share any of those sporty and fresh citrus and aqua notes that you can find in almost every fragrance that is released nowadays.

Antaeus has a strong personality which doesn't suit very well to you if you are not the elegant type of men, and i wouldn't recommend this to sportive guys or people under the age of 25.

If you like classic scents, you should give this one a try. If you are into that aqua and cool new fragrance thing, you will hate Antaeus (too bad for you).

Definitely in the list of my favourite 5 Male Fragrances !!!

I love this stuff! Antaeus is strong, masculine and old-school.

Antaeus starts out a bit sharp, but it dries down into a classy refined scent with excellent longevity.

Spicy and strong. Reminds me very much of Eucris by Trumper's. However, Eucris tops this on in terms of complexity and appeal.
Good longevity and silage. A very Macho scent, not for those who like flowery/fresh/fruity fragrances.

This stuff is unreal. Flowery masculine scent that is so deep and mysterious. I find it impossible to believe that some do not like this. I mean, this stuff is so high-powered and long-lasting - tops from Chanel. To those that do not like it: stick with Tommy and Calvin Klein and the garbage they put out. Antaeus, Third Man, Joop, Santos, Jacomo, 80's power scents that always always bring a smile to my face.

At first spray this camme off a little powdery, which I did not like. But after only about 15 to 20 minutes it melted into this absolutely orgasmic scent. It was soft and smooth, but with amazing sillage and longevity! I could live in this stuff, too bad it's so hard to find in the US. :(

Antaeus helped establish the 1980s powerhouse trend in men’s fragrances, and still stands as a fine example of the genre. Unapologetically butch, it’s a leather scent that thrusts back its shoulders and says “Come on, take your best shot.” Perfect with big shoulder pads and double breasted suits, but not the height of fashion today. Antaeus stands out in bold relief against the current crop of patsy “fresh” fragrance clones, but it’s hard for me to wear without feeling like a mobster who’s overdone it with the aftershave. Among the big, bad 80s bruisers, I still prefer the more complex Patou pour Homme and the more nimble JHL.

Nice enough. Very masculine, it shares some notes with Aramis and Lauder for men, both perfectly fine fragrances...

This one has something in the background the gives it a sweet, sweaty unclean smell, wich makes it a little difficult to wear, except in the dead of winter.

A softer, sweeter, kinder Aramis. I can literally see the besswax in it, to be honest. Loud and clear!

All in all, I approve!

I think that is the best fragrance from Chanel that you can wear in winter. It's a fragrance to men with strong personnality and who are very sexy. Try it when you are dressed in black. It make you stronger, more elegant and very attractive.

This just screams testosterone and pheremones! I really like this one, it's typical Chanel in that it is not overly sweet, cloying or sickly. It's a very french fragrance with complex woody leathery notes, and whilst it starts off with a tinge of the usual Chanel bitterness it settles into an outstanding aroma.

Like Chanel Pour Monsieur, I wish this wasn't as expensive in the shops in Australia.

SMASHING!!!!!!............................ JUST SMASHING!

Another positive review to add to the many below. Infact over time this is becoming one of the best fragrances I own, albeit not one to be used in all situations. To me it seems to suit night time & formal clothing better (although I do wear it to the office). Antaeus has a powdery quality initially, that I found I didn't care for.. Once I'm past that though, I am in awe. Leather base & what seems like a faint honey floating on top. Antaeus is one that envelops you in an aura that is serious, refined, masculine & powerfull.

I am ambivalent about Anateus. I’ve tried it twice. The first time I quite enjoyed it, the second time I had reservations. Both times I found it to be warm and rich; where I’m wavering is whether its sweetness is (to my taste) excessive. It is a lovely scent, no question. I admire the purity and simplicity of its ingredients. In the final analysis, I wish that it had less honeyed sweetness and more herbal dryness. I don’t find it as leathery as Hermes’ Equipage or Chevalier D’Orsay, although it has some of the same attractive notes. It seems more like Canali to me, though it gets kudos for having done it first.

Grrrrrr!!! Alpha male alert! If Platinum Egoiste was my dear husband, Antaeus would be the young overseas workman I fantasised about having an affair with. It's full of vigour and power and would just leap out of it's bottle and gobble you up. It's quite leathery but in a very moist way, spicy and fruity all at once. You couldn't wear this out and not be saying something about how terribly manly you are. This scent could wear somebody if they were not confident. It could spit you out. Other half likes it but won't buy any, despite several beggings. I could be sneaky and just buy some but I couldn't just make him a mannequin for my own perfumic desires. Could I? Could I....?

Very nice! A little bit of "Yatagan light" maybe? It has the sharp, dry woody/herbal machismo of Yatagan, but not as strong, and sweetened with rose and honey. Quite lovely. Feels very refined and well done.

Notes (from chanel.com):
Top: Clary sage, Lavender
Heart: Patchouli, Sandalwood
Base: Amber, Rockrose, Spice, Honey

"Men can be both strong and vulnerable, and the ANTAEUS fragrance reminds us of this by alluding to the theme of virility with tenderness and indulgence" - This very apt description of men and Antaeus (the god) is explored in this classic via a masterful demonstration of modern perfumery.

Sparkling sharp notes of sage and lavender greet you almost instantly upon spraying. These top notes are gripping and powerful, with lavender being the dominant note. A luscious heart of sandalwood and patchouli tone down the loud notes and lend a light powdery feel to the composition. The heart segues into a dry, arid base of leather with a touch of amber keeping the proceedings from disintegrating into a caustic leather showdown. The longevity is legendary, just like Antaeus himself.

Antaeus is probably the finest mens fragrance from Chanel. Its a virile potent juice which is skillfully composed with impressive results. The intensity exhibited in the top notes subside as the fragrance progresses from the top notes to the basenotes. Its a reflection of the battle between Hercules and Antaeus. Wearing Antaeus won't make you feel like a god, but it might make you appreciate a near god-like performance in modern perfumery.

There were a number of these "powerhouse" scents released in the early 1980's that have become classics: Kouros, Creed's Baie de Genievre, L'artisan's L'eau de Navagateur, Puig's Quorum, and of course Antaeus. I like the Chanel the best of the lot. It's strong, confident, fresh, and a little powdery (in that subtle, understated way that Chanel does best), and rides a thin line between being very masculine and yet not too dark or woodsy. Along with Chanel PM, this one was one of my first "real" fragrances and one that many years later I still enjoy.

I'm a fan of many of Chanel's scents, but in this case it just didn't match my skin very well. Just one big bag of bleh.

Still, it lasts quite long, and projects well.

I got myself my very first bottle of Anteus back in '94 when I was 18 - still in high school. Since I wore only black clothes in those days it was just the matter of time when would that clasic black "so veray Chanel" bottle catch my eyes (and nose). God, I still remeber the rush that went down my spine when I sensed the fragrance for the first time. Dark, mysterious, heavy, seductive, sexy, rich, bold and maybe in depth just a bit sweet. And though 18, I had a hell-of-an- attitude to wear it.
Even now in 2006 women love it, but I find meny men to be afraid of it. Both wearing it themselves or noticing it on another men. It actually takes a lot of a men to wear it like it's suposed to be worn. One of my all time top 3 frangrances. Wondering what would EDP feel like on my skin...

What an interesting fragrance...! It was at the time of launch a favourite among the gay comunity, due to the very muscular and archetypical men in the advertisements...but more intresting, it is a quite unusal fragrance with a very distinctive smell a clear signature... It does not smell as dated as many other 80's fragrances, but I am not sure if I would wear it again...but clearly something for the collection.

Antaeus smells like Norah Jones looks.

Well Antaeus was one of those fragrances which represented male power and sex drive, considering the era was cocaine,power and flaunting money. though i was a kid during the 80's, the era is quiete my favorite, the music, the movies and the life. I experienced this fragrance when I found it pushed back behind the many new fragrances my girlfriends father keeps in his collection. I sprayed it, and was taken back to how potent this stuff was and quite taken off guard actually. Regardless, being myself I sprayed my self lavishly and wanted to experience the drydown. WOW! Thank god I did...What a masculine and edgy drydown...Very woody and masculine with a tone of leather or slight tobacco...which just shouted SEX!!!! The development was amazing....after this experience, about few days later, for a descent price(Chanel $$)I received my own bottle. And my god does this one give me some great compliments, even amond the girls my age, in their twenties....I love

A very nice scent and considering that it was released in 1981, this one is ahead its own time. Modern for today, it has also been copied by Armani,Emporio Night, an Antaeus with Mandarin Twist. Still Antaeus is far better and longer lasting.

I just bought a new bottle of Antaeus at the Chanel boutique. Has this fragrance been watered down? It doesn't seem to have the pungency of my last bottle. After comparing the two bottles, I note that my older bottle had a nice silver top with the Chanel logo embossed. The new bottle has no silver top and just has the logo in white on a black cap. I also noticed there was not so much lettering on the bottle (e.g. the letters look smaller, not as bright white, and several words missing, i.e., "spray and New York." Is Chanel trying to save money. I know that by cutting back on the quality of ink and amount of ink they use to print their bottles with would save a lot of money, especially when mass producing this fragrance, not to mention the amount of money they saved by eliminating the silver top. This leads me to believe that Chanel has also cut back on the amount of perfume oils in this fragrance. It seems rather weak to me now, and not the robust and rich Antaeus I used to know. I remember a time when the name Chanel would be synonymous with quality and class, but NOW I think the name Chanel is synonymous with cutting corners, saving money and selling cheap perfume under the Chanel name to their consumers. I may be wrong, but from all indications this is the case. In this day and age, companies will do anything to save a buck, not to mention those things listed above. If anyone else has noticed this fragrance being weaker, please advise. It's a shame. :(

They don't make 'em like this anymore! Well, with Tom Ford overseeing the creation of several new scents we're getting them back. Gucci Pour Homme comes to mind as being of this type of what can only be called "power fragrance". Antaeus is one of those scents that transport you to another place. Like it's cousin Kourous, Antaeus calls to mind ancient Grecian rituals...bacchanals in the villa of the Mysteries...exotic ancient evenings where things are given up to the gods and the braziers of burning incense waft up to the heavens and Zeus looks down and is pleased with the world. It's also great for a dressy night on the town or just a hint for a walk in the woods in your favorite sweater on the first really cold day of autumn. Antaeus is the kind of scent that somehow makes you happy and sad at the same time.

The opening does a Jilly Goolden and 'whooshes' up your nose, so potent this brew is. The mid notes hardly last but the fantastic drydown is as fruity and juicy
as any wine reviewed by our Jilly. I know this is a classic and I like it, but just don't reach for it everyday. Still, can't knock a vintage.

Masculine, yes. Classic? Definitely. But spritz on too much of this elixir even once and you'll likely regret it. Antaeus is proof positive that you CAN have too much of a good thing. Giving this baby a big thumbs up, but with a strict proviso: APPLY SPARINGLY.

I have now bought and tested Antaeus. This might be my new signature scent. It is really up my alley. Before I was afraid of using scents like this because it could portray me as more conservative than I am. It has nothing to do with being conservative. I am simply drawn to scents with a strong character. I use to want my scents to be masculine, elegant and playful. But now I have finally come to the conlusion that I am not a masculine, playful and elegant person. I am a masculine, comfortable kind of person with very strong opinions. And therfore I need a masculine, comfortable scent with very strong character. Just like this one.
benb

A beautiful fragrance. I've been wearing it since 1982. My girlfriend at the time recognized my personal scent as "Antaeus, pot and semen".

Antaeus works for me in my married mid-40's as well!

You are riding in a mercedes limo with a beautiful lady on your way to a red carpet event when you wear this stuff. Its so heady and masculine. It lingers and the basenotes are so nice and subtle. A truly elegant scent. It's in my top 5 faves of all time.

This one smells real classy, rich, sensual and not too overpowering! Good for formal wear and smart casual as well. The packaging is good. simple, sleek and chanel! My favourite! Mamamia!

My husband has an old bottle of Antaeus on his dresser that he never wears. It's from before we met. I don't if he never liked it, or liked it once and tired of it, or what -- but I like it and wear it occasionally. It's resiny/woodsy and dry but with some sweetness, though just a touch. The juice is still fresh because it's been in the black opaque bottle all these years. I wish he would wear this one, it's very sexy I think. Even though it's from the 80's I don't think it smells dated. Masculine. Classic.

Uh - aren't men's fragrances supposed to smell masculine? This has to be one of the softest, gentlest, most feminine smelling "male" scents I've ever tried. Noooooooo thanks.

my relationship with this fragrance is very personal. my mother gave me a bottle of antaeus for my 13th birthday, because she said "you are a man now". this fragrance marked a significant turning point in my life! a few subsequent fragrances i have owned (bel ami, sander for man, feuilles du tabac,eucris) harken back to antaeus in some way. i had forgotten about this fragrance of late, but its time to bring it back now.

Wow. Its nice and definantly masculine but it reminds me too much of Kourous

Brilliant scent. Dry and leathery chypre with a distinctive honey (beeswax?) note. Elegant yet quietly brutal.

I first bought Antaeus for my husband about ten years ago. I wanted to buy him a Chanel and this was my favourite because it had a beautiful sweetness to it but was still a totally masculine scent. Fortunately he loved it then and still wears it today. Trends in fragrance have changed and there are other fragrances that hubby wears too but I will make sure he always has a bottle of this classic in his collection!

One of two absolute favorite Chanels for me (the other is Egoiste). Classy and masculine. I don't know how to describe the combination of the notes other than it is magic from the opening all the way to the last whiff of the drydown. A perfect balance of spicy, leathery notes with incense and beeswax absolute. I'm always looking forward to the beeswax note in the drydown. I haven't experienced it in any other fragrance (although I'm sure it's used elsewhere but very seldom). Excellent longevity. Always makes me feel more confident when I wear it. I discovered it in 1991 and have always gone back to it.

I am passionate about this particular fragrance. The sharp muted deep red cocktail of wood in the top notes is eye popping. The somewhat bitter manifestation after that makes an amazing statement of style - all this happens while still keeping up that ever mellowing deep red / dark fruit accord. Miraculously at this precious time its leather-like property starts to reveal itself. It then gathers up all of this creativeness and wraps it up to that completely sexy modern clean cut brilliant beeswax sweetness as its novel finish.

One very important thing to keep in mind with Antaeus - you can't just spray it on a card to 'get it'. Fragrances of this quality need to settle - blend with your body. If you buy it because everyone (including myself) says it is the best - good for you! you just bought the best - but you must wear it! Wear it for a day and see how it transforms into something beautiful. It's timeless, 20+ years old and it is still ultra-modern. This is a fragrance that is beyond fragrance trends of decades past and IMO, decades to come. Always appropriate, always new. It’s something that can’t even be imitated, let alone duplicated.

Jacques Polge is a true-blue genius. It is one of the "better half" of Chanel scents- while quite a few Chanel failed to impress me, this one is undoutedly brilliant! It has this smooth tobacco notes which are never too heavy or sweet and in comparison to other tobacco-leather
scents it exhales so much more than tobacco. Fresh and herbal tones are perfectly matched with the heavier ones. Sophisticated and very concentrated. I wore only few drops of it one winter evening and my entire appearance changed, adding a touch of elegance and high class to my appearence and a state of pure bliss and wellness to my state of mind, my mood. These few drops lingered afterwards pleasantly for a long time both on my skin and in my mind. It is a typical French-made scent so utterly opulent, dashing, witty,
hedonistic like French couture(especially by Chanel) will always be.

As someone pointed out earlier, conservative is the word here. A herbal, highly manly concoction with strong notes of patchouli, leather and red fruit. Dry and strong. Not one for the timid, then again - what released in 1981 is?

great fragrance lasts all day stays close until i warm up or working out then the aroma comes out with a gorgeous smell

Like all Chanel scents this is definetly high quality, but it smells a little too dated and distinctly 80s to me. The mix of manly leather and musk with feminine type florals is just a little too chaotic for me.

The cologne All Blacks Rugby team from New Zealand must wear dancing their Hakka!!! Mind you, they promise to kill other team every time they begin to play! ;)
So Antaeus does.
Two sprays more - and your neighbours in office would suffocate!.. Three more - and flyes would die!.. If you`re not The Boss (well, bad joke), better spray it once on your back. Or use walk-through method. Once.
Potent leather chypre, one of the best in category, and very good for using as a Kharismatic Fragrance. I used to wear it on tough meetings with Big Bad Bosses (well, it`s not only mine experience - all leather scents are good for making strong impressions). Do not forget to wear black!
So no doubts - it reminds me Al Pacino in Godfather every now and then...

Did I forget how this really smelled back in the 80s? Seems more powdery than of strong dark wood as I remembered. Regardless, it's very classy, dignified, dark, and strong. I prefer Egoiste, but this frag is unquestionably CHANEL!

A fragrance coming directly from an antique Greek palace, noble, strong, unforgettable!

I`m only 23 and for me it is a way too strong and conservative

Un "must" per quanto rigurada la fragranza maschile (decisamente maschile!) speziata e di pelle, tipica degli edt primi anni '80.

Fortunatamente ancora in produzione, anche se e' stata ridimensionata la linea-uomo, ad ogni modo la Chanel ha avuto ancora l'accortezza di venderlo in stillagocce (ormai bandito da tutte le case profumiere) oltre che spray.

Purtroppo passato un po' di moda ultimamente...riscopritelo!

Marku74 (Italy)

It seems that every other week on the men's message board, someone starts a thread asking which scent best attracts women. Well, who knows, and better yet, who cares? Guys, do you really want a woman who is attracted to you for your cologne? Wouldn't that attraction be a little too easily replicated? (Which reminds me of an old Rodney Dangerfield line: "When my wife tells me I'm one in a million, she isn't joking.") The better question might be, does anything ever engender a positive reaction, one that causes the other person to let on that she may be interested in you? If you are one that appreciates that not-so-subtle distinction, try Antaeus. Boldly masculine, yet sophisticated and refined leather with a touch of beeswax, it set the standard for Chanel's men's scents that only the original Egoiste can approach. Always in my top 5.

Extremely masculine, herbal, smoky and woody fragrance. It should be applied with a light hand, due to its potency.

My all time favorite fragrance. The smoothest, richest leather fragrance ever created. It is a masterwork of the perfumer's art. It is a shame Chanel has cut back on the U.S. distribution.

The patchouli gives this one drive and sparkle. A definite sleeper fragrance that should be far more widely worn and distributed. Lasts for ages. Unfortunately my age (23) keeps me from wearing this with total confidence. Still, should be investigated by the 30 and up crowd. Strong, powerful, and pronounced like the god himself.

The dominant patchouli note brings to mind Givenchy Gentleman. But, unlike that vile, loathesome brew, this one doesn't punch you in the nose. The patchouli here has pleasant, complementary things mixed with it, making the cologne a bit more restrained and a lot more refined. If you wear, or are thinking of wearing Gentleman or some other patchouli horror, do yourself and those around you the favour of wearing this instead.