Canoé (1936)
by Dana

I recently added Canoe to my wardrobe in honor of its iconic status as a reference aromatic fougere per Michael Edwards. I find the top notes to be a bit unsettling, alcohol, lemon and I'm not sure what else. Hairspray comes to mind. Fortunately, this fades fairly quickly. I get a definite Brut vibe with this one. The mid notes pass me by entirely. The tonka and vanilla base notes emerge and dominate early in the progression with a noticeable heliotrope note. No oakmoss to my nose. I rate this a neutral for its pleasant, persistent dry down and its long history of making guys smell pretty good. The new formulation, which is now (according to the box) "Made in China with Fragrance Oil Made in the USA", is the only version I've tried. I've smelled it on others years ago but never gave it much thought. I'd love to get my hands on the "Made in France" version.

10th May, 2011. (Last Edited: 30th November, 2011.)

I've gone back to Canoe several times over the years and really wish I could stay with it. Somehow it attracts me after I stay away for awhile. Smooth and very nice to start, even refreshing. But then it becomes too heavy with sweetness. I'm sure I will try it again though. LOL

7th April, 2011.

I rate Canoe a "thumbs up" with one qualification: IMHO it smells better in a person's hair than on his skin. After washing his hair a person could spritz on a bit then comb/brush the hair and let dry. It will smell like a trip to the barber.

30th March, 2011.

Canoe is a classic and very much of its time too. 1936...think suave. Style. Classic clothes and slick hair. White V-neck tennis sweaters with navy and maroon accents. When a man went to the barber shop once a week. No wonder the fragrance is so distinctly a barber shop one. I have a bottle that looks like it's from back in the day. In fact, it says "Made In France". Now there's no way Dana makes fragrance in France anymore. So I must have a bottle of Canoe that was done the old fashioned way. That is to say, RIGHT. All of the criticisms here of the current formulation (with which I agree) are simply not present in the version I'm smelling right now. This French Canoe is outstanding. It is the epitome of what it its supposed to be. The penultimate powdery, citrusy, slightly herby barber shop smell. The quality remains throughout the drydown. The current Canoe seems to say "Canoe" from the topnotes then plunges into the mediocrity of mass market malaise. Such a pity. But even the best houses are guilty of this sort of thing. But even the mediocrity of today's Canoe is forgivable since it's coming from such a classic. It's like watered down Chivas...not as good; but still gives you a little kick.

5th March, 2011.

Sadly vile. I really wanted to like Canoe – at first blush it resembled an upscale, refined Pinaud Clubman, an oily, powdery lemon-butter talcum powder straight from the barbershop.

Unfortunately the drydown becomes rancid, piercing, and abominably cheap. Pinaud Clubman itself smells better and actually costs less. Poor Canoe must have been quite nice before reformulation degraded it into a chintzy mess.

6th February, 2011.

Very similar to Pinaud's Clubman but sweeter. Perhaps too much so. Whereas Clubman has enough of a dryness to not seem obtrusive, this one smells sweet. I think it is too much Vanillia that becomes too dominant in this one.

28th January, 2011.