Catalyst for Men (1994)
by Halston

Catalyst’s spiced apple pie top notes are at once “foody” and a mite “chemical” in a car air freshener/cheap scented candle sort of way. The fruit component bows out quickly, leaving the stage to a straightforward nutmeg and clove accord. Clove, being clove, (which is to say loathe to share the spotlight,) soon dominates, so how you feel about Catalyst will depend mostly upon how much you like clove. Woe betide you if you don’t, because Catalyst is extremely potent, and even a dab is enough to fill the room.

Catalyst ultimately winds up smelling like part of a fragrance. More precisely, it smells like part of Michel Roudnitska’s Noir Epices for Frédéric Malle. I realize it must seem both unfair and elitist to compare a bargain-priced scent like Catalyst with an expensive, limited distribution niche fragrance, but Noir Epices is so apt a demonstration of what Catalyst could have been that I can’t help myself. The Malle smells like US $135 retail, and Catalyst smells like every one of its fifteen dollars. Do I sound churlish? Just remember, a bottle of McCormick’s clove extract costs even less.

Wow this really is just a barrage of spice...I guess cinnamon and nutmeg? Something about it smells harsh and chemical to me, and therefore cheap. Maybe the little bit of orange in the opening reminds me of Orange 409, Orange Windex, or what have you. The bright orange color is tacky but justified by the amusing erlenmeyer flask design (or 1 oz test tube with stand in my case). I bought it in the hopes of finding something as unclutteredly spicy as Dunhill Edition (may it rest in peace!) and for $5.50 was semi-satisfied at first, but the harshness of the first several hours was just too much for me. It's too bad, because it's unusual to find something that is just straight spices without woody or "fresh" elements.

Tried it from an old bottle; it has not been imported in the last ten years. Thus, my opinions must be taken with caution.

In my case, the "spicey" description most reviewers mention was limited to a very marked bergamot note that reminded me of Calvin Klein's Eternity, thus I am tempted to say that it might be Halston's version of Calvin Klein's classic 1990's scent.

It might be a good choice if you are fond of a spicy bergamot notes.

I picked up a bottle of this based on the reviews here on the site. It was actually the thumbs-down review that "this smells like something you'd put on a ham" that clinched me wanting to try it out. And I am glad that I did. I love rum type scents, this one certainly has some rum, but more than that is the nutmeg note. I've gotten many complements from women (& men) wondering what that scent is.

On a side note, I thought the bottle looked kinda silly in the photos, but when I opened the box and put it on my bathroom counter it's very apothecary/scientist bottle that elixers and experiments would be made with.

cozy and thick, starts off sweet,then musky

As dull as dishwater................totally devoid of any interest at all. Avoid!