Chanel Pour Monsieur (1955)
by Chanel

A gentleman inside of a bottle.
Very classic and very good. All range Pour Monsier,like after shave balsan and shower gel are fantástic.
The "Concentrê" version the smell is complet diferent.

Expensive, old fashioned smell, bad longevity and awful projection. Created in 1955, but we are in 2008. Absolutly out If you like clean fragances, try something modern like Terre d Hermes. Without doubts.

A chypre of distinction that has become a classic over the years. I find it a pleasure to wear this on festive occasions, but it even feels good just to wear it to work sometimes. The top notes are dedicated to the citrus clan, the middle to the spices and herbs, and the base notes to the woods, mosses, and roots. This is as it "should be" for men's scents: refreshing, intriguing, grounded. Yet this is a formula that gave a new face to male elegance in its day: lemon, verbena, and petitgrain replace the traditional bergamot for citrus; the base note forgoes patchouli for vetiver — and so it has passed from innovative to classic.

This is a very classic chypre type of masculine scent, fresh opening and slightly sweet dry down. It has the longevity of a typical EDC, so it is perfect for day wear and for when I want something light and lovely. It's a shame that it has been discontinued in the States. I'd better get some in Europe before it gets pulled all together. People may find it blasphemous, but I actually prefer the smell of the Concentre over this one, although to be honest comparing the two is comparing apples to oranges.

Although a bit let down by the longevity department, Chanel pour Monsieur is a true cologne for a gentleman. It reminds me of London in 1950s, with white men wearing suits and ties and a pair of sparkling brown leather shoes. The weather is warm, sunny, but the atmosphere is slightly dim. The photos on the wall are of black and white, and tobacco smoke overcrowding the coffee cafe. This is what Chanel pour Monsieur gives to my vision.

Some of the reviews on this page seem to be for the Concentrée version. This review is for the older, non-Concentrée version, which as of this writing is almost impossible to find in the United States. Despite sharing the same name, the two fragrances are very different.

Chanel Pour Monsieur is a classic masculine chypre. It starts off with citrus and the trademark Chanel aldehydes and soon dries down to the classic chypre base of oak moss and woods. No surprises, no hard edges, no weirdness, just excellent ingredients and a perfectly blended composition. This is a deceptively light fragrance that seems to disappear long before it's actually gone, but just breathe on your wrist to warm it up a bit and you'll notice that it's actually still there. It's the kind of fragrance that the wearer's nose habituates to quite quickly, which is disappointing in some respects because it smells so good, but at least has the advantage of not interfering with dining.

I wouldn't rank this among my favorite masculines of all time, but I own a bottle and I fully recognize its excellence. I just wish it were a little stronger, though without being as sickly sweet as the current Concentrée version is. I don't think that's asking for too much, but given how preoccupied Chanel seems to be with Titanium Megalomaniac or whatever blockbuster it is they're peddling to the aspirational punters at the moment, I realize it's not likely to happen.