Devin (1978)
by Aramis

Yes, I also remember getting compliments on this when it first came out, but what the hell, I was a hunk.

I also remember liking the original Aramis better--which I now equate with lava lamps.

Not a bad juice by any means, but no match for the greatness of the discontinued Havana.

Aramis, what have you done?

If I remember correctly, this was the first fragrance I ever owned -- it was given to me as a gift when I was in high school. (OK, I just dated myself.) Now, decades later, I'm wearing it again with renewed appreciation. In a sea of chemical spill aquatics and bland Cool Water clones, Devin shines like a beacon of distinction and originality. Wedged in somewhere between the green chypres and the leather chypres, Devin opens green with sweet lemon zest, then quickly reveals spices, fruity esters, rich jasmine, and leather. The grand drydown, balanced between leather tang earthy oakmoss, manages to be at once outdoorsy and sophisticated.

Devin's scale and complexity leave most modern masculine scents smelling thin and puny by comparison; its poise and balance make much of what has come since smell hopelessly clumsy. Why anything this good hasn't already been discontinued is beyond me. Now that oakmoss is all but illegal, it probably will be.

Like Vialman, I was always getting compliments and good feedback from the girls when I wore Devin! As a matter of fact it was (still probably is!) my all-time favourite EDC. I thought it went out of production years ago as I've be unable to find it anywhere, until I chanced upon it on this site. I'm trying to get hold of some right now, but it only seems available in the states and they don't seem too keen on shipping to Europe!

Ho hum...

I'm on the fence. I think this is a animalic leather green chypre. I do not like the floral notes in this. They are too airy and white, drowning out the fresh, good greenness of the basenotes.

Definitely a little old school magic. A nice calm masculine scent with an air of greenery and a slightly musky overtone. Good for a daily spritz to make one feel a little more macho.

This was recommended to me as a substitute for Aramis, but I still like Aramis better. Devin also resembles Yatagan with its strong pine, moss, and leather notes. Yet I like Yatagan better. So, it's really a middle-of-the-road scent surpassed by those two others, in my opinion. Rather dry, clean and evergreen, Devin is distinctive because there aren't many in its genre nowadays. I'm okay with it, but not overly enthused.