Devin (1978)
by Aramis

It is very mature, extremely classic pioneer amon chypre fragrances.

It is a FiFi award winner fragrance of 1978. absolutely not for everyone.

Excellent longevity and good silage.

Perfect for romantic mood and evening time. It is a supreme amalgm of grass, early morning dew and sweet aroma of moist sand.

I give it 8.5 out of 10

5th August, 2011.

Devin opens with a strong blast of galbanum, which pushes the citrus top notes to the side. VERY green opening. If you don't enjoy green fragrances, this one won't change your mind. The jasmine note emerges very quickly and dominates the mid notes, creating a green floral accord that reminds me of a pleasant stroll through the historic district in Charleston, South Carolina on a spring morning. As the mid notes continue to develop, carnation and pine are noticeable and I detect a hint of cinnamon. The drydown smells like "green leather" to my nose, with a touch of patchouli and oak moss. Devin has moderate longevity on my skin, 5 - 6 hours. Devin is not a sillage monster, yet I do receive compliments when I wear it. Devin is my kind of fragrance: green, complex, evocative. Similar to a $100 bill.

31st July, 2011. (Last Edited: 4th August, 2011.)

Good, but not great. Green, but sometimes grating and then oddly soothing almost a lotion. The "soothing part" very close to the after shower sense and the "Devin products." But the name of the cologne itself? Not simply "silly" but striving for "pedigree" (to quote, reference some other reviews) and THAT's the part whether trying it out more recently and from recollection that makes this one for me an ultimate neutral.

Not better because I wore it a lot "back in the day" and not simply distinctive because of a barage of aquatics. Can't condemn it but won't be wearing it again. MUCH happier with Aramis!!!

I find this scent to be oddly self-conscious: not bright enough to overcome a kind of intrusive sensibility of "reflection" (leather). No wonder I wore it"back in the day" when things weren't going that well with whatever her name was...not simple enough, not complex enough...not fresh enough...you get the "idea."

8th July, 2011.

This fragrance owns distinctiveness and quality. Starts cool and harsh becoming soon well rounded and comforting. Devin is a woodsy-leathery chypre and is epitome of an age of olfactory class, optimism and boldness. The aromatic starting is citrusy and grassy and preludes an evolution towards something slightly fruity and floral but substantially shadowy-green and boise. Pine, thyme and artemisia embrace a blooming up jasmine that is spicy, astringent and still a bit raw as the whole fluid. Passing time the aromatic slightly mild concoction starts to get smoother because of the olibanum-ambery leather-labdanum influence but the mellifluence holds on its woodsy temperament because of the arid cedarwood and the influence of oakmoss. A note of patchouli imprints elegance and further masculine temperament. Following the features of some Hermes's creations (something reminds me the final leathery smoothness of Equipage) the final outcome is a sort of yellow-green leathery fluid barely mild and softly boise'. This is good gentlemen.

23rd June, 2011.

This is good...one of my favorites in the Gentleman's Collection, I think. I'm a sucker for green scents, and I like leathers, so this is a natural fit for me. Standard-issue citrus herbal topnotes give way to a bracing and dry green heart. The outdoorsy green notes of the heart become softer and gain a tiny bit of sweetness as the amber and musk notes start to show through a bit. But this phase, too, passes, and the scent adopts a more bitter, mossy green nature in the later base. Throughout, animal leather notes softly rumble in the background. I think the pyramid of this scents should really be divided into four parts, as the evolution of Devin is quite extreme.

I do find some major similarities with Yatagan: the animalism of the leather (toned down here), the outdoorsy greenery, and nice balance and evolution. Yet here, Yatagan's tone as been cleaned up. The top doesn't smell like a steak. Imagine Yatagan brought in from the wilderness and scrubbed up with the bracingly fougere-ish nature of Azzaro Pour Homme, and you might have something like Devin.

14th October, 2010.

This is an amazing fragrance, particularly for a fan like me of French-styled classic fragrances. Because Aramis is an American company, I can sort of understand why they marketed this as "Country Cologne" back in the 70s, but in reality that's a pretty silly label for this.

Devin in reality is Aramis' take on the classic French green chypres, and it hits a grand slam with it. Devin is a very green, bitter chypre in the style of Cristalle, Givenchy III and Diorella. I adore those fragrances, and I adore Devin. What I love most about Devin is how it sustains the greenness throughout its duration - oakmoss is the real core of this scent, and all the other notes seem to wrap themselves around its green bitterness. There is also a very subtle brownish, earthy note underlying the fragrance, which adds to its overall very natural feel. Longevity and sillage are also superb.

I can't say enough great things about Devin. The only thing I have left to say is that I must own a bottle of this. Soon.

MY RATING: 9/10

28th July, 2010.