Fuel for Men / DK Men (1994)
by Donna Karan

After all the hype, I was expecting something really special. Instead all I got was something along the lines of a smoky Tea for Two, with oily petrol top notes (and a dash of pineapple thrown in for good measure).

It was definitely not up my alley but I can see the appeal.

[Original submission date: 10 April 2008]

I got the re-issued version and it is not fruity AT ALL. It smells like an ashtray sitting on a leather couch, and it is sick. They must have reformulated this because it does not match previous descriptions. Thumbs way down.

wonderful fragrance , one of my alltime favorites

Fuel for Men launches with an intensely sweet tropical fruit and orange accord that nearly overwhelms my nose. A burst of aldehydes soon follows, but it’s only a prelude to a startlingly contrasted leather accord. Smelling this rapid progression is like watching a virtuoso gymnastic performance. I marvel at just how Fuel for Men pulls the whole sequence off. The fruit and leather bounce off of one another for some time after their initial collision, and give Fuel for Men a sense of constant motion that’s peculiarly apt for the name. A distinctive nutty note eventually settles over the resonating fruit and leather to contribute a nearly tactile plush surface to the structure.

Fuel for Men’s base includes a tangy animalic musk, and this becomes more prominent as the scent develops. Never does it dominate enough to make Fuel for Men smell lascivious – just warm and sensuous in a perfectly civilized manner. The scent projects far enough to make its presence known, but it’s not so potent as to become annoying in close quarters. The reissue is certainly welcome, for while Fuel for Men is versatile and easy to wear, it’s also full of character, and definitely not just another boring scent for men.

I bought a 7ml mini bottle of this few years ago from PerfumeEmporium - A cylinder shaped spray bottle with box saying both "DK Men" and "Fuel for Men". I have still plenty of that juice left since I haven`t reached for it that often. I`m not sure if it is the original formula or not.

Anyway, simply put the fragrance I have smells like high a quality suede. It`s more accurate than Daim Blond in that manner, although like Daim Blond this has a bit too much fruits to make it a totally believable imitation.

Funny....I also think it smells oily in the beginning, but not in a petrol-motor oil way, but more like in vegetable oil way. It smells like a piece of suede that was dipped into rapeseed oil which was spiced up with apricots and peaches.

Drydown is very subtle and quiet and the lasting power is way below average. Definitely at it`s best straight from the bottle. Smells divine for the first half an hour.

I never got to try the original DK Men, but I have just purchased the reissue and I have to say it's terrific. It has a peculiar "grey" in the top-notes, not completely dissimilar to the top notes of Narciso Roderiguez for Men. The NR's "wet cement" opening is cold, while the DK is wet cement almost completely dried out by golden sunlight. The dry-down is simply gorgeous too, and I get decent (if not great) longevity out of it. A new favourite for me...