DNA for Men (original) (1993)
by Bijan

One of the ugliest aromatic spicy scent I've ever smelled. There's a sickening note right there in the beginning, oh my it's the lavender! I like lavender but... And the lavender dries down into an even uglier oakmoss and patchouli coupled with a horrifying sweet note. Not only does this smell like a million others like it but it's somehow worse.

Top Notes: Bergamot, Lavender, Cumin, Lemon, Mandarin
Middle Notes: Gardinia, Pepper, Ginger, Cyclamen, Geranium, Jasmine
Base Notes: Sandalwood, Vetiver, Musk, Amber, Benzoin, Cedar, Leather, Oakmoss, Patchouli, Tonka

DNA Original is a fresh, aromatic, spicy Oriental. It has an abundance of notes but these notes just conglomerate together rather than playing off each other in an interesting accord. It’s a massed fragrance but it’s not an especially refined one — or an especially strong one. It opens with primarily citrus notes, but the accord is not so much citrus as “fresh.” There is a fair amount of synthetic feel to the opening but the remaining accords do not seem to have that problem. The middle accord is strongly floral with a bit of pepper to provide the limited aromatics it possesses. This accord, too, is a massed accord rather than a refined, balanced one — it is pleasant but mediocre. The basenotes follow the same pattern: many notes, not very much refinement. DNA Original is an ok fragrance — nothing special and it would probably earn a neutral except for its lack of longevity, which makes a thumbs down appropriate.

I bought this one 6 months ago in my hometown in Turkey. First I tried the new DNA but I didn't find it very different than the watery fragrances of today, but this one was definitely different. For me it is a typical North American fragrance a bit more to AfroAmerican type but I guess not sweet enough for them. At the beginning wel; I guess because of the bergamot and probably some other spices. A woody, spicey and a little sweet. Sometimes it reminds me a delicious cooky. I have read somehwere that it smells like Curve, but I have no clue, because I don't know Curve. Maybe someone who knows it can tell more, but I;m not surprised by hearing that because nowadays if a fragrance becomes popular later on you see that some other brand brings tha same scent exactly the same or a with a little bit twist on the market again, or some old fragrances being brought to the marjet as if they are something new.

Very potent oriental scent. The drydown of oakmoss and vanilla is excellent, and the top notes are enticing to me. The deodorant is not quite up to speed, smelling a bit different and being a powder type (i.e. flakey white stuff, except it's more of a tan). The body wash is quite nice though.
The blue spiral (not quite a double helix IMO though) bottle is meant to represent a molecular strand of DNA.

The bottle is stylized after the spiral of DNA molecule, and can be used for educational purposes. But seriously, DNA is unassuming casual scent with notes of bergamot, jasmine, lavender, amber, cedar and sandalwood. A bit generic.