Dunhill for Men (1934)
by Dunhill

Dunhill for Men is a fresh aromatic that has a wonderful blend of citrus, lavender, rose, carnation and leather, with a few other notes dancing around. My initial impression upon applying DfM was, "That smells like English Leather." I aksed a co-worker what she thought it smelled like and she said, "English Leather." Dunhlill is a decidedly superior fragrance, but I can't deny the likeness, at least up top. Dunhill's top notes start with a crisp lemon, lavender and herbal combination that is slightly soapy. The rose note in the mid notes combines with the citrus and lavender to create an Acqua di Parma Colonia-like accord. Although the two fragrances are from different spokes on the Fragrance Wheel, I do detect some similarities in the mid notes, mainly citrus and rose. The Dunhill drydown is predominantly leather to my nose, with a touch of vetiver. I don't get much tonka or cedar. Longevity isn't bad
for an eau de cologne, approximately 6 hours on my skin, more on fabric. Dunhlill has a distinguished feel, similar in character and effect to Chanel Pour Monsieur and Eau Sauvage, but different in composition. Dunhill is perfect for formal occassions. It is dignified and commands respect, as does the person who wears it. This is a classic masculine act. Despite the Great Depression, 1934 gave us a winner in Dunhill for Men.

9th December, 2011. (Last Edited: 24th December, 2011.)

For those who possess a classic fragrance benchmark of Aqua Di Gio; Dunhill 1934 is likely not going to be "modern" enough for your approval.

There's no vanilla or tonka bean or ylang ylang or acai berry scents in this outstanding mens fragrance.

IMO, this is how a refined man would want to smell like versus the beige "modern" fragrances of today.

23rd October, 2011.

Everyone loves this, and I guess it's good. A smoky, somewhat soapy, spicy leather, like English Leather if it beefed up into The Hulk. It's very sweet, though, and has a bit too much anise for me. This plus the sharp spices (cardamom?) make it very metallic, and this along with the color of the juice gives the impression that they wanted it to be the scent of fancy polished brass buttons. There are a lot of what should be powdery contributor notes in this blend, yet the overall powderiness isn't over the top like Habit Rouge. (The body wash, however, is obnoxiously cloying!) And finally, it can get sour toward the end. My main problem, though, is that it smells very dated to me in a way that a lot of other "old man" scents don't, and I'm not sure why. This is what the dapper gentlemen in their finery smelled like 100 years ago, dining with the captain on the Titanic: very classy and respectable, and a smell that every modern gentleman should at least recognize, if only as an abstract memory. But it has to waft across so many years to get here from those heady days, that what remains today is too out of touch.

19th February, 2011.

The classic Dunhill for man reminds to me the smell of fragrances i used to inhale when i was a child while entering in bathrooms somewhere inside the houses of my parents' friends and curiously smelling the scents placed near mirrors and washbasins. It performs the smell of the elegant and classy men by me perceived at time. It's a classic and sophisticated cologne thanks to the strong starting accord of citrus-lavender and with its  tonka bean at base. Following the development it's at the beginning citrus and freshly aromatic, than flowery, woody and leathery. It's discrete and clean, a bit vintage because of its citruses-lavender strong link but still wearable nowadays . The generous presence of flowers in the heart is able to tame the otherwise too impressive sharp and sour edge of top and base notes. The dry down infact is severe and classic due to link between cedarwood, vetiver, leather and tonka. Anyway the elements are masterly blended and balanced. A timeless classic although a bit old school and not versatile for the daily standards.

19th January, 2011. (Last Edited: 15th March, 2011.)

This is a fine, classic scent. Light lemony notes mingle with hints of herbs from the clary sage. The florals are dusky and not sweet. The overall scent is refined and elegant. My slight reservation is with the orris note, which never is a favorite of mine. Here it is restrained, and gives a slightly fleshy - tangy - minty note. It adds a cool and distinctive character to the scent. The dry-down is only slightly powdery, and there is a hint of sheer woods and a trace of leather.

29th December, 2010.

Right from the beginning, I had a strong impression that I had encountered Dunhill for Men numerous times before. Indeed, the notes listed are so familiar to fragrances of a certain vintage, that it is quite easy to imagine just how they will perform. Beyond the slightly antiquated blending of lavender,lemon and clary sage, DFM begins to emit a polite potency and poise. It becomes more arid and bitter as time goes on, but the blending and subtlety remain a delight.

Despite being formulated as an EDC, its lifespan of about five hours, and its restrained projection are in keeping with this type of fragrance. The route that Dunhill for Men takes is certainly no great surprise, but its balance, quality, and effortless class certainly are.

9th September, 2010.