Envy for Men (1998)
by Gucci

ENVY FOR MEN has been on my test list for quite some time yet for some reason I never got round to sampling it. The listed notes alone are worth investigating IMO, esp. for fans of opoponax and incense. So it was with some disappointment that I finally sampled Envy for Men only to find a dominant 'old' ginger note interfering with my enjoyment as the scent progressed. Perhaps a lighter ginger component like that of Kenzo Tokyo or more complimentary accords would make this oriental composition a little tighter and win that thumbs up from me.

Envy For Men seems to get short shrift on the discussion boards here at Basenotes, and I don't understand why. Is it because it's not particularly complex? Is it because it's not expensive, or that it doesn't use the word "Aoudh" in its name? Is it because it's not discontinued yet? Is it because people feel they can't brag about owning a "vintage version"? I don't get it, because Envy, eleven years after its release, still distinguishes itself as a unique, beautiful, sexy and spicy oriental fragrance in a land of dull acquatics and the endless mind-numbing train of hyped-up, over-priced niche scents.

I agree with other reviewers that Envy doesn't really evolve, but rather it settles down and mellows out for its duration. It's as if it has various layers of notes which gradually peel off over time, each time revealing the notes below each layer: it's invigorating opening accord of ginger and spice fades and gives way to a heart of rich wood notes underneath it, which eventually fade and yield to a simple but rich spicy vanillic base. I don't agree with those who say that Envy is a serious fragrance for only formal occasions - Envy is a red-blooded scent, a scent with a wild side, which is apparent in its sweet spiciness. This isn't spicy in the somewhat stodgy manner of Bois du Portugal - Envy is a smooth but hot-blooded romantic.

My sole complaint is that its longevity is rather poor for such a spicy scent - about 5 hours on my skin. Also, sillage fades rather quickly. On first spray, it projects quite far, but within an hour, Envy becomes very much a "skin" scent. On the other hand, considering Envy's romantic feel, perhaps it is appropriate that this can be only smelled at close quarters...

Thumbs up for Envy For Men.

Smells exactly like JOOP to me. Can't believe no one else has said this, Old Spice I don't see. I wouldn't be able to tell the difference between this and Joop. Still, it smells good, decently long lasting, wouldn't buy again.

This is a fairly good, slightly green woody oriental, perhaps a modernized version of Obsession. The ginger is there at the beginning, but not very much as far as I can tell, or at least not enough to bother me. There's cedar right from the start...not as much as Gucci's Eau de Pencils but enough to provide a slight astringence in the top, which seems to me not to rely on major citrus notes. It's a little synthetic as Slarty said, but not in an unpleasant way. The only drawback for me is that it devolves into slightly more of a simple vanilla in the base than I would like, but not dull or sweet enough for me to revoke my thumbs-up because there's still some woodiness left. I think Envy can still manage to be an office scent in the conservative doses that I use, and I value this about it. It's not overpriced either, so altogether it's an excellent choice, and well-recommended on BN for good reason.

I tried this at a friend's house not too long ago and it lives up to the hype. Perhaps one of the reason's why oriental fragrances are so popular today was the inclusion of ginger in this fragrance. Ginger seems to be one of the ingredients that "makes" an oriental fragrance, and ginger is the dominant note throughout the life of this one. I get hints of cardamom and anise in the middle, but the ginger is right there. The base is nice as well with patchouli, amber, musk and incense notes that I can distinguish. Overall, this is a great fragrance that lives up to the hype. But it is very synthetic...which is not always a bad thing.

I recommend wearing it out at night or for you're own personal pleasure. Day wear isn't completely out of the picture, but the fragrance may seem a bit heavy on a hot day.

Thumbs up.

When I first wore Envy for Men, I thought it was a brilliant creation. However, since then, my tastes have developed and become more sophisticated.

Envy for Men now smells cheap, watered-down and unfinished – its longevity and sillage lasts less than an hour on my skin, which is pitiful. There have been rumours that Envy for Men has been reformulated, at least once since its launch, so I'd advise anyone to approach this lame spicy oriental with extreme caution.

[Original submission date: 11 April 2008]