Envy for Men (1998)
by Gucci

Envy for Men is a class oriental scent. It opens with slightly dull citrus that is accompanied by sharp spices(anise) and a gingery-floral-herbal accord that is very similar to the one in Hugo Dark Blue, but in the case of Envy For Men, is less synthetic-smelling and less sweet. Fragrant wood infused with incenses, acts as the backbone of the scent, and gives it that powdery and smokey texture as it dries down.

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Except for being colored green, Envy for Men has nothing in common with the original Envy. Instead, it is famous among fragrance aficionados for being the scent that brought ginger to designer fragrances for men. This it did with far greater élan than the later, overly powdery and insufferably sweet Bvlgari Blv pour Homme. Envy for Men’s ginger is overlaid upon a solid, if conventional sweet woody oriental structure, and both the bergamot and ginger opening and the spicy-sweet heart are stimulating and pleasant to wear. I would prefer that the ginger note, which is after all this scent’s signature, remained more prominent after the first half hour of wear, but Envy for Men is congenial enough without it.

For its finale, Envy for Men employs an accord that must come in gallon jugs labeled “Masculine Drydown,” though it’s less crude and cloying than it could be, thanks to a judiciously applied soapy note. The potent woody amber component ensures that Envy for Men carries great distances and endures tenaciously for many hours: it is not by any means a subtle scent. On the whole I think Envy for Men is nice work, and clearly preferable to the Bvlgari, or even Serge Lutens’s Five O’Clock au Gingembre. I would have liked it better, though, if it were outfitted with a less crass and banal drydown.

In the past few years, I have worn numerous fragrances, but the one I always return to is Envy. It is just so well blended and smooth. It doesn't get better than this

I first tried Gucci Envy alongside Prada Amber and Prada won the battle easily. However, I decided to give Gucci Envy another go on it's own some time later. I now really appreciate this scent and have added it to my collection. It has also usurped Prada in my fragrance hierarchy. I now really appreciate the ginger note in the opening and also love the drydown. After applying some in the morning later in the day I was getting some lovely wafts of something really pleasant (I couldn't detect exactly what note) but it took me some time to realise that it emanating from me. I have also received many compliments wearing Gucci Envy. I think this fragrance is extremely versatile and can be worn in all seasons and for most occasions. In fact, any occasion where you just want to smell really good!

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.