Reviews of Halston Z-14 (1976)
by Halston

Very mild citrus woody and strong herbal spices are at work here. They play against each other trying to dominate but oddly, no one wins or loses. A well balanced scent.

I wore this fairly recently, received female compliments as they say and even wore it, for the first time, with a light one shot application on a hot day to the beach where it held up with a kind of spicy, lotion effect (before the sunscreen).

In the final analysis, not for me. I do pick up the slightly sleazy (dandyistic?) vibe of this cologne with a lot of included notes making it at least for me a kind of cologne for the undecided who want a masculine scent. Frankly it made me remember the old Ted Lapidus (red plasic/ amber bottle) yes, a stronger more linear scent which I would prefer even now.

Overall, comparisons to Santos aside, I would recommend it for its price/quality ratio. For me, it achieves a kind of generic effect, not for the way it smells but for its intentions.

No, this cologne is not "nostalgia" personified, as suggested by many reviews. I cannot distinguish why fragrances, good or bad, morph with time. They are either good, bad, or in-between, depending on preference. I like Z-14, always have. Granted, a fragrance falls out of favor when worn by everyone, but this no longer applies to Z-14. I love it. Because I have used it frequently over years, it is not the regular in rotation that it was, but when worn, it still brings admiring nods. It has tremendous staying power.

Hmmmmmmm... this is a really strong one, you should only use in this in homeopathic doses. If you like really "animalistic" perfumes and are one hunk of a man, you could risk wearing this. But... "animalistic" is easily understood as "smells like a shitty ape cage in the public zoo", and this was my first impression. The next disappointment: not so much that it´s an old fragrance, it just smells old - there IS a difference between smelling like a gentleman - or just granpa coming from the barbershop. That said, I still find it a unique composition, and if you´re in the right age group and want longevity, you can go for this. I won´t.

I owned this scent in the early 80's and thought, at the time, it was pretty good. I recently purchased a new bottle and was not disappointed. I have sniffed many fragrances since that first bottle, but Z-14 has held up admirably. It is masculine without being overwhelming, warm without being sweet and complex without giving you a headache (see Quorum). The slight nostalgia doesn't hurt either. I prefer this scent in cool weather, but it is also good for the office and evenings.

This review is under revision.

In find it a bit dated but as it has become a classic you must have it in your wardrobe!

Hmm . . .all these references to Santos remind me of the bridge of death skit in Monty Python and The Holy Grail

Bridgekeeper: "Is that the new formula Santos or the old formula Santos? "

Knight: "I don't know---AAARrggghh!!"

In any case, how blessed are the humble! For in eschewing niche and geting Z-14, they shall have the biggest bang for their buck.

Z14 is a very good fragrance given the low cost. It is strongly reminiscent of Santos and a good option if you are on a tight budget and can't afford Santos. That being said, if you can afford it, Santos is worth the extra money.

I would definitely not compare this frag to Cartier's Santos, which is a super scent... This however reaks of aged person captured in a nostalgic trip back to the time when you would exit to Plato's Retreat clad in a scent only...

A both yummy and distinguished scent combining youthful ease and energy with mature, clean-cut, high-end, conservative cult for sophistication and refined, understated but also slightly dandystic elegance. A true aromatic rush of herbal anjd spicy notes and a very puristic, flawless chypre ending. Complex, a collection of very different and very well assorted notes, precious, lavish and classy without seeming artificial. Rich, charismatic and masculine in a tasteful way, cypress notes with outlandish Oriental and exotic hints. Good lasting power as well; while the bottle reminds a bit of Dali's daring creatiopns that shrouded his exquisite fragrances, yet slightly more puristic and functional, energetically and elegantly mascul;ine, capable to adorn both a very conservative marble bath or a budoir filled with antique furniture, but also a very minimalistic, excessively technical and functional contemporary form of housing and inner architecture.

This to me is like taking mouldy citrus rind, adding a dash of alcohol and allowing it to fester for a bit. Strain through a sieve and into an atomiser...spray if you dare. Bought it 'blind' after having used it 15 years ago...what a disappointment to a more 'sophisticated' (mature?)nose. Fortunately it stays close to the skin and isn't too cloying, so I'll spray it once in a blue moon. Haven't had any comments on it, unsurprisingly.

Ah, come on, folks -- don't be so harsh on it. When you stop and think about it, it's just like Cartier's Santos in many, many ways, only far less expensive.

Don't get so worked up over the fact that it's a drugstore fragrance now. I like it very much lo these many years after first encountering it -- it's just something I've grown out of.

We are told that when the great philosopher Immanuel Kant finally finished writing his Critique of Pure Reason, he was so near the point of mental exhaustion that his nerves craved some cruder physical stimulus. Informing his servant that he intended to set out for a night on the town, he was about to spray on some Halston 1-12 when his servant stopped him in his tracks.
"Hang on, guvnor, if it's a night of boozing, brawling and wenching that you're after, you'll need something with a bit more oomph than the professorial 1-12 - something more like Halston Z-14."
The Professor sprayed on some Z-14 from the bottle which his servant offered him and thoughtfully sniffed his wrists. "My, my," he declared, "this scent puts me in mind of the Antinomy of Pure Reason with which I have just completed my intellectual struggles, for you could with equal reasonableness advance contradictory theses concerning it: vulgar yet refined, crude yet complex, obvious yet enigmatic, cheap yet distinguished, sweet yet masculine, bold yet soft and warm. A veritable nest of contradictions!"
In the event, the Professor became so absorbed by the paradoxes that Z-14 presented to his skin that he quite forgot about his night out on the town and stayed in his study instead, sniffing himself till dawn.

Halston Z-14 is an attractive fragrance whose name makes me want to drive it. The top notes are a citrus / cypress combination that is delightfully 70’s. It is a clean, clear lemon / bergamot citrus nicely supported by a cypress that knows how to support without interfering. I don’t smell the floral in the top notes. With the mid-notes comes a definite shift from citrus to spices. I get a spice accord dominated by cinnamon, and here again, the florals do not come through very strongly to my nose. This middle accord is clear, clean, and precise. The dry down unquestionably belongs to its age: Such a pleasant, balanced leather / musk accord with a touch of incense, amber, moss, and tonka. Halston Z-14 is a very nicely put together fragrance—masculine, dry, barely touched with sweet, subtle enough, aggressive enough… A perfect example of many of the best elements of designer fragrances of its time.

Definitely a product of the old school of men's perfumery, this unmistakably masculine frag packs a dry, forest-green punch with surprising longevity for an EDC, though it remains close to the skin and sweetens ever so slightly during drydown, avoiding the powdery mess that Quorum sometimes becomes.

Each sniff captures enough complexity to keep you sniffing even more - a dense, crackling, thatch-like bed of spices, woods, moss and herbs winding and creeping around a leather/musk/amber foundation that's ideal on cold or rainy days.

Many may not follow it anymore, but for those it continues to lead it remains respected for its intelligence and character. It's so out of fashion in this day and age of fascistic freshness in that it dares to carve out its own territory and define "cool" on its own terms - minus even a trace of irony. No jokes here, it's all very serious and assured.

Rough around the edges, but intriguingly so. Starting this fall/winter, I have a new fascination.

This is one of the worst mens colognes on the market. I agree with IPaidForThisName on this one. This is some really scary stuff! This cologne is primarily worn by unsophisticated guys who simply dont know any better, they want to wear a nice cologne but not spend a lot of money. And now, of course, seeing their Nascar idol Jeff Gordon advertising for Halston has these poor rubes think even more so that wearing this cheesy cologne makes them cool or classy. I bet this scent frequently permeated the set of The Jerry Springer show.

This scent took a while to get used to. At first it smelt rancid and I couldn't stand the strong dry smell. After some time I grew to like the distinct strong dark spicy smell.

In a phone conversation with the late great Martin Chung of "Liquid Art" he said that Z-14 was not especially worthy; it was heavy with aldehydes. Martin was probably right, but I do like it. There is something about this fragrance that reminds me of Christmas. Maybe because I got some at Christmas one year, but Z makes me happy and comfortable--provided I just put on a little Sorry Martin!

Halston Z-14 is easily my favorite scent. It never fails to get compliments. Sure, it's an "oldie", but definitely a "goodie". It's fresh, bold, and very masculine. Lasts well, too.
I have been comparing some of the new scents available, and none of them compare to "tried and true" Z-14...I usually walk away from the counter sneezing!

I have been wearing Z-14 now for over 10 years.I love it.I have read it has pimento berries as one its central notes.Perhaps this is what I smell along with the tobacco and citrus.It is a complex,dark masterpiece and is decidedly masculine.If you exclusively like sugar bombs like Hanae Mori and L'Instant then this probably isn't the juice for you.Speaking for myself,however,this is in my top ten and my wardrobe will never be without it.

Oh man, where is my IROC-Z? I need to find my gold chains and medallions so I can go cruising. This is such a sleazy, trashy fragrance. I don’t know if it’s through association, but I find Z-14 to be a harsh, bombastic, and obnoxious fragrance. Z-14 is sleazy to the extreme. This is a harsh unrefined leather based fragrance. It’s dry and raunchy. It’s time to let this one die.

As most other reviewers here, I've worn Halston Z-14 on and off since my university days (starting back in 1985). Deep, rich, strong and long lasting, what more can you ask for? Definitely a classic by now.

An oldie but goody. My dad used to wear this, and my husband has a bottle of it as well. Good for the office or for a night out. I notice a lot of modern scents (don't ask for names of stuff I avoid.. sorry!) try to imitate it, but they never quite get it.

Of the scents from the 70's, Z-14 holds on as one that can still cut it today. Check it out and remember...mature = sexy.

I kept trying to avoid this one for a long time, thinking it to be another Lagerfeld (which I despise) but its a well made scent. Very musky and woody. A perfect scent for the bold adventurous type or the Big Boss. Definately not for the under 30 crowd, they'll call it old mans juice. Funky, artsy bottle too.

I would wear this scent on assignment and in some of the venues I'd wallow in the women loved my scent. I'd just tell 'em I showered! Seriously, it is a great scent and was a top-notch cologne in the day. I hope this is around 'til the day I am buried. Full of cliches aren't I?

Screams "I'm an 80's man!!". I am, and this is not a bad thing. Intoxicatingly rich and deep with spice, woods, Tonka and leather. Perfect for the evening and the cooler the better. Nice.