Reviews of Happy for Men (1999)
by Clinique

Where does the lovely citrusy orange note go? And what is that weird smell that replaces it? It's kind of musky and ruins the fresh, light opening. I wanted to like this stuff, the female version is great. Maybe I should just wear that and hope no one notices...

I really like the opening, which smells like freshly squeezed oranges. It's quite nice.

However I didn't like the dry-down. The fresh orange becomes subdued and the fragrance takes on more of a musky scent. It still smells decent at this point, but not nearly as good as the opening.

The base reminds me of Versace Man Eau Fraîche, except Versace has a strong starfruit note and is more "perfumey," whereas Happy is more musky.

I prefer Versace Man Eau Fraîche to this.

This is is 1 of those scents to hope all the best for only to get it & be dissapointed. While this is a nice citurs frag for the summer. It lacks silage & longevtiy! Thats the biggest down fall of HAPPY! & when there is poor silage & longevity there is really nothing to be happy about.

Excellent concept, nice name, excellent package, good colors.
Well, now the fragance....Happy is not a bad cologne, but a little bit generic and boring.
Clean, but without style.
Longevity is not the best and sillage is very bad.
Maybe a good option for people who feels depressed. Nothing more.

Fresh, light, amazing green orange citrus scent well made for summer. Simple and clean. Great!

I swear I get the green middle right at the opening with the orange which slowly fades into a one trick orange pony. It's a damn good trick, but I just don't get much else out of this one. Yes, you'll probably enjoy it. Yes, the people around you will probably enjoy it. Yes, I enjoy it immensely. There just isn't much here though.

Still, that one trick is so good that if it weren't for it's awful longevity, it would've gotten a thumbs up from me. I suppose you could around a little decant of it if you really like it...

I find both the male and female versions to be extremely synthetic, with the latter twice as much so. But weirdly, it seems to work well, as find both very appealing. Happy for men does not smell natural at all(the female version smells of cosmetics, how ironic with clinique iconised by its cosmetic accolades), tho it is obvious that the scent is pivoted on fruit notes. It is definitely a breath of fresh air from a very vast generic pool of freshies. It somehow escapes from smelling tacky, which alot of citrus-gone-plastic scents are guilty of. I find myself weirdly attracted to HFM, and i liken this to artificial sweeterner - when too much becomes bitter. Quite the attention grabber, this "bitter-sweet symphony". the poly-smelling juice and its bright in your face bottle gets a rare thumbs up for its effort to steer away from smelling safe.

Fresh oranges. That's what makes me happy and that's what Happy For Men smells like when you spray it on.

Fresh, clean, mandarin oranges. Not a mucky orange smell like some of these other fruity cologne but a clean smell.
I feel good when I put it on.

I just wish it lasts longer. It fades really quick.
I want to give it a thumbs way up but can't cause it does'nt last long.

Its definitely a sweet, slightly floral fragrance. The opening is very fruity and as it dries down, it gets a little less so, but I don't get a very strong woody scent as a base. Maybe its just me. But it pretty much maintains its sweet scent throughout the life of the fragrance on my skin.
I know it is just a marketing ploy, but you can't help but feel a little "happier" when you wear this fragrance. It is very different than pretty much all of my other fragrances in that it isn't "as masculine." It is light, fresh and fruity....which is pretty much the opposite of what most fragrances have to offer. I like this, and I honestly get more compliments for this fragrance than most of my other fragrances. My wife definitely like this fragrance on me and she wears Happy for Women...so maybe she's biased, but who doesn't like a sweet scent that isn't too overpowering? Even though this fragrance is light, it is very easy to think you are putting too little on, when you really are applying way too much.
Sillage is really good with one to two sprays on my neck and one on my wrist. Longevity on me is about 4-5 hours.
For something a little bit different, I'd recommend this fragrance.

This is a potentially good scent if it weren't for its poor longevity on me. Not many fresh scents are based on orange; Little Italy being one. But unlike Little Italy, Happy doesn't smell like a freshly peeled orange. It actually smells like orange candy to me. I can also see why others compare it to orange soda. It's more of an orange flavor than a real fruit. I'd recommend it for those days when you don't feel like wearing any fragrance since it's so fleeting.

The most interesting thing about Happy is its branding -- it's remarkable how many people have been convinced into actually feeling happy simply from spraying on what is essentially a remarkably simple sweet citrus juice. Maybe its the fundamentally unchallenging nature of Happy that makes people happy? Or is it the fact that it basically smells like frothy orange-flavored soda? Whatever - at a minimum, Happy is a milestone in perfume branding! The unfortunate thing about the juice itself is that its user-friendly, sweet citrusiness puts it dangerously close to being a cheap drugstore perfume worn by excited teenage girls. I am flabbergasted that someone like Chandler Burr ranks this as one of his favorites.

Fresh and light in a citrus and wood package. The top is citrus and sweet, the middle is green, floral, and sweet and the base is woody sweet. There’s not enough substance to the individual notes and accords to actually discuss their intricacies, but, as a complete fragrance, it provides a great feeling of fresh and clean … and sweet – in fact, it may be the exemplar, the paradigm of light, clean, fresh, and sweet. Happy doesn’t project much, but it has very good longevity. Altogether, Happy for Men is an enjoyable fragrance … a comfortable wear … and a thumb’s up... but you gotta like sweet.

A special citrus scent. Not too pungent- like most of citrus scents, but with a warm twist, sweet- but not too sweet. It is really a mood changer. Here in Romania it is rarely used, but I love it, and even if most of you find it unusual, I can wear it only in autumn and winter, because in the summer it smells very strange on my skin: like a self-tanning lotion. You should also know that I usually prefer oriental colognes: Very Irresistible, Magnetism,Gucci Envy, but this one is one of the best fresh fragrances. It is really sexy also. My gilfriend loves this on me.

Perfect hot weather scent. The best fresh citrus out there, no question. It couldn't be simpler. Almost impossible to overapply, but does have a tendency to fade fast. Does have a very uplifting tonic affect, like when you're in the produce section on a hot summer day and the sprinkler comes on when you're reaching for a cucumber. Simple yes, but does have a certain complexity. It's certainly not a thought provoking fragrance, but maybe that's the point.

Bright, cheerful use of grapefruit -- one of the best citruses out on the market. NOT a frag for curmudgeons and /or dark, Goth-y artist types, at least not those who want to maintain a certain grumpy persona.

Very appropriate for office wear and casual use . Top rate longevity for a citrus frag, too.

I know of a number of women who prefer this to the women's version, btw, and can certainly see why, as the strong citrus notes don't get overpowered by any florals.

Wonderful when layered with Gaultier2, btw -- trust me on this one. Discovered this by fluke one day, and have never regretted it for one second.

A great citrus/sporty fragrance. Not as sharp as CK One Summer's top notes. Clinique Happy for Men has that clean simple scent. I would recommend this for that hot summer, disco clubbing occasion. The disadvantages: not long lasting, too simple scent(has that cheap perfume impression). Advantages: Not a sharp type, suitable for that summer, sporty occasion. Not sure whether this suits office occasion though.

Makes me happy................

Happy picks me up, a fragrance to wear on a night out for me, or just to go out with friends... And it smells very familiar. There are many Happy copycats out there!

ohhh ...
this one makes me gag! i just can't stand to be around anyone who wears this! the aquatic notes are suffocating and the sweetness truly awful! stay away ... or at least stay away from me if you ever feel inclined to spray yourself with this aromatic monstrosity!

Tooooo simple! I traveled to the beach with a friend of mine and it was like going there with an walking orange! Terrible... I like orange's scent, but this one is too simple.

I agree it is a suitable name. It's a light, ordinary, happy and a bit fruity smell. (Note ordinary).

I think it smells nice and it's probably very good for everyday wear, but for me, personally, I wouldn't buy this.

It is B O R I N G .

This fragance is a mood changer. The name fits just right. Its fresh and simple. i liked the mandarin and wood combinations on this one. The fixative is really good for me. Usually when i wear any citric scented fragance i wear bergamot-lime combinations but this one is really cool. Its on a reasonable price in the market also, so two thumbs up for me.

Nice cool slightly sweet citrus note notes, not exactly what I'd call a burst of citrus but citrus and aquatic notes in harmony. The heart usually remains a quiet cedar type woody scent remaining cool, but can turn lightly spicy and warm depending on the days. This is by no means a complex scent, it is simple citrus then woods. The lasting power on skins is subpar, the citrus may last a hour or two, the woods gone in under six. To me this is a nice in-offensive "cologne cologne", best as a before bed pick-me-up or mood modifier. It does last much better on clothes and I'd recommend spraying on underclothes if used for day-wear.

My all time favorite scent. Never fails to pick me up. Happy is a very appropriate name for this fragrance. Makes me happy, happy, happy. :D

very simple, ordinary and light water that stinks....happy?no sad!you can use it as a room spray or to clean the closet-but please do not use it as a perfume!please not!I don´t know what attitude they have-i mean clinique is a great company ,they launched great skin care and now they need to launch a perfume to make more profit but then ladies and gentlemen develop please a good perfume!This one is stinking water of oranges-a basket of a million bad oranges....ladies and gentlemen take the eau imperiale by guerlain if you seek for a cologne-this is a great fresh,clean and nice perfume!and clinique you have a second and last chance-to make a better one!aromatics elixir and wrappings are such nice perfumes-but what happened with happy????

yes i agree with that"doesn't last too long". i like this fragrance very much,smell fresh and clean,i'm in love with it when the 1st tried,i bought 100ml,but its very disappointed because it dry down very fast and doesn't last long,i hope clinique can make it from cologne to EDP or EDT.anyway,this is a great cologne.

Happy for men opens with bright and fresh citrus notes - its mainly orange with a hint of lime. The citrus notes arent overbearing, nor the most authentic, but they are quite pleasant. Maybe the name Happy fits well. The middle notes consist of "green notes" - the exact composition isnt know, but it might contain some violet leaves and herbs; its does smell a bit "green". I smell cedar mostly in the drydown. The longevity was lacking.

Happy for men is a nice non-offensive citrus green scent - probably not the most original fragrance out there, but for its price, you could do worse.

Never a sharp orange, this one is more of a fresh-orange-candy fragrance. The longevity of it varies widely with the chemistry of the user. On me it’s very decent, about 6 hrs. Very lineal scent, it never changes too much, the basenotes are a warmer, dryer version of the top notes, and that’s a good thing also, since the top notes are very attractive. This scent is very unisex as well. It really makes you feel happy and it might be an antidepressant if made into little pills –not really but you get the idea. Uncomplicated and straightforward, I think it’s a must-have to a well rounded scent shelf. Summer is here to stay.

I have very mixed feelings with respect to this one. It's a reletively inexpensive cologne so I guess you can't be super critical of it in comparison to the high end ones. I love the freshness of the scent with this one. Happy is a great name for this cologne, it's so fresh and optimistic (lol if you can use that term to label a cologen I'm not sure, but I will anyways). However the worst thing about this cologne is that you spray it on and without exageration, one hour later you can barely tell that you put it on at all. Terrible longevity, even for a citrus scent. It's almost too feminine as well. Any girl could use this fragrence easily if they wanted to.

All in all, kinda nice, inexpensive, but not very practical due to it's ultra short longevity.

A loverly top note - clean, marine - like you have come out of the shower

BUT....................

It doesn't last too long - shame

Bring out a concentrate

Spray it on and suddenly smiling little citrus fruits appear everywhere, holding hands singing: happy happy happy, feeling happy happy happy. It's over as quickly as it started, but a little bit of that Sesame-street joy lingers on throughout the day. Good to have around.

I bought this blind,and I have to say,it's the best blind buy I've made!On first application I thought,"okay,pleasant,but a bit too sweet/soapy,for me".However,after letting it dry down for a while,it got a bit "deeper".Now,after several applications,it's really reached a plateau!Not complicated,fussy,or meaningful.Just a really great scent that stays close to the skin.Won't offend anyone,or make them nauseous,just(hopefully)have them coming back for more!

Just bought this for my husband solely based on the reviews...beautiful scent. It is truly a summer-fresh scent and to top it off, it does not cause me a headache. A must for citrus lovers!

Happy for men by Clinique is easily one of my favorite summertime scents. It bursts forth with a fresh and moth-watering fruity cocktail and dries down with a touch of green.. just enough to keep the fragrance from turning into a fruit punch type elixir. Short on longevity, surprisingly good sillage, this is a true "sport" fragrance.. and one that will never garner a negative response.

absolute dsily classic..superclean and gorgeous in the summer...unobtrusive and delicate..understated.if this were a car, it would be a golf gti..everyman's express.

Passes the test for everyday wear - accessible and affordable. This, for me, doesn't scream "I have cologne on!!!" and the citrus and cedar are nice together.

I quite like this, it got a nice fruity, orange, fresh base to the fragrence. It gives a quite a fresh and warm feeling. Its woth a try.

This is one of the better summertime scents on the market. At first, it smells like orange and then a little lime... both are mixed well. Drinkable! ;-)

I find it very soapy, with topnotes reminiscient of Mugler Cologne. It really reminds me of fancy soap or a scented candle, there is something "waxy" to it throughout. Very far from a natural orange smell. That said, it is not unpleasant at all.

Slight, chirpy, a little oversugared but refreshing and clean in sticky weather. The best of the mainstream summer scents that are marketed at men but good for women too.

This is a very accessible fragrance which has great lasting power, unlike some of its brethern.

Although it's not so much long lasting, the citric notes and soft woody base notes are very refreshing. A bit expensive for a sporty cologne, but good enough as a summer choice for a fragrance for oneself.

This is one of the very few "clean" fragrances that lasts all day, always smells fresh, and doesn't give me a pounding headache. A true winner! Most speak of the citrus blast from this orange wonder, but my love of it stems from the incredible peach note I smell at the very beginning. From that wonderful opening it remains clean, fresh and fruity through its "life cycle". The shower gel, deo and aftershave balm all remain true to the juice and are great additions to this wonderful fragrance.

could be mind over matter here but it does actually lift my mood! its not too expensive either so worth a try

An extremely pleasant citrusy-clean scent that is inoffensive and great for summer. Haven't met anyone who doesn't like Happy. However it is nothing special, just good to smell.

Can't stand it myself, but Happy probably is among the best ones in this genre. Should be the premier choice of teenagers worldwide. Inoffensive, linear orange and yuzu scent, crammed with that acidic/aquatic AdG quality that seems to attract so many people today. If your main goal with fragrances are to blend in and become as mainstream as possible, then Happy should be front row in your bathroom cabinet. The bottle does look good though.

I don’t really like Happy very much, but for what it is, it’s great. Happy is a very lively and uplifting citrus fragrance. This orange dominated citrus fragrance is well balanced, and never becomes acidic like so many other citrus fragrances. Happy is very easy to wear, and great for summer.

I know of no other scent that is more appropriately named. The tanginess of the opening is a bit synthetic and sweet, but give it about 15 minutes and you'll get a true sense of where this is going. The tangy citrus blends with sweet oranges, tiny bits of west coast beach surf and some very soft woods. Yes, the duration isn't the best in the world. I definitely recommend that other grooming products in this line for adding extra duration. The shower gel is my second favorite one. So, when you need a pick me up or want to blow the gray clouds away, wear this one. I do and it works.

One of my very favorite fragrances! This cologne is VERY aptly named, for I can't stop smiling when I smell this! It's the perfect mix of citrus and musk. It's definitely a casual, warm-weather fragrance. Its main weakness is its staying power, which is next to nil unless you really bathe in it. However, this drawback can also serve as a benefit, because its ideal to be a great non-offensive office scent. It's also a great fragrance to wear during outdoor events. This one should definitely be on your "to try" list for the summer!

It's my most worn fragrance, for sure - but 9 times out of 10 I layer it with something else. At opening, it's very sharp and somewhat spicy, but then after about 2 hours it mellows down into the most delicious citrus I've ever tried. It becomes so smooth and sensual that you just want to lick your wrists. Reminds me of vacation at the beach as a child. Only downside is that the longevity is really poor unless you layer it with something else, or keep refreshing. It will stay on your pulse points for at least 8 hours, but it doesn't project very much (unless you're overheating) after about 2-3 hours.

Fresh, young and RED. Some watery citrus with carrots...
Picture Happiness Clinic: redheaded nurses in red smocks delivering some 'F@nta' to patients. That's it. Nice unusual teenager's scent but too widely worn.

Very fresh and clean scent. This is a great daytime summer scent. The mandarin lingers throughout the scent but this scent is very non obtrusive and interesting. It needs to be layered, but the body products are very reasonable. Good stuff.

I love the freshness, but it just doesn't last. I had a sample vial that I used over the course of a day. I can usually milk one of these for a while, but, not counting the initial application, I had to freshen up three times in order to continue experiencing this initially great scent. Yet another one of the "gone in 60 seconds" kind of fresh fragrances that seem to permeate the market and ultimately insult the buyer.

Sampled this bad boy and I love it. The mandarin and lime sticks around and mixes well with the wood notes at the end. Very fresh. I'll invest in a full bottle soon. It'll be perfect for the warm summer days and nights.