Minotaure (1992)
by Paloma Picasso

Minotaure opens with a lovely thin citrus note and very quickly reveals it's base of vanilla and leather. In my opinion, the base is the star of the show. Though not particularly sweet, the vanilla note is very prominent to my nose and the sandalwood and leather gives it a bit of a powdery edge. Lovely.

First smelt this after purchasing a set of minitures on a cross channel ferry from france in 1993 at 13yrs old. Remember smelling the Polo green and Drakker Noir and then this one which was Mind blowing!- got a 50ml bottle for christmas and used it all before the school term was up! ... then came the days of Joop and forgot about this until recently as I thought it was finished in production. Googled it and was delighted to find it still availible in the US by mail order!! I love this stuff, smells different from anything else people wear and as its hard to come by it makes you stand out, and if its good enough for David Bowie its good enough for me!! 5 STARS

First impressions from a new fragrance user:

Started off citrusy and spicy, but the citrus disappeared almost immediately. Was nice and spicy (and strong...almost too strong, but not quite) for a good hour and a half, perhaps two hours, before fading into wonderful smooth sandalwood for another three. The sharper ("bugspray") vibe was unfortunately faintly detectable for the last hour or so. Total: about 6, maybe 7 hours, just a bit longer than some of the other reviewers' experiences.

Really enjoyable overall, though slightly marred by the sharpness near the end of the drydown. I'll definitely wear it again.

Sexy, powerful, masculine and animalistic. Roma Uomo's elder, sophisticated brother.
To be worn for the romantic evening date, never in hot, humid days.
And move fast. The last phase of drydown does turn to bugspray.
Nevertheless, a provisional thumbs up.

three words. this smell horrible....

Minotaure is a very strange fragrance. It is also very good. I am not surprised that David Bowie wears this. The opening is an array of strange spices and aldehydes. According to the notes listed, the spices are Tarragon, which I must admit I’m not familiar with, and Coriander. The aldehydes here offer an almost orange-fruit aroma to the proceedings. They’re very similar to the aldehydes in Allure Homme. For many men, myself included, aldehydes may require some getting used to as they are complex and very synthetic to the nose. That said, it works well with the spice. Moving to the next stage, I get a strong presence of geranium and jasmine. Unsurprisingly, the road from the spice/aldehydes travels well into the floral arrangement. The florals here never tilt towards a feminine scent and retain their masculine charm. Finally, the sweet-base of Tonka/vanilla & sandalwood step in but very gently. So light that the spice/aldehydes and floral notes keep overstepping them. And suddenly, the drama ends all too soon. As noted by others, longevity and sillage are weak as I get maybe 3 to 4 good hours before it vanishes. In summary, Minotaure is a unique and attractive scent that deserves attention. However, one should proceed with caution if longevity and sillage are important.