Reviews of Perry Ellis for Men (original) (1985)
by Perry Ellis

All these years I don’t remember testing this until now. It certainly is a tough old ‘80s fragrance with a tough old ‘80s character. It opens strongly… aromatically green (galbanum) with a touch of sweet… probably vanilla. The aromatics make the opening feel somewhat raw, but it really doesn’t project as much as its rougher aura might suggest. The top galbanum remains well into the heart notes of rose and carnation, to present a model masculine floral / green accord. The heart notes are a bit old fashioned, but very pleasant, nevertheless. As with most ‘80s fragrances, the opening and heart notes of Perry Ellis for Men have very good longevity, as does the base, which is a solid leather and moss accord, accented by a modicum of vanilla, and possessing a bit of tobacco character.

Actually I’m a bit surprised to find that Perry Ellis for Men (I’m testing the Anniversary Edition) is an easy wear. It’s really quite civilized because it seems more aggressive than it actually delivers. Its toughness is more in the vein of its ‘80s concept of masculinity than of any actual rawness or crudeness. I like this fragrance and I’m sorry I hadn’t tested it before because we could have spent many happy years together.

I can't believe this has been discontinued. Drydown was a wonderful, sultry blend of roses, leather, and smoke that lived for hours and wore well on both skin and clothes. A firm scent without being too pungent. The most compliments of any cologne.

I don't know why this has been discontinued!!! This was the BEST of ALL the Perry Ellis fragrances!!! How stupid and selfish of the Perry Ellis distributors--to discontinue their namesake fragrance. What a bunch of #%*(&#$'s at Perry Ellis. That's like Ralph Lauren discontinuing Polo, or Balenciaga discontinuing Balenciaga Pour Homme (which they did!). If you like this fragrance, you better stock up while you can. It is in my top 10, so I bought about 8 bottles (hopefully to last my lifetime). I still can't believe this beautiful rich fragrance has been discontinued. Again, what a bunch of #%*(&#$'s!!!!

I just got this again packaged as the "Anniversary Edition" after coming across the old bottle I had when I was a kid that I stole from my Dad! LOL! What an awesome fragrance, by far my favourite of the older Perry Ellis stable. It goes on strong and last forever. The dry down is very leathery, but for some reason also smells very tobacco-ish although it isn't in the pyramid. It smells dirty and utterly fabulous. Still holds up to this day. I'm glad I have it again.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Not bad at all. Reminds me remotely of Lagerfeld Classic, but a lot more balsam-ish, if that means anything!

Very strong and powerful, manly too.

Can be got cheap, but ignore the price tag.

If used well, i.e., judiciously, it emanates a very sexy aura, or so I was told by a 19 year old girl on the bus this morning!

Two thumbs up, for it sultry, manly auror...

This is an old favorite from the 80's, but it holds up. Remember the controversy from the ad campaign? The copy had the model stating how "f****** great" the scent was. Well, he was onto something. This one smells like what he said. More specifically it has an underlying smell that reminds one of a gentleman's jock strap after he's taken a ten mile jog in it. I suppose, for some, this isn't necessarily a bad thing. The main drawbacks with this one are that it can be overpowering and if too much is applied it can quickly overstay it's welcome. So use sparingly and revisit the dirty, nasty, up all night eighties!

Oh, for heaven's sake . . . I for one happen to LOVE this scent. It DOES have some massive sillage, though, so be forewarned. And I'll agree, too, with the reviewer who warned that this one might not be for those under 30. All that said, it's a lovely winter fragrance, with lots of spice and "bite" so lacking in most of today's pathetically bland, "clean, lean and marine" offerings.

Too strong and heavy, it gives me a headache. The base notes are quite pleasant, though. Good for an evening out, not for anyone under 30.

I'm pleasantly surprised with this fragrance. Top notes of Bergamot really stands out but then dries down to nice vanilla/spice composition. This one is a 'secret'. Glad I discovered it!

Strange to find one of the more sophisticated, elegant and timeless classics of American design fragrances to be talked down this much. Among an array of mainly forgettable market pleasers by the likes of Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger and so on who seem to repeat the same composition with minor adjustments over and over again, this scent clearly stands out. It's a scent that leaves a mark and makes an impression, classy, elegant, timeless. It's been a firm favorite in my books for over 15 years now, and I usually have to fly across to the US from Europe to even get it ... PE is not sold in Europe, unfortunately!

Aw come on fellas. :> I guess I'll stick my neck out and be the only one so far to give a positive review for this one. This one has always struck me as elegant, refined, predictable, and fresh. After over 10 years since purchasing my first bottle, this one is still my special occasion, winning scent. It does resemble, remotely, Hermes' Bel Ami (scentwise and even bottle-designwise!). Not too many scents around nowadays, IMO, that can equal its woodsy, fresh quality. And besides, you can get a huge EDT nowadays for only $20 at most Marshall's, Ross, etc. stores. There, review done. :>

In short, I gave a bottle to my older brother a Christmas ago. When I went home last month, barely a spray had elapsed from the bottle...and he's the equivalent of Uncle Eddie from the National Lampoon's Vacation series who'd think a bottle of Brut was Godsend (Just kidding Steve!! But you might want to wash behind the ears once in a while...)

Very forgettable. In fact you may just want to. They sell it by the gallon for Christ sake. Last Christmas there were huge stacks PE for Men sets left in the bins, while most others sold like hotcakes...