Reviews of Photo (1990)
by Lagerfeld

intense blast of citrus and lavender done in a very incense style (classic way). when i say citrus..this is not the sparkling drop of lime, this one is pretty dark! think of it as seeing this whole accord thru a reel of film used in cameras. heavy dose of aromatic fougere with floral blast, a blast which is so intense, it has a dark cloud of powder surrounding the wearer...this is one scent i love to over apply. such a wonderfully contructed scent, every accord is well done...all the way to the end where it's rich, musky, woody with hints of incense and leather. i have yet to smell a scent which smells soo cool close to skin. a must have in every wardrobe.

A good near-fougère which is clean and fresh without being too soapy. The top notes are quite vivid, fresh, and striking. They lead into a floral-aromatic heart, and the scent then resolves into a mossy, musky and very slightly powdery drydown. I like this one, even if it does resemble a few others, because it is extremely well done. The construction is very careful and balanced; it is complex and shows a superior development. The longevity is moderate, but it does have a decent sillage until it winds down. You can be a little more liberal in application with this if you want it to last longer. A good, solid scent with potential for classic status someday.

Classic scent, very clean and very sexy..No other words you need.

A run-of-the-mill herbal fourgere (with out the oakmoss). It lasts a good while. Is quite herbal in the opening but quickly turns to a fruity smell that remains throughout the drydown. It's good but too generic. This is a "hello, I am a cologne" fragrance spoken in a Ben Stein voice but again, this does smell good.

too stiff and woody, mix this stuff with brut and youv'e got yourself a great scent

Photo is nice fragrance. It is quite traditional — I see it as a classic composition that has been reduced in strength, perhaps to fit the modern tastes. Its citrus / lavender opening is quite well done—lively, bright, clean — one of the more attractive openings of its type that I have encountered recently. The mid floral notes are nothing to write home about, but they are solid and presentable, and I don’t think they are overly aggressive or overly feminine. I find the drydown surprisingly good, and, contrary to some others’ experiences, I also it is quite long lasting. I can catch its sillage six hours after application. Photo is a good choice for a light classic fresh fougere — well-constructed, very good aroma — traditional and reliable. It’s certainly not exciting but it performs very nicely — basically spray and forget about it. I want that in a fragrance once in a while.

After the unpleasant initial blast, this fragrance develops into a nice subtle smell. Nothing ground-breaking, but it is a fragrance I welcome into my collection.

A nice leathery fragrance. The opening is quite traditional but then the spices kick in and make the composition more interesting. The base is fairly strong and contains leather, woods, and a tad of sweetness. Very good for wintertime use.

Way too ordinary for my tastes, too much of the typical "men's cologne" smell. That said, there is something in the mix that reminds me of photography - maybe film, or maybe the fluid you use to develop film (a smell familiar to me from high school shop class). Or maybe I am imagining that due to some sort of olfactory self-fulfilling prophecy (a sort of "it's in the name, so I must smell it" effect). Not bad. Just not anything that yells out "buy me."

We bought this today. I agree with all the positive reviews submitted. A truly timeless & classic scent for men. I love the smell on him--this is one scent for sophisticated men. My husband thinks so too! I rate it 5 stars.

Timeless classic. Sweet enough, spicy enough, but not overbearing.

A very sophisticated scent. Timeless for me. I usually dont wear a fragrance to get compliments on it, but this has been complimented many times by girls.
It evokes nice memories and is a winter scent in my opinion. Suitable for office wear as well as for outdoors / casual. The best Lagerfeld in my opinion.
It has been relaunched and obviously the relaunched version is unfortunately nowhere near the original one. Still easy to get the original version though.

Wonderful on others, but cloying and far too heady on me. (Almost seems to intensify on me throughout the day, not "dry down.")

I genuinely like this stuff, though -- just not for me. Thumbs up, but with that one reservation.

it was my favorite perfume in the 90s, I used 8 bottle of this fragance. Is a very goob aroma from 90s, in my skin the lemon n benzoin mixed with the sandalwood (and is very long lasting) smells very goob...I'M going to buy again

Tough blamed by many as sweet, unidimensional,far too intoxicating, it actually interacts well with my skin. It not only lasts but it also developes pleasant notes once applied. Partly herbal and minty, partly smelling like pine and dry leaves, patrly dark and leathery towards the end. Slightly old fashioned yet not dated, tough maybe a little too formal to be worn on a daily basis.

On me, this starts very powdery, which I don't like all that much. But soon enough it dries down to a much more floral scent, which is very pleasant. Sadly, it only lasts about 2 hours on my skin, which is quite a shame for such a nice dry down. The not-so-special top notes and short life spawn grant this one a neutral review from me, it still is good though.

This might not be the hottest cologne of the moment, but it has always been a very sexy scent, almost smoky, and has a great warmth in its drydown that is perfect for winter. The lavender and coriander give it a nice zing for the first hour or so. Then comes the warmth. the smell reminds me of Paris (the city, not the perfume) - I don't know if people there are wearing this, but for some reason, I always think I'm smelling this cologne all over when I visit Paris.

Although launched in 1990, Photo feels very much like a child of the eighties. It's strong, woody, masculine and has a very nice peach note. Very similar to Romeo Gigli's Sud Est. That one is superior of the two though. The packaging and name is of course a reference to Karl Lagerfelds second passion after fashion - photography.

Photo is ok, but...is too floral to my taste! Smelt like those flowery soaps we buy in the super market! Too much non obtrusive, there is a lack of character in this one...Maybe It's my nose, accostumed to the old school fragrances...I would give 3 of 5 stars to it. Sung pour homme is a better floral indeed!

This is my favorite Lagerfeld. A wonderful blend of citrus top notes and lavender, lingering with a base of sandalwood, benzoin and maybe a bit of musk and/or leather. It's not as complex in it's evolution as Jako (another fine scent) but it does change some. The deodorant stick lasts too. More casual than formal, but could work for both.

A fresh aromatic fougere, great for the fall and summer. It has a crisp floral burst at the beginning (lavender, grapefruit), then dries down to a great aromatic (laurel, coriander) leathery, mossy scent.