Polo Crest (1991)
by Ralph Lauren

Similar to Polo Green, but different enough to claim its own character and feeling. It mostly retains Polo Green’s rawness and masculinity, but it is toned down and smoothed out some. It opens with an herbal / spicy green note with a sharp, light aromatic tinge that I like very much. I especially enjoy the caraway element in opening – it adds an additional spicy / aromatic element to a basic Polo Green opening broadening the opening to a cooler aromatic accord. The opening doesn’t seem as aggressive as Polo Green’s – it’s more herbal and less resinous. I prefer Polo Crest’s way of introduction – less explosive, broader, and more refined. The difference between the middle notes of the two Polo’s is subtle but important. I think that the florals take over a bit more in Crest than in Green. I wouldn’t call Crest’s middle strongly floral but it is smoother and less herbal. The base is where the real difference lies. In Crest, the leather is greatly reduced, and the incense and woods come through more strongly. Like the original Polo Green, Polo Crest’s accords are masculine, distinctive, and long lasting. The “sweet” in both fragrances lies in a continuum somewhere between minimal and nonexistent. Because of having similar coniferous notes – juniper, pine, and cedar – in each level of the pyramid, I find both fragrances somewhat linear, but still, I see Polo Crest as having less intense coniferous notes than Polo Green. I do prefer the drydown of Crest. Of course, the sillage and longevity of both are excellent, and both are thumb’s up fragrances.

A sweet but no-nonsense bright green scent. I think there's a little mint and cilantro which tend to remind me of the original, but I can handle this version, whereas the original is just a spitefully bitter green to me, and has assured me that it does not want to be my friend. (unfortunately, the Crest bottle is just as tacky and dated as the original). Other than losing its slight lemon edge after the top dies, I don't find much change over time with this one. The herbs noted earlier keep the brightness a little more under control than in Bowling Green, whose brightness persists too far into the base and wears on me a little bit later in the day. One problem with Crest is that, even though I don't recall the exact smell of Pine-Sol, some of the sharpness on certain isolated sniffs makes me suspect what people refer to as Pine-Sol in other scents. Maybe it would smell a little more empathetic and less authoritarian if it had just a smidgen of Paco Rabanne-style soapiness? Still, it sure beats the fanatical in-your-face drill sargeant of the original Polo.

I can't believe they discontinued this fragrance. I lighter, more sophisticated version of Polo. I love the original Polo, but everyone and anyone owned it in the 80s. This is more distinctive.

Among the range of Polos, it is one of the best, with a pronounced herbal opening along with sweet jasmine and deep earthy notes. I like its distinctiveness. It is in no way watery or wishy-washy. My other favorite is the original green bottle. I give it a neutral because it is too masculine for me, a woman.

Take one of Ralph Lauren's original polo shirts, drench it in the original Polo fragrance, lay it out in the sun for a week then rub it in some fresh patchouli leaves. There! You get the formula for Polo Crest! Haha... amazing stuff.

My .02 on the comparison to Polo.... Crest is very similar in structure and shares many notes with Polo, but is lighter with more focus on the green/woods notes whereas Polo emphasizes tobacco and leather. It may be that only those of us who truly appreciate Polo can make these distinctions.

It's not that hard to find small bottles or the mini gift sets on various websites at reasonable rates.