Quasar (1994)
by J del Pozo

Yes, it's been made by Chris Sheldrake, probably my all time favourite perfumer. And the concept is fascinating : Perfumeintelligence.co.uk tells me that it was the intention to create a smell of fresh, straight from the press newspaper.

But alas, it's a cheap Cool Water imitation with nostril burning synthetic edge. And I don't smell anything like fresh newspaper. A shame.

Quasar is a fruity herbaceous scent with a harsh vs. creamy woody base. People are talking about banana; and sure, I can smell it too. Vaguely, but still.

The bottle that basically looks very good, has terrible plastic details that fell completely apart in my use.

I don't understand why anyone would consider this to be somewhat "strange" or "challenging" a fragrance. It really beats me, since this is eventually a very mediocre, conventional and boring fragrance.

It deserves a neutral after all, especially since it can be found almost for free.

19th March, 2011.

Quasar is a very nice aquatic with an interesting banana note thrown in for a peel. (Sorry, I couldn't resist). Actually, I think it is the banana note that makes this one unique from similar aquatics. Casual and light, I cannot imagine this offending anyone's senses. My only objection is it's longevity, which is about 2 hours on me. Still highly recommended and a thumbs up.

6th January, 2011.

AAHHH when a fragrance brings back memories it can be good or bad. I sampled this & at first smell it reminded me of my aunt in Mexico that would sell fragrances. This was in the late 90's. Those fragrances were not famous designer brands by any strecth but unknown fragrance houses I would assume. At first I though the scent was too strong, but aren't most frags like this? 1 minute later I sniffed again & was very pleased. It gave a fresh & fruity projection, although smelling a bit synthetic, that was uplifting. I've now bought a full bottle & can say that this frag is very versatile. Warm or cold weather-- day or night-- formal or casual-- etc. but I prefer using Quasar during cold weather. Great scent, long lasting (don't over apply, try 1-2 sprays first & see how it reacts to your skin chemistry), inexpensive, uplifting. A winner in my opinion.

1st April, 2010.

This is probably my favourite aquatic male fragrance to date and has been a staple in my collection since the mid-90s. Quasar in my opinion smells slightly synthetic, but is still thoroughly complex and intelligently constructed. Despite its cool blue colour, surprisingly the fragrance does not smell as clean as it first looks inside its bottle. The smell starts as pleasantly crisp & fruity, but soon develops a unique metallic sharpness that some have likened to newsprint or banana peel and which accompanies the fruitiness throughout the drydown. I think of that note as smelling like brass, and it gives the fragrance its signature edginess and keeps it smelling unmistakably masculine. I believe its edginess gives it a thoroughly interesting and slightly untamed and brooding character – which as you might expect some may find taxing, but that I have found that women especially like in this scent. Perhaps ‘sea green’ would have better suited the character of this fragrance, leading me to believe that Quasar and the equally excellent but more sparkling Quasar Adventure should have had their colours swapped around. The bottle also looks gorgeous and I especially like the way its silver parts tarnishes into a gun metal colour with repeated handling. Quasar is also the most fantastically versatile fragrance I know of, being suited for all occasions (office, casual, smart, jeans & t-shirt, suit, romantic, daytime, clubbing, sports, etc.), all seasons, and all ages from the mid-teens upwards. It also makes for an inspired alternative to Cool Water and Aqua di Gio. To top it off, Quasar is long lasting with great sillage and is usually excellent value for money as it can easily be found at remarkably low prices.

Quasar = Quality. A winner all the way!

7th December, 2009. (Last Edited: 14th May, 2011.)

Count me in with the negative camp. As noted by others, this smells like a seashore strewn with decomposing bananas and newspapers. Thankfully, it is so discrete and short-lived that no one really notices.

Oh, well. To each his own.

3rd November, 2009.

A very distinct fresh acquatic, wearable both in summer and winter and perfect for a night out at a club.

Once - wearing this fragrance - I drove through an empty, frosty winter landscape in eastern germany when I noticed a buzzard or red kite right next to the country road. He had just put his fangs into a rabbit and was now defending his prey against the road traffic. He kept sitting there on his prey for days.

This fragrance is neither mellow nor overly light, instead it can provide you with a firm grip like a raptors'.

23rd February, 2009.