Ungaro III (1993)
by Ungaro

I didn't try out Le Labo's Rose 31 until a year ago and by that time my bottle of Ungaro III was long finished. Although of course Ungaro III is much much older than Rose 31, I mention Rose 31 though because after trying it I think that Ungaro III smells like someone did a mashup of Rose 31 with Creed Himalaya. It has the sweet but dirty rose of Rose 31 and the Musky base evokative of Himalaya. That pretty much sums it all up to me. Ungaro III is a rose cyphre scent: you have the rose elements with the oakmoss/vetiver notes. And it's a rose cyphre with a musk base. The musk dirties and disguises everything (in a good way). If that's your thing you will like Ungaro III. I enjoyed the bottle while i had it and I recall that I received lots of compliments while wearing it. Longevity issues weren't a deal-breaker in my case. My solution was to overapply a little bit. Two or three solid extra sprays didn't increase the projection strength but it did increase the duration. I got decent/average duration with that approach.

22nd December, 2011. (Last Edited: 7th January, 2012.)

Ungaro III is a fresh aromatic fougere that opens with a citrus-lavender-vodka blend that evokes a nose-stinging gasoline vibe. As Ungaro III develops, a wood note peaks through the opening. At first sniff, I'm ready to dismiss Ungaro III. However, as the mid notes emerge, I find Ungaro III more attractive. The floral heart presents a beautiful rose note that is what Ungaro III is all about. The dry down is patchouli, oakmoss and plenty of vetiver. I enjoy Ungaro III, but the opening is shaky. It literally makes my nose sting. I love fougere fragrances, but Ungaro III is not at the top of my list. I prefer Tsar, Azzaro, and Jazz among others. Ungaro III isn't bad. I don't feel the whole gothic vibe, just a nice rose scent that is wearable but unremarkable.

18th December, 2011.

Expected to like this a lot: ticks a lot of the boxes of the type of fragrances I go for. And yet, and yet......does nothing for me at all. Smells good in the bottle, I get the spice underlying the fresh lavendar, and then it hits my skin and..........nothing. Vanishes like morning mist in the sun. Others pick up on it when I'm wearing it, and most comment has been favourable, but I lose awareness of its presence within minutes. My loss I fear, especially as the price is very competitive, but for that reason this first bottle will be my last.

12nd September, 2011.

I did not like this cologne when I sprayed it the first time. I got a strong, sharp smell that was nose-piercing. I sprayed this on one hand and Silver Scent Intense on the other.With the passage of time, I started appreciating this as a true masterpiece. I like the way the notes change. This is truly an elegant cologne that distinguishes itself from all the "moderns". I like it.

27th July, 2011. (Last Edited: 11th August, 2011.)

I have to give this a neutral, for the new (and current) Ungaro III which has been reformulated. There are two versions of this. The new one has a black bottle and black cap top. Kudos to Ungaro for a beautiful, classy bottle design. However, with regards to the fragrance itself: It is mild, fresh, nothing special on my skin, and unlike some other reviewers I did not notice exceptional sillage. Longetivity appears average or even less than average. It will work for some and the price is not outrageous at all, but this is not a fragrance which I would buy again if or when the juice in my current 100ml bottle finally gets used up.

25th July, 2011.

Well, I was finally able to obtain a little of the Made in France version, and it's very different from the new formulation, that's for sure, much more "rounded" and natural smelling, overall. The lavender doesn't seem as strong either. This is a quality fragrance, and much subtler than the reformulation. You can detect the similarities but they are very different, at least when you get to the drydown, which is what I focus on. I'll change my rating to positive but that's for the original. The new formulation is for a "cologne guy," and thus I would likely give it a negative, though I don't have any of that, so I'm going by memory.

My original review, for the new formulation: I'll give this a neutral because I have yet to try the original. Apparently, I got the third formulation (red and black box, black cap). I found it to be unbalanced and "synthetic" or "chemical" smelling, with strong lavender up front and not much of a base. It was almost like a bar of soap dipped in chemicals. Recently, I acquired Molto Smalto, which seems to be along the same lines, with the exception that it lacks the rose note. Imagining what it might be like with a rose note, I can understand the positive reviews of the original Ungaro III. Molto Smalto has a light creamy orange (the floral notes apparently softening the citrus) and a dry, light sandalwood base. It's nice but not dark. If U3's rose added the "darkness" that many speak of here (in the original formulation), I can understand why it has received so many positive reviews. The new formulation is for novices, in my opinion, because it does not possess the naturalness nor the solid base that excellent fragrances must have, if the perfumer/company wants them taken seriously.

8th April, 2011. (Last Edited: 29th April, 2011.)