VIP for Men (1987)
by Giorgio Beverly Hills

Interesting and well made blend from the 80's.
Bold and Masculine, yet not as brash as its predecessor, this was always my preferred Giorgio fragrance. Although I never wore it much, it's a fragrance that I have appreciated because of its quality and unique character. What I really love is that in the original fragrance ad for VIP it reads something to the effect of " One in one thousand will wear it". Quite the opposite of the mass produced, girly man scents of the 21st century, which are too afraid to make a statement and actually distinguish themselves from the rest. (There are exceptions, but all in all I think there needs to be a major shake-up in the fragrance world. By the way, both Giorgio fragrances have now been relaunched, but they do not smell the same as the original blends.
The differences may be subtle, but rest assured, you'll be getting an inferior creation.

Patchouli and leather floral chypre. Touches of cinnamon and another spice with oakmoss in the base. Woody notes like to dance around in the middle. Not a bad scent at all.

I agree with the strength and attraction of the opening notes. It is like women's pure perfume. A powerful one beyond Dior Jules.

I missed the opening notes completely—probably because of the age of my sample and the fact that half the liquid was missing from the unopened sample tube. They were supposed to be citrus, aldehydes, and cardamom. My first whiff of VIP for Men was a beautiful cedar / patchouli / spicy scent—it seemed so unusual an opening for an 80’s fragrance. At first I thought I was getting the dry down instead of the opening, but, looking at the pyramid, I apparently was getting the heart notes. These “opening” woods and spices last for ever so long and are some of the better wood / spice notes I’ve experienced in designer fragrances. They are rich, deep, and mellow—very low register. This is probably not how the fragrance was designed, but it’s enough to tell me that it must have been a winner when it was in prime condition.

I got a bare touch of cinnamon and orris from the mid notes, and then I suddenly realized that I was in the drydown because the cinnamon and orris are accented by moss instead of by cedar and patchouli. In the dry down I get much more moss than I get anything else; the tonka and amber is present and provide a light pleasant sweetness; the leather contributes a smooth richness to the base; and there’s a discernable musk, but it is not obvious to my nose—I have to search for it. From what I can determine from my sample, this is quite a respectable fragrance—potent, masculine, very well constructed, and great accords—I wish it were still around.

Sophisticated, heady fragrance that screams of the 80's! It is not an ordinary scent by any means; the "extraordinary" label for VIP fits. The miniature is far easier to find than the big bottles...except on e-bay, asking some outlandish price$.

Mossy, musky floral chypre. Not bad at all, but quite rare nowadays.