Reviews of Xeryus Rouge (1995)
by Givenchy

Sweet yet devoid of warmth. Cold even. I'm not sure how this was achieved but I feel this intriguing combo gives it an edge over Givenchy's other saccharin offering, Pi. And strangely enough the image I had when sampling XERYUS ROUGE was of a tall glass of ice cold red rose cordial on a sultry afternoon.

One of my top 5 fragrances ..... smells very nice ....not too sweet...not cloying at all ... some sharp note that makes it perfect for men ..... long lasting and reasonable sillage .... women find it sexy .... the synthytic fruity smell makes it even better ..... it also smells clean and a little bit soapy ..... i like this scent

A shade too sweet and crude for my taste, but it is not the worst entrant in its class. I quite enjoyed the rather faux exotic opening, it was not exactly life changing, but it was laudably different and stimulating. The shroud of cloying sucrose descends within an hour, and the whole thing seems a little unbalanced and heavy. That said, on a warm day, in informal surroundings it might just find its place. Its longevity and sillage are impressive, despite my misgivings about the product itself.

Xeryus Rouge is a horribly vile and synthetic fruity scent that is way too sweet for its own good. When I first smelt this (around the time I first became interested in perfumes) I absolutely hated it. In those days, my nose wasn’t even as sophisticated as it is now. I think that pretty much sums up how awful this stuff really is.

[Original submission date: 27 May 2008]

Holy Kumquat! I'm in the minority here, giving it a neutral rating. I don't find it cloying, perhaps because nowadays it feels as if every cloying scent is a variation of vanilla with a capital V plus synthetic Joop-like crap.
I can also understand how this could be a favorite for those who like bold, unusual scents. Favorite? This has attained cult like status. Look at its virtues: Strong sillage, great longevity, super-fruity sweet (makes John Varvatos smell astringent by comparison) and a highly unusual accord.
Cactus Flesh?

Perhaps there should be a new category. Forget fougere, oriental or chypre. How about well blended frags that are half-mad?
Peau d'Espagne (tabasco sauce) Nostalgia (motor oil)
Quasar (bananas and newsprint)
etc.

XR is most certainly worth a sniff! You might join me in the minority and shrug, or you might find it appallingly sweet and cringe, but then again, you might also be among those who have discovered their signature love.

About 14 years ago when I was a young guy at school, I had a part time job in a jewellers as an engraver. I remember smelling this from a sample in a magazine and then also realised that my boss wore this when he was in work. It appeared to me to be a sophisticated scent, very grown up and very different from the "fresh and unisex" scents which were about at the time.

I remembered that scent right up till this year when I saw a bottle in a store for about £20 GBP so I decided to test it. Thank goodness I did. To my nose this is nothing like what it used to be in the mid 90's and I felt thoroughly dissapointed.

Neutral rating on the basis that the mid 90's one smelt really nice.

A blind buy, but made me fond of it instantly after first spray. Marvel, sensual and exotic… found great for summer wear… for me it’s a romantic wear…

this fragranace is a women magnet beleive me but just 2 sprays!!! ONLY .... 1 hour before you go out!!! the first 1 hour is a bit heavy for the nose but just wait

comparable to dunhill's desire but sweeeter and not as fruity. a great nightout scent that will get you plenty of attention from the opposite sex.i think the red pepper and double dose of cedar play a huge factor in the great longevity. a hate it or love it scent definately.

Smells like Old Spice Pure Sport deodorant.

I bought a large bottle of this few years ago along with three 200ml tubes of shower gel. I really liked it for sometime; I especially remember wearing it a lot on Saturday evenings after sauna.

Unfortunately after quite a few wearings, I noticed my nose had become overly sensitive to some aromachemichal that’s in Xeryus Rouge. This has happened with few other scents as well. It didn’t help that I was easy on the trigger….It really started to burn my nostrils and sting my nose. I am not sure if this sounds illogical for some, but it really did happen and it wasn’t surely my imagination.

I had to sell my bottle away. (I kept the shower gels, though)

Xeryus Rouge is synthetically fresh with very sharp tobacco-like edge to it. Red fruits with caramel and crisp green shades. Ambery drydown with smooth musk vanilla combo is very long lasting.

Recommended especially for those who like fruity-sweet fresh fragrances, such as Minotaure, Nicole Miller, Desire for Men, Boss Bottled etc.

This one will give some attention for sure.

This is an exotic combination of smells, but not in the classic exotic sense, as there are only a few of the usual exotic ingredients such as cedarwood and sandalwood present in what I can detect. The main part of the smell is made up with the poignant cactus and kumquat notes, which will draw attention to you as they unusual and distinctive. Below these are the warm and more traditionally masculine cedarwood, musk, and sandalwood, which will be more noticable after the stronger and more vibrant cactus and kumquat have receded a bit. On the whole this isn't a particularly warm fragrance though, with the top notes being more coldly refreshing, with the sweetness coming through more than the limited amount of warmth that is in here only later. It is certainly an attention grabbing fragrance, but once the indecipherable tropical initial smells have died down, it becomes more balanced, with its alluring properties coming through best after a few hours. I've noticed the fragrance lingering until the morning, after wearing this on an evening before, so for lastability, it scores well too. I enjoy wearing this, but I wouldn't recommend it for daytime use due to its distracting powerfulness.

One of my long lasting favorites. Round, soft and very red with a hint of watery feel to it. Feel's like floating in a sea of cotton balls. I want to get close to myself. Many frags are just too harsh and forward, making it hard to breath normally, while my mouth begins to dry, but I can give this good 2-3 sprays and still it doesn't bother me. This is Chanel's Egoiste when it has fallen in love.

Love this on a man, even if a bit sweet. Yum!

I was wearing Xeryus Rouge that evening. My best female friend and me were standing on the street; we were chatting… and laughing… when she suddenly said:”Oh, your scent is making me sick… I’ll throw up.” Only few seconds later she assured me that her statement wasn’t symbolic but literal. That event taught me that I shouldn’t apply more than four sprays.
Xeryus Rouge is fairly sweet, but it is a very specific kind of sweetness that can be pretty disagreeable to some people. Quite often, when I want to describe this scent, I have a dilemma - how should I call it: unusual or weird.
When I read a list of the notes, one note grabbed immediately all my attention: cactus flesh. I had no idea how it smells and I was damn curious. At once, the most brilliant idea came to my mind. Namely, there was a cactus in the entrance-hall of the building I work in. One day, when I was alone in the hall, I cut out, using a little knife, a piece of that cactus. For some unknown reason, a few days later, the cactus didn’t look very healthy. I smelt a cut off piece of the cactus over and over again… However, in spite of all my effort, I haven’t recognized a smell of cactus flesh although I tried with might and main to do that whenever I wore Xeryus Rouge. On the other side, whenever I wear this scent it reminds me of the cactus that I crippled in vain.
Briefly told, Mrs. Menardo created some much better scents in relation to this one.

Another classic in the making for me and the ladies to treasure in it's presence. Givenchy truly broke the mold when he made this. Highly recommended.

Fresh and spicy with a hint of soapiness to it. It's not that clean freshness you get from Mugler Cologne. This is powerful as well. Well, maybe not powerful like Obsession but it gets the message across in large 4' letters. Has a sweetness to it that I like and seems to calm the freshness down a bit. I find this to but suitable for romantic situations but also an evening out.

Upon application of this fragrance you will immediately receive uncontrollable urges to caress yourself all over.
Self Encompassing and never-ending shield that destroys any undesirable public odors attempting to penetrate.
Only for individuals with absolute intensity.

how can a fragrance be so spicy yet so fresh? i admire givenchy for xeryus rouge, for the notes, for the fresh attitude (even in summer i wear this) for the longevity and sillage. i consider xeryus rouge as one of the best releases for all time. i wish that it won't be discontinued. this is the second in my all time favourites list just after escada casual friday.

The fragrance was created by Annick Menardo. Top notes are chinese orange, tarragon and cactus; middle notes are african geranium, pimento and cedar; base notes are sandalwood, cedar and white musk. Great sweet scent, test before you buy though.

The name "Hubert de Givenchy" will ring like gold to our French friends, for his astonishing impact on fashion during the 1950's, and again in the 1970's when his "Givenchy Gentlemen" line is launched and received extremely well. His involvement in Audrey Hepburn's fashion life, as well as his friendship with Cristobal Balenciago, only accelerate his progress in the fashion industry. However, we're not the French, and we're not going to discuss fashion -- so let's get down to his colognes.

His reputation for fine clothing had set the stage for such fragrances as "Monsieur de Givenchy", "Vetiver", and "Givenchy Gentleman" to be launched, invoking the interest of those who were already into the Givenchy fashion scene to enter the world of elegant scent. While Monsieur de Givenchy and Vetiver were before the time of the male fashion line, they are not without taste; a warm and soft blend of ingredients with passion equivalent to masterpieces in today's fragrant scene. Givenchy Gentleman, however, was launched a year after his line of clothing for men, and thusly was meant to complement high-end attire -- and it did. A charismatic blend of patchouli, leather, and citrus; Gentleman was a classic scent of the 70's, and still holds it's place as one of the finer colognes of the past; and these classic scents continued throughout the life of Givenchy's own formulations. While they are not numerous, they each carry their own soul and dignity. Through the Gentleman's, Xeryus', Insense's, Monsieur de Givenchy II's, and Insense Ultramarine's, we arrive to our destination: Xeryus Rouge.

To put it politely, the scents before Xeryus Rouge were... unobtrusive. They were simple, classic, lovely, and anybody and everybody could handle them -- they were the exotics that were so genuine in compilation that they were loved. Xeryus Rouge, on the other hand, is a demanding, attention-whoring, in-your-face liquid made from the most unfathomable of ingredients, including volcano-fresh lava, a jump-kick to your face, an assault of brass-knuckled punches to your gut, a spiked baseball bat to your knees, and quite possibly T-Rex skulls from the pre-historic era. This is nosegasm-inducing bottled masculinity somehow captured against its will.

So then, I think we've established that Xeryus Rouge doesn't follow the previous "Gentlemen" line that Givenchy had produced in the past -- and for a damn good reason, too. In 1995, aquatics and floral scents were blossoming like pretty little flowers, and dainty, cutesy fragrances that were "light" and "floral" were sweeping the world of colognes -- Givenchy, balls in hand (probably both hands necessary), strutted forward and burned the Lavenders, the Lily of the Valleys, and the citrus notes -- replacing them with the very things that man was not made to touch, for the fear that excessive bleeding would occur. Cactus, for example, and a slew of spices that would make Columbus sail around the world yet again in search of them, were all thrown together to create a Frankenstein of scents; the only thing in the world that says it's middle name is "dangerous" and doesn't bullshit around; a scent that is synonymous with "manly", and has a name which appears to be French for "Lethal Amounts of Testosterone"

But don't let that fool you, because underneath this beast lies a beauty. Believe it or not, when Givenchy created Satan's Lotion, he actually put some human soul into it; and there's alot that people tend to miss. For example, the top notes are smooth and mellow, with softly-sweet notes of living cactus and kumquat, which give off such a powerful vibe, that it seems to cause a ripple in the fabric of space itself. Every whiff you get fluctuates between mellow and powerful; the harmony between evil and good is in a fine balance as you inhale the soft subtleties of kumquat, followed by the harsh dryness of cactus -- but it's this balance, this yin and yang to Xeryus Rouge, that accentuates the fragrance as a whole. There is no overload on sweetness, nor is it shy on the woodsy backdrop; everything in balanced in a divine way. It's really quite hard to get tired of this cologne, or to not be able to appreciate it, because of the way it is constructed. The kumquat and cactus are the primary top, heart, and base notes, penetrating through the triangle as a duo, and being enlightened by the other ingredients in the scent. The setup is similar to a Boucheron's Jaipur, but rather than being heliocentric, it remains triangular, except as you descend in each layer, the ingredients favor the cactus and kumquat, which is a remarkable achievement, considering that every layer has a handful of ingredients that are placed specifically to complement the cactus/kumquat combination -- and this is absolutely crucial to how wonderful this scent really is.

Consider it this way: you have a setup of Cactus and Kumquat that are always present, but since those are relatively "fruity" (in the manliest way possible), the strong woodsy and spicey subnotation gives way to a relatively large influence of smell, based on whichever note is coming out. Now, since we have a duo acting as the center of the stage, we can assume that any two of our spices/woods are going to blend in with the scent at any given time, but given the similarities between the woods/spices, they won't blend together. The effect is literally an everchanging cologne, with a slightly different rendition of cactus and kumquat every hour. There is always that apparent notation of these two key ingredients, but the scent that lingers along with them is what's evolving. You may find yourself with a cactus/cedar and kumquat/pepper combination, but half an hour later, you might smell cactus/musk and kumquat/germanium, or any mix of the wonderful plethora of ingredients that make up Xeryus Rouge.

However, the fact that it is so complex brings up a huge problem: in the same way that most of our minds cannot comprehend quantum physics, most of our noses cannot discern between the minor differences every half an hour, and so that makes casual wearing very hard. Unless you're going out for 4-5 hours, wearing a suit so masculine that Clark Kent himself could not justify wearing it, and you don't mind not having a proper drydown and scent-life, then Xeryus Rouge isn't your scent. Don't get me wrong, I love it, it definitely is one of those scents that you just don't have to care about drying down properly, because it never really does, it just constantly changes, but some may find it frustrating that the scent never seems to progress in the way that most others do. Regardless of that, Xeryus Rouge scores a very well-earned 8/10.

I don't know whether to like this fragrance or not... On one hand it really seems elegant and even refined, on the other hand it's the coldest smell I've ever encountered in a perfume. It's like spraying your refrigerator... That I don't like, I rather enjoy the sweet, warm and balsamic scents that don't give the unpleasant freezing sensation.

Very sweet, and amazingly strong. two sprays can almost overdue it with this one. Basically, you can't wear this cologne without getting noticed by everybody close to you. I like to be noticed, but quietly - i gave this bottle to my 16yr. old brother, and he loves it, and gets good results.
I wish i could like this fragrance more, because the reactions i've always gotten from women were similar in that they all involved some kind of sexual theme. ladies love it, but use in moderation please - or the whole room will smell you.

If Givenchy was Smith & Wesson and their fragrances were guns, this would without a doubt be the 45.


This fragrance is very powerful, I can see the comparisons to Joop! are quite just. Especially when mentioning the aspect of the colognes sweetness. But do not be confused my friends. While Joop! Is terribly cloying, like being in a sauna with a metric ton of steamed cotton candy and vanilla beans, XR is more refreshing and sexy.


The Sexy comes from, I dont know if it is the spice or the woods, but has a VERY deep smell. Brings a pleasant sensation to ones nose. The longevity is 24 hrs. The sillage is VERY loud on intial application. Very sweet and, what I believe to be the cedar note makes it a bit gritty. BUT it is by no stretch of the imagination repulsive. Just unusual and powerful.

I find it an excellent fragrance. More sexy than seductive. Definetly not for someone who is looking for a scent that is conservative, Xeryus Rouge has bite to it.


If you want a one shot kill for a scent, this is for you.


- Jay

This fragrance is too sweet, unusual (that would be the cactus and kumquat), almost cloying and powerful. But I must admit I still wear it now and then. It has a come hither quality that I just can't refuse.

10 years ago it was, woow very interesting scent.very sweet and strong.
should not be worn ever.maybe in alaska

Very sweet and strong! This fragrance is perfect for nightwear and it lasts long enough on my sking! It reminds me somehow Joop!'s male fragrance, but this one is not THATTTT strong and sweet... it's more fruity...

IT´S A PITY YOU CAN HARDLY FIND A BOTTLE OF XR!LIKE ALMOST ALL GIVENCHY FRAGRANCES IT´S SO INTERESTING!...I DON´T KNOW IF IT´S THE COLOUR OF THE FLASK BUT WHEN I SMELL THIS WONDERFUL PARFUME I THINK RED,IT´S FRESH AND SWEET,HOT AND PLEASENT,WOODED AND STRONG,I GIVE IT 9 POINTS!
HORACIO

I've worn this fragrance regularly for the past four years and I'm still continuously complimented on it. Besides being an AMAZING fragrance(which it is), I love the mystery of it. I have yet to come across anyone else who wears it or has even heard of it on the rare occasion that I disclose the name. A huge plus in my opinion. I do have to agree with MisterK's comment. This scent is definitely for the under thirty crowd, but definitely more mature than say Le Male which I used to wear.

This is soooooo good. I get compliments on it all the time. I bought it blind after finding a used 3.3 oz bottle for like $10 and since then I must have wasted a quarter of it spraying myself around the house and before bed.

It's kind a spicy, cactusy candy scent. Quite sweet but not atrocious like Joop, or COtton Candy like BOdy Kouros. It actually manages to be sweet and still have alot of class and depth. Hard to describe.

It doesn't last that long on me, which is why I've also got the aftershave and shower gel and will be picking up the deodorant. The shower gel makes the best notes in it last longer and gives it more body somehow.

When you first apply it it's quite sharp and gritty and not altogether pleasant, and it actually took me a little while to appreciate it. But once it settles it's quite lovely.

I hate to put this frag down but I found this smells JUST LIKE the photocopier toner in Xerox machines at my school in the 70's and 80's.
The initial alcohol blast never seems to leave. Sorry but not for me.

Since I’m not exactly fond of a note that’s so strong in XR, this review is quite biased. Xeryus Rouge opens with an unusual accord of cactus and tarragon, and the cedar and pimiento come on strong right from the beginning. The cactus is quite an attractive note, but I often have had difficulty liking fragrances with pimiento-type notes in them (I love to eat pimiento infused food, I just don’t like to smell it). Besides that pimiento accord that continues for almost the length of the fragrance, Xeryus Rouge is a nicely put-together fragrance. It certainly has substance and sillage, and I love the dry down, which is a very well done wood and amber. It has good longevity. I like Xeryus, but I don’t care for this one.

Very sweet, very warm. I don't pick up on anything cloying or synthetic (as others obviously do); however, I CAN say that this is not one for those who don't favor sweet/spicy Orientals.

It's very much in the same family as Nemo by Cacharel, IMHO, and akin to its namesake, Xeryus.

I picked up my last bottle for cheap on eBay, and get tons of compliments every time I use it.

Sexy, upbeating but a little overpowering and bitter.Anyway it develops very sweety.Bursts your self confidence and makes you feel like a king.

Xeryus Rouge is a warm, sharp, oriental, woody, fragrance.
Fruity, sweet (not too sweet as Desire) and has good longevity.

Oh blech! So sweet, so synthetic, that I just don't see how anyone could want to wear this scent. Sugar-coated candied fruits is the best was I can think of to describe this mess. Thumbs way, way down.

I really don't know how to describe this one except it's real sweet. I almost think it smells like a sugar coated watermellon with just a hint of spices(eat your heart out Martha Stewart)Seriously tho its real sweet last a long time and I love it!

very versatile and enjoyable fragrance. As with most red scents, there is a sweetness about Xeryus Rouge. What sets this one apart from other red fragrances in my opinion is the balance. It's sweet and warm and manages somehow to be light. This one can be worn during the day or for romantic evenings out. This was the first fragrance I fell in love with, and it is still a staple in my wardrobe. Great sillage, excellent longevity. For anyone who likes sweet scents but is put off by the cloying nature of some of the stronger gourmands, might I suggest this one as an alternative.

Very much like the original, but enveloped in warm and sweet, almost too sweet "candied" notes. What the heck happened to the original bottle? A bit shameful from the likes of a couture powerhouse like Givenchy!

Strong (leaves a trail behind one), very fruity with a good not-so-much-woody base note, women likes very much this fragrance (big mistake: I gave the name of it to my female partners at office... 1 month later they bought the fragrance for their husbands/boyfriends). Distinctive aroma, at least in Chile it became common because department stores sprayed it all the time.

This is one of my favourite colognes. If I were a womean I would describe it as warm and sexy. I find it in line with those older classic givenchy colognes.

It actually does smell like a cactus when you cut a tall one open! I've never smelled anything like it in a cologne, and it's well received when I go out. Definetely a club type scent, it's fresh and perhaps a touch too sweet, so apply with caution.

Very sweet and strong. It has a nice smell too it, but it can be overbearing. I think its a good cologne, but its too fruity for some. Fall only, becomes too strong in the summer.

Love it! one of my top ten fragrances. Its often overlooked and quite hard to find in some parts of the world but if you can find it give it a try. i'm pretty sure that this, like Joop, is a love it or hate it type of scent. I preferred the old bottle though, before Givenchy standardised their range.

Fresh, fruity, ambery and sweet fragrance that has GREAT projection and longetivity (more than a day), so a light trigger finger is recommended. The initial fresh notes leave a faint imprint throughout the fragrance's duration.

Oh man, this stuff is awful. Sickeningly sweet fruit notes with a very unsettling pepper note. This is one of the only fragrances that has made me physically ill.

Nothing to do with it's big brother, the black bottle. Rouge is like the name implies very red, smells ike red fruit punch with a distinct cactus note. Extremely sweet and with significant power, extremely strong actually, at Joop!ish levels. The drydown is a conventional woody one, but doesn't appear until many hours after application as the fruity sweetness lingers forever. All in all a pretty cool and original release but to cloying at times.

My first blind buy ever and it was an amazing choice. It is perfect for this time of the year with it's sweet, sentual smell.

It's a rich scent, but as MisterK said a bit too sweet... If you like sweet and classy fragrances, this one is for you. Not for me, though.

WOW! Now this is a perfume! It is indescribably, like a spicy red-fruited Grand cru Burgundy from Richebourg or Romanee-Conti. Multi-layered and very complex, this perfume oozes class. This is one of my top 5 perfumes, and it has beautiful length and evolves over 8 hours (fresh, florals, spicy, ripe fruits, tobacco, all sorts of things). Just make sure you don't overspray it as it is quite powerful. The girls go gaga over this one when I wear it! Probably more suited to a big night than daytime but Givenchy has really delivered the goods here. Very under-rated.

Long ago, I had used the original Xeryus and was quite pleased by it. I thought that Rouge would just be the same old Xeryus with an unpleasing twist to it. But recently, I had decided to give it a try. Wow! :-) Definitely reminds me of Boss by Hugo Boss (silver) and a little bit like Hanae Mori, another big favorite of mine. I guess I'm a sucker for those vanilla-musk men colognes! :->

I think this may be a great scent for the younger crowd or perhaps on a date, but day-to-day, I would find this to be a bit too sweet, which is the same problem I have with Desire (Dunhill).
In terms of a sweet scent, I prefer Allure or Opium. Thumbs up if you're under 30, neutral if you're over 30.

Evening-special attention getter. Women love it! On my skin it beats every famous "edible" scent (not by that lasting ability but sure by overall performance and effect). Meets you with fresh and light juicy sweetness. Then turns into a spicy sweet scent with muted freshness and rich woody accord added. Perfect for a nightout, season affects just the amount to be applied.

This is one of my favorites! I love the combination of Fresh and Warm and very Sensual, within a minute of putting it on. I find this one of the BEST. It's simple, but very classy and compliments seem to just some naturally. As with most scents, it does smell differently on different people. But if you like Warm and fresh and unusual and NOT over powering...than this may be the same Discovery for you, that it's been for me. They also make a GREAT Spray Deodorant, but it's impossible to find in the US. But even the Deo. alone, is a great fresher upper!

Is it possible for there to be an Oriental/Fougere-Woody fragrance? If so, then in my non-expert opinion, I think Xeryus Rouge is it. When I smelled it on paper in the shop, it seemed clearly like an Oriental. But when I wore it, it seemed far more akin to wearing XS or Black Jeans, both of which I also like a lot.

I have that problem (overdose of fruitiness) with Xeryus Rouge. I spend time waiting for the rest of the fragrance to burst out, but it never does! What's really annoying is that it's so close to being amazing!