XS pour Homme (1993)
by Paco Rabanne

This feels a bit like that other Juniper Berry babe magnet, Mont Blanc Individuel.

Neither is groundbreaking but both are fun and cheerful and both can be classed as office wear.

IF you work in a Frank Lloyd Wright building and run a supermodel agency.

Comparisons to Himalaya by Creed?
Himalaya's better, pay the extra dough.
Cheers.

I find this somewhat similar to Creed's Himalaya. It certainly is a much cheaper alternative to Creed. The opening is slightly minty. A very earthy and sweet scent that has very mild floral notes. I like the dry down which features a little bit of spices and woods. There is a distinct sweetness that is retained throughout the entire wearing of this scent.

This is the real deal! As someone who wore the original Paco Rabanne Pour Homme for awhile till it became for me a cologne I would give years later a neutral rating, this is without hesitation a thumbs up for clean, fresh and MASCULINE, which BTW is not less sophisticated in my book but more so, especially in a neochypresque scent (minus the oakmoss, vs. a fougere).

The name of the forum is not Creednotes but Basenotes, For me versatile is better. That's something a lot of people don't "get" (money can't buy it), Fine. We have our allegiances. The versatility of this fragrance does not make it "ordinary." This is extraordinary and one should not let the date of release be a source of prejudice. Try it!

I think XS challenges the notion that a scent that is less specific to occasion is somehow a lesser fragrance. Sometimes it's a better one.

XS is average, but thats not all. Maybe I m not correct with this bottler.....Why? Mmmmmmmm, because I see it everywhere, specially in ordinary stores.

The smell is not bad, safe, not agressive.....Recommend it for day wear.

In the same line, I prefer the very traditional Paco Rabanne Pour Homme. Without doubts.

A bargain. If you like Creed's Himalaya, Chanels' Platinum Egoiste, or Abercrombie's FIerce, you'll probably like this. It is essnetially a summation/combination of all 3, Himalaya being the closest. The top notes of Mint, poised citrus, and semi-sharp Juniper berries really add a natural outdoors air to the fresh appeal of this one. It shares some aldehydes with Egoiste and Fierce, which again, make it a very fresh masculine scent. It shares the same light crisp/cool/bracing mineral/fuel smell with Himalaya, and this may be the long-lasting subtle synthetic heart note they both share. XS is less musky and peppery than Himalaya, and obviously has less Ambergris, but the base still has the same smooth appeal. Overall, XS is a fragrance that can compete with much more expensive scents, when it comes to fresh, cool, understated, sober, clean and contemporary appeal.

Purchasing this was a rather uncomfortable experience. I was at the front of quite a queue, and when I asked for XS from the shelf, I half expected it to be given to me in a brown paper bag. I am not normally prone to purchasing fragrances on the cheap side, but I felt it was worth revisiting an old friend. The opening is a big bergamot hello, and I wanted to look in the box for the droopy moustache,medallion and Barry White CD that would so perfectly accompany this big "Ta-da". Thankfully, the middle notes took control of this chaotic opening, and the effect is quite glorious. For me,the sense of Juniper is the key to this fragrance, it has the strength and the character to define this. I have had no hesitation in adding this to my wardrobe.It may be cheap, but it certainly comes with a wonderful personality. Longevity is not great, but I have the After Shave version, so it is bound to be a little on the weak side.