Vera Wang for Men (2004)
by Vera Wang

This is a very green and citric vanilla scent for the most part. Longevity and projection are about average on me, projection could be better, I get about 5-6 hours longevity before it's totally gone.

Vera Wang for Men, opens up with a sharp, almost plasticy green mandarin note, along with yuzu, this could be off-putting to some... I struggled with it for a while and then got used to it. An hour or so later, I am left with a sandalwood and leather mixture, with a hunt of tobacco. The dry down is reminiscent of True Religion, or Phat Farm Atman (a very obscure suede scent). This also reminds me of Raw Vanilla for men, and Givenchy Pi.

All in all, it isn't bad, but it's nothing to write home about. I have less than an oz left in my bottle, and I won't be purchasing it again. I'm torn between a neutral rating and a thumbs up, but I think I'll say thumbs up, because this one has history with me.

18 January, 2013 (Last Edited: 11th March, 2014)

i love it. on my 3rd bottle. definately not an everyday scent but for dates and more sensual events. a definate breathtaker. the nutmeg and woods give it plenty of sillage depth and character.similiar to guerlain l'instant which is why it does not get as much love here on basenotes..

17 January, 2013

I accidently stumbled upon this fragrance and on the first try I did not think much of it but after trying quite a few others I somehow remembered it. I would say this is one of my favorites right now. This cologne is subtle, not overpowering but still masculine and sophisticated. I am in my mid 20s and I do like some fresh colognes but if I am going out for the evening to a dinner or something formal, I am picking this one. Its just classy, great scent and doesnt make me feel like I sprayed some "old school" cologne. Again, this is very modern, subtle, classy, masculine scent. Give it a try.

24 December, 2012

It goes on sweet and bright with a fruity smell that seems to incorporate earl grey tea, lavender, mint, violets, and a big shot of grape Kool Aid. Strangely, the brightness doesn't seem to come from the lavender or the mint - instead, it's a weird chemical brightness that hovers over everything. All the rest of the notes are sort of soft and fuzzy, as if they were painted on velvet, presented in a chemical haze that dulls all the sharp edges.

By the heart, the fruits and stuff have largely faded leaving a smell that's sort of leathery and vaguely woody, but more like the chlorine smell of a swimming pool still sweetened by the ghosts of the topnotes. Finally, the leathery swimming pool smell fades away, leaving sweet but dark patchouli mixed with artificial-smelling woods and the smell of rubbing alcohol.

It's interesting that the perfumer managed to wrap up every single thing going on in Vera Wang For Men in a sort of chemical haze that is as much the star of the scent as the nondescript fruits, flowers, and basenotes. At its heart, this is a "blue" aquatic in the vein of Bulgari Aqua, but with that leathery middle and patchouli in the base to make it feel more Autumn and less Spring.

I actually own a bottle of Vera Wang For Men and wore it for years as my uninteresting scent, the one I would wear on a plane or to the movies, places where I wanted to smell nice but still smell like everyone else and not stand out as smelling weird or too interesting. It's both a blessing and a curse - Vera Wang For Men smells like dozens of other men's mainstream scents, but does it well, never smelling like an explosion at the ammonia factory or like dumb candy, but it's entirely unremarkable. You could do worse, but you could do an awful lot better (I actually prefer Ulrich Lang's Anvers, which is the same basic stuff as VWFM but without the ongoing chemical haze). This is the definition of a "neutral" scent. Precision engineered to be average.

28 October, 2012

A citrus scent with anise and a horrid sour off note which I cannot pinpoint what is causing that smell but its off putting. I do not like this at all.

26 October, 2012

A little too spicy for me. Vera may want to stick to designing clothes!

14 September, 2012