Subtil pour Homme (2003)
by Salvatore Ferragamo

Unlike Bulgari Aqua's 'dirtier' deep sea marine scent, Subtil is light, almost sublime, I guess very much in the vein of Leau d'Issey. It was in fact the first fresh aquatic that could 'teleport' me to the ocean; with it I could feel the cool sea sprays on my face and breathe in the salty air as I sped through the water on a speedboat. Low on sillage and longevity, it ran out after 3 months, leaving a gap in my wardrobe which I have yet to fill.

Great fragrance. Clean, aquatic with some spiciness. Pleasant to the senses. Unpleasant to the pocket. Absolutely not worth the money.......very limited longevity. On me, maybe half an hour if that long !!

This cologne should have been could 'Subtle' pour Homme since subtle is how i define this fragrance. I read in Ferragamo site that ginger is present which i feel gives it a spicy aroma in the top notes. I have smell a freshly cut ginger a numerous times and I could say it is a harsh, sweet spicy frag that will turn off anyone but not as strong as red onion. Nothing to worry about since the ginger in this cologne as well as the other spices are very subtle. I agree with the other basenoters, this frag does not project but if you will like to have something for your own enjoyment try this cologne.

Many people here have commented on how this cologne doesn't project and doens't have any longevity. I personally do not understand where they get this from I sprayed this stuff one time on my arm then rolled my sleeve back down and walked into the house my wife immediately asked me what I was wearing and that she really liked it. It's not a longevity issue because I can smell this on myself clear throughout the entire day with 4 sprays. Subtil is a surprisingly smooth. It's spicy and almost woody yet there are no woods found in the pyramid. Clean, energetic and sophisticated, yet not afraid of proverbialy getting down and dirty. I get a huge cardamom note, and at the end of the day cardamom and patchouli still run that race strong. Good stuff, not great! but I'll probably be keeping this in my arsenal for some time to come.

Similar "blue" or "clean" type of cologne, reminds me a little bit of Hei by Alfred Sung. Subtil has some floral notes, like a jasmine or a freesia. Maybe the slightest bit of verbena, but thankfully they restrained themselves from adding overpowering amounts of orange or lemon like so many other colognes. The citrus levels here are appropriate and controlled. Subtil has a slight "woodsy" tone. It does not contain any pagan sorts of smells to it like benzoin resin or frankincense, nor does it have any musk or heavy "male" notes that I can tell. The topnotes are fresh and clean without smelling like a box of laundry detergent. The middle notes are woodsey, and the basenotes are surprisingly floral. The verbena prevails, mixed with freesia and perhaps a hint of violet. The sample card describes the scent as, "a spicy freshness," and while I would call it fresh I would NOT call it spicy at all. I am an avid cook and passionate about cooking spices, so I think they are just wrong on that account. It doesn't smell like any spice I have in my cupboard! Having said that, I am still happy with Subtil. This would be a good scent for a man to wear to the office; you could sit next to someone in the conference room without overpowering them. It has an overall clean and sophisticated scent without being rough or abrasive. It really is... subtle.

Is it just me or is there like a slight similarity to M7 Fresh? I was in Vegas not too long ago and wore this layered with some Acqua di Gio to give off a fresher/clean vibe...i was surprised with the oh so many complements i received (more so than all my other expensive/niche type fragrances). I was complement by women of all ages..and guys as well (my buddies who were with me on the trip). That said - It now has a permanent spot in my lineup.