Reviews of The One for Men (2008)
by Dolce & Gabbana

With a name like “The One,” I expect this to be the fragrance equivalent of Jet Li. It isn’t – it opens without inspiration… the citrus / herbal opening is a bit ordinary, slightly plastic, and quite discreet… but I sort of like it. The middle, too, is rather pleasant, perhaps because of its discretion, lightness, and balance. It, too, is slightly spicy but it adds a floral that the pyramid says is orange blossom… hard for me to tell. The base is a soft presentation of amber, tobacco, and musk – nicely done…

The One is an okay scent. Its attractiveness is in its soft, balanced sillage, its well-thought-out construction, and almost adequate longevity. It’s too young for me but I would imagine that it’s a nice fragrance for a young man.

The One starts out life with a conventional but nicely rendered sweet citrus top note, rounded off by some discreet aromatics and a touch of cardamom. It quickly thickens and sweetens as a clean, but oddly “artificial” smelling white flower accord comes into play. The entire composition then assumes an olfactory texture akin to marshmallow candy, as a cloud of dusty cedar and powdery vanillic notes wells up in the foundation. The result is something like tropical fruit over coconut – not far removed, in fact, from a piña colada. I smell neither tobacco nor ambergris.

The poolside cocktail accord chugs right along, little paper parasol and all, until it arrives at its pleasant-but-insipid sweet woody/vanillic drydown. Sillage and projection are both adequate: neither is skimpy, but neither will offend your neighbors. In fact, there’s nothing here at all to hate. Nor, sadly, is there much to celebrate. Were you to take an edgier masculine gourmand – A*Men, say, or Lolita Lempicka au Masculin – and pare away anything that might cause even the slightest wrinkle of the nose, The One is very likely what you’d get. To whit, another in the vast herd of sweet, bland, woody masculine gourmands that encompasses scents like Burberry’s Brit, Rochas Man, and Givenchy’s Pi. Unnecessary.

My co-worker practically bathes in this stuff. I had to tell him the truth: it reminds me of a brew of Captain Morgan's spiced rum and toilet bowl cleaner. My entire workplace had an intervention and told him that the scent is incredibly offensive/ terrible.

this one starts off synthetic. then with haste this scent gets intriguing. i get some ginger. the discrete tobacco and ambergris is intresting and one whiff of this wont do because its enticing. the issues i have is that the one is inconsistent with that experience and at times the synthetic presence tends to hang around. a nice one by D&G.

A rather indistinct fragrance that meanders to its conclusion a little too hastily. A nice squelchy, fresh opening leads into the obligatory fragrant dead end. The middle notes sound like they are having a great time in there, but they didn't take the trouble to invite me. I wanted this to really intoxicate me, but either D & G felt I wasn't ready for the real thing, or this really is just a wisp of smoke pretending to be something special. Either way, its not really worth the effort getting to know this.

what makes me like this is the base notes--in fact its the only reason i wear it. they're wonderful, and i wish they existed in dior homme, because that combo would be perfect

This is a great evening scent. It is warm and sweet, and it has great lasting power. I have worn it many times, and I always get positive reviews about it. Many people have asked me what I am wearing, and do not hesitate to tell me how good it smells. I am a fan, and will buy again.

Disappointing. The fragrance starts off ok but the base is sickly sweet in a synthetic way. Shame that as the idea of this one is nice and the ingredients on paper are nice. Not a disaster this one but it fluffs it at the last hurdle. The bottle is way too heavy and unecessarily so . Not great for the baggage allowance is it? P&G seem to be making overly synthetic stuff these days. Im my humble opinion designers should be focusing on a back to basics marketing ploy of selling the product based on purer raw materials being used ( not so much synthetic ) and trying less hard to produce something so original. A nice smell is a nice smell but something that is less chemical and more natural appeals. Well it does at least to me.

This is my first review, and will keep it simple. This gets my highest rating of all "newer" scents. IMO it's unique and will be around for a long time.

When I'm wearing this, I find myself walking around trying to smell my own scent at the expense of the ladies I'm usually trying to ingest by breathing. I think that's a good testament, though it looks a little perverse here in front of me in print.

This scent is fun, but different, in each phase. It's kind of a wake-up call when I first splash it on, then it has me sniffing in curiosity trying to figure out that light-speed metamorphosis it makes into its final phase. If you don't keep up with this one, you'll be left behind.

It settles down (on me) into this long-lasting, flirtatious "now-you-see(smell)-me, now-you-don't" kind of event that goes on for hours. I cannot characterize what it actually smells like, but it is evocative of the saddle house of my grandfather's ranch in Texas. It had all sorts of deeply oiled saddles and bridles and sweaty horse blankets and stuff like neatsfoot oil and saddle soap and Three-in-One oil.

This cologne does not smell like ANY of the above, but wearing it connects me, at unexpected little intervals, with a time and place nearly a lifetime away. That's kind of cool. Your experience may vary.

This is mainly a very nice smelling fragrance that appeals quite a lot to females. From my point of view it's sweet & edible, medium lasting not many people can say that they don't like the smell

it's a bit synthetic at the opening but in the middle it reaches a really soft vanilla & coconut smell and ends with a great ambery drydown
My opinion: go ahead and buy this, you can't miss with D&G The one for men.

CONS: Because it's very popular, you won't feel like "The one" when all your friends buy it :)

if you buy it, throw it in your car or something. youll want to apply immediately before you need it. i have had this stuff blow away in the wind on me. however, i do love the scent.

A very surprising favorite from Dolce and Gabbana. It is warn, sensual, and sophisticated. It has a tiny bit of a coconut smell, but it works with the rest of the notes. It's a great nighttime scent. I feel sexier when I put it on.

Smells like a much weaker version of Versace Blue Jeans. It does have some merit in that VBJ is hard to wear because it is sooo strong. The One allows you to enjoy the scent without suffocating in the process, so for that, I give it thumbs up.

Perfect at the beginning, I was about to buy one,
But after couple of hours, becoming a very cheap and fruity scent.

Not a sophisticated scent, try once more before you buy.

Interesting frag. I do gret a smell of coconut but there is none listed n the pyramid. This would b great for fall/winter months as casual or yet business wear. I'm not a huge fan of tobaco but this is done nicely. It will be in my wardrobe very soon.

My new number one fragrance! Sweet, spicy and clean. Delicious!

I'm a sucker for cedar, and after looking at the note pyramid the only other note that I can clearly ascertain is tobacco. But even before I saw the note pyramid I knew it smelled damn good. The One is very well blended and has a sexy, classy, fancy gentleman air about it, but on a casual day. The One is greater than the sum of its parts, and the spices and fruit come together to be a single unit of sensation. Am I being clear?

Something tells me that this is really going to take off and soon it'll be known as The One Everybody is Wearing.

Hopefully I'm wrong and then I can get a bottle.
And that last sentence is the sign of serious mental illness.

The coriander is too strong for me. Most herbs are not my friends in cologne. I guess you'll have to try it for yourself..

I can say this is one of a kind. Masculine, sexy, classy. I find it a little of Carolina Herrera's Chic for men in it (maybe coconut?) though tobacco notes are stronger. This is one of my favorites ever.
visit my blog in Spanis
http://lasmejoreslociones.blogspot.com/

i cant make up my mind for this scent ... smells good .... not unique but not generic .... i dont mind wearing it ... but .... i give it the lowest level of thumbs up .....

It has a pleasent smell... Kind of like an orange creamsicle with a base of tobacco. I just don't think it is very masculine... It almost smells unisex. Not my type, but a good scent.

Very very tasty. Reminds me of Givenchy Pi, but more sensual. More vanilla, more gourmand. Very nice. It really projects in heat. Women really love it. warm warm warm.

Below, lizzie_ j described The One almost the way I'd describe it: creamy, spicy, sensual, very sexy. It's also rich, thick and very wearable. I'm a woman and love this on DH, and also use it myself. Not sure I get coconut but it might be there since I tend to fall for that sort.

It might not be complex or extraordinary, but it does smell very good.
Beats most of the mainstream male fragrances easily.

Unfortunately (if you like coconut) there is no coconut. I believe the scent that some are confusing with coconut is acutually Amber.
This was developed (according to DG) around tobacco. Anyone who has ever smelled a high-end cigar (tobacco, not smoke) knows that this is a good thing.
There is some cedar and leather with the tobacco and it works nicely. The other end of the spectrum is the ginger, orange blossom and grapefruit.
Dries down to light tobacco and amber.
This is a thick, sultry scent that not everyone can wear.

D&G The One is a sweet & spicy scent! It has a soft base, but also has the rich, warm notes, of the ginger, amber, and tobacco!! I really enjoy the experience of this fragrance!! It is warm, exotic, and sensual scent. Great for the fall or winter!!

I love the coconut in this. Not overpowering or cloying or suntan lotion-like. Freshly grated coconut from the market. The rest of the fragrance is a delight as well. Creamy and complex, spicy and sensual. VERY sexy. Full bottle worthy...for my SO!

Notes:
Top: Grapefruit, Coriander, Basil
Middle: Cardamom seed, Ginger, Orange blossom
Base: Cedar, Amber, Tobacco

Created for the modern hedonist who never passes by unobserved, The One for men delivers a boring, just-barely-good-enough workman like performance that will pass you by ..

Citrus painted with a coat of fresh aromatic spices and spicy-herbal basil highlights lays down the carpet for The One,...theres also a zingy ginger note acting as an outlier. Within minutes a juicy orange blossom note comes forth to form the main heart ..ironically incontrast to the top notes this is an orange blossom note stripped of its spicy tones, and is more juicy mandarin like in its effect. I detect no coconut note whatsoever .. perhaps its the intermingling of the top and heart notes via the cardamom that brings about a very tenuous coconut link for a minute or two at most, although I should say that Mr. Bareback-sex-on-a-beach aka Mathew McConoughey (the face of The One homme) wouldn't mind a fresh coconut note all.. The juicy sweetness of the blossom melds into the ambery basenotes with bare traces of sweet tobacco and woods. Moderate sillage and 5-6 hour longevity for this One.

In this era of 800 fragrance releases per year, The One's solid but very conventional construction comes off as boring and yawn worthy .. there's no edge and no distinctive accord to propel this into the top 500. Perhaps D&G need to use the nudist colonies that Mathew McConoughey is so hell bent to start as inspiration for their next juice..

Rating: 6.00/10.00

Starts off sweet and slightly spicy and ends with an amber, woody base. It's very subtle - perfect for a night romantic evening when you want to be up close and personal, but the low sillage keeps it from being a good club scent. Longevity is average. A great scent for cold months.

I've actually had a lot of success layering The One with D&G Pour Homme. Once dried down, they both compliment each other quite well. I find the peppery warmth of Pour Homme really helps to balance the sweet warmth of The One and makes it much more intense and noticable. I have received far more inquiries and compliments than either one on their own. Pour Homme is much stronger, so one has to be careful to balance the two accordingly - I find a 3-1 ratio of The One to Pour Homme is ideal.

Not my favourite from this house, but no bad. I do like the coconut note and the overall scent does bring alot of compliments when I wear it.

Also, dare I say, this bottle is much, much, much better than the last couple (ya know, the ones with the stickers that love to come off and the tops that leak).

I think this one will grow on me.

Terrible. Bermuda Tonic for Aramis, only more alcohol in the drydown. Rub coconut lotion on yourself. Its cheaper.

Some associations with Silver Shadow (Davidoff), but The One is much better. Very italian style with nice ingredients.
Some vanilla or something sweet is here, but good one. Natural sweetness. Exactly.That s it.
Good longevity and sillage, absolutly recommend it for a romantic night date.
The name is perfect! The One!

I never trust fragrances that have huge advertising campaigns surrounding it. More thought should have gone into the actual fragrance, which is very generic and totally naff. Yawnworthy and 'The One' to completely ignore if you are looking for something interesting. Tobacco? -- Do me a favour.

I was in love with "the one" for about two hours. Pessimist that I am, I kept wondering when it would stop getting better and better. Ehh, well, my girl and I had dinner for our 10 month anniversery...she didn't notice it. At all. As in, no feedback--good or bad. Took it back the next day. If D&G could just make their cologne last longer, we would have had a winner. (Also, hated how this reminded me of Gucci Envy.)

i love how this smells, that`s why i have bought it from sephora. but it lasts for 1 hour maximum... it`s quality from this point of view is very low....

i hate this stuff, i bought it and sold the same day. all i smell is oranges. i really cant understand how anyone can like this. it also smells pretty cheap and goes in about 1 hour. AVOID

This is not a bad fragrance, but it smells like David Beckham's Intimately Beckham + Coconut. I am a fan of Intimately Beckham, but not really a fan of Coconut.

It's nice but It smells like a lighter version of Michael Kors!
I can smell the same fruity accord, but this one supressed the pipe tobbaco/patchouli combo. Seems more modern than Kors, but definetely less rich.
Longevity is good, 6 to 8 hours on my skin.

This smells so much better than Light Blue and Masculine and PH (to my nose, my opinion). I am getting a very creamy smell when I spray this on my body but I'm not getting that hint of Coconut. Try it to see how it bares with you but my friend was with me at the time of purchase and she absolutely adores it, so yeah, women/girls love it.

Eh...what is to say what hasn't already been said. It definitely strikes me as a big coconut fragrance. Much like Creed Virgin Island water, but without the complexity.
I think you could only wear this one in the warm months because of it.

I can wear this frag anywhere and I will get a compliment. While it starts off a bit synthetic, once the drydown kicks in it tends to linger lightly on my skin and not overpower. A great frag for summer nights and autumn afternoons. The ladies at church seem to enjoy it; one even bought some for her husband. Had to inform her to buy a set for herself as well.

This stuff is TOO good and keeps up the tradition of amazing quality from my favourite fragrance house, dolce and gabbana. smells almost heavenly and even if used too much couldn't offend anyone because its like rich wood with a certain spice about it. women love this stuff too and even males ask me about it. its amazing for money as longetivity and sileage are great and is definetly reccomened along with the other fragrances from the mighty house of dolce and gabbana. go get it.

Givenchy Pi-na Colada (Givenchy's Pi plus coconut). Not very unique but smells good.

wow, first impression is a big hit of coconut (?), i loooove coconut.
after a few minutes however it calms down to some sweet ambery mainstream stuff.
i smell herbs, too but cant smell the tobacco at all.
unfortunately nothing special and definetely not worthy to be named THE ONE.
i would have expected some extraordinary, something daring after the let down with LBPH but looks like they stay on the cant fail to badly side.
not too bad but thats it

well the name is fits this fragrance about as much as "THE Guide" fits Turin's book...however, this is a pretty good fragrance.....it starts off with spicy notes of cardamom, patchouli and amber with slight tobacco undertones....the background is fresh and infused with quite a beautiful citrus......as it developes it becomes much sweeter and amber takes over with cedar kicking in..scent reminiscent of very sweet sandalwood...The sillage is slight to very moderate but the lasting power is quite good.....the two big drawbacks - the fragrance is minimal in its power and it's beginning is so incredibly promising where the drydown and basenotes becomes too sweet and almost powder like.

"the one" is a love/hate frag for me. I love the scent, but hate that it's not stronger. But there's always a solution - in this case, buy big and spray adequately. Seriously, this one has training wheels that can't be removed. One could cover every inch of skin with the stuff, and it wouldn't overpower. It's almost impossible to turn this one into a sillage monster. "Close to the skin" is hilarious understatement. But the scent you get when you sniff up close is divine. It's a sweet, warm, subtle, ambery fragrance that is mildly reminiscent of YSL L'Homme. If the version pour femme is anything like this, I'm going to buy it for the wife and sniff her until she has to shoo me away with a newspaper!

Here's what fragrancedirect says:

Occasion: Romantic wear
Launch Date: 2008
The One for Men perfectly reflects the Dolce & Gabbana man: charasmatic and seductive, elegant and sophisticated, he loves taking care of himself. A modern hedonist who never passes by unobserved. Oriental-Spicy Luminous, with sensual and elegant, the fragrance is created around a sensual tobacco note.

Well, I don't know about all that other stuff. But romantic wear sounds about right.

Not groundbreaking, the general composition reminded me of Very Valentino for Men. The fresh citrus notes settle into spicy notes of cardamom, tobacco, patchouli and amber and pretty much stays that way. Rather heavy at first, but settles into a close to the skin scent for intimate occasions. The drydown is rather animalic with lingering notes of musk patchouli and cedar. Nice, but not THE One for me.

Smells great, girls love it, TBA Pour Homme is a wonderful addition to the D&G line.