Comme des Garçons 2 Man (2004)
by Comme des Garçons

A great woody incense. I get a lovely salty-smoky leather note in the middle that I wasn't expecting. I wear both this and Gucci 1, and agree they are similar in style. Woody and smoky but not overly bleak-dry (like Black Tourmaline), sweetened with spices.

Since I'm a lady, I layer it with a soft, gourmand vanilla. The two balance each other out and are delicious and nuanced together, like a fireplace and nog and a warm blanket. Comforting.

I really wanted to love this, especially given that if you wait long enough, its pretty incredibly uplifting. The opening top is a rather vicious blast of chemical astringent strength spice. After an hour or so, it starts drying down to a very ozonic, alpine, crisp highly refined woods. In fact it's the most crisp atmospheric woods I've found. However, I don't have the patience to wait for the goods to be delivered and hate the opening badly enough to dismiss this. I may come back to it on a really hot day and wait out the open.

In comparison, I prefer Tamboti Wood which has an impressive open that gets to the point and stays generally linear through its drydown. Although more realistic wood than 2 Man, I find it far more satisfying.

Starting with lots of incense, caraway, anise, cardamon the like, smoke, faint sweetness, dry warmth. It reminds me of nights at the campfire, baking potatoes in it, peeling the partly burnt rind off. In my conception it's a twisted gourmand. The spices are right away edible, well done in the oven, often applied to baked potatoes in at least Germany.
An odd idea, instantiated well. The liking is a matter of taste, though. I definitely would like to smell as if I have had an adventurous night out in the fields occasionally (dating, opera etc. ... ;-)

It lasts for about 60 minutes on me sprayed liberally. After that period it dragged me down to present time. The base is - for my nose - plain Iso E Super. Some 0-dimensional odor, others describe as velvety, woody, musky etc. I can't stand it. At least that highly appreciated scent of autumnal campfire has blown away then. What a pity! The choking velvet aftermath bothers me to much, I simply ain't able to give it even one more try.

2 Man smells like incense, smoke, and my grandma upon opening spray. The dry down and uniqueness of this fragrance makes up for the grandma part. Worth a shot.

First I get a dry, astringent, aromatic opening that smells strongly of rosemary and dried lavender. Incense and tarry notes soon follow, along with a sweet artificial fruit note. The overall impression is relatively stark and gray. The only color comes from the air freshener fruit note, and that color is glossy hot pink.

The sweetness doesn't last long, but it somehow manages to leave a ghost of its synthetic edge, so that the remaining accord is spare, harsh, and oddly "mechanical." Powdery elements in the base contribute a dry, musty component to CdG 2 Man, and I'm suddenly reminded of the dusty, metallic interior of a well-used CPU with its cover removed for repair.

The incense note becomes more and more tenuous over time, and as it fades it uncovers a dry, smoky leather in the background. This is not the cowboy boots and barbecue smoke of Lonestar Memories, or the velvety leather of Eau d'Hermès. Instead it is the harsh, bitter smoke of an electrical fire. After an hour or two what remains on my skin is mostly mineralic dust dust and smoke, as if someone had recently burned an electronic device on a concrete floor. CdG 2 Man's sillage and projection are both minimal, and the scent is not among the most tenacious that I've worn.

When I look back at what I've just written, I realize that CdG 2 Man is far less intriguing and provocative than my description makes it sound. Yes, it's odd, but I don't find it as challenging as many Comme des Garcons scent can be. It's bleak monotony is ultimately dull, and wearing CdG 2 Man only reminds me how much better this house has done in the past. In the end CdG 2 Man is nothing more than a protracted yawn.

Very interesting fragrance. I am delighted - though not sure I would like to wear it. Actually it smells to me of a fireplace, freshly burnt wood, caraway tea and good leather at the same time.For me it is indeed a very masculine fragrance