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

what i smell is leather, incense, nutmeg and especially smoke. i also agree with other reviewers that it also vaguely smells like candlewax. There is also a very pleasant crisp note in the drydown that clears my nasal passages like cold outdoor air; it is a very agreeable sensation. it is a good casual fragrance, and regardless of how much you apply it never smells like you overapplied it. Don't be concerned with longevity or sillage: it has a soft but stubborn persistence that lasts for many hours, despite your early fears that you might not have applied enough. On the contrary, 2 man actually amplifies gradually after the drydown. I enjoy Gucci PH but i prefer this. I think the similarities between the two have been exaggerated. Gucci ph is more linear then 2 man. They don't smell similar until 2 man reach its drydown, at which point the two share a sweet note i can't identify. But Gucci ph keeps a tobacco flavor while 2 man maintains the incense and smoke. Also, 2 man has superior longevity. I get more satisfaction from it; gucci ph smells nice, but 2 man is thought provoking and evocative. It stimulates my critical mind and encourages me to deconstruct and understand it. It collects compliments of a similar nature too. "that smells good!" followed by "what is that?" followed by a brief analytical discussion, usually. I'm not kidding.

28th December, 2011.

Very similar to Gucci Pour Homme 1 (2003.) and Juicy Couture Dirty English. It projects more and lasts longer than Gucci PH I, so it is a good alternative to it as Gucci PH I and Dirty English are discontinued fragrances. What's there to say about this juice? Incense, spice and warm wood. Women will appreciate it as they're bombarded with sweet scents or overly citrus scents by men all the time. All in all, sometimes copycats are not such a bad idea after all, au contraire.

25th December, 2011.

Manly stuff. Woody, smoky adding and emphasizing that dark, broody mysterious vibe to your personality...masculine stuff. Always got a bottle for those colder days. Lasts and projects well. Classic for me.

18th December, 2011.

I have owned this for some time, but hardly ever find an occasion to wear it. To me, it is a cold, somewhat unfriendly scent. How to explain? Well, I am not a huge cumin fan and I like my vetiver to be gentle. This contains a fistful of vetiver and more than enough cumin to crinkle my nose. Then the incense aspect is totally synthetic - a CDG trademark, perhaps - but it always tends to harden a fragrance. I think that when most people use the term synthetic - considering that most fragrances are heavily synthetic, they are actually referring to a lack of warmth. While this may be appropriate in some instances, it just seems creepy here. Compare to the incense in Micaleff''s Shanaan for example (very warm, IMO) . Somewhat comically, as well, I get weird associations with sausage at times, from the smokiness. Weird, synthetic sausage?!

So why did I buy it? It does somehow come together as a scent - if you can avoid over applying it. And, it gets better as it dries down. It is edgy, if you are looking for that effect. So a neutral 'cause I must have liked it at one time. Funny, maybe some day I will enjoy it again.

15th December, 2011.

Love at the first sight. This meets all my demands for this sort of fragrance. Love the smoothy frankincense and smoky woods. Best value for your cash. Special one and one of my all times favorites!

7th September, 2011.

The first hour of the evolution is the one i prefer because of its really dry-medicinal but at once sensual and corporeal cool feel. May be is the effect of the interaction between cumin, smoked woods and rooty vetiver that enhances a smell of warm masculine skin under the blankets with a barely detectable whiff of sweat blended with herbal and slightly sweet deodorant (nutmeg, iris). In this phase the smoke is incensey, a bit medicinal and the fragrance keeps a sort of campfire feel soaring in the air that is still dry, smoked and herbal. The effect of iris starts to rise a certain dosage of floral sophistication and sweetness. At this point the smell reminds me a bit 7 de Loewe and Cacharel Pour Homme in the first part of their evolution when are still herbal, incensey and a bit pharmaceutical. This incensey-smoked feel in a while turns as a smell of cleaned hotel room, the smell of washed and ironed laundry and bedclothes mixed  in the air with the smell of cleaned bathroom, bath soaps and foams. Some talk about aldehydes and infact in this phase the smell is powerful and airy while passing time it tends to fade towards a leathery and lemony vetiver very subtle and a bit similar to the new Voyage d'Hermes but with a persistet smokey-woodsy touch. Is undeniable this is a well crafted fragrance from a great brand whose anyway i prefer the Incense Series and the Parfum Luxe Patchouli and Champaca.

20th June, 2011.