Narciso Rodriguez for Him (2007)
by Narciso Rodriguez

I loved this fragrance at first. Now, I'm indifferent to it.

After having a professor in college who wore Grey Flannel, I realized that Narciso Rodriguez for Him is basically a modernized version of Grey Flannel, right down to the violet. This is not a bad thing. What is bad is that I learned that I was anosmic to the drydown - a shame because the top and middle notes are really good.

So I sold my bottle.

14 November, 2013

It's about time...

My wife brought me a bottle of this on one of her frequent trips through duty free.

Her comment on handing it to me... this is your kind of scent I think.

(read subtext... after three years together and many gifts from me from the duty free store that I thought was nice and the sales girl thought was nice and said "all the guys wear it" so I bought it home to you and you thanked me profusely, wore it a few times, then put it to the back of the cupboard)

A spray, my face screwed up ready to be polite while gagging on another eye watering burst of calone and cheap synthetics.

A sniff.

Another spray.

Liking it...

liking it...

liking it....

can't last it's far too interesting and not acquatic or sugary fruity like the last twenty years of mainstream dross....

liking it...

topnotes are fading

liking it...

liking it...

liking it....

My wife may not necessarily like my taste in fragrances but... she loves me enough to know what I'll like. This is a modern mens cologne, for a modern man. A head bowed in the direction of yesteryear, with enough of a twist to not be dated. This one can stay at the front of the cupboard for awhile, with the big boys.

07 October, 2013

This is one of the rarest fragrances I've ever smelled. For me this is a mix of Chanel's Antaeus and Hugo Boss's Just Different. This one is heavy blast of spicy, musky and animalistic notes (is it cat pee?) captured in a fantastic bottle. I agree with those that say it smells like wet pavement and lots of violet leaf, though I would add it has tons of musk and amber. Somehow it reminds of masculine fragrances that were so popular back in the 80's (Lapidus, Antaeus, Xeryus), which I can barely tolerate in the 2010's. Though not a bad fragrance at all, it lacks versatility (because of its highly complex notes) but instead has excellent projection and sillage. Great for guys who are into old man-like fragrances, and definitely not for everyone. That being said, try it before you buy it, and make sure to have kleenex tissues, just in case.

04 April, 2013

A beautiful strange fragrance and even though very typical of aromatic-fougere type.
I bought this 2 weeks ago and eager to try it I sprayed 3 shots and was hitted instantly by a dark cloud of grey amber, violet leaf, patchouli & musk that almost choked my senses. It's like a dirty oily concrete perimeter that surrounds a violet & patchouli garden under a spring rain and I just Love it !.
The spray mechanism is very effective so I would say a max. 3-4 sprays in a normal day to get the whole feeling experience. Ambery, fougere, wet, musky, aromatic, dark, long-lasting...it has them all !.
My personal rank 8.8/10. Nice job Francis Kurkdjian !

28 March, 2013

Beautiful homage to the bold fougeres of the 70s and 80s -- this is a raspy violet over a deep base of patchouli. The Amber doesn't become apparent until well into the drydown. Francis Kurkdjian did an amazing job here, well blended, sophisticated. For patchouli haters, fear not! it is treated in a very elegant way similar to how Tom Ford has used it in Black Orchid and Homme Intense. Notes that are also present but not listed in the Basenotes description are a peppery opening with cinnamon leaf and eugenol present for the whole ride. Highly reccomended.

15 March, 2013

I hated this when I first sampled it. It seemed too overpowering, too synthetic, and cloying. For some reason, though, weeks after I'd tried it in store (and scrubbed it), NRFH popped into my head and I felt compelled to give it another go. I'm glad I did, because over time it's become an excellent addition to my wardrobe, particularly in cold weather months (of which my neck of the woods has 7 per year).

Serious, elegant and a bit off-putting, I enjoy Narciso Rodriguez For Him very much. Next up: Musc for Him!

07 March, 2013