Reviews of Scent 79 for Men (2008)
by Jil Sander

Mark Buxton is hot at the moment and Scent 79 is one of the reasons he has gone on to present his own new range. I tested this a long while ago and loved immediately, but thought it had longevity issues so passed it up. But not for long -- this beautiful chypre is straight into rotation and I spray accordingly regarding keeping it going. An eighties feel, but refined and gloriously blended.

When Luca Turin and Tania Sanchez praise a men’s fragrance to the skies, I get curious, and then I prepare myself for disappointment. More often than not, their idea of a “great masculine” coincides closely with my idea of boring as hell. Imagine my shock when their glowingly reviewed Scent 79 turned out to be one of the best smelling things I’ve tried in months!

Mark Buxton’s Scent 79 is a dry, green floral – woody composition that’s not too far removed in spirit from Givenchy’s Insensé or Paco Rabanne’s Ténéré. It’s drier and more angular than either of those great masculine florals, yet also more transparent. As it evolves Scent 79 takes on a smoky character that echoes both Buxton’s earlier work for Comme des Garçons and Bertrand Duchaufour’s austere incense fragrances like Dzongkha and Avignon. I find Scent 79 especially remarkable for combining light weight and clarity with tremendous projection. How any fragrance can be at once so potent and so transparent is a fascinating puzzle to me.

Scent 79 is linear in its progress, which is fine with me, since I enjoy the principle accord it establishes. The stuff persists for hours then slowly fades into a drydown of cedar and smoky vetiver. Very nice work, this one

Jil Sander Scent 79 Man

I tried this and really liked it when I wrist tested it and the SA gave me a sample to try. Giving it a full wear I'm still liking it but I don't think I'm going to love it. The start is sage and incense which comes in a little depper than a typical top but still it gives way to the best part of this scent which is the floral heart. The heart is a mix of jasmine and violet where the sweet of the jasmine and the tart of the violet intertwine really nicely. The only drawback here is the heart of this is fleeting and fast on me lasting for only a short while. The base is leather and vetiver with some sandalwood and is a nice grounding after the heart. This is one which definitely wears close to my skin and has longevity issues, as well. This is a well-made scent and it is interesting and I feel like I should like it more. The longevity makes this a neutral although while it is there it is pretty good.

All I smell is an incense floral that's a tad fizzy with poor longevity. It's nice but I'll pass.

The notes in this sound marvelous, and it is an eau de parfum. Going on, however, while it's a very nice, I find the sillage modest for an EdP and the longevity a bit disappointing. The scent itself is well made, progeressing nicely from top to bottom. I'm a big fan of clary sage, so its presence here is very welcome, and it makes a wonderful accord with the angelica root and incense. There's no citrus listed in the top here, and indeed, that citrus brightness which might have made it a bit more vivid seems to be missing. A lovely floral accord of jasmine, violet, and orris root in the heart is touchingly simple and subtle, yet elegant. Finally the base of leather, vetiver, and sandalwood is unimpeachably masculine and grounds the scent in that territory. I can't help wishing this stood a]out a bit more from the skin. You've got to get very close to detect it properly, and the lack of any light or sharp note does make it a bit heavy. On the other hand, it's a lovely bit of work, well made and showing good development. I suppose one can't have everything; but one still wants everything, doesn't one? I want to give it a thumbs up, but I'll call this one neutral. I think Buxton could do (and has done) better.

In 79 Jil Sander released her first Womans perfume and in '81 her first mens, Man Pure. Scent 79 is a rework by Marc Buxton of the original Man pure.To be honest, from what I can remember, I wouldn't know now , what the difference is between this and the original Man pure, cause at this moment I don't own the original anymore. But I will try to get it soon.
Fans of Mark Buxton will maybe recognise where he has ad his modernism touch compared to the original.
Anyway, in short , I love this. To me it's a less harsh Chanel Anteus and longer lasting. A woody, leather chypre with green flower elements.
It has topnotes of Angelika root then incense.In the middle floral notes of jasmine , violet wood and orris concrete. The base has leather, sandelwood and vetiver.
An 80s powerhouse fougere, chypre,scent translated into modern times. Lovers of Anteus, Tom Ford Extreme, DK Fuel have to try this, when they get the chance. It's an edp and it's released in a 125ml bottle.