Fendi Uomo by Fendi, 1988

You are spending a year abroad in Roma, the eternal city. You have treated yourself to an expensive FENDI leather tote bag. It will become your souvenir when you return home and remind you of shopping daily at the open air markets. Today you are shopping for ingredients for a lovely fish dinner you are preparing for a special friend you met living in your building. You head out with the FENDI tote to a favorite market near the Spanish Steps. You toss in a couple of plump lemons and a particularly fragrant bunch of marjoram. Your eye catches a lovely older woman who makes home-made lavender soaps and purchase one for a sybaritic bath later that evening before your guest arrives. Before you head home you peruse the flower section for a bouquet for the dinner table. There is a mixed arrangement that looks particularly appealing. It is comprised of white carnations, white lilies and a few sprigs of jasmine thrown in. It will be perfect in the candlelight. You stop at a sidewalk cafe' for an expresso before returning back to your apartment. This is the hottest part of the day and your filled tote sits in the sun for a spell. The fragrant items in that tote are at their peak. When you return home you open your tote and the most wonderful aroma of herbs, flowers, soap and of course, the smell of expensive leather envelope you. You are in rapture. That is the smell of FENDI UOMO in a nutshell. When this was launched in the 80's there was the most sexy promotional film used in department stores. It was a beautiful Roman woman searching desperately through a burning Roman temple. She finally finds what she is looking for, a classical male nude marble statue. She approaches it and gives him a kiss on the lips. Lo and behold he turns human from his solid state. She is in sheer bliss. That is the way I feel when I wear UOMO.

I bought a large bottle of this untried and at whim when I saw it on sale for under $20. I had recalled some of the great reviews on-line and couldnt resist the very retro dark faux marble and gold bottle. Little did I realise what was about to unfold this fragrance just about blew my head off! Although the drydown is sublime in its nature, unfortunately, the top notes are just far too abrasive for me. I know that each nose is different and we all have our own olfactory preferences, but Im not kidding when I say that the first blast was like my nostrils had been assaulted by some kind of hot, spicy, almost poisonous gas! I had been forewarned about its strength, so I was careful not to over-apply. One spray on each wrist and one on my chest was all it took to completely overwhelm me. Initially, I was tempted to run to the shower and immediately wash the whole lot off, but then I decided to give this classic its fair due and see where this assault would lead. The very strong abrasive notes lasted a good 2 3 hours before the whole thing started to calm down. About 4 5 hours later, I was enveloped in a gorgeous & entrancing herbal sweet musk. Unfortunately, by this time I was far too olfactorily (is that a word?) exhausted that I couldnt enjoy it as Im sure it was intended. When I awoke the next morning, I could still clearly detect the herbal musky drydown; this is some 14 hours after a 3 spray application! I can certainly see that some guys could pull this off and enjoy it too, but I guess Im just not courageous enough to endure the almost 4 hour assault on my senses, before the drydown.

How would I define Fendi Uomo? "Quorum in a tuxedo". Both strong patchouli/leather scents, but while Quorum is intrusive and with an attitude, Fendi Uomo is gentler, maybe a little more friendly, but still is a ballsbusting macho perfume yelling "I am here" (while wearing silk gloves). The bitter Artemisia note in Quorum (which I love) is replaced by Coriander and Angelica in Fendi, not as "sharp" as Quorum giving Fendi a rounder and deeper feel. The heart is much much more complex in Fendi with Jasmine taking a more prominent role in Fendi, and while Quorum is woodier, Fendi is spicier. Then, in both, patchouli takes the reins sitting in this rich leather saddle and would not let go until the cows come home. Quorum's drydown being mossier and Fendi's sweeter, but both highly enjoyable. Although they are somewhat different perfumes, they share too many facets that I can not think in one without thinking in the other. I love them both and while Quorum appeals to the brute in me, Fendi appeals to a more sophisticated me. This review is for the vintage Fendi (Horizontal clear Window) and not for the reformulated one (Vertical clear window) I think the bad reviews here may refer to the reformulated one.