Gendarme V by Gendarme, 2000

Smells like clean soap. Fresh. Light. Too light. Not bad, but not good. Soap is cheaper.

I just don't like these notes, except for the civet, which is done well here. I'll give it a neutral because I can't think of anything "wrong" with it, but it's definitely not the kind of fragrance I enjoy these days. I find the anise to be strong and not pleasant here, but I do like Lolita Lempicka au Masculin, so that leads me to believe that it's just the combination here that doesn't work for me, rather than the fragrance being "bad" in any way.

To me this was all about biting into a green apple. Ultimately, this is not the kind of enjoyment I seek when wearing a fragrance. Civet in the note list of this? HA HA!! Quite a joke. This is all about smelling clean (and undaring) and therefore, for the ones who can't have a third or fourth shower during the day due to time constraints...

The opening of V is rather remarkable for its fizz and effervescence. Gradually, it becomes evident that this is merely a prelude to a rather dusty rose, or whatever heavy florals one finds in the genre of Ungaro III, Van Cleef and Arpels, or Czech and Speake #88. Masculine rose scents never really do anything for me personally, so I would never buy this stuff. Still, if a fan of those brands wanted a slightly more summery analog for his collection, then Gendarme V might be a good place to start the search.

lemon and lemonbalm but not a lemony scent. i smell some lime and that's about it. i got a used bottle of ebay so it won't get a thumbs down.

Doesn't Gendarme do anything else besides soapy, clean scents. This one has a weird floral note (carnation?) in it. A little better than the original.

I have a hard time distinguishing this from the original. As with the original, I don't find the unnuanced grassiness very appealing.

A less citrusy version of the original classic, the base of Vetiver and Tonka is what distinguishes it. One of my friends like this version better, and says that the earth Vetiver is what makes it stand out (he is a big fan of earthy vetiver scents). However to my nose, the combination of the clean fresh top notes and then a transformation to an earthy vetiver base, while sounds intriguing on paper, doesnt really work for me .. the fresh top notes and the earthy vetiver clash a lot and the scent seems unstable at times.

Subtle variation on the original Gendarme. To my nose, the same quiet purity and quality but a different dimension of clean with less of a citrus emphasis. Imagine a summer breeze blowing gently through the flimsy curtains of a quiet room that smells vey pure and with a faint odour of fine spice. As with the original Gendarme, a rather frail scent, but utterly wearable, calm and kind.
It's not surprising that some politicians apparently wear Gendarme scents. Perhaps their public relations people ought to insist on it. After all, these scents project such subtle subconscious cues about what a decent, upstanding fellow the wearer must be. No sleaze or chicanery around here, folks!

Wow! I really wish there was a 2+ thumbs up symbol below. Sometimes i write a review after a day or two of wearing and the excitement is still there and i kick myself later because my thoughts have changed. Not with Gendarme V. This is #1 or #2 (i alternate between GIT and this) of worn scents.

I will really be adding nothing more the aforementioned comments (especially scentementals.. a big champion of the scent on the board) except the following:

1) although pepper is not mentioned in any layer of this scent, i smell it.. and it is wonderful. Maybe it is an herb/scent i'm unaware of that mirrors but the pepper head is nice.

2)This is the same scent for hours, and in a good way. Imagine a scent that has no middle or drydown really, is totally synthetic, and still can maintain this worthy buzz, kudos Topper if you read this board.

Regardless if they admit it or not, a top 5 scent on anyone's shortlist that has tried it.

Regards...