Monsieur De Givenchy by Givenchy, 1959

The Monsieur is one of a crew of wonderful masculine citrus chypres from the mid-20th century--Rochas Moustache, Chanel pour Monsieur, YSL pour Homme.)  This genre smells like the middle ground between the feminine green chypre of the 1960s-1970s (Private Collection, Scherrer de Scherrer, Weil de Weil) and Eau de Cologne.  Bear in mind I know the more current formulations of these citrus chypres, which according to many are ghosts of their earlier iterations.  Myself, I turn to the above green chypres if I’m looking for ballsiness and volume.  I like the current men’s citrus chypres for their subtlety and personal scale.  I like this genre for wearing like Eau de Cologne with endurance.   For this use, the Monsieur is perfect.  (I have the les Mythiques formulation.)

 

The big dog on this block is Chanel pour Monsieur.  At any time since its release it’s been considered the best men’s chypre on the market.  Many call it the best men’s chypre of all time.  I only know a recent formulation, and while pretty, it’s so short lived, and fades to such a spectral version of itself that I have to consider it effectively discontinued.

 

OK, obeisance and eulogy to Chanel done, on to Monsieur de Givenchy.  The Monsieur is a long-lasting but light perfume that balances the simple composition, restraint and allure that leads to that rare outcome in masculine perfumery: quiet but unashamed beauty.  I’ve found many who see MdG as the most damaged by reformulations of this genre.  Perhaps for their purposes it is, but I find it enjoyable in the way that it accomplishes all the goals of the citrus chypre genre.  It’s dry/bitter and austere.  It reflects your skin.   It combines an herbal citrus blend (pepper/lemon/bergamot) with a waxy musky quality that is distinctive yet easy-going.  The floral notes give some depth.  It starts rosy and eases into a low-key white floral tone that eventually settle into a carnation note that remains through drydown.  Carnation?  Or was that the pepper from the start?  This little twist shows that for as unfussy as this genre is, the Monsieur wears an I’ve-got-a-secret smile from start to finish.

 

To some, this is a faded gentleman.  To me, a charmer.

 

from scent hurdle.com

Maturity, classicism and discretion introduce this fragrance as one of their most representative olfactory pillar since this perfectly balanced blend of citrus, lavender, aromatic greens, moss and astringent flowers is too historical and exotic (in the sense of coming from a daring age) to be ignored by the lovers of a specific left over glorious era of great enterprises and transmigrations. The juice stands out in the middle between a classic fougere and an exotic chypre. I agree who with stresses the wonderful initial role played by aromatic herbs, hesperides and citrus-lavender before a wonderful mossy dry down sets its roots on the floor. The watery  exoticism of lavender and fluidy aromatics is stunning and the beginning reminds me a bit the daring and fashinating aura exuded by my grandfather with its English Lavender. This fragrance smells definitely less  endly soapy and more citrusy, angular and aromatic than Chanel Pour Monsieur because of its characteristic "colonial" initial citrus-lavender feel that is more sharp than the initial "fizzy" (ginger and cardamom) Pour Monsieur Chanel's vibe. On this sphere this is more similar to Eau Sauvage than to Pour Monsieur. The hesperidic  feel is here more stressed over lemon, bergamot and tangerine than about orange. The smell ends moderately soapy, woody and aromatic still holding its lemony-orangy feel that is in the air since the beginning. The herbs are aqueous and not earthy while the note of carnation and geranium are extremely subtle, sharp and sophisticated. To be avoided if you don't like the genre (as well as my great friend Alfarom writes). Timeless.

This is a review of the original formulation juice... Monsieur de Givenchy opens with a beautifully well-blended mixture of lemon verbena and mossy greens. This verbena and oak moss combo pretty much hangs around from start to finish on my skin, only being joined by a non-powdery subtle lavender in the heart notes, and slightly sweet sandalwood and light musk in the base. The entire set of notes is harmonious to the point that it is very difficult identifying individual ones. There could be a whole gob of other ingredients in here, but I stopped trying to find them and started to enjoy the end result... and what an end result it is! Longevity is average and projection is below average. Maybe I am getting a bit dated myself, but I find vintage Monsieur de Givenchy just as relevant now as it was when it was released. It is masterfully blended, extremely wearable and amazing smelling. It balances subtlety, sophistication and versatility brilliantly. Adding to the long growing list of positives, the vintage juice is quite affordable in relative terms, making this one a "must buy" for anyone into classic scents, which it most certainly is. Monsieur de Givenchy is timeless and easily earns a well-deserved 4.5+ out of 5 stars.