Oscar For Men by Oscar de la Renta, 2000

This stuff is incredibly complex and rewards careful study, which is absolutely necessary to understand what's going here. The first time I wore this all I smelled was pepper and cumin. It was disgusting, but I didn't want to write it off immediately. I'm glad I didn't. I'm on my second wearing and now I smell the spices and herbs, the citrus and the flowers. I'm still not sure if I like it, but I will enjoy the process of understanding it. This is definitely not a clone. Indeed, it is very much its own animal.

I just can't help going back to this magnificent fragrance time and time again, and each time I do I seem to appreciate it a little bit more. A powerful, masculine opening of citrus, pepper and woods which takes you through the day, changing very little along the way other than a slight softening and maybe, just maybe, a touch of late vanillic sweetness. 100ml of this can now be had for less than £15 but it punches well above its price bracket and, at the moment, is probably the closest thing I have to a signature scent. Great projection and staying power: thumbs skyward.

Very nice - though not terribly long lasting. It's different and good. Others have described the individual notes better than I could do. Still, it is indeed complex and unusual, but not in any way offensive. It's a treat to smell a fine cologne that is unlike anything else.

Very complex. Powerful opening and sublime dry down. The dry down is well connected to the opening, rather than being a complete shift. One of the most significant affordable men's fragrances in production IMHO. All the better for being an off beat choice. Would be a great signature, and one to keep to yourself. Never tell anyone what it is. Or better still, say it's a one off niche fragrance.

What a relaxed, casual frag that doesn't take itself too seriously! They don't make them like this anymore. Hard to categorize - is it fresh, woody or spicy? No, it's all 3 but it never leans one way or the other as the balance is perfect. Opening grapefruit & citrus quickly unfolds into a spicy heart black pepper, nutmeg and clove. The pepper is strong but works well with the other elements. Shortly, the balsam fir and cedar take over to reveal another facet. There's so many great frags that OfM reminds me of (Polo Green, Gucci PH, Grey Flannel). Outstanding depth and quality for a fairly cheap frag. Search the net or the local TJ Maxx for a bottle as it's long discontinued. 7/10

This woody spicy fragrance is, for me, a very complicated one! After reading all reviews I see that many say different things about it as well, which confirms my thoughts. I own it now for a year and start liking it more and more and more! I am very sensible for black pepper and the oil of this spice is exactly what is used a lot in this fragrance! I can smell the delicious smell of black pepper for hours in this fragrance. It is surrounded by all kind of notes. Cloves and nutmeg on the background, light citrus and neroli surrounding the spices, flowers coming in during the heart stage and a base of leather, sandalwood, musk, balsam fir, vanilla and incense! Impossible to detect all these notes as they are so well blended with the spicy notes! This is a great casual outdoors fragrance for the spring and early summer and can also be worn during the fall imo! I saw a comparison to Cacharel pour l'homme in a review and if that is so (it was cause of the nutmeg) this is Cacharel's BIG brutal pepper brother living far away. Both very good frags in their own way however! Sillage is huge, first hour, and longevity is like 6 hrs. Very good and thumbs way up! Rated: 8/10

This scent grew on me. At first, I felt it was too strong, but you really need to "mist" it on you. It's a nice mix of woody, and floral, with slight hints of citrus. Only problem is that there's not great longetivity on me. I get a lot of complements when wearing it.

My father actually owns this, but being a 60 year old Australian male, wearing cologne is seen as being homosexual. Thank god the younger generation of Australian men think differently. There's nothing overly unique about Oscar for men, however it is very fresh and quite likable. Very summery, in my opinion, just light enough to wear casually on a warm day. The opening, although primarily citrus (my least favourite smell), is very masculine and refreshing. I'm not sure what it is but I really do love citrus scents worn by men, however on myself and other women, I can't say the same. Oscar for Men is actually quite a complex and well structured fragrance. This isn't a sweet fragrance, however the notes may suggest otherwise. It's purely masculine, not a single hint of femininity, a woman could never pull this off.

There's something really sympathetic in this specific house. You know, during these oversupplied times when manufactures put out fragrances and flankers one after another, OdlR has kept his masculine line nice and tidy : Only two well made scents to this date and no flankers ! Oscar for Men is absolutely wonderful fragrance, and if I think about it, very understated in a way, too. It really deserves more attention and appreciation. Fresh, woody and spicy juice with delicious grounded pepper note at the top, and a refined cedar note with traces of leather at the base. Quiet, fresh characteristic masculine fragrance that has outstandingly natural atmosphere. I'm in love. Works wonderfully on clothes too, especially since the lasting power could leave one unsatisfied. The beautiful, minimalistic frosted bottle I have is placed in marvelous, leather-like cardboard box, coloured in dark yellow.

I'm a big pepper fan, but I find the opening of Oscar to be a bit harsh and has huge projection. I only really start to enjoy it around the 2 hour mark. Overall though, this fragrance is completely off my skin by 6 hours max, and anywhere from 2 hours on, it's pretty dull. The pepper is there from beginning to end though, accompanied by a lot of greens. Very fresh, and mature.