Quasar by J del Pozo, 1994

This is probably my favourite aquatic male fragrance to date and has been a staple in my collection since the mid-90s. Quasar in my opinion smells slightly synthetic, but is still thoroughly complex and intelligently constructed. Despite its cool blue colour, surprisingly the fragrance does not smell as clean as it first looks inside its bottle. The smell starts as pleasantly crisp & fruity, but soon develops a unique metallic sharpness that some have likened to newsprint or banana peel and which accompanies the fruitiness throughout the drydown. I think of that note as smelling like brass, and it gives the fragrance its signature edginess and keeps it smelling unmistakably masculine. I believe its edginess gives it a thoroughly interesting and slightly untamed and brooding character which as you might expect some may find taxing, but that I have found that women especially like in this scent. Perhaps sea green would have better suited the character of this fragrance, leading me to believe that Quasar and the equally excellent but more sparkling Quasar Adventure should have had their colours swapped around. The bottle also looks gorgeous and I especially like the way its silver parts tarnishes into a gun metal colour with repeated handling. Quasar is also the most fantastically versatile fragrance I know of, being suited for all occasions (office, casual, smart, jeans & t-shirt, suit, romantic, daytime, clubbing, sports, etc.), all seasons, and all ages from the mid-teens upwards. It also makes for an inspired alternative to Cool Water and Aqua di Gio. To top it off, Quasar is long lasting with great sillage and is usually excellent value for money as it can easily be found at remarkably low prices. Quasar = Quality. A winner all the way!