Your thoughts on Aramis (1965)

It's very old school, as in a grand daddy fragrance. It's hardly wearable these days, unless you're over 40 and can pull off those "i have a lot of chest hair" colognes. For some reason I love stuff like Bois du Portugal, which is another old school woodsy spice bomb, but could never pull off Aramis. Give it a try though, you never know till you try.

I think this is one of those love-it-or-hate-it frags. Be warned that this is not a fresh/light frag. In terms of oomph, from what you have, it comes close (perhaps surpassing) M7.

You are right, it is an extremely potent frag, but after the initial notes fade lingers in the background it is tame. I think of it as a more wearable Yatagan. Buckets of leather. And not the powdery type of leather like in Habit Rouge. It is not dry and unrelenting like Yatagan. For all that leather, it is surprisingly complex with hints of spice and wood eeking out.

I'd say it is more old school, but I can't think of anything to compare it with other than Yatagan. Maybe Cuiron, Boss No. 1, or Quorum...

I think it is more of an in-between scent rather than like sandpaper (Yatagan) or smooth (Cuiron, IMHO). Perhaps that is what makes it a classic.

The top notes probably do this in for a lot of people. It was made for a different era. For wear, I suggest application not on the chest or exposed areas, but apply to the belly and back of the knees. Perhaps half a spray to the elbows.

Worth a try, and if you like it, you can give your mom a surprise.
K

Excellent Description. I can't add a thing--just repeat: Aramis is rather tame after the top notes dry off. It's much more complex than Cuiron--not close, but at least the two are in the same ballpark.

It's not really anything like Kouros--Kouros is a Fougere and has a quite differet profile--and impact.

I own Aramis and I think it is a classic that has to be in every serious scent collection. Actually I smelled it on another person yesterday and I was reminded of how good it really is.

I do not find it "grandaddy" in any way but it is on the other hand not a scent I could see released today..............which in other words is a quality stamp for Aramis!

If you like bergamot, Aramis is the king!

Mic.

Vicomte, Foetidus, and Mic have paved my way for me. Aramis is a great scent I should wear more often. I wore this in high school in the eighties and loved it. MFfan, if you're curious enough to post this question about it you simply owe it to yourself to try out a sample for a few days or even a wrist shot next time you're passing a counter that has it. Aramis will certainly be a fun one to play with and think over.

What everyone says is right: it's complex. Comparisons to Cuiron, Quorum, Habit Rouge, and Yatagan are great and helpful, but it's entertaining to watch how uncomfortable everyone is in making these comparisons too (as Vicomte, Foetidus, and Mic know, they fall short). But to me Aramis is a dense heavy blend and it is hard for me to pick out the notes and detail the progression of them as they unwrap. Old school is a good description in a way--Aramis is from a time when murky deep blending was the rule of perfumery. A creation that doesn't reflect or make you think of meals, oceans, forests, or happy land pastorals. Aramis seems a concept that its smell only reflects itself not other things.

It comes cheap too. I know my local Perfumania stores have it in abundance and that it sells for closer to cash already in your wallet than for pulling out the credit card.

I'll really look forward to MFfan's thoughts on this one when he's given it full tests. Also I'm interested in whether or not his mom still likes it.
--Chris

Well, I must admit that I`m not a fan of this scent. It is admirable in a way, and quite surely has deserved it`s place in the history. You can`t deny the facts: It is a complex scent, distinctive, ultra-masculine and very impressive.
However, I don`t think anyone should wear Aramis these days, not even the older gentlemen. Imo this is badly dated scent, that is (like I said) easily admirable, but totally unwearable.

If I`m honest with you guys, this is one of the very few scents that actually make me sick.

To me Aramis is extremely animalic scent: Herbs and stagnant oils with load of castoreum, thick vintage leathers with dry oakmoss.
Although Aramis is ultra-masculine scent, it somehow manages to remind me of very old ladies, and the way they smell.

I feel kind of uncomfortable to bashing this scent so hard... :-X



edit : correcting a word.

Yatagan unwearable? Like Aramis? Dry and unrelenting? Like sandpaper? Â*:-?

That's definitely not the Yatagan I own. Â*

Yatagan unwearable? Like Aramis? Dry and unrelenting? Like sandpaper? :-?

That's definitely not the Yatagan I own.
[/quote]
It's also not how I perceived Yatagan! Y. seems more-directional and I miss that a bit with Aramis. Polo and Aramis are close to each other, for my nose. But you do not need either, if you go a step further with Bandit/Piguet which is older even. It has the same dark aura, but a lot more on top, and down with the basses! I like all of them, but Bandit is the only one that keeps surprises in store beyond the first hour!
40 plus? Yes, but there are always exceptional young bocks (Turin) who can wear these well. None of the colognes is a lame old dog!

Well, Aramis doesn't smell like "Grandaddy stuff" to me... It's simply a classic fragrance, loud, but not as loud as people are saying! (IMHO)
If you are accostumed to wear scents like Fendi Uomo, Givenchy Gentleman, Monsieur Musk, you have nothing to worry about...
It's a spicy bergamot scent, that dries down to something pleasant, smooth although distinct. I could be wrong, but I notice some cumin in this one...
It's old school if compared to the newer aquatic fragrances, but I think some scents as Bvlgari Aqva have some notes inspired by Aramis...
P.S: No sweetness here and It's nothing like Kouros.

It's worth having Aramis solely as the example of the ultimate in prodigious output.
Whenever I wear it, if I hang the jumper I had on up in my bedroom to air the scent out - for the next three or four days my bedroom reeks of the delightful smell of Aramis.

I wouldn't call Aramis old school in the same sense I'd call say Fendi Uomo old school - it's lacking the sharpness/ hitting power of those scents, despite it's strength.

Definitely check it out - if possible - ask to spray some around you. Aramis creates an interesting aura around you.
Renato

even though i like a lot of the frags in that category , i was never a fan of original aramis!...there's just something very sharp to my nose that doesn't go well with me and it doesn't help that i once had a very annoying neighboor that reeked of aramis!

If you think Aramis is sharp, my friend, I wonder what you'd think about Fendi Uomo... :

If you want to wear Aramis, you have do it the right way. First, you can only buy the cologne splashes, because those are the only ones you can guarantee the formula hasn't been changed. Also, these splash bottles ensure that you will apply far too much, being able to be distinguished from a crowd of thousands. Then you need to go to your local mall and purchase more Aramis products, but only the obscure ones that can't be found normally. When the SA tell you they don't have it, you need to get angry and tell them it was there the last time you bought it. Finally, if anyone ever tells you that you're wearing too much, proudly show them the bottle of Aramis as you splash more on.

Only then you will be a true Aramis man.

It's one of the male classics from the 60's and is elegant & sophisticated provided you don't saturate yourself with it. Aramis gets a bad rep from the younger male sect because many don't want to associate themselves with anything their Dads or GrandDads might have worn. To them, wearing Aramis is tantamount to wearing Old Spice. Just like some of the younger girls who refer to anything chypre, 80's or that their mother wore as "old ladyish." To me, if the fragrance smells good on you, who cares what anyone else thinks?
In my opinion, Aramis is one of those scents you either hate or love instantly. Aside from Geoff Trumper's Spanish Leather (which has a much softer, violet-rose accord) it's my favorite male leathery cologne. They both bespeak class.

The first male spokemodel for Aramis was Ted Danson. Can't get any sexier than that... [smiley=wink.gif]

The Aramis body products are also nice (I use them when I am wearing Cabochard or Azuree), particularly the body shampoo and that metal can of mineral crystal soak for the tub (turns the water a scented, heavenly blue-green).

My significant other wears Aramis - has for years ,a nd although he owns several other fragrances, I love him most in Aramis because of the way it makes his skin smell: clean & fresh, and to me, that's sexy.

I agree that Aramis is a fine scent, but I do think the original composition has been slightly altered, I also feel it is one that must be used sparingly as it can become cloying if not sparingly applied.

Call me weird but I get no leather from Aramis. All I get is vetiver... :-[

I recommend everyone to try Eau d`Hermes. I really do. It has alot in common with Aramis, but it`s waaaaaay more pleasant, and not so dated...(actually, EdH isn`t dated at all)

Yeah, in case you haven`t tried EdH: Soften the thick vintage leather in Aramis, replace the rotten herbs with some fresh birch-leafs, take the cumin just a bit down, and throw in some sweet cinnamon and nutmeg...re-fresh the moss and throw away the moulded bergamots...Voila! There you have Eau d`Hermes!

LOL ;D

Love it on Mr.Timberwolf, love it on me too. I wear it when I am in the mood "Take me the way I am and if you do not, it might be too late". Certainly, I am nobody's grandpa. I am not even a grandma if it matters. ;D

Does anyone know how Aramis "Gold" fits into the Aranis world? The directory here says it is reworked and "smoother". Anyone ever smell it? I've always thought original Aramis was pretty smooth....potent, but smooth.

When I started this journey (and before it became an obsession), I tried the classic Aramis (1965) in a store and was completely repulsed by it. It was so different from my signature scent, Giorgio for Men, that I could not imagine anyone wearing this stuff of their own free will.

I dismissed Aramis as being an inferior fragrance house and moved on.

Recently, I began to notice that I was slowing accumulating Aramis scents. JHL was the 48th fragrance I purchased and my first Aramis. It has since been followed by Aramis 900, Devin, Tuscany per Uomo and, most recently, Havana.

I had not forgotten my initial reaction to Aramis (1965) and have been wondering if my opinion of it would change if I sampled it today (my nose has been changing and Dry Woods (leather) has become one of my favorite fragrance categories).

Today, I made a point of seeking out Aramis. Nine hours ago, I put two sprays on my left forearm and it is still very noticeable.

It turns out that Aramis is just about everything that I thought it wasn't!

It is a very nice leather chypre with noticeable patchouli, tobacco and amber undertones.

Has anybody else had a similar experience?

TwoRoads > I admire your courage in admitting to this complete 360 on this classic ..
Carefull application is the key with this gem ..
Also great that you brought up a previous thread as opposed to beginning a new one .... cheers .

I got a splash bottle of it as a freebie when I bought another scent. I can't say I was that enthralled with it the first times I tested it out on my wrist. But actually wearing it and being enveloped in its potent aura made all the difference.

It's still a big seller in Australia. I've seen quite a few wives and girlfriends sniffing it and then buying it for their men. That was reason enough to own it as far as I'm concerned.
Renato

My Aramis story:

I instantly fell in love with Aramis Devin when I grew up and went thru about 2-3 bottles I think. For a while, due to how good I thought it smelled and to the number of compliments I received when I wore it, I thought to myself, why do I need to wear any other fragrance?

I always thought Aramis was too 'old school' for me (hey, I was a seventeen year old!) but one time I remember having to return a gift to a department store and I got a credit - and I waltzed over to the Aramis counter that I knew so well and took a look at the Aramis body products. I'm not sure if they still have such a wide selection now, but then I remember there was atleast 20-30 different types of body products scented with Aramis. I bought the Body Salt Soak (it came in this cool tortoiseshell tub - very Tom Ford-meets Charlie's Angels) and a Aramis Hair Gel. These two products really helped me to 'get' the Aramis scent itself - especially the Hair Gel. That scent would stick ALL day and everytime I moved around the wonderful chypre scent would stir up around me. Of course from then on, I had a much more profound respect for the scent itself.

I don't own a bottle, but I highly recommend for every man on Basenotes to try Aramis atleast once. Agree with the above recommendation - 1 to 2 sprays (or 1 splash) is all that's needed.

Aramis - One of my favorite scents.

I wear this often in the winter. It has great longevity and silage, plus it has a very good drydown on my skin. The sweetness dissapears and it becomes very woody/musky.

Two EDT's have lasted me 20 years, this stuff is potent, 1 to 2 sprays is all that is needed.

Dear old Aramis takes me back to the disco 70's. I was in grade school and my brother (who has since passed) was hugely into the disco scene. He would bathe in this stuff. He always had plenty of beautiful girlfriends. He did sicken the whole household with the cloying golden cloud of Aramis before he'd go out on his adventures to dance. Back to the future---I think I could actually pull this one off now. I love Givenchy Gentleman that has a solid richness similar to Aramis, but totally different scent. Hmm, I might find a bottle, now that the chest hair is beyond full bloom.

Yatagan is just very unwearable and horror to my nose. Comparing the Classic Aramis a scent created in 1965 that is still wearable today to Yatagan? A unique blend of woods and spices against dry leather. Yes a leather chypre - I do not find it Granddady just like I don't find Chanel No 5 Grandmother.

I still wear this fragrance today - just like I still wear Polo

This is not meant to insult the Aramis lovers here who are not the same as those I am describing, but I said it in the 70's and 80's and I say it now - to me it's horrendous. All it reminds me of is all the "macho" baby-boomers (especially in Brooklyn, where I lived at the time) who thought they were cool by wearing it and by smoking their Malboro cigarettes! Though maybe the association is what turns me against it more than the scent itself, to be honest.

I really do not like Aramis.....probably because I'm far too young (28) to wear it comfortably. It reminds me of my father and his friends. I am sure there will be a time when I will like this fragrance, but that time certainly is not now. It is very "old smelling" to me, but I appreciate that there are so many of you that love this scent.