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Varon Dandy Eau de Cologne

post #1 of 13
7/23/09 at 7:35am
Thread Starter 
I am reading the amazing book "The Shadow of the Wind" by Carlos Ruiz Zafón and in it, the young hero Daniel, borrows some of his father's Dandy cologne by Varon. I had not heard of this before--is it a popular fragrance in Spain? Has anyone tried this? Interesting that it shares a name with the d'Orsay product.......
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post #2 of 13
7/23/09 at 7:47am
The "dandy" theme is usually invoked in order to promote the image of bygone elegance, flawless grooming and an exquisite toilette (fashion sense), and the 1920s was still interested in these fashion icons. George Brummell was known for his clean linen, bathing and shaving rituals (to the point of obsession), whilst Comte d'Orsay was known for his use of perfumes, even to the point of taking perfumed baths. The D'Orsay line decided to use the image of Comte d'Orsay to promote its fragrances in 1908. (The tale of his being a parfumeur is all marketing, however. See "The Perfume Handbook," second edition.)

I understand Varon Dandy has been around since the 1920s, but can't say I have used it or sampled it.
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post #3 of 13
7/23/09 at 8:04am
Ask Basteri, he is in Spain.

As far as my knowledge goes, back in the 1970's / 1980's, Parera's "Old Brown" was a hit among Spanish men.

Regarding Varon Dandy, I havn't got a clue about it. According to:

http://www.perfumeintelligence.co.uk.../u/u2/v1p4.htm

"Varon Dandy, Perera, 1924, Possibly only in USA in 1927. A floral-amber fougère edt, classified C3m."
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post #4 of 13
7/23/09 at 8:45am
I'd also give my best to try Varon Dandy and due to many more reasons than just the title and the image this title might promote. I guess some of the basenotes reviews have contributed to the anxiousness and curiosity regarding this scent.
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post #5 of 13
7/23/09 at 9:44am
Thread Starter 
Thanks--I see it now in the directory under Parera--I thought that Varon was the house. Sounds very interesting.....
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post #6 of 13
7/23/09 at 3:26pm
I am very familar with that cologne, the regular Varon Dandy (not the Platinum). It is still available in Hispanic neighborhoods in the NY and NJ area for about $10. Bottle, label and plastic cap look somewhat cheap, and it is available also in supersize bottles. It is a kind of odd mixture of sweetness (like a tropical soda initially)? with some leather, brief citrus and powder notes. In small doses it is fine, sweet warm relatively calm, very everyday, almost a kind of soap. And I recall when I was in Spain in 1990 smelling that fragrance on someone in a church in Madrid. It is old-fashioned, speaks of grooming, not that popular with the younger generation if at all. Probabaly more in the Caribbean these days more than in South America. The after shave like other Spanish colognes (Brummel) is a mentholated unapologetic nightmare, with almost nothing in common with the original cologne.
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post #7 of 13
7/23/09 at 3:58pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Oviatt View Post

I am reading the amazing book "The Shadow of the Wind" by Carlos Ruiz Zafón and in it, the young hero Daniel, borrows some of his father's Dandy cologne by Varon. I had not heard of this before--is it a popular fragrance in Spain? Has anyone tried this? Interesting that it shares a name with the d'Orsay product.......

I grew up with this at home as a kid. One of my uncles wore it for a while; he would bring back a supply after each trip to Spain to visit our family there. Later, he abandoned it for the newer Puig line.

By the way, it's not really Dandy by Varón, as you suggest; the name of the product is Varón Dandy but the company that made (makes?) it is Parera. The name "Varón Dandy" doesn't really translate well into English; the first word means "male," but it might be better to translate it here as "gentleman." So "Dandy Gentleman" or "Gentleman Dandy"; but neither one of those sounds very convincing as an English fragrance name... I guess it's a question of what those marketing people in each country get paid for; namely, to come up with names that will sell the product: "packaging," they call it.
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post #8 of 13
8/1/09 at 8:28pm
Thread Starter 
More to the point, as anyone rlse read this book? It it great!
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post #9 of 13
8/2/09 at 1:19am
Varon Dandy is a barbershop fragrance, cheap in smell and cheap in price. We joked about Varon Dandy all the time. Both of my grandparents used to wear it, in fact is a fragrance that represents a generation, a generation that live through our civil war, dictatorship. Very poor longevity but a decent sillage. Soapy, leathery, mild hints of mint that add freshness. I have a bottle as a tribute to my grandparents and due all the good memories it brings when I smell it.
I can say that it is the Old Spice of the Spanish man.
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post #10 of 13
8/2/09 at 9:26am
Is it easy to get in Spain?
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post #11 of 13
8/11/09 at 8:30am
varon dandy is a classic in Spain,my uncle,father and grandfather wear still Varon Dandy.......is a classic for old generations,for me have a good smell but not very popular for the youngs many jokes about this
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post #12 of 13
8/11/09 at 12:33pm
It's very similar to the "Floid" aftershave.
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post #13 of 13
10/18/10 at 7:12am
Now it is even worse, they sell it in big 33.4 ounces and it's just cheap.

I think there's a concentrated version, EDT kind, which 3.4 ounces cost the same.
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