So I got my new bottle of Red today, and did one full chest spray (along with a little dribble that first came out). I had a dab vial sample and used that 4 times before deciding to buy a bottle. I assumed that the sample I had is the new formulation, mainly because of a somewhat "synthetic" and syrupy quality that I associate with "drugstore" frags. However, the redwood sequoia note, which starts to emerge strongly after about an hour, grew on me. I disllike strong wood notes, so finding one that I actually liked was the key to my decision.
After a few minutes, I thought to myself that something was wrong. I didn't get that thick, syrupy sweet, herbal quality at all. Instead, it was dry and rather light, so I sprayed some on my wrist to simulate the kind of sampling from the dab vial. Smelling it up close, I could tell that it was nothing like the original, which I must have in that sample vial (and is similar to Polo Crest). Up close, the new one is quite "synthetic" in a "chemical" way, though not a migraine maker. Allowing it to mix with the air, however, seems to be important with this one.
This new one is actually a good frag, and has a hint of minty-ness that I didn't detect in the original. This is no longer an evening and cold weather frag, and in fact would be good in all but the hotest and most humid conditions. It's actually a bit cool, whereas the original was on the hot side, at least until the wood emerged strongly, and it was never cool. After several hours, you get something very close to Montana Parfum d'Homme ("red box"), but without any of the soapy lavender. What bothers me most is that aside from the missing redwood sequoia note, there is also no Yatagan-like accord, which I enjoyed in the original. Overall, this is a fairly "natural" smelling, pleasant frag, and good for those who want a light version of an "80s power frag" (particularly if you don't want those powerful openings), but don't think you are getting anything that resembles the original (beyond a slight hint, perhaps).
Note that this is considerably better than another attempt at a Montana Parfum d'Homme frag, namely Adidas Sport Field, which is way too "synthetic" for me.
After a few minutes, I thought to myself that something was wrong. I didn't get that thick, syrupy sweet, herbal quality at all. Instead, it was dry and rather light, so I sprayed some on my wrist to simulate the kind of sampling from the dab vial. Smelling it up close, I could tell that it was nothing like the original, which I must have in that sample vial (and is similar to Polo Crest). Up close, the new one is quite "synthetic" in a "chemical" way, though not a migraine maker. Allowing it to mix with the air, however, seems to be important with this one.
This new one is actually a good frag, and has a hint of minty-ness that I didn't detect in the original. This is no longer an evening and cold weather frag, and in fact would be good in all but the hotest and most humid conditions. It's actually a bit cool, whereas the original was on the hot side, at least until the wood emerged strongly, and it was never cool. After several hours, you get something very close to Montana Parfum d'Homme ("red box"), but without any of the soapy lavender. What bothers me most is that aside from the missing redwood sequoia note, there is also no Yatagan-like accord, which I enjoyed in the original. Overall, this is a fairly "natural" smelling, pleasant frag, and good for those who want a light version of an "80s power frag" (particularly if you don't want those powerful openings), but don't think you are getting anything that resembles the original (beyond a slight hint, perhaps).
Note that this is considerably better than another attempt at a Montana Parfum d'Homme frag, namely Adidas Sport Field, which is way too "synthetic" for me.





I have a mini of original and a new tester in my sights at under $30 shipped for both.

