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Reformulation survivors

post #1 of 46
8/3/12 at 12:04pm
Thread Starter 
Ladies and Gents,

speaking of male fragrances (ok let shared ones count too),
what particular compositions do YOU think survived the reformulation and remained decent or even good.

My thoughts would be Hermes Bel Ami and probably YSL Jazz.

Now, your turn, if anyone. Doesn't matter it's designer or niche.
Thanks in advance.

Regards, Odor.
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post #2 of 46
8/3/12 at 12:18pm
Mouchoir de Monsieur and most ADP fragrances, I reckon, at least IMO when I do sense them, I can truly smell that they may be quite close or even identical to the original formula.
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post #3 of 46
8/3/12 at 12:35pm
Fahrenheit
Givenchy Gentleman
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post #4 of 46
8/3/12 at 12:42pm
Patchouli 24
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post #5 of 46
8/3/12 at 12:50pm
is Fahrenheit worth getting i herd the reformulation isn't close to the original and I already have kiton for men
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post #6 of 46
8/3/12 at 12:53pm
Giorgio for men for sure!
M7 (at least for me)
CK Obsession
Quorum
Oscar de la Renta pour lui
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post #7 of 46
8/3/12 at 12:56pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by SpicyPepper View Post

is Fahrenheit worth getting i herd the reformulation isn't close to the original and I already have kiton for men

I have not tried the vintage but the current one is really good and lasts 12 hours on me. So good I purchased a back up bottle and I rarely do that .
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post #8 of 46
8/3/12 at 1:04pm
Thread Starter 
I forgot Chanel Pour Monsieur, it has almost the same scent as I used to wear (I heard that oakmoss thing) ... just fleeting.
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post #9 of 46
8/3/12 at 1:08pm
Ones definitely better than previous reformulations are;

Van Cleef & Arpels 'pour homme' and 'Tsar'! (both now close to vintage again while first reformulation was almost an insult which they probably also finally thought)

Both of the same house!
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post #10 of 46
8/3/12 at 1:14pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Slayerized View Post

Ck obsession

Gosh I don't agree here, although I think there have been several re-do's on this. The original was much richer and well-constructed (for CK). Over the years cheaper and cheaper synthetic stuff has been thrown in the mix and the scent has become increasingly a shadow of itself. Longevity has been reduced a lot and some of the richness and depth is gone, replaced by ghost stand in covers. By the time it turned up in a big mini last Xmas at Wal-Mart for literally $3.00 it had become about as good as one of those "inspired by" cover fragrances they sell at Big Lots.
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post #11 of 46
8/3/12 at 1:27pm
Caron Yatagan. Better than ever.
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post #12 of 46
8/3/12 at 1:39pm
@dampier

I have to admit you are maybe right ('technically') as I don't know the original(s) that well tbh but I mentioned it as I know it has been reformulated more than once and I still like the modern version I have and it lasts for like 6 hrs on me! I also like the current women version very much! (on my girlfriend)
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post #13 of 46
8/3/12 at 1:43pm
Dior Homme
M7
Acqua Di Gio
Spicebomb
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post #14 of 46
8/3/12 at 1:51pm
Givenchy Gentleman - it has changed, but both versions are worth having in my opinion.
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post #15 of 46
8/3/12 at 2:11pm
DHI even better
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post #16 of 46
8/3/12 at 2:20pm
I agree on most of the aforementioned fragrances but I'll add...

Chanel Cuir De Russie
Bois Des Iles
Sous Le Vent
Chamade
Narcisse Noir (Extrait)
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post #17 of 46
8/3/12 at 2:50pm
Agree with many of the above. I'll add Bandit, which is to me sensational even in its current incarnation. It has less dark smoke, but still fantastic.

Narcisse Noir must refer to the parfum, because the edt is a fresh floral of no consequence.

cacio
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post #18 of 46
8/3/12 at 3:34pm
BelAmi
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post #19 of 46
8/3/12 at 5:56pm
When I tried the two versions of BelAmi, they didn't smell all that similar. Boss #1 is fairly good.
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post #20 of 46
8/3/12 at 7:30pm
None - with Fahrenheit being one of the worst
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post #21 of 46
8/3/12 at 8:12pm
All versions of M7 can hold there own.
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post #22 of 46
8/3/12 at 8:15pm
Tiffany for Men, Joe? It seems to have dodged the bullet so far although maybe the stuff we have here is 'old stock' given that it's boutique only and not exactly a hot item. I bought a new bottle and it seems pretty intact - the bergamot and oakmoss are present and accounted for.

Eau Sauvage & Chanel Pour Monsieur went south very early on and now that New York has been reformulated there's really not much left in the more 'classic masculine style' with any character - Tiffany for Men seems to be the only one left.

Still okay:

Tiffany for Men
L'Instant pour Homme
Heritage
Or Black (altho I'm a latecomer to this one)
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post #23 of 46
8/3/12 at 8:51pm
I agree with Joe to disagree with most listed. Dior Homme has been butchered, Fahrenheit castrated and M7 de-oud'd. Vintage versions are far superior.

My list would include the entire Aramis/Gentleman line, Caron 3rd Man, Zino, Rive Gauche PH, & Live Jazz.
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post #24 of 46
8/3/12 at 9:33pm
Thread Starter 
It is more of a revival though, but I find current Vetyver Givenchy a wonderful scent. Never smelled the vintage.

Regards, Odor.
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post #25 of 46
8/3/12 at 9:45pm
Reformulation usually means cheaper quality ingredients= a lesser quality fragrance.
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post #26 of 46
8/3/12 at 9:46pm
Eau Sauvage and Dior Homme Sport.
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post #27 of 46
8/3/12 at 10:12pm
I agree with some of the above mentioned:

Dior Homme Intense is good (never tried the first version)
Habit Rouge is still pretty damn good, though a bit shy of the vintage EdT
Chanel Pour Monsieur is good, but I agree that longevity is crap
Aramis is good
AdP Colonia
Rive Gauche
Caron 3me Homme and Pour un Homme


A few others:

Egoiste
Derby
Heritage
Knize Ten kicks all kinds of ass in its current form
Jicky EdP is different, but as good as, the older PdT
Mitsouko is not bad, considering ...

Spicebomb has been reformulated? Didn't that just come out?
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post #28 of 46
8/3/12 at 11:14pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by petruccijc View Post

None - with Fahrenheit being one of the worst

Totally agree.
The same with Bel Ami.
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post #29 of 46
8/3/12 at 11:24pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by rubegon View Post

Spicebomb has been reformulated? Didn't that just come out?

It's a reoccurring joke from another thread. Spicebomb is still the same
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post #30 of 46
8/3/12 at 11:28pm
Fahrenheit was a King of a fragrance but is now a homeless pauper, devoid of its grandeur.
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post #31 of 46
8/3/12 at 11:51pm
Re: Fahrenheit - I agree. Tried the current one in a shop recently and it's nothing like I remember, and not in a good way.
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post #32 of 46
8/4/12 at 1:04am
Aramis pH
Drakkar Noir
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post #33 of 46
8/4/12 at 12:32pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by cacio View Post

Narcisse Noir must refer to the parfum, because the edt is a fresh floral of no consequence.

Of course is the Extrait (Parfum). The only Caron feminine that is still attention worthy in the current EDT is Nuit De Noel, IMO.
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post #34 of 46
8/4/12 at 1:05pm
giorgio Beverly hills is simply identical to the original and Hermes Bel Ami is not identical but even better than the original.
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post #35 of 46
8/4/12 at 5:50pm
Keep in mind that many people say they don't think there really is such a thing as reformulations that are significantly different (I won't mention any names), whereas some, such as myself, perceive huge differences in all or nearly all vintage, so until someone does a scientific analysis it seems there will always be a lot of disagreement here.
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post #36 of 46
8/5/12 at 1:49am
Side by side comparisons between the new and old/vintage versions often say it all............(if you own both versions of course)
I did it with eg. Cool Water, Dolce&Gabbana pour homme, Paco Rabanne pour homme and Azzaro pour homme.
No need to say the differences were huge, with the vintage versions being the way better ones.
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post #37 of 46
8/5/12 at 3:07am
I agree with Givenchy Gentleman, Caron 3rd Man and Davidoff Zino.
Also Aramis Tuscany, Havana and Versace L'Homme have survived well, imo.
Have tried the new D&G PH (Germany made) and it seems quite different (weaker on tobacco, herbs & stronger on citruses) from the original italian version.
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post #38 of 46
8/5/12 at 4:09am
I have survived the reformulation of Opium. At first I was disapointed in the change... some of the notes have disappeared but the new version is possibly more wearable, even in warm weather. It is a refined version of the original.
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post #39 of 46
8/5/12 at 10:24am
Thread Starter 
I also remember that Tilleul by D'Orsay remained to be a very good fragrance.

Based on my experience in FMCG tea manufacturing company (which in some way has some business with all 4 companies of "Big Flavour": IFF, Firmenich, Symrise and Givaudan; knowledge about food flavours research and development; some knowledge about tobacco products manufacturing and business; and some thinking applied as well,
I personally guess that under modern manufacturing conditions reformulation of whatever flavour products (including fragrances) that partly have natural ingredients, is almost a continuous process. Don't want to open a can of worms, sorry for the bit of offtopic.

Regards, Odor.
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post #40 of 46
8/7/12 at 1:51pm
Both the DH and DHI to me have survived pretty well.
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post #41 of 46
8/7/12 at 1:56pm
Dior Homme/Intense were never any good to start with. As they say, you can't make a silk purse out of a sows ear, and you certainly can't polish a turd.

Dior Jules, on the otherhand, is one of the best...and a reformulation survivor.
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post #42 of 46
8/7/12 at 2:01pm
Egoiste (chanel) actually got better with reformulation, IMO
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post #43 of 46
8/7/12 at 6:48pm
Hermès Equipage
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post #44 of 46
8/7/12 at 7:33pm
Hey, DH and DHI are both excellent frags for the secure man.

- - - Updated - - -

I agree that the re-formulated version of opium is easier to wear, even in the warmer weather. I like it.

- - - Updated - - -

Yes, Drakkar Noir and Aramis PH have certainly survived the the butcheries of re-formulation

- - - Updated - - -

Now fahrenheit absolute, is closer to the original strength and longevity
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post #45 of 46
8/29/12 at 4:34pm
Egoiste in its current, non-Concentree version is, yes, less rich, but still smells great. Survivor.

I'd also list Dior Homme as not just a survivor, but arguably as one that came out stronger (I'm referring to the most-recent, Demachy reformulation here -- there was a weak reformulation before that). I have bottles of both the vintage and the latest, and they both have their strengths. The vintage has a smoother iris presence, whereas the new version manages a richer and longer-lasting dry-down. The former has a lovely smooth classiness, the latter has the oomph to keep me smiling through an entire day.
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post #46 of 46
8/29/12 at 4:50pm
Hermes Bel Ami
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