Never Smelled Drakkar Noir Until Yesterday...

[Buysblind]

intentionally at least.


Some retailer sent me a sample of it in the mail.


It's not THAT bad...in fact I kind of like it. It reminds me a lot of LaPerla by GrigioPerla, kind of clean and soapy.

But pungent.

I sprayed myself 3 times with it and spent the next few hours immersed in a dense cloud.

I'd pick up a bottle if it was cheap enough, I guess.

I get the impression this is one of those scents that receives a lot more hate-by-association than hate for the actual scent itself. I was too young when it was a hit, so I missed out on all that. My hate by association applies more to the ADG, JPGLM era.

[Oupavoc]

imo its good but on me anything more then 2 sprays it gets to you.

[Reckoner]

just say no...

[Riley]

I wore it allot in the eighties and so did everybody else it seemed, and I never recovered from it since that time.
Now its just too sharp for my tastes to consider wearing it.

[Ken_Russell]

I think it often gets dissed simply without much argument, just because yes, IT IS, strong, lasting and strikingly 80s, but that doesn't make it any worse

[Nasenmann]

I like it a lot - and many others from that era, too.

[Buysblind]

I wore it allot in the eighties and so did everybody else it seemed, and I never recovered from it since that time.

The same reasons I can't wear Curve, Polo Sport, or ADG. Somehow I can still go with Cool Water every now and then, but I'm not sure how considering I used to bathe in that when I was in high school.

[hednic]

I think it's a nice scent.

[docluv45]

It's about damn time! It doesn't attract flies.

[G.303]

This was Big back in the day.....I pull this out once or twice a year and it brings back many Great memories!!!
Gary

[Marais]

I remember it well from the 1980s. Ungaro III is very reminiscent of it IMO.

[laroche]

I'm glad you had a great day yesterday

[dwrestle]

Drakkar Noir is freaking awesome.

[drafty]

This reminds me of my father.

[Charlie2000]

Ahhhhh 1980's with my Z Cavaricci's IOU sweatshirt and A little Drakkar....Whers my Camaro??

[Buysblind]

I'm glad you had a great day yesterday

lol@your screen name

[Surfacing]

I went through a whole bottle of this ( before registering on Basenotes). Its not what I would have expected it to be had I known about stereotypes of 80s fragrances ( if that makes sense). Its an easy going scent, cheaper than most fragrances where I live and lasts long. I actually find the scent to be clean. If there is an issue, it is that it creats too much of a trail ( sillage). I don't want that. Its also kind of boring once you have gone through an entire bottle, but I would say that about ANY fragrance

[MonkeyBars]

the dihydromyrcenol is way too sweet-metallic-floral for my taste, and I hate "leather" aka birch tar. really like the rest of the notes though, coriander, juniper, citrus, patchouli, oakmoss...

anyone know of a scent that is like Drakkar Noir without dihydromyrcenol or leather?

[Sensual]

It may not be a bad scent, but when it was abused by psychopathic predatory males with mullets back in the '80's it acquired "guilt by association". Puns intended.

[dollars&scents]

I think it often gets dissed simply without much argument, just because yes, IT IS, strong, lasting and strikingly 80s, but that doesn't make it any worse

agree ...

[Renato]

I'm not sure why people say "It's not a bad scent".
It's a great scent.

The implicit notion that people tastes are somehow superior now, and that everyone must have been silly wearing a rubbish scent back in the 80s (not to mention all the subsequent buyers to the present) doesn't hold much water in my opinion.

And I'm not sure where the notion that it is strong comes from. Maybe from people's memories?
I've got plenty of 80's powerhouse scents, and Drakkar Noir doesn't really rate well in that department against them.
Cheers,
Renato

[YoungEx]

That stuff is just vile and overemphasized on me. Truly a disgusting scent, the worst one I've smelled so far.

[charliefrown]

discovering Drakkar Noir in the year 2012 is so cool, just like opening shrink wrapped magazine or time capsule from the 80s. Remember it being so iconic even in the 90s, it was sold in a bundle with Drakkar Noir Best Of Rock cd (still own it!).

[Jack Hunter]

I had a mini of it in the eighties and can only remember that it was a very soapy scent.

[The Bark]

It's still hanging around after all this time, which is something to be said. I like Duc de Vervins as an alternate (not that there's anything wrong with Drakkar Noir).

[heperd]

I knew a guy that wore it in the 90s and it had a dried spit smell on him. Thats all i can think about when smelling it now. I dont need it.

[d4N13L]

I quite like the scent, its not dated at all, not strong. Maybe the people used to overapply it and you have that felling that the scent is strong.

Here at Brazil we have a fragrance called Styletto that its almost a copycat of Drakkar. It stills selling good these days

[Tappio]

I smelled this for the first time a few months ago, and it was much better than I expected. I didn't end up buying any, but it is still a good scent.

[Bachatu Man]

this fragrance reminds me of the 80s. even the bottle design, black retro. i really loved this stuff when i was a kid, unfortunately, I havent had an opportunity to smell it since

[ericrico]

Ken - you are truly outstanding and I follow your reviews here on Basenotes. I wanted to start off by saying that. I fully concur. Drakkar Noir is strikingly 80s and actually why I like it. DN established itself 30 years ago as a marquis scent and sent the world running for the magic black bottle of juice! Its strength, lasting power and notes are not for today's generation - but I find the reformulation to be actually surprisingly good and toned down in the moss and leather. It can still be strong if generously applied but the green notes are what shine (along with the florals). A lot of people today wear fragrances that are overly sweet and blur the line of unisex. That doesn't mean the fragrance is good or bad - its what is being sold...and what the population finds appealing. I happen to like old powerhouse fragrances, aromatic fougeres, vetivers, and incense-laden scents - but that doesn't mean I feel the need to "diss" what others like. I think people need to realize, as you said, that often things get put aside because they are categorized or segmented. Olfactory senses are subjective - the best way to know if you like something is to smell it blind. Everybody nowadays reads dozens of reviews, fall in line and buy the latest offering of a synthetic scent that doesn't last more than 3-4 hours on the skin. The days of yesteryear...when you could apply a masculine scent in the morning and still smell it in the evening - or evening application, and smell the next morning. I have shirts that will hold a vintage fragrance for literally two weeks and remain distinct. When I put the shirt back on, I just put a couple of fresh sprays and walk out the door...a rarity, but that is why Drakkar Noir and other scents transcend time and still hold their place as truly relevant!

Cheers.

I think it often gets dissed simply without much argument, just because yes, IT IS, strong, lasting and strikingly 80s, but that doesn't make it any worse