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

[>BOOMER<]

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.

Same here. No doubt a classic though.

[tonghpafu]

It reminds me of when I first met my girlfriend so it has that effect on me. Not a bad scent overall though.

[xiuxia]

I think it smells pretty good. The thing is the more I try these other 80's powerhouses the more it pales in comparison. Kind of like cool water for me. I like it, but after trying more of the genre I can't really say that much for it.

[Renard]

It seems reformulated because I remember it being stronger. Or maybe I'm more used to powerhouses now I don't know...

[shamu1]

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

Quite the opposite. These are the reasons WHY it's great. Nothing beats these old skool power frags. I wear Drakkar all the time.

[MonkeyBars]

It seems reformulated because I remember it being stronger. Or maybe I'm more used to powerhouses now I don't know...

I read somewhere a while back that it's been reformulated multiple times. I'm pretty certain it used to have lots of oakmoss, so that has certainly changed.

[MarkStar]

I, too, smelled too much of this back in the 80's... But this doesn't make it bad stuff. My father, however, has taken to bathing in it in the last 10 years or so (hey, at 76 he's trying to be "contemporary"... LOL). this can make it a tough one.

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

Check out Lomani for $9 a bottle.

[Rüssel]

Didn't enjoy this one.

[My_pep_pep]

In 1986 I smelled it on a guy in high school, asked him what it was, and went to get some. So it was the first scent that I actively sought out for myself (I think I already had Polo but that was given to me).

I think Luca Turin mentioned somewhere that a lot of lesbians embraced Drakkar Noir in the 90's, but I couldn't say if that's true or not.

[del]

I owned Drakkar Noir way back in the early 90's when I was a young teenager, and all I can say is, the cologne - although the scent is not bad - just didn't work for my skin. I don't think I'm going to give it another shot no matter how affordable it becomes.

[gmm150]

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

LOL. I used to Rock Drakkar Noir in the 6th and 7th grade with Z Cavaricci's.

[mrcologneguy]

Wore it many years ago. Sniffed it again recently, and I just can't go back there. . . no thanks. . .

[Mr.Smellin.Good]

I love Drakkar Noir. I used to wear it in the early 90's in middle school and high school. I recently got back into it but have since moved onto higher-end fragrances such as Creed's Aventus. I actually scored a bottle of the vintage stuff from the 80's/early 90's and am selling it on eBay.

[TWB]

It's still a great scent...I've probably received the most compliments on a fragrance while wearing Drakkar than any other...it really appeals to women. If you find Drakkar TOO overpowering try Caesar Man it's alot less money and has a similar vibe....

[ericrico]

+1!!!! And, even Drakkar Noir in its current reformulation is very appealing - although it has been turned down some...it has retained a lot of its great original notes.

Quite the opposite. These are the reasons WHY it's great. Nothing beats these old skool power frags. I wear Drakkar all the time.

[MonkeyBars]

Check out Lomani for $9 a bottle.

I really like Lomani (while not a fan of DN). But I don't find it all that similar to Drakkar. Buysblind, do some research on BN to find the "good" Drakkar knockoffs ... I believe there are a few.

I think Luca Turin mentioned somewhere that a lot of lesbians embraced Drakkar Noir in the 90's, but I couldn't say if that's true or not.

According to him that was in France where it was used as a sort of "code" to indicate orientation. DN therefore has not generally been worn by men in that country for many years.

[MOONB]

I tend to agree with Renato on this one.

It's obviously a great scent, it's a big seller that is still on the market thirty years later.

People's tastes back in the '80s weren't bad, just different.

Drakkar is a little dated, and certainly not the style at the moment, but it is worth wearing if you happen to really like it. I don't find it offensive in the least.

[vbs]

Drakkar Noir : Quiet Riot :: Kouros : Duran Duran

[MonkeyBars]

Drakkar Noir : Quiet Riot :: Kouros : Duran Duran

bahahahahahahahaaaa!!!

[Oslo-Fjord]

22 years ago it was my signature scent. I remember I got lots of compliments. It hasn`t been available in my country for several years, but I tested it again last year in Paris. It`s ok, but I wouldn`t wear it nowdays. I`ve "moved on". ;-)

[Arhlll]

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

I do the same!

[MonkeyBars]

Found a scent today that reminds me of Drakkar Noir but with no birch tar or dihydromyrcenol: Lagerfeld Photo. (It doesn't have coniferous notes either but you can't have everything...)

[noirdrakkar]

the fragrance that started this journey for me

[sjg3839]

Ol' school, kind of soapy and pretty strong.

[Renato]

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

Fascinating our perceptions. I have both and think both great, but can't think of anything that would make me associate the two.
Cheers,
Renato

[srellim1]

I think that I may have too many bad associations to consider giving it another shot.

[CologneFan85]

Ive seen this sold a dollar generals and big lots ...Is it it honestly good for a cheap juice? lol

[MonkeyBars]

I think that I may have too many bad associations to consider giving it another shot.

Ungaro III and Drakkar Noir both have a good slug of dihydromyrcenol. Beyond that they both have prominent coriander, patchouli, oakmoss, and musk...

[charger]

I have liked DN since it's release, and wore it for many years. Only problem is, everyone else around me also bathed in the stuff and WAY overdid it! I would buy a small bottle now to wear when feeling nostalgic, and I still think it's a nice scent. Just gotta watch those sprays.

[addyeddy]

I love it one of my favourites EVER!