Chanel Pour Monsieur (1955)
by Chanel

I had high hopes for this and though on initial spraying it smells nice the version I have doesn’t last too long on my skin unless I spray 4 or 5 times after which it lasts about 4 to 5 hours I was hoping for more from this from this Chanel classic. Maybe it is the reformulation or maybe it is that it is an EDT and thus I am expecting too much in terms of longevity.

I inherited a 4 oz. splash bottle of this, though my bottle says "Chanel for Men" which is one of the vintage versions produced for the North American market. My grandfather received it as a gift but apparently seldom wore it, as he had his other favorites.

When I first tried Pour Monsieur, it was already heavily reformulated. I found that it was a pleasant citrus fragrance with a light oakmoss and even lighter woodsy finish. I wouldn't bother with this version if you can find a vintage bottle.

The vintage Pour Monsieur, or the Chanel for Men that I have, is truly a delightful scent. It is very understated and inspired by the various traditional eau de cologne. It's an elegant scent and for its time I can imagine it was incredibly special.

When Polge created Pour Monsieur Concentree, it was probably because in 1989 the original Pour Monsieur would have been considered quite tame and lacking power. Nowadays less can be more, as they say, and I think Pour Monsieur has a spot in every gentleman's wardrobe. I actually enjoy Pour Monsieur Concentree because I find it has some depth that Pour Monsieur lacks, but also because the Concentree has quite a lot of differences - maybe more than similarities - to Pour Monsieur.

Some of the vintage Pour Monsieur/Chanel For Men are very heavy in oakmoss, which has been banned for use in perfumery. I always use Pour Monsieur as a reference when discussing oakmoss, as it is incredibly prominent in the vintage compositions - and almost entirely absent in the modern Pour Monsieur....and modern fragrances in general.

I really dislike this one and its “animalic notes” that makes you feel someone has been sneezing over you. My dad used to sneeze a lot and that smells exactly like this. I can’t stand it and hope I’ll never have to smell it again.

Pure lemon for 3 minutes exactly, and then nothing, what a waste of money, I didn't expect his from chanel. Please never buy this the EDP version is far better, it does last sometimes, but this one, I sprayed & sprayed & sprayed but feels like nothing on the skin after a few minutes, I will beg you not to buy it!!, its a waste of money.

Opening is great, but dry down is a bit too "Chanel-y" for my liking. Meaning too powdery and aldehyde heavy. Definitely has the old school Chanel signature vibe to it.