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| Source: Givenchy |
It seems like, at this point, designer
houses are heavily influenced by niche perfumery. They slowly tiptoe to
introduce some niche “achievements” in their standard lines. Just to declare, I am not an entity known as
a niche snob. In fact, niche creations are just a minority in my collection. As
a matter of fact, the fragrance I really enjoy wearing is humble Versace’s Blue
Jeans. It is nostalgic, fun, cheap, and perfectly describes me.
Today, designers want to introduce somehow
an oxymoronic fragrance. Peculiar, but not too distinctive. Attractive, but all-around
player. Niche-like, but likable to the masses. Cheap, but smelling luxurious.
Personally, I really appreciate that many designers decided to go in this
niche-like directions, but their final products are devoid of courage. They
miss that “edge”, with the exception of Gucci Guilty Absolute. The Gentleman
Givenchy EDP is a perfect example of this. Don’t get me wrong, perfumers Cresp
and Lorson did a tremendous job. They created a perfectly tweaked and polished
fragrance, with some niche tendencies by using the currently trendy iris note. Yes,
it reminds me of Dior Homme Intense, Valentino Uomo Intense, some Pradas and
several contemporary creations, but it possesses some personalized Givenchy
touch. It opens with a strong iris note accompanied by lavender. This iris-lavender
is somehow waxy and strange, and I personally prefer Dior Homme Intense iris.
Behind is like an ambrette note that gives the composition some niche
electrical charge. A pale and fruity Tolu balsam is also present (note: Tolu
balsam might be a new Tonka). The base is made of some vanilla fragments I
cannot describe easily. It is dark, but not heavy. Present and fleeting at the
same time, conjugated with some amber-like aspects
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| Source: Parfumo.net |
Personally, Gentleman Givenchy EdP does
not deliver something novel. It is a solid, predictable fragrance that does not
touch my heart.
Longevity / Projection
Solid (6 hours) / Average
Suggested wearing
Autumn or winter / Evenings and nighttime
Alternatives
Dior Homme Intense or Parfum – more successful
iris-based fragrances
Valentino Uomo family
Prada l’Homme family
Gentleman Givenchy EdT – same theme with fruity
aspects pronounced
Pros
Modern with some darker
niche undertones
Probably very likable
Nice bottle
Cons
Already smelt by a majority of customers
Just average performance
Probably just a “bridge” to next Absolute
or Intense edition in 2019
Rating
6.5 / 10
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