Givenchy Gentleman is a classic fragrance from 1974 that delivers an alluring and sensual bouquet of musky notes. In this article, we will review Givenchy Gentleman with a focus on the following topics:
- Bespoke Unit Fragrance Formula (BUFF)
- Fragrance Overview
- Blend & Performance
- Tested 3rd Party Feedback
- Fragrance Impressions
- Presentation & Value
Use the links to jump ahead or scroll on to read more.
Watch The Video Review
Overview
- Brand: Givenchy
- Fragrance: Gentleman
- Concentration: Eau de Toilette
- Release Year: 1974
- Batch Reviewed: 9k01
- Olfactive Fragrance Family: Woody Aromatic
- Related Fragrances: Aramis, Dunhill For Men
- Price On Amazon: From $45 [Buy Now]
- Price On FragranceX: From $50 [Buy Now]
At the height of the men’s designer fragrance revolution, Givenchy launched Gentleman that was developed by Paul Lèger. Despite the trends of the time leaning towards aromatic fougère fragrances, Gentleman expresses an overall musky profile that is reminiscent of the 1960s and earlier.
Givenchy Gentleman Composition
In the following section, we’ll evaluate and analyse Givenchy Gentleman’s overall composition of notes. A woody aromatic fragrance, the version reviewed featured the old style of packaging with the batch code 9K01.
Head Notes
- Cinnamon
- Honey
- Rose
Gentleman opens up with a blast of spice with a strong emphasis on cinnamon. However, it isn’t overbearing as a hint of honey softens the impact. Its oozy sweetness is also accompanied rose, which adds a mild floral aspect to the head.
Heart Notes
- Patchouli
- Orris Root
- Jasmine
The cinnamon eventually fades but it does stay present through to the heart. Patchouli reveals itself, which dominates the heart. Yet, like the cinnamon, it will transition to the next phase of the dry-down.
It’s accompanied by sweet orris root, which adds an alluring floral texture, reminiscent perhaps of parma violet. Similarly, you may experience some jasmine. However, it’s very underplayed.
Indeed, the most resonating characteristic of it is the patchouli. Outside of that, the orris root while it is pleasant and sweet, is quite understated.
Base Notes
- Vetiver
- Vanilla
- Civet
- Oakmoss
It’s the base where this fragrance truly expresses its identity. The patchouli is still offering an earthy presence, which is further extended by vetiver and oakmoss. Meanwhile, vanilla offers sweet softness, a much-needed contrast against the base’s strongest note.
Civet, an intriguing and rare find today, takes the limelight and offers a distinctive muskiness with a vibrant amber characteristic. It rounds off the bouquet of notes and contributes a mild floral hint.
While civet was originally harvested from the musk sacs of a cat-like creature, civetone is the synthetic alternative used today. On its own, it’s said to smell like a mix between baby vomit and fecal matter. However, it’s a rich and pleasant aroma when combined with other ingredients.
Gentleman’s Life-Cycle, Wake & Strength
Gentleman’s lifecycle is quite classic. Given that it’s from the 1970s, you can expect a relatively conventional dry down. Nevertheless, it is very well composed.
As for the wake and strength, this fragrance is an overall powerbomb. It performs very well. You have an excellent sillage with a projection that delivers a distinctive scent bubble.
The longevity lasts for a good portion of the day. Therefore, apply sparingly as you just want to offer a hint of it. It’s easy to over-apply such fragrances, which may choke nearby people.
What People Think Of Givenchy Gentleman
Givenchy Gentleman is quite polarising. Indeed, this is a 1970s fragrance that is very iconic of its period. Therefore, it arguably smells a little bit dated. Its smell is reminiscent of a certain era and people may either appreciate or detest it.
Indeed, some people easily identified it was fragrance that came from 1970s and they were certainly right! Meanwhile, other people stated that it was intriguing and intoxicating despite being a little bit dated.
Therefore, you do have this paradox where people really enjoy it, but they can tell it is a little bit old-fashioned. Therefore, it’s not surprising that it was more popular among older people in their late 30s, 40s, and above who found this to be a pleasant fragrance.
However, when you started asking people in their teens, in their 20s, in their early 30s, they usually reacted by saying that it felt too outdated and from another time.
When To Wear Givenchy Gentleman
In terms of its seasonality, Givenchy Gentleman is best reserved for the colder months. It would be great for the early autumn, late autumn, as well as throughout the entire winter. It could probably still be worn during the early spring.
However, when the temperatures start to really go up, I would put this away and consider using something else instead.
Needless to say, Gentleman is probably best suited to someone in their 40s and perhaps their 50s. However, people in their 30s could certainly wear it and enjoy it. Nevertheless, it’s important that they’re careful and don’t overuse it.
They can try to subtly incorporate it into their grooming regimen but it’s important to be mindful that it’s strong and very dominant. In terms of the time of day, this could probably be worn at the office. Indeed, I have identified it as a more professional office fragrance despite its strength.
However, it is best suited for the evening and therefore can be worn formally as well. Indeed, this would be a great fragrance to wear when attending a black-tie event. If worn professional, it’s best suited to middle management and above. People of lower positions may feel out of place wearing it.
We’ve scored the fragrance’s masculinity as “El Macho”, which is the highest possible rating. Indeed, it is one of the strongest fragrances that we have reviewed in terms of masculinity!
Presentation & Value For Money
The bottle is indeed a little dated. It has a classic presentation of just a glass bottle, a black cap, which looks a bit like a top hat, and the stamped silver metal. However, the bottle has experienced a recent facelift with a much more modern design if you prefer.
When it comes to the packaging itself, it’s a bit more contemporary with an intriguing geometric design.
Meanwhile, the atomizer isn’t brilliant. It does water gun when used not too decisively and delivers a very thick mist. Therefore, great care should be taken when applying it as it’s easy to put on too much.
Its value depends on your appreciation of classic fragrances. It has an expensive RRP of $78.00 for 100 ml. Given that it’s a classic designer fragrance, which are often quite cheap, this is quite steep.
However, it can be bought for less through FrangranceX where I bought it for just $60.00. Furthermore, some retailers are trying to sell off the old bottle design and are discounting it even more compared to the new one.
Nevertheless, it’s still more expensive than some of its peers. For instance, Aramis and Dunhill for Men cost somewhere around $30 each and were released in the 1960s and 1930s respectively.
Closing Thoughts
The aforementioned Aramis and Dunhill For Men are two classic fragrances from yesteryear that are given far more attention than Gentleman. However, they’re significantly harder to wear. They’re very bolshy, dominant, and quite overbearing.
Meanwhile, Gentleman is somewhat more refined a subtler. While it can still be challenging to wear, it can be distinguished when worn carefully. If you’re fond of retro colognes, Gentleman is probably one of the best and most overlooked ones still in production today.
"Givenchy Gentleman is a powerfrag but it can be worn elegantly and with distinguished results. Just take care when applying it!"
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