Versus Uomo Versace 1991 Eau de Toilette

This was a treasure of the past, although it is no longer in production nor renewed it has always been unforgettable. There are however new old stock which I wouldn't buy because scent molecule isn't the same as it is then.

This expression can be applied in so many cases for me that it's already overused, but do you know that perfume which don't give anything for it and end being very surprised with? It was the case for me with Versus Uomo, almost now an obscure Versace scent that you barely hear anyone commenting. But they should since Versus is able to marry the best of two worlds in its oriental citrus harmony: the refreshing citruses, sometims very light and others more bitter, and the sweet complexity of the oriental structure. It's one of those fragrances that seems just a machine so well constructed that you enjoying pushing the button and seing it work just to admire its engines moving perfectly. This is a machine that works like a crescending scale of oriental tonalities, shy at the beginning, where the citrus which i mentioned reigns, and getting warming slowly on skin without having none abrupt phase. I like the lemon, the bitter petitgrain, the floral neroli hints, and this together with the spicy clove touch makes me think of high quality classic citrus. What makes it different for me is the floral part, the earthy and creamy orris and the base made of vanilla, tonka, cedar and rosewood, giving it a sweet, woody and creamy touch. It's a very beautiful perfume, don't let the lack of hype or pedigree fool you.

As I wear it on this hot summer day, Versus Uomo has me eager for autumn. I imagine it being an early October day, and I am dressed in a decidedly more distinguished manner than a t-shirt, camo shorts, and New Balance sneakers. I imagine that it may even be a different time, different decade even. It's a bit more cloudy, but not overcast. The neighborhood in my neighborhood has lots of wrought-iron fences and large beech trees. I am walking to a library to read, and the internet either doesn't yet exist or exists no more.

Versus Uomo smells of large creamy, limey-lemony magnolia blooms that are just starting to wilt and brown at the edges; fleshy pulpy, papaya mixed with fresh lavender; a spiced carnation that was experiencing its last gasps in men's fragrance at the time of its release; a lot of soft-peppery-fruit linalool that recalls my beloved Habit Rouge. The dry down somewhat echoes that dusky base of Zino, slightly more smooth and soft-woody. The synesthesia in me feels like this is the way an oboe sounds: a wistful, keen pungency with a soft interior.

This is my first comment on Parfumo. Therefore, it is certainly not perfect..:-)

I bought Versus by Versace for the first time in 1993 when I was 23.
Gianni Versace was very trendy at that time, I wore Versace Jeans, and shortly after, I bought a Versace coffee service (a collaboration with Rosenthal) and Medusa-head bed linen. Nowadays, such behavior is probably called being a fanboy.

But now back to the fragrance.
Back then, my favorite scents were Ungaro II and Moschino Homme. I wanted a fragrance that was not too heavy, not leathery, but citrusy, which would still last longer and that I could easily wear at work (bank). At the same time, it should be something special that not everyone had.
I used the fragrance frequently for a year. Then new, interesting fragrances came out for me at that time, and it was replaced by Quasar and Catalyst (Halston). I haven't smelled those in a long time, but I recently bought Versus again in Italy. (100 ml for 50 euros). In one shop, there were still remaining stocks (NOT expired).
Even back then, I wondered what this little blue plastic piece in the packaging was for. The bottle can stand on its own.

The scent still smells interesting today, very linear; I remembered the citrus note being more pronounced. It is a bit synthetic at the beginning and after about 3 hours, but that doesn't bother me. It lasts about 6 hours on the skin.
I often sprayed the fragrance on my arm back then, and when I was unfocused at work, I would smell it. That probably sounds strange, but afterwards, I could concentrate better again. As far as I can remember, it never caused headaches...

Do you have to own it today? I still find it cool today and more timeless than typically 90s, but I usually choose Chanel pour Monsieur when I want to wear a scent like that. I would mourn it more if it were no longer available.

I apologize for the headline and I'm not sure if I'll get away with it here, but it was simply the first thing that came to mind when spraying and smelling Versus Uomo.

My God, how time flies and how it suddenly catches up with you on your wrist with just one spray...

So... Mannheim 1991, I was in my early twenties, had my first 15 sqm apartment, barely any money, the future was uncertain, the job situation was far from resolved, and I just wanted to "live".
1991, the beginning of the 90s, we were still under the spell of Madonna's Vogue, slowly saying goodbye to the pastel colors and shoulder pad blazers of the 80s, the Brit-pop look was slowly washing over to us, house music was the only thing you heard, and on 6 out of 7 nights we hit the nightlife at the expense of our dark circles. The love life was undefined, we dreamed, gathered a few first awkward sexual experiences, and still, as fresh and "tight" as we were, believed in that one great sincere love. Sigh.

Of course, in all this chaos, it was important never to smell like the others and to have all the new things first. Antaeus and Fahrenheit were so last decade, Versace Uomo was THE new thing on the fragrance horizon.

The opening is very citrusy, and you can clearly smell the lavender that was very popular in the 80s. The base character of the fragrance, through clove, jasmine, and petitgrain, is also quite quickly present. However, I find it difficult overall to describe the scent itself. Versus presents a sweet, floral, somewhat spicy scent with a tendency towards the artificial, almost "plastic"-like fragrance progression. Towards the end, it becomes warmer, finer, and less "piercing". The sillage is good; you can wear it during the day as well as for going out.

Versus Uomo is absolutely not a men's fragrance in the classical sense, but clearly caters to the noses of the younger generation. Now that I am twenty years older, the question remains whether today's twenty-year-olds feel the same way or if they dismiss Versus Uomo as an old man's scent. For all those who remember it from back then and crave a touch of old school, I guarantee a special flashback to those vibrant youth years. Whether happy, embarrassing, or sexually successful, you'll have to decide for yourselves :)

Unfortunately, the fragrance was discontinued sometime in the early 2000s, but you can still acquire it quite cheaply online...