Fierce Abercrombie & Fitch 2002 Cologne

First of all - for me, A&F is overall a terrible ruckus brand that comes across as too stuffy and, secondly, doesn't quite fit my size.
However, I have a divided relationship with the fragrances (including Hollister), which inevitably makes me act somewhat inconsistently.

In 2012, I first came into contact with A&F in New York - until then, I had overlooked the brand (and I'm sure I didn't miss anything).
I was dragged into the store on 5th Avenue and found no remotely interesting clothes - however, I was pleased with the black leather chairs, in which other annoyed tourists were already sitting...(the American apparently hasn't entered an A&F store for a long time)
There was no Wi-Fi either, so I was simply forced to soak in the atmosphere...including the peculiar scent that wafted throughout the store.
I was told that this was the infamous FIERCE, which supposedly had the property that women were crazy about it!
So I tried a spray on my wrist...first impression: "Hmm, I don't know..." Then a glance at the price tag: "Are you kidding?? Do you think you're CHANEL??"
And so I left the continent again - without FIERCE in my luggage, but with a few bottles of the classic "Fabergé Brut" for my father, who was thrilled about it, and a bottle of "SWISS ARMY Altitude" for myself.

In late autumn 2012, A&F opened its Munich branch, and I conducted scent measurements, discovering that FIERCE could actually be perceived from the "Rindermarkt" (still a 5-minute walk away) under the right weather conditions...
At some point, I decided to take a look inside the store - of course on a weekday, because I certainly wouldn't line up with all the pain-free just to enter the cult site.
And it's best to wear A&F in the queue so that everyone sees, "Oh folks, I've been wearing this brand BEFORE it became trendy...just for that, I deserve to be let in first!"
The store is quite nice to look at - except for the clothes, of course... I took another spray on my hand, and immediately the memories of my past New York vacation came flooding back...

At that point, a change of heart set in, and I thought to myself that if I could get it very cheaply on eBay, I would wear it. However, this project can be safely buried - prices always skyrocket absurdly towards the end of auctions.
And after all, it's just an Eau de Cologne and not a protection against cancer - besides, I still hadn't used up my Hollister Socal that I had bought in the meantime.
By chance, I learned that an acquaintance was planning a multi-week trip to the USA, and during her stay, I suddenly had the idea to spontaneously ask her if she had already reached her luggage weight limit?
No problem - she would hit up an A&F store for me and bring me a FIERCE. She did just that...saving me about 23 EUR in the process. (As of autumn 2013)
The next day, I tried it at work, and lo and behold - two colleagues told me that I smelled really good today?!
So it really is true...
Even the toughest A&F opponents, who were already familiar with and hated the scent from the store's fog, judged positively - and were then all the more astonished that I had successfully slipped them the hated FIERCE.

Conclusion - FIERCE is a contentious fragrance. One should definitely not pay the European store prices for it, but for an Eau de Cologne, the scent is exceptionally long-lasting - especially when compared to its light version, Hollister JAKE.
The scent itself stands out a bit from the gray mass, but that doesn't mean it's a fragrance one would want to wear every day. And regarding the rumor that the scent appeals to women - there is definitely something to it!
Three positive feedbacks within 3 weeks speak for themselves…