First Instinct Man (Eau de Toilette) by Abercrombie & Fitch

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First Instinct Man Abercrombie & Fitch 2016 Eau de Toilette

7.2 / 10 469 Ratings

A perfume by Abercrombie & Fitch for men, released in 2016. The scent is fresh-fruity. It was last marketed by Interparfums.
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Main accords

Fresh

Fruity

Sweet

Synthetic

Spicy

Fragrance Pyramid

Top Notes

Kiwano

Gin tonic

Heart Notes

Violet leaf

Citrus notes

Sichuan pepper

Base Notes

Amber

Suede

Perfumer

Philippe Romano

Videos

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Ratings

Scent

7.2469 Ratings

Longevity

6.3422 Ratings

Sillage

6.2423 Ratings

Bottle

7.0437 Ratings

Value for money

7.7242 Ratings

Submitted by OPomone, last update on 10/22/2025.

Smells similar

What the fragrance is similar to

First Instinct Extreme

Le Beau Paradise Garden

Chic for Men Eau de Toilette

Millésime Impérial

Invictus Aqua (2016)

L.12.12 Blanc Eau de Parfum

Reviews

20 in-depth fragrance descriptions

07/27/2020

8.5Scent 7Longevity 6Sillage

Oldish2002
127 Reviews

Oldish2002

3

Where have you been ?

I LOVE the smell of this scent ! I finally found a scent that fits so well in the summer. It's laid back somehow, not very powerful to offend, not too weak neither. Perfectly balanced. It's just a light, soft, awesome tropical smell. That melon in it is just magic. A bit sweet, also a touch of freshness in the background. It's 100% a summer banger. For me, it smells like spontaneous craziness lol. Fun days/nights. Being a discrete frag, it can be very versatile (office, dates, parties, casual and so on).
Another advantage it's the price which is pretty low if you ask me.
Performance ? It stays with me 5-6 hours with a decent projection in the first 2 hours and then it stars to fade away slowly as the time passes.
I am in that point where I have more appreciation for the smell of a fragrance and not for the performance of it.
So if you are looking for a nice casual, tropical, easy to wear & cheap, this might suit you.

Overal : 7.5 /10

04/23/2017

7.5Scent 8Longevity 8Sillage

Hitchslap
106 Reviews

Hitchslap

1

Sweet & Tart

I notice review sites and YouTubers mentioning a similarity to CH Men by C. Herrera.

I get the sweetness but this, to me, is sweet fruit and not sugar itself.

Not too fruity though, I am really liking it.

There's a tartness that does not die down after an hour or so like others where base notes like musk, woods or resins take over and finish off the lifespan of a scent.

It is still going after 8 hrs. on me.
Definetly warm weather scent and i dont feel awkward wearing it even though I am not a teen or early twenty-something.

02/22/2018

9Scent 8Longevity 9Sillage

Brightstar
18 Reviews

Brightstar

1

Great Smokey Musk Blended with Sweetness Fragrance (8.5/10)

Scent
The scent is smokey musk blend with a sweet scent. The smokey musk scent on the top notes is quite similar to Dolce & Gabbanna 6 L'amoureux.

Longevity
The longevity of the scent is okay, especially on evening, night, and cold season use.
For non 4-seasons countries, the scent is good on evening, night, and cold season. The longevity long-last around 5-6 hours on mentioned period, and 3-4 hours on day.
For the 4-seasons countries, the longevity is around 5-6 hours.

Performance
The performance of this fragrance is okay. For the first 30 minutes, the scent is very similar to D&G 6 L'amoureux. When its goes to middle note, the smokey musk scent is getting soft. This fragrance is good to be wear in closed area and passive activity.

Sillage
The sillage of this First Instinct is okay especially on the top notes. Just only, the scent is quite similar to D&G 6.

Uniqueness
This First Instinct has not much uniqueness to be mention. Only toward its great smokey musk & sweet scent.

Bottle Design
The bottle design of First Instinct is ordinary. Its feel solid and complete when holding the bottle of Abercrombie & Fitch First Instinct.

06/19/2017

9Scent 8Longevity 8Sillage

Basti87
1042 Reviews

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Basti87

Top Review 23

Casual Only!

Actually, the brand Abercrombie & Fitch is not really my taste. Neither in terms of image nor style. A few years ago, I bought the classic Fierce blind. However, it has never completely convinced me, neither in the past nor today. Especially since it is really very expensive, even by A&F standards. The other fragrances from this brand have passed me by untested. It would have been the same for this one if Jeremy hadn't introduced it.
I regularly watch his videos because he is truly a likable entertainer, and I have already used one or two good tips from him. Although many videos repeat themselves, what he hypes definitely has potential, and I like most of it. From cheap to expensive, he has a colorful bouquet of fragrances that mostly match my taste. Even though some here may not like him, I find the videos entertaining and very informative.

The target audience for this fragrance should be clear: the young casual crowd is, in my opinion, being targeted here. This scent leans very much towards the Invictus range. I cannot agree that Invictus Aqua can be considered a fragrance twin, although fans of this scent might also like this one. I really enjoy this type of fragrance, as they are simply uncomplicated and exude good vibes. I cannot understand why all modern fragrances in this direction are being disparaged. Even if I wouldn't wear them: for modern teenagers and young men, these fragrances are top-notch. This scent will certainly not appeal to everyone, but in my opinion, it is not boring. However, one must say: niche fans will probably not like it.

I bought this fragrance twice. I found 100ml online for 45 euros, which is quite a fair price. One for my collection at home, one for my locker at work. First Instinct is a slightly more complex scent and mainly suitable for the warm time of the year. I was mainly intrigued by the melon note. I wondered why there is no melon listed in the fragrance pyramid. If you Google Kiwano, you find a fruit that translates to horned cucumber. Hence, probably the slightly melony scent. The note does not smell like a regular watermelon but rather more exotic. Well done, especially since the gin and tonic accord adds a fitting note. A pleasant fruity freshness with a slight citrus note and a lightly peppery note that brings a subtle spiciness. Initially, it starts off rather synthetic but becomes softer and more pleasant over time. At the start, it resembles a drugstore scent. After half an hour, it becomes more refined and exudes a lightly tart fruity freshness.
The overall composition is uncomplicated for me and suitable for simple types. I prefer simple fragrances in summer. Whether they come across as elegant is not a big deal for me. For casual types, it is truly a great alternative to the seemingly 1 billion citrus scents. The performance is also quite good for a fresh scent in this price range.
The bottle looks cheaper in pictures than it actually is. The bottle has a nice wavy design, a stylish cap, and a beautiful silver plaque on the side.

Conclusion: A slightly complex fragrance for summer for the casual type. It won't appeal to niche fans, but among the average consumers, it could bring some compliments similar to Invictus Aqua.

07/07/2017

3.5Scent 6Longevity 5Sillage

Ergreifend
526 Reviews

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Ergreifend

Helpful Review 9

Like the First Man

First Instinct Man is yet another fragrance that passes by me without a trace or a word, without catching my attention in any way. Skillful boredom, wrapped in a bottle that wants to signal freshness and steadfastness. Along with a trendy message from the house. But somehow, everything here is so bland and underwhelming, like the first man who had to sift through the things of life for the first time. Very elaborate and somehow one-dimensional. That's how one imagines it.

The perfume is just like that - elaborate in the sense that I annoy you until your nerves all buckle, and one-dimensional in the sense that I am dead boring and I bore myself too.

This emptiness starts with a hint of fruit, which is clearly underlaid by a strong alcoholic note. It dissipates lightly within a few minutes, leaving a haze full of half-hearted fruits (it's mainly a weak melon scent that I perceive with a shallow pineapple note) scattered over a vast sea. Freshness does emerge, but these moments of light are really only half-hearted and somehow irritating. Because they simply don't want to play along with the fruits. And everything feels somehow forced. As if one desperately wants to connect something, but never manages to establish the connection properly. Blurry, as we Austrians would say. Because the scent never brings itself to a point, but drifts around like a derelict boat.

After some cumbersome, boring moments (one of the most boring minutes in my entire perfume life), some pepper comes along. It's blown in with such force as if it were a matter of life or death. But as quickly as this pepper was slammed in, it faded just as quickly. What is that?!

The lemon that then half-heartedly shows up seems slightly dried out and never really comes to the forefront. It's just a half-hearted affair. Everything that is offered here. Because after the pepper has faded and the lemon is dozing off, not much more comes along. The fruity note remains weakly pecking on the horizon, slightly grumbled by an annoying spiciness that also doesn't want to contribute properly.

The perfumer who created this scent was either apathetic or wanted to pack something into a bottle that doesn't suggest or deliver much.

The longevity and sillage are in the middle range.
There's nothing more.
I am really bored to death and am extremely glad that my husband finds nothing appealing about it either. He should and can have his lovers and find them. That's fine. Just, please, far away from me.

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