Antaeus 1981 Eau de Toilette

Antaeus (Eau de Toilette) by Chanel
Bottle Design:
Jacques Helleu
Ranked 81 in Men's Perfume
8.1 / 10 1455 Ratings
A popular perfume by Chanel for men, released in 1981. The scent is spicy-woody. Projection and longevity are above-average. It is still in production.
Pronunciation

Main accords

Spicy
Woody
Animal
Leathery
Earthy

Fragrance Pyramid

Top Notes Top Notes
Clary sageClary sage CorianderCoriander MyrrhMyrrh BergamotBergamot LemonLemon LimeLime
Heart Notes Heart Notes
ThymeThyme BasilBasil JasmineJasmine RoseRose
Base Notes Base Notes
CastoreumCastoreum PatchouliPatchouli LabdanumLabdanum OakmossOakmoss

Perfumers

Videos
Ratings
Scent
8.11455 Ratings
Longevity
8.61124 Ratings
Sillage
8.11108 Ratings
Bottle
7.81103 Ratings
Value for money
7.7486 Ratings
Submitted by DonVanVliet, last update on 07/26/2025.
Interesting Facts
In Greek mythology, Antaeus was an almost invincible half-giant, the son of Poseidon and Gaia.

Smells similar

What the fragrance is similar to
Antaeus (Lotion Après Rasage) by Chanel
Antaeus Lotion Après Rasage
Antaeus Sport Cologne by Chanel
Antaeus Sport Cologne
Pour Homme (1978) (Eau de Toilette) by Van Cleef & Arpels
Pour Homme (1978) Eau de Toilette
British Leather by Dunhill
British Leather
Égoïste (Eau de Toilette) by Chanel
Égoïste Eau de Toilette
Monsieur Lanvin (Eau de Toilette) by Lanvin
Monsieur Lanvin Eau de Toilette

Reviews

54 in-depth fragrance descriptions
7.5
Longevity
8
Scent
Apicius

224 Reviews
Apicius
Apicius
Top Review 7  
The Grey Governess
Antaeus is a great fragrance beyond question. But I am quite shocked when I apply it. I do not know any other perfume that gives off such an aura of rigour and strictness.

I feel that Antaeus is space-consuming and sophisticated. Always in a bad mood, it is driven by the need to spoil any feeling of Laissez-faire or even the slightest smile. At any time it demands moderation and temperance, and strict fulfilment of one's duties – like a governess in a high-necked, mouse grey outfit.

Its depth of francincense transforms whoever wears it into an inhabitant of fathomless urban canyons. With its tristesse, it suits Keanu Reeves in the movie “Matrix” or any other version of the Brave New World. A great perfume that unfortunately sends out strong negative energies.
0 Comments
jtd

484 Reviews
jtd
jtd
Very helpful Review 10  
first fragrance
Chanel Antaeus was the first perfume of my own. I don’t remember who gave it to me, but I didn’t choose it myself. Looking back, my touchstones in perfume were Patou Joy, Lanvin Arpege, Dior Eau Sauvage and Paco Rabanne pour Homme. The first two my mother had, and introduced me to classical perfumery. I would sniff them out of the bottle and relish them. I was, maybe, 8 years old. 9? I knew nothing about perfume, but somehow they got me thinking. They got me to see beyond the expected and the routine in the same way that Frank Zappa’s music eventually broadened my teenage sense of what rock could be. The Dior and the Paco Rabanne were ambient scents. Men wore them in the 1960s-1970s of my youth and I remember smelling them. Eau Sauvage seemed like a lemon drop to me. It was tart but brisk like snow water. Paco Rabanne was ubiquitous and the scent of it today still brings back the 70s

I was fortunate to have such a superior group of fragrances to learn from. Pre-internet, pre-blog I had a limited set of guides: desire, inquisitiveness, well-made perfumes. On reflection, these are still my guides.

My start with perfume was solitary and reflective. Perfume taught me to appreciate states of beauty and contemplation. I lacked a vocabulary and a perfume guru, and, even at a young age, I wasn’t very narrative-driven. Perfume has never been about story per se. Perfume was my subject. The rest of my life, education and experience taught me how to know my subject. I didn’t hide my fascination with perfume, but I didn’t share it either. I guess it’s no surprise that I write anonymously. But with Antaeus, I went public.

I loved Antaeus. It was unlike anything I knew. Also, I’d never smelled it on anyone else, so it suited my solo perfume trip. It was visceral, and demanding and each time I put it on, it stopped me in my tracks. I first wore it in snowy weather, and it highlighted the cold woods of New England winter. Arpege and Joy were nothing like Antaeus, but they had prepared me. Unlike smelling Eau Sauvage in passing or lingering over a bottle of Joy, wearing Antaeus was a deliberate and public act. (I wasn’t modest in my dosing.) If the first period of my perfume fascination was reflective, act 2 was expansive.

[Sidebar: I think my questioning of marketing started early as well, with Antaeus as my primer. I already knew the myth of Herakles and Antaeus before Chanel. I thought the notion of associating a perfume with a character who symbolized cheating and the mundane and was odd until I realized that marketing wanted nothing more than a superficial image (hottie in a toga) and a link to the lofty/cultural (pretension). My thoughts on marketing, like marketing itself, may have evolved, but they haven’t really changed.]

The 80s had so much to offer: power fragrances and volume, self-absorption without introspection . I took Antaeus to college where I met and fell for Kouros and Coco. I know, very au courant, very bisexual chic. But thank god I kept my classical roots and embraced old-lady perfumes, in this case, Chanel 5 and Worth Je Reviens.

The end the formative years.

http://www.scenthurdle.com
1 Comment
10
Pricing
9
Bottle
9
Sillage
8
Longevity
10
Scent
Elijahrb67

110 Reviews
Elijahrb67
Elijahrb67
Top Review 8  
A fellow friend of Dorothy
Antaeus was, without a doubt, one of the fragrances I wanted to smell the most on my recent trip to New York. Something in me knew I would love it and I was thankfully correct, as it became an instant purchase. Though this might seem shocking, it’s rumored to have been very popular with the gay men of big cities in its day, and despite the toes I might step on by saying this, it makes perfect sense. It's daring, bold and intense, and flirts with femininity more than I would've expected. This is, of course, not a bad thing, but where fragrances like Aramis represents masculinity in a traditional, suburban, family-loving man sort of way, Antaeus is the polar opposite. It’s urban, sleek and intimidating in the best way. He listens to Donald Fagen’s “The Nightfly” on repeat, and dresses in highly fashionable all black ensembles no matter the occasion. He is a high ranking accountant by day, and spends his nights in a lower-Manhattan nightclub while having too many a whiskey old fashioned for his own good. Nevertheless, he wakes up bright and early the next day, completely unphased, and repeats the cycle over and over again. And little do his familiars know, he is the greatest friend of Dorothy there ever was. Does it make him any less masculine than Aramis, Kouros or the others? Not a chance. He just leads a different lifestyle, and that’s why we love Antaeus.

Analogies aside, the scent is a complete masterpiece. Opening up is a vibrantly spicy combination of myrrh and clary sage that starts off quite sweet. The opening almost reminds me of something like Opium EDT with the sweet spicy notes. It's really interesting, as it leans ever so slightly into feminine territory here, but snaps back into it's masculine form as it dries. After that we get the iconic leathery chypre feeling that Antaeus is known for. It's dense and herbal, while maintaining the smooth, sharp scent of a fine leather. There's also a pretty heavy dose of patchouli and labdanum in the base which really just make this fragrance even more interesting. This is certainly one that just builds and builds throughout the wear, becoming more enticing the longer it's worn. Additionally, while it is certainly animalic in a sense, I don’t find this to land in the territory of offense animalics. It's completely wearable and not off putting in the slightest, and I think the animalic qualities really become the cherry on top of an already perfect composition. It’s a very dark fragrance, almost as dark as the bottle it’s housed in, but in a very enticing and almost sexy fashion. It feels like a bit of a sin to wear Antaeus, but that’s sort of the beauty of it.

I have to admit, I have never once caught a whiff of Antaeus until I sampled my bottle and purchased it. I find this to be a travesty, though of course it does make it fun to (usually) be the only one in the room wearing Antaeus. Yes, it’s very much a product of its time, but in my opinion it’s aged far better than many of its counterparts. From what I hear, it appears to be regarded as 'very 1980s' in a cool, retro way as opposed to it being outdated. It’s nothing like any other Chanel ever produced, but it’s easily the best of them all as well. Even my other Chanel favorites, No.5 and Platinum Egoiste, don’t hold a candle to the sleek and powerful Antaeus. For those who read my reviews, you’ll know my very favorite fragrance ever made is Guerlain’s Mitsouko, but I believe Mitsouko has finally met its match with Antaeus. Let us hope it’s not discontinued anytime soon. Some will hope to live their life as an Aramis man, a Kouros man, an Eternity man, or maybe even a Habit Rouge man, but I will hope to be an Antaeus man.
6 Comments
10
Bottle
7.5
Sillage
10
Longevity
10
Scent
MasterLi

375 Reviews
MasterLi
MasterLi
Top Review 7  
Very Masculine scent...
This is probably the best Chanel masculine, and one of the best masculines ever made. It's warm, woody, deep, rich, dark, smokey, animalic and sensual all at the same time!

Blends really well with the skin to give off an incredible manly, musky, testosterone-filled vibe. I wouldn't call it dirty. It's incredibly well refined and very classy. A dangerous fragrance. This may be the fragrance for the big, strong, man with the muscles... but he's wearing a tux.
0 Comments
6
Pricing
6
Bottle
8
Sillage
8
Longevity
7
Scent
Kurai

388 Reviews
Kurai
Kurai
Helpful Review 11  
The myth
Antaeus current formula - 2021

A fascinating fragrance. Rough and unpolished, yet not totally savage. Herbal at first with myrrh and coriander very present. The coriander and a faint floral (rose?) nuance give it just that bit of cleanliness to the overall ‘skank’.

With a base of mainly patchouli and oakmoss, the scent hints towards leather. Raw leather, I guess, but not so much a bear pelt or beaver sack. Where "Kouros" is a savage wolf, Antaeus is more of a fox. Clever and more graceful in its appearance. So much for the animalic aspects.

There's a 'classic vibe' all along, eighties obviously, although projection levels are set to what is nowadays socially acceptable - except maybe in the office or other confined spaces. Also, there is no vanilla, tonka or balsam sweetness to this. To me, all of these qualities are big plusses.

All in all, a scent that truely takes you back to the eighties and feel like that mythical Greek giant for a moment. There are cheaper alternatives with more or less the same effect, but Antaeus has the Chanel label and quality.

1 Comment
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Statements

28 short views on the fragrance
PedroCabralPedroCabral 3 years ago
8
Bottle
9
Sillage
9
Longevity
8.5
Scent
Very well formulated, a classic that is not tiring. It has the balance that Kouros (they are animalic) do not have, much more elegant.
0 Comments
StaticStatic 4 years ago
10
Bottle
8
Sillage
10
Longevity
8
Scent
This is a gentleman’s scent. You never go wrong with this one.
Masculin at the top!!
0 Comments
BertolucciKBertolucciK 5 years ago
7
Bottle
8
Sillage
8
Longevity
8.5
Scent
Antaeus is, indubitably, a powerhouse of the 80s. The opening is a strong fresh and animalic scent. After a while, it becomes more gentle
0 Comments
WusubiWusubi 5 months ago
10
Bottle
6
Sillage
7
Longevity
9.5
Scent
What an opening! Herbal, spicy, citrusy, a bit animalic.
Cold and fresh, balanced by sweet myrrh.
Dries down to warm, musky, smooth leather.
4 Comments
KokganKokgan 3 years ago
6
Bottle
9
Sillage
9
Longevity
10
Scent
My favorite perfume. Absolutely beautiful and masculine scent. 10 out of 10
0 Comments
TheBloffTheBloff 3 years ago
8
Bottle
7
Sillage
8
Longevity
6
Scent
Extremely masculine 80's nightclub sweat in a bottle.
0 Comments
ElysiumElysium 5 years ago
8
Bottle
5
Sillage
6
Longevity
10
Scent
Leathery and animalic accord evokes and recalls the cult perfumes of the 20th century that exuded masculinity and more robust characters.
0 Comments
Charilaos77Charilaos77 3 years ago
8
Sillage
9
Longevity
9
Scent
Vintage Antaeus. One of the most spectacular leathery chypres ever created. Sweaty 80s night hunter. Song: Horace Silver - Filthy mcNasty.
0 Comments
IrruzzarbossIrruzzarboss 10 months ago
10
Bottle
9
Sillage
10
Longevity
10
Scent
Despite of the price this is a masterpiece of Chanel. This is for the evening / autumn, winter suitable. You wanna be a boss, be Antaeus.
0 Comments
HolscentbarHolscentbar 1 year ago
8.5
Scent
definitely not as a vintage version, but my 2023 has all the beauty and soul of real perfumery
0 Comments
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