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.
Top Notes 
Clary sage
Coriander
Myrrh
Bergamot
Lemon
Lime
Heart Notes 
Thyme
Basil
Jasmine
Rose
Base Notes 
Castoreum
Patchouli
Labdanum
Oakmoss
PedroCabral
Static
BertolucciK
Wusubi
Kokgan
TheBloff
Elysium
Charilaos77
Irruzzarboss
Holscentbar
