Monsieur Musk Dana 1973 Cologne

This fragrance fooled me bigtime. I read some reviews that said the longevity is really good and when i saw the ridiculously low price i decided to pull the trigger. The initial opening is a blast of musky green greatness that smelled wonderful and i thought i hit the jackpot. Then after about 30 or 40 minutes later, BAM!, nothing, it literally disappears. I wore it 2 more times thinking the 1st time was a fluke but sadly i was mistaken. This unfortunately dies after only an hour, maybe 2, and I'm being generous saying that. Very disappointing because this fragrance really smells wonderful. If it only laster a few hours more.

The original formulation of this is, and I say this without stutter, stammer, hesitation, equivocation, or hidden doubt, the best fragrance for men I’ve ever inhaled. This current formula barely even reminds me of the real thing. I am not certain they share the same skeleton. It’s like Don Perrion Vs water from a pothole. If anyone has ever smelled the original please testify in the comments. If I could, I would buy the original formulation rights and rerelease it. It would change the world for the better. Until then this version at least, however slightly, sort of resembles the original. If I were not so familiar with the original I would probably like this more. It’s like traveling across a desert, seeing an oasis, being filled with hope for a refreshing quench only to be hammered back to reality upon realizing it’s just a mirage.

I deliberately went for the version of this bottle without the hideous belt and buckle—sorry, I just don't find it aesthetically charming one bit and they are often damaged and/or decayed! I do prefer the understated version that highlights the houndstooth pattern. Now that I have out of the way, 1967's Monsieur Houbigant is something I'd imagine Tom Corbett (Eddie's Father) or Mike Brady would wear: masculine, yet sensitive. It's a sleek wood-paneled soap-on-a-rope, gosh and golly kinda man in Sta-Prests and a Tattersall shirt kinda cologne. It's an "I'm switching to Sanka" kind of man.

It wears the patina of an archetype that was already fast transforming. A man aged 30 at the year of its release (presumably the target age) would be 87 years old today. Think about that. This is a grandparent, a great grandparent, a Silent Generation now rapidly going...silent. I smell it on myself and my mind can't help but to consider all the many times I've smelled a beautiful, polished woods-carnation-spice-musk scent like Monsieur when I was quite young. Perhaps it was a postal worker, a school principal, a man simply passing by, that fleeting detection. And somewhere in my brain, tiny neurons fire and I feel so dreadfully but beautifully wistful. I myself are now past the date of that target age, fondly clinging onto a past that my mind fools me into thinking was simpler and kinder.

Perhaps in some ways, things were kinder (though we know there was so much cruelty, too). My life was definitely simpler, as I was a child when scents like this hung in the air for me to marvel and to make strong, early associations. The dry and powdered tobacco aromatics against the warm, ever so slightly perspiring neck of a handsome man: the earliest associations of fondness before sexuality even fully developed for me—adhered to me into maturity. The poignancy is strong with this Monsieur.

Regarding Monsieur Musk (1974):

There is much similarity between Monsieur Houbigant and its re-launch in 1974 as Monsieur Musk: the soapy cedar, the carnation and rose. But now musk has fully become the rage and to compete with others, this version does have a decidedly fat, even petrol-oily muskiness to it that I do find delightful, with an even more tobacco-like dry down than its progenitor. It still brings the nostalgia hard, and I am glad I have it for reference.

Based on good reviews from my Basenotes Powerhouse colleagues, I took a chance on a blind buy and lo and behold: I really like it. Looking at the black bottle, the futuristic-opulent lettering, and especially the name of the fragrance, one might think of heavy musk. The opposite is true! It smells like freshly washed, fine soap, and a hair salon. Only after some time does a darker side develop, with light musk and a bit of sandalwood forming a lovely base. Longevity and sillage are quite good, and the price is unbeatable. A clear recommendation for all fans of old-fashioned and elegant men's fragrances.

Addendum: There are two bottles, one being the black one shown here and a glass bottle shaped like a cocktail shaker with an elongated, golden cap. The 75% rating for the bottle applies to the second variant, simple and elegant.

ultra-classic and a little synthetic (Musk!) old-school Fougère/Cologne. Bright green, feminine floral (Iris !?), soapy soft, sixties Dandy Musk with rich oakmoss accents. Very interesting and equally well-proportioned. Very clean, somewhat sultry, with a minimal animalistic touch that never crosses into the vulgar. As mentioned, very interestingly crafted. Long-lasting, it gets better towards the end, darker and muskier masculine. A scent that will certainly be noticed, as it also radiates a slightly sparkling and fresh, subtle aura. Thank goodness I can't perceive any tobacco and only minimal leather (I believe), otherwise it would be a Senior+ scent par excellence - as it is, it is perfect for this genre.