Exception (Eau de Toilette) by Gainsboro

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Exception Gainsboro 1987 Eau de Toilette

8.2 / 10 48 Ratings

A popular perfume by Gainsboro for men, released in 1987. The scent is spicy-powdery. The longevity is above-average. It was last marketed by Juvena.
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Main accords

Spicy

Powdery

Woody

Fruity

Resinous

Fragrance Pyramid

Top Notes

Lavender

Rosewood

Thyme

Bergamot

Lemon

Heart Notes

Peach

Fir

Geranium

Iris

Rose

Base Notes

Benzoin

Vanilla

Musk

Cedar

Sandalwood Amber

Amber

Patchouli

Ratings

Scent

8.248 Ratings

Longevity

8.640 Ratings

Sillage

8.036 Ratings

Bottle

6.342 Ratings

Submitted by Ingepetra · last update on 12/24/2024.

Source-backed & verified

Smells similar

What the fragrance is similar to

Antidote Eau de Toilette

Basala / Basara (Eau de Toilette) by Shiseido

Basala Eau de Toilette

Exception After Shave Lotion

Azzaro pour Homme Elixir

Reviews

10 in-depth fragrance descriptions

01/13/2016

8Scent 8Longevity 8Sillage

Drseid
828 Reviews

Drseid

1

Exception is Exceptional!...

Exception opens with a benzoin sweetened mild cinnamon spice and patchouli tandem, with significant aromatic lavender support. Moving to the composition's early heart the cinnamon turns nutmeg-like, as natural smelling cedarwood rises from the base to join the remaining slightly sweet patchouli and aromatic lavender. As the composition continues through its mid-section the lavender gradually shifts from aromatic to powdery, as aromatic green fir and powdery oakmoss join the remnants of the patchouli in support with the cedarwood and benzoin vacating. During the late dry-down the moderately powdery green fir and oakmoss tandem remain in control as relatively dry sandalwood joins as co-star and slightly powdery vanilla and deep amber add support through the finish. Projection is excellent as is longevity at just under 15 hours on skin.

Exception is yet another great 80s powerhouse composition that while relatively unknown, deserves so much better. As soon as one applies the composition on skin you immediately get a gorgeous gentle cinnamon and mild to moderately sweet patchouli tandem that melds perfectly with the supporting aromatic lavender. All three key ingredients are completely believable. When the composition adds in fine smelling cedar to the mix it gets even better. In truth, I would not be surprised at all if the composition contains a relatively large quantity of high quality naturals throughout. On the flip side, if there is any weakness worthy of minor mention it is later in the heart when the powdery oakmoss and coniferous fir join the party, as the powder gets just a tad overwhelming for a period of time before the sandalwood in the late dry-down effectively cuts it. All-in-all, Exception is yet another raging success from Men's marketed perfume's greatest decade. In short, Exception is nothing short of Exceptional! The bottom line is the long-since discontinued and relatively difficult to find Exception is proof positive that even drug store perfumes from the 80s largely smelled great, earning an "excellent" 4 stars out of 5 rating and a strong recommendation to powerhouse fans.

12/04/2014

10Scent 7.5Longevity 7.5Sillage

Soulmates
57 Reviews

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Soulmates

Top Review 6

Cherries, Powder, Musk, Moss

A note that does not appear in the pyramid is the most striking impression of Exception, namely an aromatic, dry-powdery cherry in a cherry yogurt manner, so lively, fruity, neither sweet nor sour, definitely synthetic, but not disturbing and well-known outside the theme of perfume. The image does not come from the red bottle, which is a tactile delight, and instead runs through to the base, supported by the musky vanilla facet of a kind of heliotropin/tonka combo. Overall, Exception is very musky, clean-musk, and ends quite deep down with a sparse oakmoss-softener-musk accent and strongly pronounced airy-mineral cedarwood. The scent is very dense, lavender supports the powder, and some resinous tones in the heart note provide more backbone. It is not a powerhouse: the longevity as a skin scent lasts through the night. To make Exception shine, the usual 10-ml bottles need to be quite heavily used.
Exception shows its best performance on fabric and hair when you press the sprayer generously. Then the projection seems to double, and it comes across most like an old-school fougère (NOT an aromatic fougère), crossed with an understated women's fragrance. It remains to be said that Exception is a typical representative of a rare breed between the big trends: post-powerhouse, pre-aquatic, semi-gourmand. Sanders' background went in a similar direction. Last sentence: Of the several Exceptions purchased in the last few months - many minis and good used bottles - none were dull or even spoiled.

12/26/2012

10Scent 10Longevity 7.5Sillage

Ameise
11 Reviews

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Ameise

Helpful Review 11

A Tragic Comedy in Three Acts

1. Act
During my school years, I had a good friend whose mother had taken a special liking to me - yes, she had practically adopted me. This woman worked at that time as a saleswoman in a Cologne perfumery, and since we celebrated our birthdays on the same date, I regularly received the finest fragrances from her as gifts. Thus, even as a young teenager, I owned a relatively expensive perfume collection - from Jean Patou's pour Homme (which I received as a ¾ full tester that never seemed to run out and accompanied me for many years, always fascinating me) to the gigantic Antaeus and Jil Sanders' still unmatched debut, Man Pure. I probably don’t need to add that I carried a certain reputation as a - at least pleasantly scented - oddball in my school with my fragrant clouds.
In 1988, my motherly friend surprised me with this squat, candy-red bottle featuring a sleek Art Deco inscription (or at least an 80s interpretation of it). Since for me, name, packaging, and scent always formed an inseparable emotional unit - how congenially did the violet-black, Kubrick-like bar fit with the astral Antaeus or the cubist smoky glass cubes with the austere Man Pure - Exception initially left me only puzzled. It smelled - quite nice. At first, somehow peppery and pleasantly powdery in the base. But it told - at least to me - no story. It evoked no associations. That same year, Fahrenheit hit the market. I could still write stories about this perfume today. Exception - exception - aha, but of what? In fact, it remained exactly that in my fragrance socialization - a fleeting acquaintance. At the end of the 80s, I moved to England with the already mentioned bottle of Patou and a brand new bottle of Fahrenheit.

2. Act
1997 - by then, I was living in Berlin - I was invited to the wedding of two friends in England. While searching for a suitable gift at KaDeWE, I eventually found myself in the perfumery department on the ground floor. On a whim, I inquired about Gainsboro and was directed to the Juvena counter. When I asked about Exception there, the saleswoman's face lit up.
“You're in luck!” she beamed. She leaned under the counter and rummaged out a small box. “This,” she said triumphantly, “is probably the last bottle you can buy in Germany.”
I don’t know if that was just a clever sales trick, but it worked. Without hesitation, I grabbed it.
I was immediately fascinated. I still remembered the scent well. It still didn’t tell a story, but - damn! - it smelled good! I couldn’t have broken it down into its components. Today I know: there’s a lot in it - rose, fir, peach - but back then, it all blended into an incomparable, warm fragrance that enchanted me so unexpectedly. (Strangely, again this peppery opening, even though there’s none in it!) Perhaps the beginning of a wonderful friendship?!
A few days later, I landed at London Heathrow with the bottle in my light luggage. I was supposed to stay with friends and drive to Somerset the next day. Shortly after I boarded the Piccadilly Line at the airport, I noticed people in the carriage turning to look at me. And then the sharp and overwhelming scent of the perfume I was emanating hit my nose. A startled glance at my soft sports bag revealed the dark, damp spot spreading there. My wonderfully rediscovered fragrance, the “probably last bottle,” had completely leaked. For some inexplicable reason, the neck of the small squat glass had broken. All 50 ml had spilled over exactly the clothes I intended to wear at the wedding the next day. Exception: as gained - so lost.

3. Act
2012: After I had repurchased both Man Pure and Helmut Lang's For Men for a lot of money on eBay, I have been searching for a new signature scent for a while. This time, the obituary published here made me think of the long-lost one again. I managed to snag a half-full mini on eBay for 15 euros, which now stands before me. Far too little to really wear the scent, but enough to indulge. Unfortunately, it will always remain an exception for me.
But at least it now has a story.

08/13/2011

10Scent 10Longevity 7.5Sillage

Fossl
1 Review

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Fossl

Helpful Review 11

In silent mourning.

Exception by Gainsboro is a men's fragrance that is unparalleled. A scent I have missed for many years. I go so far as to state and claim that it was the king of men's perfumes. No new fragrance has come close to Exception or could match its perfume water. I want to and cannot describe the scent because there is no comparable one for me, and I am not good at describing fragrances. However, it had everything I expect from a perfume: a sensual, masculine, long-lasting warm scent that also exudes eroticism. No boredom, but immediate recognizability, no unisex character like most men's fragrances, and despite a slightly sweet note, it is anything but ordinary! I had found my perfume, but unfortunately lost it again. Gainsboro-Exception is sadly no longer available, and if it is, like on eBay etc., it is probably only in a compromised state.

R.I.P.

12/25/2018

10Scent 10Longevity 10Sillage

MET
2 Reviews

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MET

6

Gainsboro Exception is the best perfume for me

The whole story began in early 1988 and lasted until 1991, as I was searching for "the perfume" for myself and had pretty much tried everything that came my way, such as Zino Davidoff, Davidoff Cool Water, Davidoff Relax, Green Irish Tweed, Dali Pour Homme, CK Eternity, Lacoste Original, CD Fahrenheit, Marbert Homme, Jil Sander Man, Joop Homme, Montana, Tristano by Onofri, Cartier Santos..........
I finally found the scent for me and of course stuck with it; the best part was that it was an unknown fragrance and you didn't feel like you had to smell it on every third person.
The fragrance components harmonized very well together, the top note lasted unusually long
for me, I mostly noticed bergamot and lemon at first, along with a slight sweetness, although
it was never too sweet, rather fresh, floral, and very pleasant to wear. The scent development on the skin was just as good as on clothing. The longevity was gigantic.
You occasionally find a sample here and there, but unfortunately, they have all gone off; the freshness is no longer present in any of the samples or collector's bottles.
My description of this unique scent would be that it represents the transition from spring to summer, you walk in the flower park, butterflies are flying in all colors of splendor, and a light west wind blows, you smell all kinds of flowers that are just freshly blooming, slightly sweet, rather fresh, with a hint of cedar, and you take a deep breath..........

Updated on 12/26/2018

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