Monsieur Givenchy Givenchy 1959 Eau de Toilette

Monsieur Givenchy (Eau de Toilette) by Givenchy

Bottle Design Pierre Dinand

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Monsieur Givenchy (Eau de Toilette) (Givenchy)

7.9 / 10 147 Ratings

A popular perfume by Givenchy for men, released in 1959. The scent is fresh-citrusy. It is being marketed by LVMH.
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Main accords

Fresh

Citrus

Chypre

Spicy

Green

Fragrance Pyramid

Top Notes

Lemon

Carnation

Cinnamon

Pepper

Heart Notes

Lemon vervain

Lavender

Base Notes

Oakmoss

Musk

Sandalwood

Perfumer

Francis Fabron

Ratings

Scent

7.9147 Ratings

Longevity

6.0118 Ratings

Sillage

5.5116 Ratings

Bottle

7.3116 Ratings

Value for money

7.030 Ratings

Submitted by DonVanVliet, last update on 10.07.2023.

Interesting Facts

The fragrance was re-released in 2007 as part of the collection "Les Parfums Mythiques".

Reviews

4 in-depth fragrance descriptions

09/21/2021

BrianBuchanan
355 Reviews

BrianBuchanan

4

Vieux monsieur

This is the original version of Monsieur, and - sweet though it is - it does smell old. In fact, it's so old, it reminds me of Eau de Coty (1909).
Let me explain.

Monsieur smelled of citrus - front and centre.
But, with aromatics and powder, it had more oomph than a citrus cologne, and as it developed it got more like a powdery fougère.

The brightness my mini still has makes it feel like a fat citrus cologne, the sort of thing I call Cologne de Toilette; a sub-genre that I believe was invented by that Napoleon of Perfume - François Coty - with his eponymous Eau.

02/08/2020

7
Bottle 6
Sillage 6
Longevity 8
Scent

Taurus
310 Reviews

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Taurus

Top Review 17

Gentlemen, please report to class

From the big perfume houses or even designer labels, there are conspicuously many men's fragrances that bear the name "Monsieur" - especially in the period when perfumes were not quite so common for men. These include 'Monsieur Carven' (1978), 'Monsieur F de Ferragamo' (1976), 'Pour Monsieur' by Cardin (1972), 'Monsieur Rochas' (1969), 'Monsieur Worth' (1969), "Monsieur" by Roger & Gallet (1969), "Monsieur Houbigant" (1967), "Monsieur Balmain" (1964), "Monsieur Lavin" (1963), "Monsieur NET" by Jean Patou (1956), "Monsieur Lubin (1955), "Pour Monsieur" by Chanel (1955) and even "Mouchoir de Monsieur" by Guerlain (1904) could be mentioned among them, to name but a few.

In this respect, "Monsiuer de Givenchy" from 1959 is already a real classic, even if it has been reformulated both externally and in terms of content. What he has in common with many men's fragrances from the old guard is this unmistakably fresh citric style with a masculine touch. Lemon verbena and lavender add a touch of edge to the fragrance. Add a small dash of wonderful oak moss and you have the right dosage of a valuable water for the discreet gentleman who wants to announce his pleasant presence olfactorically, but by no means intrusive.

Quite different then the "Monsieur" fragrances from the 70s to 80s, which attract more attention with heavy oriental to animal notes and almost have to be assigned to the rutting category, but which are definitely justified. But they also last longer
You also have to appreciate that "Monsieur de Givenchy" at least in the original version comes across very naturally. Just as a classic perfumer of the old school would serve it with classic ingredients. I'm afraid that such straightforward and authentic things would neither be commissioned nor offered today. Times just change.

05/16/2013

jtd
484 Reviews

jtd

Helpful Review 7

citrus chypre

The Monsieur is one of a crew of wonderful masculine citrus chypres from the mid-20th century--Rochas Moustache, Chanel pour Monsieur, YSL pour Homme.) This genre smells like the middle ground between the feminine green chypre of the 1960s-1970s (Private Collection, Scherrer de Scherrer, Weil de Weil) and Eau de Cologne. Bear in mind I know the more current formulations of these citrus chypres, which according to many are ghosts of their earlier iterations. Myself, I turn to the above green chypres if I’m looking for ballsiness and volume. I like the current men’s citrus chypres for their subtlety and personal scale. I like this genre for wearing like Eau de Cologne with endurance. For this use, the Monsieur is perfect. (I have the les Mythiques formulation.)

The big dog on this block is Chanel pour Monsieur. At any time since its release it’s been considered the best men’s chypre on the market. Many call it the best men’s chypre of all time. I only know a recent formulation, and while pretty, it’s so short lived, and fades to such a spectral version of itself that I have to consider it effectively discontinued.

OK, obeisance and eulogy to Chanel done, on to Monsieur de Givenchy. The Monsieur is a long-lasting but light perfume that balances the simple composition, restraint and allure that leads to that rare outcome in masculine perfumery: quiet but unashamed beauty. I’ve found many who see MdG as the most damaged by reformulations of this genre. Perhaps for their purposes it is, but I find it enjoyable in the way that it accomplishes all the goals of the citrus chypre genre. It’s dry/bitter and austere. It reflects your skin. It combines an herbal citrus blend (pepper/lemon/bergamot) with a waxy musky quality that is distinctive yet easy-going. The floral notes give some depth. It starts rosy and eases into a low-key white floral tone that eventually settle into a carnation note that remains through drydown. Carnation? Or was that the pepper from the start? This little twist shows that for as unfussy as this genre is, the Monsieur wears an I’ve-got-a-secret smile from start to finish.

To some, this is a faded gentleman. To me, a charmer.

from scent hurdle.com

12/19/2012

10
Scent

Drseid
819 Reviews

Drseid

4

An Extremely Versatile Masterpiece...

This is a review of the original formulation juice...

Monsieur de Givenchy opens with a beautifully well-blended mixture of lemon verbena and mossy greens. This verbena and oak moss combo pretty much hangs around from start to finish on my skin, only being joined by a non-powdery subtle lavender in the heart notes, and slightly sweet sandalwood and light musk in the base. The entire set of notes is harmonious to the point that it is very difficult identifying individual ones. There could be a whole gob of other ingredients in here, but I stopped trying to find them and started to enjoy the end result... and what an end result it is! Longevity is average and projection is below average.

Maybe I am getting a bit dated myself, but I find vintage Monsieur de Givenchy just as relevant now as it was when it was released. It is masterfully blended, extremely wearable and amazing smelling. It balances subtlety, sophistication and versatility brilliantly. Adding to the long growing list of positives, the vintage juice is quite affordable in relative terms, making this one a "must buy" for anyone into classic scents, which it most certainly is. Monsieur de Givenchy is timeless and easily earns a well-deserved 4.5+ out of 5 stars.