Boss Number One
Boss
1985 Eau de Toilette

Boss Number One / Boss (Eau de Toilette) by Hugo Boss
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7.6 / 10 453 Ratings
A popular perfume by Hugo Boss for men, released in 1985. The scent is spicy-woody. It is being marketed by Coty.
Pronunciation
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Main accords

Spicy
Woody
Animal
Sweet
Leathery

Fragrance Pyramid

Top Notes Top Notes
BasilBasil BergamotBergamot CarawayCaraway JuniperJuniper TarragonTarragon GrapefruitGrapefruit Green appleGreen apple LemonLemon
Heart Notes Heart Notes
HoneyHoney GeraniumGeranium JasmineJasmine LavenderLavender Orris rootOrris root Lily of the valleyLily of the valley RoseRose SageSage
Base Notes Base Notes
OakmossOakmoss TobaccoTobacco AmberAmber CedarCedar CinnamonCinnamon MuskMusk PatchouliPatchouli SandalwoodSandalwood

Perfumer

Ratings
Scent
7.6453 Ratings
Longevity
7.9361 Ratings
Sillage
7.7365 Ratings
Bottle
7.0367 Ratings
Value for money
8.0156 Ratings
Submitted by DonVanVliet, last update on 17.04.2024.

Reviews

18 in-depth fragrance descriptions
8
Bottle
8
Sillage
8
Longevity
9.5
Scent
Salva

71 Reviews
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Salva
Salva
Top Review 42  
A boss who stands out from the crowd...
With Hugo Boss I had my very first experience with fragrances.

Back then, I was about 14-15 years old, a teenager who didn't know where he belonged, what he wanted to achieve in life...
Back when my brother bought the original bottle, which was his signature for years, it was on his shelf and I kept sniffing his bottle in secret...
[...]

To this day I like this DNA a lot. Not only because I associate it with my brother, but also because I myself owned the EdP Intense from the Bottled for a long time and loved to wear it.

To be honest, until a few months ago I was not aware that there were other men's fragrances from Boss besides these bottled bottles. I discovered this Number One in a perfumery, and when I saw the bottle and read its name, I had a hunch that it had little or nothing to do with Boss' DNA. After testing it, I quickly had my confirmation...
[...]

According to the fragrance pyramid, the fragrance contains a hell of a lot of notes, but I can't smell them all out one by one. My nose is not trained well enough for that. Basically, I would describe it as a classically beautiful and unique aromatic fougère, blessed with a woody and spicy character and a honey note that is easy to recognize
Right at the beginning a slightly biting, pungent, spicy note shoots into your nose. But it is surrounded by an aromatic freshness, which should be due to the grapefruit and the various citrus notes. In the further course of the wine a balsamic and warm-sweet accord is added, which I refer to the honey. Amber, tobacco and patchouli are also added, which underline the woody and slightly spicy nuance here.

The bottle is mMn in a simple way very noble and chic. The transparent thick glass with the gold-coloured liquid and the black cap lies very well in the hand (if the hand is big enough ;) ) and embodies for me personally understatement and class.
[...]

Due to its composition the fragrance mMn is definitely not suitable for warm days. So I think it is best to wear it in autumn or winter. Since it is so strong, you should also pay attention to the dosage. Here 3, maximum 4 squirts are really enough. And I have to admit that I find this difficult, because I belong to the notorious frequent sprayers...

From my score above you can also see how good he is in durability and sillage. On my skin it lasts for 8-9h and because of its room filling quality other people in the area notice it very well. I was for example in a department store a few days ago, tested me through the scent shelves (had 3 sprays of the NumberOne on it) and the saleswoman spoke to me about the scent during the consultation Only after about 4-5h does it become somewhat skin-tight, but even then it can still be smelled intensively on the skin.
Conclusion:
Again and again one encounters fragrances that fascinate and captivate one right from the first test. This is what happened to me with this boss Number One.

It is probably the first men's perfume from the house of Hugo Boss. For me personally, it is the best Hugo Boss fragrance I know so far, as it simply smells completely different and mMn stands out from its Boss colleagues. In my eyes he is a charismatic, exotic and ingenious Fougère, with lots of wood and some spices. Its aroma gives the wearer a special aura, even a charming and attractive nonchalance, which makes you feel like the number 1.

Despite the low price, I would rather advise against buying blind, but it simply does not smell good enough for the masses. I think that this NumberOne is already a "special" perfume, which probably wouldn't appeal to everyone, since it has a classic-aromatic character and not a so-called "special" perfume. Mainstreamer' is. But I think, for example, that people who like the Aramis Classic EdT, Givenchy Gentleman Original EdT or Azzaro Pour Homme EdT will probably like this boss as well
Oh, yeah, my bottle's from this year. I don't know older versions, but as described above, my batch has a lot of power and endurance.
[...]

As always, I would like to thank all our readers!

22 Comments
9
Pricing
7
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8
Sillage
9
Longevity
9
Scent
Profumorist

13 Reviews
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Profumorist
Profumorist
Top Review 23  
When he was still trendy..
Once upon a time there was a famous German fashion house that decided in 1985, albeit a little late, to launch its first perfume factory on the market. A fragrance that still corresponded to the spirit of the time. Even if the refreshment wave a la Green Irish Tweed, Cool Water and New West was already in sight. And as it is, this work was for decades the best they created there.

First of all I would like to make it clear that I don't notice any animalism, no pungent sweat smell and also no resting place toilet with the Number One. What you smell at the beginning is the herb-heavy freshness of aftershave with a lot of honey. In the middle part, very delicate floral unisons can be heard. Just as it was usual with a classic men's fragrance at that time. At the end the Moosig-seifig-Ledrige comes through more and more. And still supported and accompanied by honey.

The whole thing is wonderfully balanced, round and with an above-average shelf life and fragrance. Fresh, leathery, mossy and a little tobacco accentuated. Classic masculine in a positive sense. Timeless.

Perhaps it is the interplay of honey and caraway that makes one or the other

The boss is a distinct scent of the '80s. No "I vote green-esse vegan-and ride my bike to work" smell. He's out of fashion. Not adjusted in 2019. He's not restrained. Doesn't want to hide. He's doing what he was made for. Notice! Maybe that's why I like him so much, because I basically can't do much with trends. And no, I have nothing against the Greens, the Vegans or the cyclists.

I think it's great that something like this is still available these days. And at a very reasonable price. If you filled it into the brown pharmacy bottles and wrote Tom Ford on them, you would pay three times the price for half the contents. And before the TF disciples scream here, you test the Arabian Wood. Just for comparison.

So to be honest: If you need a change from time to time besides the modern water, you should test it here. It's definitely worth it.

Greetings

Your Profumorist
12 Comments
10
Pricing
7
Bottle
8
Sillage
8
Longevity
8.5
Scent
Greenfan1701

63 Reviews
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Greenfan1701
Greenfan1701
Top Review 24  
Not only for men
Where my soft spot for spicy "man scents" comes from, I can't say.
Maybe it stems from the fact that in the 70s and 80s still many so-called women's fragrances did not have this sweet touch and I was therefore already shaped as a teenager on it.

And it happened that I strolled around several years ago in the perfumery, thinking of nothing bad, and there: suddenly a fragrance came to my nose (a lady had sprayed the shortly before), I sniffed like a sniffer dog, and what I smelled there, was fabulous.
A very spicy, woody scent flowed towards me, combined with something fresh, which probably came from the lemon or apple, paired with the usual suspects, such as sandalwood, oak moss and this typical "cedric", I would like to call it, which I did not know at the time in such a beautiful combination.

It had something very elegant, warm-spicy about it, which immediately drew me in. Also a little patchouli came into play, but not the musty, but a finer timbe, perhaps also in conjunction with the spices listed here, it was almost magical, if you can call it that.

I now had to know quickly what it was and asked the saleswoman about it, who informed me that it was Boss Number One. At that time still the version with the vertical strokes and the black cap. (I did not even know that there is a new packaging for this).

Of course, a bottle was bought immediately and at home my husband was also very taken by it and said that I had brought here times a really great fragrance. :-)

Since then, the repurchased several times and we share the and enjoy together the beautiful spicy freshness with the lavender-jasmine twist and the great spicy nuances.
9 Comments
9
Bottle
7
Sillage
8
Longevity
9
Scent
Eisbaer

8 Reviews
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Eisbaer
Eisbaer
Top Review 17  
Prontos furniture balm with beeswax - gives new shine!
It is always exciting to see what associations people share with certain scents. But it's understandable, because after all it can bring great joy as part of our common scent hobby. How beautiful is it alone when a scent reminds us of a distant place, a certain time or even a very concrete event? I've experienced this with many perfumes, but "Number One" by Hugo Boss is one of the strongest candidates for such a connection.

First of all: I can agree with the general tenor that the fragrance is an absolute grower and needs some time to get used to. At the beginning I was also a bit sceptical whether I really like it or whether it would go further. I had that with a whisky once: I found the Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban horrible in the first dram, after the second tasting it was fine, after the third tasting it was even really good and after the fourth glass at the latest it was clear that it would be bought again. And no, of course these glasses were not all drunk away one after another. Ahem. :-) Anyway, I felt the same with the "Number One". The more often I tried it, the more I liked it. And the liking has become a passionate love in the meantime. By the way, this procedure didn't take long - one or two weeks had passed and he became one of my favourites
The two main ingredients that immediately stand out for me are without doubt the fruity, clean freshness and honey. Yes, it does smell a little like furniture polish, but not necessarily in such a way that you wouldn't like the scent on you. For some people, this note reminds me more of WC stone, as I read - I am rather reminded of the furniture balm from Pronto, which I like to use to care for my wooden furniture. Hence the funny headline. I really like the sweet honey in combination with the freshness, I must say. It rounds off the overall picture perfectly. And even though "Number One" is now 35 years old, I think it has aged very well. He smells pleasantly classic and does not need to hide behind newer fresh scents. You can see the 80s in him - in a positive respect.

One particular reason why I not only like this fragrance, but love it: I can't explain exactly why, but "Number One" by Hugo Boss embodies radiant sunshine for me. For me it is a real holiday scent. I think it's because it reminds me of happy childhood days in the early 1990s, when my parents, siblings and I used to spend summer vacations with my relatives every now and then - for example at the Mecklenburg Lake District or down in Bavaria near the Alps. Almost all of my relatives lived or still live in rural to very rural areas and I always enjoyed it very much as a child when we all had breakfast together outside in the sunshine while the coffee machine was gurgling in the background and the portable radio was constantly playing songs from the 70s and 80s. I think the grapefruit, apple and lemon in "Number One" remind me subconsciously that my relatives always smelled very clean and very fresh in the house. Now in retrospect I think - sure, they will have cleaned up for the visit. :-) Also the pleasant smells of the wooded and green surroundings and the garden come back to my memory. That fits - after all, flowers and herbs can also be heard discreetly in the "Number One". And the honey? For me it fits perfectly with the association of the honey glass on the breakfast table.

For my partner and me, the summer vacation (which we always enjoy very much) always starts in the car. Put the luggage in the back, adjust the navigation, start an episode of "The three ???" and drive together comfortably along the country road towards the holiday. Maybe even to those relatives. Only this time the coffee machine gurgles for us, the radio plays the "hits of today" and the childlike carelessness is unfortunately missing. Nevertheless, I know for sure that "Number One" by Hugo Boss will be my holiday scent for the trip. Should it be cloudy outside, it doesn't matter. In the car the sun will shine anyway
If Hugo Boss "Number One" were music:

"Julia" by Chris Rea
"Far, Far Away" by Slade
"In The Summertime" by Mungo Jerry
"It Never Rains In Southern California" by Albert Hammond
8 Comments
7
Bottle
7
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8
Longevity
8
Scent
Camey5000

81 Reviews
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Camey5000
Camey5000
Very helpful Review 16  
Here comes my boss
I've always stayed out of this boss's way. True to the prejudice: must the first also be the best?!

Thanks to parfumo, with aroused curiosity, a bottling came into my collection.

The memory was followed by a massive impact.

For a long time we bred dogs and the smell of the puppies, the growing and the adult animals, up to giving away, for sale: that is Boss Number One for me. I also have to think of energetically worked out skin sweat, of flower water, in which a bouquet spent weeks of its existence or the duckweed that sloshes against the beams of the bathing jetty in the small lake.

The animal beginning, with a melange of herbs to caraway and juniper, lightly peppery tarragon and the turn to lovage and cheeky sage, combines with the scent of climbing yelp fever and catches the slightly bitter scent of grated vetch and crumbled jasmine. Always worked until the animal aspect of the plants is pressed out of the green stalks.

Fine lilies of the valley and a touch of patchouli give me a little memory of love and tenderness. Maybe just wishful thinking, because as it sounded it disappeared again.

The whole thing is covered with rose and honey and approaches more and more, with the addition of musk, a bulging meadow with the herbaceous scent of dandelion. (Which in Swabian also has a very fitting name.)

This scent remains with us for 5 to 6 hours and says goodbye slowly; but not as light as a feather like the dandelion; and a sour honey remains with the memory of the animalism of the little puppies.

That can certainly only be carried by a strong personality. But maybe the first one is also the best one.
6 Comments
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Statements

9 short views on the fragrance
NGL7NGL7 4 years ago
10
Bottle
10
Scent
"I can feel it coming in the air tonight, Oh Lord
I've been waiting for this moment, all my life.."
ultimate self-confidence booster
0 Comments
HugoMontezHugoMontez 3 years ago
8
Bottle
7
Sillage
7
Longevity
7.5
Scent
Tobacco + honey. Have some similarities with Givenchy Gentleman but without patchouli. Not super dated but still a classic mature scent. 3/5
0 Comments
Charilaos77Charilaos77 1 year ago
8
Sillage
8
Longevity
8
Scent
Honey tobacco patchouli beast, with some pissy animalic nuances. For mature men. Excellent powerhouse!
0 Comments
RobbieXRobbieX 3 years ago
10
Bottle
10
Sillage
10
Longevity
10
Scent
Uber masculine and just fabulous. A classic and iconic juice.
0 Comments
ManCamManCam 2 years ago
9
Bottle
9
Sillage
9
Longevity
9.5
Scent
I recently bought a vintage bottle, and that's number 1. Mature sense, balanced and well done. The recent juice, same DNA, just number 1/2.
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