Man Pure Jil Sander 1981 Eau de Toilette

I have never given a fragrance a full 10 - not even to my all-time favorite Drakkar Noir. Always hoping that something would come along that would blow me away like nothing before. Now, the phase of 9 is finally over thanks to Man Pure, a milestone in men's fragrances. It was a few months ago when I dug out a few minis from the good Jil that had been languishing in the back of a drawer. There were Background and Man Pure. I had already disposed of one of the Man Pure minis years ago because it was no longer quite right. But I had a subtle feeling that MP was not entirely unknown to me. Time passed, and then there was still this little gem in the drawer. I expected nothing, as the other one had also gone off, or at least that’s how I felt at the time.

No, the Eau was not spoiled; this one was okay. When applied - it was like seeing an old friend again whom you haven't seen in a quarter of a century, like a rebirth in the early eighties. Man, I don't even know where to start from all the excitement. Okay, let’s start over: apply, rebirth in the eighties. Sweet basil meets sage and oregano. Sage is one of the few spices that can behave either like Dr. Jekyll or Mr. Hyde. I have the stuff in my garden, and there is a difference like day and night whether you use it dried or processed in some way or fresh. In the first case, it can spread its typical herbaceous-sour tingling kick, like you know from various cough drops, or in the second case, it can show its filthy side and become urinous and even foul-pestilent like a bouquet of flowers that has been sitting in the same water for a week. In MP, the sage primarily showcases the gentlemanly part, and together with citrus, clove, geranium, and patchouli, it creates a wonderful scent: a fresh-green-herbaceous soap. You’re groaning about the soap? I usually do too, because it always reminds me so much of cheap aftershaves and Toni's barber shop. Here, it looks a bit different. Even though the soapy note is the dominant part in large parts of the late top and early heart notes, nothing here feels cheap. Nothing is overwhelming, and nothing is lost; the right balance has been struck. It doesn’t even bother me that the soapy note makes itself comfortable in the heart of the fragrance for several hours before the previously bombastic scent elevates to the divine as it transitions from heart to base! Oakmoss in its purest form - sure, back then it was still allowed, the allergy issue was only spun out later - with the earthy patchouli, the beaver musk plays with the labdanum, unmistakably bitter is the nutmeg. Dominantly above, but never intrusive, the cinnamon perfectly rounds everything off.

But there was something else. Right, MP also has an animalistic side, and here Mr. Artarit has done no less than a good job, as it cannot be determined 100% whether it is just the beaver musk. I say no, because at this point, at least the sage is involved, which lets a little bit of the filthy side of the spices show and thus reveals its other side. And I strongly tend to believe that the labdanum also has its fingers in the animalistic game, and here too, the right measure has been found to the thousandth.

This fragrance, which had escaped my memories of the last 20 years, is one of THE fragrances of the 1980s! It presents itself multifaceted with clean freshness, is herbaceous-spicy-green, feels grounded and noble. It is above all doubt and is simultaneously damn sexy, not to say, even a little bit wicked.
The scent is clearly perceptible in all its phases, with a very high radiance. This is one that you don’t just drag behind you, but also push ahead of you, yet due to its perfect composition, it always remains a gentleman. For at least 12+x hours, of course. Yes, back then you still got something for your money (I would really be interested to know what it cost in Deutschmark in '81)! Where other fragrances from this era might elicit a "Hey, you smell like Dad (or Grandpa)," here it would likely be "Hey, you smell like Pa... But you... You smell... unfortunately awesome!"
MP was heard well into the nineties, yes, omnipresent, in my eyes one of the few milestones of men's perfumes, and it is truly a shame that it no longer exists. Yes, I know, allergenic and toxic stuff and the "EU of the cosmetics industry," which is trimmed similarly to the automotive industry... Or maybe it was just outdated? But hey, this was a fragrance for which it would have really been worth dying. And it still is... - damn!

Unfortunately, MP is not so easy to find today and certainly not cheap. If you want the DNA and are willing to forgo a few percent of the finest details of MP, feel free to contact me via PM, and I will name an alternative. And if you enjoy the also long-gone Halston Catalyst for Men and have no objections to an animalistic touch, you will find something you might like with MP (or the 719).