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Man III Jil Sander 1987 Eau de Toilette

7.9 / 10 74 Ratings

A popular perfume by Jil Sander for men, released in 1987. The scent is spicy-fresh. The longevity is above-average. The production was apparently discontinued.
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Main accords

Spicy

Fresh

Green

Woody

Floral

Fragrance Pyramid

Top Notes

Mugwort

Lavender

Bergamot

Coriander

Rosemary

Heart Notes

Thyme

Fruits

Juniper

Rose

Carnation

Base Notes

Cedarwood

Moss

Musk

Patchouli

Sandalwood

Frankincense

Perfumer

Pierre Bourdon

Ratings

Scent

7.974 Ratings

Longevity

8.155 Ratings

Sillage

7.355 Ratings

Bottle

7.260 Ratings

Value for money

7.613 Ratings

Submitted by DirkDS · last update on 02/13/2025.

Source-backed & verified

Smells similar

What the fragrance is similar to

Caesars Man Cologne

Patou pour Homme (2013)

Man III After Shave

Tsar (1989) Eau de Toilette

Nobile Eau de Toilette

New West for Him Skinscent

Reviews

12 in-depth fragrance descriptions

02/21/2015

ColinM
516 Reviews

ColinM

Late 1980's oddities

Jil Sander Man III opens with a bold, mouthwash-like pine & leaves accord, rather astringent and minty but mossy too, with pungent spices (cloves and juniper) on a smoky, woody, dark base made denser and almost “oily” by a peculiar accord of soapy notes (rose), amber, resins, something sweetish-dusty halfway sandalwood and candied fruits, something salty-camphorous smelling like ambergris. Musky nuances and earthy patchouli blend with the leafy-pine notes. This is a really complex and peculiar scent: it’s green, but a unique kind of green – medicinal, dark, spicy, brownish, kind of decadent, with a smoky-dirty darkness that provides a musky-leathery feel. Plus, if that wasn’t enough, there’s a sweet-fruity-resinous warm breeze coming and going. A rich scent for sure, quite creative too, trying to put together a lot of inspirations: leathery fougères, musky chypres, woody-soapy barbershop aftershaves, fruity-resinous Orientals, with a sprinkle of classic low-cost “piney” colognes... all mixed together, with a hint of warm, sweet, candied floral exoticism. A bit tacky perhaps, but interesting. The evolution is pleasant and makes Man III smell more and more woody, dark, leaving behind the piney green “mouthwash” freshness and tending more towards mellow, velvety notes of wood, patchouli and soapy “barbershop” notes. It gets somehow less confused and more focused on a classic green-rose woody fougère, which is good. The fil rouge with the initial stages is basically cloves, resins, oak moss and juniper. Now, this is quite challenging to “judge”: it’s undoubtedly a bit outdated, and perhaps a bit confused and flashy (it’s German, it was the 1990s....), and finally it may seem just a sort of clumsy German clone of some Pino Silvestre; but it’s not (only) that. There’s something more mysterious and intriguing lying in this nearly-messy concoction. Despite I wouldn’t wear this that much, I find its complexity fascinating, unusual and highly modern – Bourdon made this, after all. Not memorable, but worthy a try if you can find it!

7/10

01/19/2024

10Scent 8Longevity 7Sillage

Axiomatic
149 Reviews

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Axiomatic

Top Review 44

The Unyielding Man

1987
This magical year reflected the essence of the decade.
Set goals were achieved.

A complete penetration of fashion dictates reached its peak.
Numerous social groups indulged in brand fetishism, the manufacturer's label enjoyed higher respect than the actual garment. Sometimes, one would deliberately wear such a symbol loosely stitched on the sleeve of the suit jacket; sexy and out of place on the button placket of the jeans, it drew curious glances in the hope that the corresponding underwear would be featured somewhere in a glossy magazine. A guarantee for fashionably conforming togetherness.

By the end of the decade, the prevailing trends would only change marginally; shoulder pads could not get any wider, and pleated trousers could not become any more amphoric.
Oh yes, the great stock market crash in October of that year would mark the beginning of protracted financial crises.
For cozy distraction, the pleasing plastic pop genre filled the ears, best in crystal-clear dance floor maxi version.
A Rick Astley made the masses sway their hips; he would never give you up, never. For sure!
Everything was running smoothly.

And then he came, the third in the group.

Hiss!

An ironic opening of Fougère that has washed itself clean.
The bergamot is choked by that ill-reputed lavender gang. A mess and off to the Jordan!
The incomparable trademark of that gang, the dreaded newsboy cap on mugwort, causes fear sweat.
This is getting serious!

Hanoverian sober, that slightly dusty dark juniper berry fits into the bitter green of the gang.
A bit of thyme added, and the masculine feat is complete, quite protein-rich.
Uncomfortable glances and nervous twitches.

That one is not a child of sadness is evidenced by the rather English musk. It lazily settles on a wooden bench with an invitingly comfortable patchouli glaze.
The longing back seat in crooning popular songs has outlived its usefulness here.
Grow up already!

But the heart does not forgive lightly; after all, the hedonistic spirit of the times imposes certain limits.
There lies a rose in the mineral crisp moss, only to open up for serious - hence rare - approaches.
Only with the permitted access to the guarded intimacy does it reveal its slightly fruity splendor, brilliantly countered by the patchouli, slightly incense-like. Bright and dark notes, contrasting.
The noble heart of the third man.
Silent glances often say more than loud behavior.
For this fragrance composition is characterized by a certain understatement.

What appears quite fresh in terms of color liquid, greener it really cannot get, reveals itself as an ever-darkening, human Fougère, which carries the classic theme of rose-patchouli in a checkerboard-like manner at its heart.

The good Pierre Bourdon conjured a scent that could not better caricature and surpass the spirit of the times.
You want a staid neo-conformism, here you go, here’s something to enjoy!
For those bitter, almost bitter herbs, the built-in corporeality, and the ghostly rose will freeze that practiced smile of yours - today refreshed thanks to social networks - beautifully and leave you gasping for air, soapy moss base or not!

The narrator wore the third man at the right place at the right time.
If he stood out, the more confirmed he celebrated the congenial pulsating interpretation of a Fougère.
The stinker was available in a white package, quite inconspicuous, for purchase.
And fittingly, a musical antidote also appeared in white, New Order 1987 Substance.
Two birds with one stone!
One of the writer's most beautiful shopping memories.

And should this rebellious being ever misunderstood leave the dance floor, feeling out of place, there was a bit of comfort.

For someone understood the scent and the transition from Joy Division to New Order.
And Ceremony simply matched for what felt like an eternity with mugwort, juniper, and musk.

Thus, he created a place on the edge, where it was pleasant to linger.
For letting oneself be brought down, others can do that, the lavender taught.

And that is what matters.

09/23/2020

10Scent 9Longevity 7Sillage

BadDancer
1 Review

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BadDancer

Very helpful Review 11

Last night I dreamed I was back in the 80s...

If this sentence, stolen from Daphne du Maurier, sounds familiar, you might remember how the protagonist of Hitchcock's classic Rebecca notes how wonderful it would be to bottle beautiful moments, like perfumes, so that they can be brought out occasionally to relive those moments. And yes, it is possible! Jil Sander's Man 3, my absolute favorite scent since forever, instantly transports me back to that carefree, lighthearted decade, before cell phones and YouTube, when everything seemed possible! Like no other fragrance, whether artificial or natural, Man 3 represents my teenage years! Not that I would want to be that age again, but this unmatched, never replicated scent stands for everything that was good and exciting in that part of my life.

After Sander's Man Pure, it was the second EdT I ever owned. An absolutely unique fragrance that I wore for years, always two steps ahead of me, and that everyone who knew me associated with me. I definitely do not belong to those scent hounds who can even sniff out the perfumer's favorite chewing gum brand. For me, only the result counts, meaning I either like it or I don't, along with the fact that you don't smell the respective fragrance on every second Stefan Schneckenschiss, like Cool Water for example. Not a fundamentally bad scent, but one that was completely overexposed 20 years ago!

The green herbal water was never that! While Cool Water was as present for decades as toilet bowl cleaners in the 70s, I hardly know a handful of people who have ever used Man 3. Such an extraordinary scent that I could never put into words. Or could I? Cool, superficial, not too profound, yet promising and mysterious. Nowadays, at least 50% of all men's fragrances smell like mediocre imitations of French originals. It is not easy to find something special. Even in the price range starting at 100 euros, originality is not necessarily on the agenda - I've tried a lot. And yet, I still mourn that unique Eau de Toilette that embodies, like no other, the cool anything-is-possible spirit of the decade of Grace Jones, Frankie Goes to Hollywood, UFO jeans, and polo shirts.

Fortunately, this chemical bomb is remarkably time-resistant, so every now and then I take my last remaining sample from the fridge, dab a little on my arm, and take a small trip back to the 80s! Wild boys always shine... ;-) Thanks for the memories, Mrs. Sander.

07/08/2011

5Scent 5Longevity 5Sillage

Taurus
1170 Reviews

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Taurus

Helpful Review 7

Herb Garden

Unfortunately, I can only vaguely remember Jil Sander Man III. But since nothing has been written about it here so far, I thought I would rummage around in my memory to piece together a few remaining fragments.

At that time, I only had the scent in a miniature and found it rather strange. Basically, I preferred rather sweet or quite bitter creations, while Man III occupied a special place. It was actually far too spicy and herbal for me, as if someone had carelessly cooked together a bunch of spices and plants and distilled this stuff from the brew. For my nose, it was quite a bit too intense.

Nevertheless, I found a practical use for it. Every time I called in sick at school or during my training (which really happened rarely), I would wear this scent on the first day of my return, as it exuded an aura of witchcraft and pharmacy, suggesting that I was indeed anything but healthy.

Whether that worked, I no longer remember - but Man III never made it into my regular collection. And before anyone at Jil Sander gets the idea to bring this elaboration back to the market, they should rather consider a return of "Feeling Man"!

07/26/2018

9Scent 8Longevity 7Sillage

ShaunBaker
104 Reviews

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ShaunBaker

Helpful Review 7

Back then...

...when I was still small, in 1987, I was created by perfumers through the commission of my mother, a fashion designer from Hamburg, and I got to olfactorily dress some gentlemen. Many loved me, yes, even revered me; some liked me quite well, others less so. What can I say, you can't please everyone.

Until the late 90s, even into the 2000s, I was worn by gentlemen with good taste; there were even women who found me appealing, not only when a man applied the scent after his daily shave, but I was also worn on the skin of ladies. Why? Because I was good, because I smelled like a blooming meadow, with lots of green, oh yes, and citrus of course. I lacked spice just as little. My top note lasted what felt like an eternity, and the rest of me could also be sniffed for a long time!

We are now in the year 2018.
What has become of me now? And how are my grandfather and father, Man Pure and Man II? By now, everyone mourns them, just like me. I was still down-to-earth just like my ancestors.

Even my children, Feeling Man and Background, were highly regarded; many spoke well of them, some found them too sweet, understandable given the upbringing of their ancestors... they were just so adorable!
The following years were turbulent, the 90s, everything in upheaval. At the end of the 90s came the birth of my grandchildren, Sander for Men and early 2000 Sun Men. With them, everything began to slowly decline, you could feel it. Spoiled, unruly brats, no proper upbringing anymore and not knowing where they want to go, whom they want to please.
Barely here, and they are already gone... later their descendants, Servus i bims, Strictly and Ultrasense,
yes, exactly, SENSE, I thought that too.

Even the cries for help from my uncle (2008), Scent 79 and my uncle's brother Scent 79 (2012) were of no use; they were silenced. The young lads now have the say, and that makes me sad. Well, welcome to the New Age, I can only say.

From time to time, I meet up with my best buddies Caesars Men Cologne and Geoffrey Beene Bowling Green, and we have a drink to the good old times.

And if they haven't died, they live on for five times the price on eBay to fall into the hands of willing lovers.

More reviews

Statements

11 short views on the fragrance

Pollita

10 months ago

8Scent 9Longevity 8Sillage

23

21

Pierre Bourdon is a master
dark charmer
with a clear Eighties edge
lavender, patchouli, moss
and a musk to dream about.

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Axiomatic

4 years ago

10Scent 8Longevity 7Sillage

20

15

The misunderstood third. Poor marketing made it hard for him. The nice, discreet insiders knew it: the best at Sander!

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Ergoproxy

6 years ago

7.5Scent 10Longevity 10Sillage

19

12

I never liked it on myself, not even now. But the composition is successful. Very herbal, spicy, and bitter-green, intense.

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SiameseDream

3 years ago

9.5Scent 8Longevity 8Sillage

10

11

In neon green leggings, off to the fitness trail
With a Walkman: Desireless - Voyage, Voyage
The 80s powerfully captured in a bottle.

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Rotti75

3 years ago

9.5Scent 8Longevity 8Sillage

4

Warm herbal mixture - actually linear. In the context of the powerhouse scents of the past, it feels "neatly modern" even though it comes from the same ...

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