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Success 1986 Eau de Toilette

7.4 / 10 44 Ratings
A perfume by MCM for men, released in 1986. The scent is spicy-resinous. Projection and longevity are above-average. The production was apparently discontinued.
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Main accords

Spicy
Resinous
Sweet
Woody
Leathery

Fragrance Pyramid

Top Notes Top Notes
HoneyHoney TobaccoTobacco OrangeOrange RoseRose BergamotBergamot LemonLemon
Heart Notes Heart Notes
CarnationCarnation JasmineJasmine PatchouliPatchouli CedarCedar VetiverVetiver IrisIris
Base Notes Base Notes
HoneyHoney MossMoss MuskMusk AmberAmber BenzoinBenzoin LeatherLeather VanillaVanilla
Ratings
Scent
7.444 Ratings
Longevity
8.935 Ratings
Sillage
8.734 Ratings
Bottle
6.537 Ratings
Submitted by DonVanVliet, last update on 04/25/2025.

Smells similar

What the fragrance is similar to
Success (After Shave) by MCM
Success After Shave
Gatsby (Eau de Toilette) by Pacoma
Gatsby Eau de Toilette
Vermeil for Men by Jean Louis Vermeil
Vermeil for Men

Reviews

8 in-depth fragrance descriptions
Drseid

828 Reviews
Drseid
Drseid
1  
Necromaniacs Need Only Apply...
MCM Success goes on with a ton of deep, musty oakmoss with significant animalic musk and dark, dulled rose support before transitioning to its heart. As the composition enters its early heart the super-strong oakmoss remains, as the animalic musk grows in strength to become co-star, now adding an alcoholic honey and smoky tobacco accord into the fold in significant support with hints of the previous dulled rose and now carnation florals. During the late dry-down the oakmoss gradually recedes, leaving remnants of the now diminished animalic honeyed musk sans booze to swap in just slightly sweet and powdery vanilla through the finish. Projection is excellent and longevity below average at around 5-6 hours on skin.

I have tried to warm to MCM Success, but alas it is not going to happen. I never thought I would say a composition had too *much* oakmoss, but there is no getting around it here. The wearer is inundated with the stuff immediately on application to skin, with the musk and relatively dry boozy honey from the base adding a highly off-putting odd gothic aspect not unlike what one might expect to smell in a crypt. The heart only exacerbates this dank, near rotting organic material accord to the point of the composition approaching scrubber territory though never quite reaching it. The late dry-down is thankfully much better composed and pleasant smelling in comparison, though most may have given up well before its arrival, and it is far from worth the early nose torture. The bottom line is the $100 per 100 ml bottle on the aftermarket MCM Success delivers the oakmoss goods in spades, though the "below average" 2 to 2.5 stars out of 5 rated 80's perfume goes *way* overboard with its liberal odd animalic musk and honeyed booze accompaniment that could scare away the dead, yielding an avoid recommendation to all but perfume loving necromaniacs.
0 Comments
Serenissima

1222 Reviews
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Serenissima
Serenissima
Top Review 22  
the success of Michael Cromer
In the mid-eighties, the perfume market exploded: it was incredible what suddenly appeared in perfumeries. Diverse flacons and scents; suddenly it would have been possible to wear a different enchanting fragrance every day.

It was also the time when German fashion suddenly made headlines internationally again.
For many years, it had only been Heinz Oestergaard and Uli Richter whose designs were showcased and photographed on the red carpets, e.g. in front of the "Zoo-Palast" during the Berlinale; then Jil Sander, Reimer Clausen, and Jürgen Michaelsen (then a designer for the mail order company Neckermann, now working as "Yorn" in Paris) and others conquered the fashion stage.
At every opportunity where photographers were present, the models of these German designers were worn: "People met" and wore German fashion quite naturally.
Munich suddenly became "In" as a meeting point for the rich and beautiful and those who wished to belong!
The "colorful magazines" were suddenly full of the local high society.
And the most amazing leather goods came from MCM - Modern Creation Munich; the label of Michael Cromer.
His successes, as well as his failures, can still be found on the internet.

One of the "MCM" leather goods stores was located at the Berlin Europa Center; right where the pedestrian bridge crossed over Tauentzienstraße. Next door was Douglas.
I nearly pressed my nose against the shop windows, even though the style of those bags didn't suit me at all.
And of course, I had to go into the store and have a selection shown to me; the scent inside was as unique and excitingly exquisite as those bags.
The still new "long Thursdays" tempted me. Suddenly, there was time to browse once a week without anyone looking at the clock because the store was closing. What a wonderful transformation!

As a result of this "visit," I naturally had to own one of the fragrances. It became "Success"; "Obelisk" felt like a size too large, too foreign at that time!
Who would have thought that this would change one day?

This "success" was truly worth celebrating.
Just the announcement of honey, tobacco, and leather promised "the scent of the great wide world"!
Back then, my long hair was still dyed a beautiful shade of red, and so this golden-brown liquid in the hexagonal flacon suited my appearance more at that time than later with my light blonde hair!

Honey with orange and lemon, together with the subtle bergamot aroma, formed a surprising and rare opening back then.
Rich tobacco and noble rose scents add a full floral spiciness as a harmonious pair.
Even now, this fragrance picture is round, spicy, and honey-colored with bright highlights.
The garden carnation opens the floral array; even jasmine and the proud iris bow to it here.
(At this point, a whole bouquet of carnations dominates the few remaining scent drops for me.)
The other two fragrant ladies rather form a tightly woven background for this often unjustly forgotten flower and the fruity-spicy honey mixture.
Earthy deep green vetiver dances with large soft moss cushions; both skillfully connect the previous scent progression with the creamy golden-brown beauty of patchouli.
This forms an elegantly curved bridge as a transition to a grand impressive scent finale.
Already now, "Success" reminds one of the seductive natural scent of fine, high-quality leather bags and belts.
This impression is utilized by leather and honey: they now radiate strongly!
Wonderful spiciness of noble resins develops enticingly; through not too small doses of musk and vanilla, this mélange becomes warm and feels creamier.
As if golden-brown, strongly and wonderfully flavored honey dripped from a spoon!
"Success" becomes cuddly, like a soft leather glove, and evokes just that sense of well-being!

This deep resinous spiciness ensures excellent longevity; thus, all the small and larger fragrance facets are truly appreciated.
The longer "Success" lingers on my skin, the richer and more golden this fragrance being becomes.
I must confess, I guard the few drops in my miniature flacon, which I almost forgot, like a precious treasure.
Even though this "success" no longer adorns and suits me as it once did, it is the uniqueness of this past era that develops on the skin.

From time to time, I will indeed take a journey into my own past with "Success": I have found a fascinating travel companion. These opportunities must be seized.
10 Comments
Cappellusman

358 Reviews
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Cappellusman
Cappellusman
Top Review 12  
The Ultimate Powerhouse
The 80s were certainly not shy when it came to fragrances. Scents like Kouros, Antaeus, and others clearly demonstrated with enormous power what was trendy back then. This fragrance is one that any perfume enthusiast should really test to understand what was TRULY possible at that time...

Sillage? Like a blast of fire from Godzilla's breath as he strolls through New York.

Longevity? Worn in January and still detectable in April without washing.

The scent itself? I love honey in fragrances, and what was used somewhat "plastically" in "Boss Number One" is taken to the absolute extreme here. Wear this scent, and both Winnie the Pooh and any Canadian black bear will find you and devour you. Absurd.

They certainly didn't skimp on the other ingredients either. Everything that is good, expensive, and powerful is included here.

It's actually an absolute overkill of the most intense ingredients, which raises certain doubts for me regarding the wearability of this fragrance. Once again, this is a scent for the quiet chamber. It really doesn't work outdoors; it's far too offensive and would likely only provoke head-shaking and confusion in the environment.

This fragrance is at once extremely spicy, rich, sweet, herbal, leathery, you name it... It's all there, and in high dosage. A brilliantly executed experiment that can't have been taken seriously, yet in my opinion, it's indispensable for truly understanding the limits of what is possible...
5 Comments
Hordak

39 Reviews
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Hordak
Hordak
Very helpful Review 14  
Greedy
I am truly lucky that my preference for heavy old fragrances from the 80s and 70s allows me to make blind purchases where the percentage chance of disappointment is, let's say, under 15%. This time, it was the same with 50ml of Mode Creation Munich's "Success" in the EdT version. Released in 1986, it falls into the era of many bombastic true men's fragrances, which, regardless of the fragrance genre they belonged to, shared numerous scent notes and general characteristics. The gentlemen's broad shoulders, opulence, machismo, and elbow mentality all sit in a gentlemen's club, smoking pipes and cigars, and downing rum and whiskey.

"Success" is particularly striking for its resinous and only slightly sweet honey note that quickly emerges after the brief hint of top notes and hardly diminishes until the end. This is a dark and viscous honey, mixed with a bit of rose water. Patchouli and tobacco join in after about 20 minutes and have fun until the conclusion of the gentlemen's evening or business dinner, with Vice CEO Oakmoss and colleague Musk arriving late, driven by Chauffeur Leather.

In conclusion, it must be said: The fragrance is extremely strong, extremely present, and extremely well made. A successful fusion of the companies Hugo Boss Number One and Jean Louis Vermeil for Men has been brought together by the gentlemen at MCM. The sillage and longevity, as well as the bottle reminiscent of certain New York skyscrapers, also speak in its favor. I am quite sure this was Gordon Gekko's signature scent, and had "Wall Street" not come out a year later, they could have named the fragrance "Greed." However, this should not deter all fans of heavy classics and humane market economy from sharing this scent with Mr. Gekko.

Grab it while you still can!
6 Comments
Torfdoen

41 Reviews
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Torfdoen
Torfdoen
Helpful Review 10  
#MeToo
The boss is fully present. She glares at me with slightly bloodshot eyes. On her desk sits a glass of champagne and a bottle of liqueur. Next to it, I hold a bouquet of flowers in my hand. “No, no, Mr. General Director. We’ll make it look like an accident.
The trucks will simply get stuck in the moss. And you can draw from the full and play the big shot. We’ll let moss grow over it. What do you think, Mr. General Director?” She lights a cigarette. I have now clasped the flowers behind my back. With a finger gesture, she signals me to do something with the bottle. I obey. “No, not in the glass!” she stares down at me from the phone. “One moment, Mr. Haffenloher, we’re having some issues here.” I am frozen. Lovingly, compassionately: “But, but. Come on. Get the nice ones out of the display and pour us both a drink, okay?” She scrutinizes me with a watchful eye. The voice of General Director Haffenloher squawks from the receiver. I do as instructed and fill two glasses. “General Director Haffenloher, we drink to our victory, do you have something in hand? Well, then let’s go, go! This will bring us a lot of moss. To our joint efforts. Cheers.” She winks at me and keeps an eye on me. We down the syrup. Slightly bitter-musty, yet sweet. “These are the most beautiful moments, aren’t they?” she says past the receiver. “Mr. Haffenloher, I need to take care of one of my employees now. I promise to get in touch with you tomorrow, alright? Yes, Mr. General Director. No, no, don’t worry. Goodbye.”

Her, the desk, and me.

“That would be a great opportunity for you. Then you would be right at the forefront. Someone with your skills will go very far. You have talent, I can see that. One must be wary of you, but I’m more than willing to take that risk. Do you think you can support me in this little matter? Do you feel up to the task? I’m glad to hear that. Come on, then I’ll take the flowers from you and we’ll lie down on that sweaty mattress over there to discuss everything, okay? More champagne or vanilla cookies?”
3 Comments
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Statements

6 short views on the fragrance
1
Nothing to add. Drseid's review above may appear extravagant but is extremely accurate. This could be the signature scent of a gravedigger.
0 Comments
12
4
Bold, brash, a fragrance club in XXXXL format. But also warm, spicy, slightly woody. Skin out of its shoes in the best sense! Wonderful...
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4 Comments
10
2
The fat 80s in a bottle. Mossy-woody-floral honey spice, loud like a kettle drum. Powerful, overdriven but with a lot of fascination!
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2 Comments
5
...a pleasant honey tobacco feel-good scent... today one would say niche... its sweetness is on the lower end for today's standards...
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4
1
Back then, as successful as the amazing leather bags: a scent that reflected lived luxury, vibrant, generous, and truly exceptional.
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1 Comment
3
Less honey, but with a hint of dark rose, and we would have a fragrance twin to Azzaro Acteur. It definitely has the basics. Great stuff!
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