Nikos for Men Nikos 2004 Eau de Toilette

At 17, I treated myself to this fragrance upon its release with my training allowance, which consumed a third of my income. It was unique at the time and captivated me immediately. After all, I needed a scent to go out partying, but nothing could excite me more than Nikos for Men at that time. This opening, as well as the entire scent progression, is and remains unmatched, at least for me. Of course, after four years of exploring perfumes, I have encountered many new scents, but I painfully realized that there is no alternative to Nikos for Men. It is often mistakenly compared to Rochas Man, which doesn't even come close to it.

When I spray it, the cardamom with a hint of citrus hits me clearly, but it is quickly softened by jasmine, and soon coffee joins as a spice. In the base, vanilla, sandalwood, and especially tonka bean create a sweet and slightly woody finish; it also has a fruity aspect, and I wouldn’t even rule out the blackberry here, as mentioned by my predecessor. Yes, overall, I would say it is very sweet; Joop Homme and many others are too, so I see NfM more suited for well-dressed younger men who want to smell good for the club. At that time, a good friend labeled the fragrance as "swoon perfume." And I felt a good bit more attractive wearing it!

Years passed, and Nikos remained my faithful companion until the day I was told in the perfume store that it would be discontinued; that must have been between 2011 and 2012. Back then, I wasn't aware that fragrances could be discontinued, so I bought everything that was still on the shelf: 100ml, two 50ml bottles, and a tester that was used up first :-) Naturally, when those supplies ran out, I had to search for it and eventually ended up where I am today, at Parfumo! There, I found it and still own three full 100ml bottles of the precious juice. Of course, a lot of time has passed since then, and as it often happens, the fragrance horizon expands and interests shift as well.
I still wear Nikos for Men occasionally for myself as a journey into the past. So, if my last bottle should ever run out, I could mourn long enough.
Until then, I enjoy every spray as if it were the last and indulge in memories, because that is the beauty of fragrances; they may not turn back time, but they always manage to bring past experiences back to mind.

For a long time, it was one of my absolute favorites, first sugary sweet and then, with the onset of the heart note, becoming warmer...!
A parallel to Rochas Man is unmistakable, although this one develops noticeably more pleasantly and deeply.
In the end, vanilla and tonka bean certainly dominate... unfortunately not suitable for the warm season.

When I sprayed this fragrance, I was basically afraid that it wouldn’t come off as a men’s scent, but rather as a women’s scent that lingers from cuddling with my beloved.

Despite the cardamom, the sweetness from the tonka bean comes through so strongly, not negatively but rarely masculine, along with this berry association in the background, hmm!?!

I would have to lie if I said I recognized jasmine at some point, but sandalwood and coffee are definitely more present than musk, in my opinion. Since there’s a masculine touch in the drydown, it could come from the combination of coffee and sandalwood. So it’s successful in any case, but if you’re the Bruce Willis type, it doesn’t fit; rather, it’s more suited for Enrique Iglesias, clean-shaven and oiled.

It wasn’t my cheapest purchase, but since I appreciate it, it will stay in my collection for a while. You always get noticed with this scent; the only question is whether it makes a man appear masculine.

Conclusion: Under 30, yes. Over 30, probably not!

As Jeremy F. said in one of his videos? ..."you can easily copy a fragrance today by analyzing it in a gas chromatograph" ...well then! This "Nikos for Men" is my absolute all-time favorite scent, a gourmand fragrance that is sweet and slightly woody. Thank goodness the coffee note is hardly noticeable for me. Unfortunately discontinued many years ago. Today, you can occasionally find a resurfaced bottle offered for 200€. Back then, it cost 20€ and was sold in every drugstore far below its value. Anyone who has the opportunity to analyze it is welcome to contact me. I still have a third of a bottle,...not yet tossed! And I would gladly donate a few milliliters for restoration. The Rochas for Men is somewhat similar, but it can't hold a candle to it at all. Sometimes I am really appalled by what is discontinued and what trivial nose ticklers are produced indefinitely. It is also the only fragrance for which I received a compliment from a complete stranger in the subway in Munich and where I was asked for its name. In Munich!.... People don't talk much with strangers in the subway.
H/S were very good at 8 too!

When I was 18 years old, a small perfume shop opened around the corner from us.
I went to visit it with my brother, and we managed to snag some designer fragrances that were offered to us at a better price.
At the checkout, the owner said he would throw in the Nikos for 10€, specifically the 100ml version.
We didn't test it since he didn't have an open one, but for ten bucks, we didn't want to say 'no'.

Once home, we unpacked the fragrances and I was eager to test the Nikos, as I had never heard of it before.

"Probably some cheap scent that doesn't last long and smells terrible if he's trying to get rid of it for 10€," I said.

Sprayed it on my arm, smelled it - and WHOAAAAAAAA!!!!
My sense of smell exploded because everything I had known until then were just plain, light designer fragrances.

That evening, I had to DJ and sprayed myself with the stuff. I could smell it all night long until the end of the party. For days afterward, it lingered on my clothes.

I urgently wanted a replacement bottle, preferably 30 of them for 10€ each - but they were nowhere to be found. Neither in any shop nor from the dealer I got it from. Bitter. Very bitter.
I still don't understand why they discontinued this beautiful, distinctive scent. It can't be that so few people liked it?

After I had emptied that 100ml bottle and my heart broke, I found 30ml versions on online platforms for exorbitant prices. Initially, I couldn't justify paying so much for it, but it was MY scent. Nobody knew it, nobody had ever seen it, I had discovered it.
So I decided to spend over 130€ on it.

For years, it sat in my closet, the packaging unopened. It was meant to be a special moment when I wanted to use it again. And that moment became my engagement party.