Half a century has passed since an aromatic support was meant to accompany the daily lives of numerous men.
Despite a turbulent company history - manufacturers and production sites came and went - the fragrance at hand remained consistent and persistent, retaining its individuality and, fortunately, delighting subsequent generations.
Even the bottle has undergone only minor changes over the decades and proudly carries the design language of 1975.
That its birthplace was in Clifton, New Jersey, and that the current factory is located in the English Midlands speaks to the popularity of the fragrance in the Anglo-Saxon world, but also beyond.
The loyal clientele has ensured the survival of this distinctive composition over all these years.
What a rollercoaster ride the patent of this little water has experienced!
It is almost a miracle that the fragrance still smells nearly the same as it did back then and is offered in the same bottle.
And it has historically ironically become "English." Does the kingdom show more sensitivity to tradition than the republic across the pond?
Hiss!
Boy, the opening is surprisingly dark. The bergamot is instantly put in its place by the stern rosewood.
The wood commands presence.
The film title is immediately explained, no unnecessary detours please.
And that is a good thing, as the Mediterranean herbs thrive better this way, gifting the wearer with the power of the scorching sun.
Back then, rosemary could still be represented more authentically.
The sage is a bit more reserved, but damn it, it lurks with a boyish charm.
The first act of the confusion game follows.
Lavender classically suggests a fresh, herbaceous fougère with geranium.
Well-groomed, calming, likable.
The second act was already hinted at in the overture, an aromatic chypre.
With oakmoss, the atmosphere of the eastern Mediterranean is captured, soapy, dark green, rich.
What could be drawn from the barren landscape!
Only the pines provide a bit of shade in the scent progression, inviting one to rest.
A light smoke wafts from afar.
The third act would be the discovery of beautiful spices along the trade routes with the Orient.
Warm cinnamon and almost herbaceous fruity clove are precisely used for refinement.
Only so, that they support the other components.
The fourth act is the distinctive liberation of the 1970s with musk.
This component is wrapped up robustly and confidently according to Anglo-Saxon taste.
And so the fragrance will settle: aromatic green, warm woody, softly spicy, masculinely musky.
Its references to those fragrances, "Equipage (Eau de Toilette) | Hermès," "Paco Rabanne pour Homme (Eau de Toilette) | Rabanne," and the somewhat older
Tabac Original Eau de Cologne create the characteristic lifestyle of the 1970s.
And Mandate even paved the way for the slightly oriental "Azzaro pour Homme (Eau de Toilette) | Azzaro."
The beautiful feeling when wearing the fragrance is that it never overwhelms despite the components. The surroundings are not bothered by an overstated grenade.
That was what those fragrances were about back then. What we now call beast mode only began a decade later.
Back in the 1970s, men wore more fabric trousers with a narrow waist and flares, as well as tight shirts with unusual patterns.
Three-piece suits were widespread, but one could also do without the vest.
Today, that fashion is often ridiculously exaggerated, as if everyone wanted to imitate John Travolta.
Far from it!
It is often overlooked that many of these men were grounded in life, caring fathers, thinking about the future of their families.
Others began to shed the outdated societal constraints, as their life paths were different.
It happened rather unspectacularly.
It would only become frivolously hedonistic and loud starting in the 1980s.
Ironically, the fragrance was most heavily marketed in the USA during the 1980s, as if someone from the past was being missed.
Rightly so!
An eternal wait for the hoped-for call, with "Missing You" by John Waite playing in the background, the ad clip couldn't have been better.
Perhaps someone remembers that wearer of Mandate.
He, whose greatest happiness was the well-being of his descendants.
The fragrance at hand conjures beauty.
It tells of a self-assured yet comforting aura, always well-groomed but quite herbally sexy.
Something that can be passed down and delight new generations.
Its mission is to maintain the balance between strictness and love.
And it continues to succeed today.
To another fifty years!
Top Notes 
Rosemary
Bergamot
Rosewood
Clary sage
Lavender
Heart Notes 
Geranium
Cinnamon
Pine
Clove
Base Notes 
Musk
Cedar
Oakmoss
Amber
Tonka bean
Bambuk
RobbieX
Axiomatic
Yatagan
Ergoproxy
Pluto
Gold
Stulle
Jensemann
Midnights
