Vtboyarc

First, the review below mine is mistaking this for Egoiste, which is an entirely different fragrance than Platinum Egoiste.

This is a fresh, aromatic fougere. It took me time and experience to know, this is how I want to smell.

Not dated, but different - you won’t smell like everyone else, no Sauvage or Blue type of scent detected.
It smells classy, refined, elegant, clean. It says about the wearer, “I’m well put together”. This is versatile for any occasion and season. Love it!

I blind bought a 30ml of this, which is rare for me. I was very intrigued and figured what the heck.

This is very interesting. I wasn’t sure what to expect based on the notes, vinyl, ink, etc. But I get mainly 2 notes: pepper and incense. In the opening it’s a very sparkly pepper, almost like it’s fizzy…not sure how else to describe it. That fizziness goes away after a few minutes, and then it’s the pepper and start to get some incense. As it gets further along the incense starts to become stronger and replaces the pepper, which becomes just a hint in the background.

This incense is different than other fragrances with the olibanum note. Maybe it’s from the other notes Tom Ford mentions (the ebony wood?), but it’s definitely different. I’m sitting here trying to think of the best way to describe it, what about it is giving me a nostalgic feeling, and it suddenly hit me: I was born and raised Catholic, and this smells like the incense they use at church. Where they light it and swing the metal thing (the thurible?). It is suspended from chains and is swung by the priest to spread the fragrant smoke of the incense. This smells like that! If you know what I’m talking about, then you know what Black Lacquer smells like.

Personally, I love it, no blind-buyer remorse here!

Instantly get a blast of cinnamon, along with some cardamom that tempered the spiciness a bit, kept the cinnamon from being too much, blended nicely together. When it gets to the heart, I notice the carrot note, smells like a spicy carrot cake. The ginger and orris along with the carrot goes lovely together. Reminded me of the carrot cake my mom would make every year on my dads birthday.
Something about this makes me smile. It feels so warm and comforting, it makes me feel a sense of nostalgia of childhood days at home during the holidays.
Great for Thanksgiving, Christmas time and cold days in general.

Chanel Pour Monsieur EDT (the page you’re on now) and EDP offer two distinctive experiences. The EDT starts with a sharp citrus blast, that is (to my nose) similar to Dior Homme Sport 2021, making it refreshing for warmer days. However, its citrus phase is shorter lived compared to the EDP’s, in which the citrus is a smoother, longer lasting lemon scent that remains around for an hour longer than the EDT.

Moving past the citrus stage, the EDT reveals slight soapy and spicy undertones, comes across as clean and fresh. I like this part a lot, however this stage is also short and it quickly gets to the dry down. It’s mostly an oakmoss affair from here along with some vetiver, coming across as slightly bitter, earthy, and mossy. It’s almost like a damp forest after it rained, it’s very interesting. Somewhat reminded *me* of Chanel Antaeus at this stage, if you’ve ever smelled that.

Interesting to note: both the EDT and EDP have oakmoss listed as an ingredient, “EVERNIA PRUNASTRI (OAK MOSS) EXTRACT”
but it is much more pronounced to my nose in the EDT. I do think it helps balance the vanilla out in the EDP, which I’ll get to in a moment.

In contrast, the EDP’s heart note reveals nutmeg, introducing a woody and alluring spicy depth, which blends with a continuous hint of lemon, all coming across very smooth, doesn’t have the same mossy smell that I get from the EDT.

The dry down of the EDP is distinctly different, as the lemon gradually gives way to a subtle sweetness brought on by a vanilla base, a note that is not in the EDT, perhaps the biggest difference between the two. This combines with the nutmeg and is balanced beautifully by the oakmoss, resulting in a warm, sweet but not overpoweringly so, creamy finish that persists for several hours. The EDP has a pleasant, inviting aura, a nice scent bubble around me.

I think the vanilla helps make it more versatile for colder weather than the EDT, while as I mentioned, not being overly sweet, making it suitable for any time of year.

In terms of longevity (on my skin), the EDT lasts for about 2-3 hours while the EDP outperforms it with a lifespan of 6-7 hours. Biggest con to the EDT in *my* opinion, I’d recommend spraying on your clothes as well to help with the longevity.

Right at the onset, it greets you with a burst of grapefruit, not a synthetic, acidic citrus, but a distinctly bright, invigorating fruit note. It’s refreshing and uplifting. Along with this I notice the green aspects of rose, with a stem-like freshness. It's like fresh roses sitting in a vase, with the leaves, stems and thorns on them. I can smell the petals of the rose and can almost feel the touch of the flower on it. This really gets right the fresh, green aspects of roses in a vase of water, just picked from a garden. This becomes more prominent, infusing a floral depth that’s both refined and captivating. The grapefruit lingers, although softer, intertwining elegantly with the green, thorny aspects of the rose. As the grapefruit gradually fades, the rose maintains its subtle, fresh charm, almost more of a rose water, blending flawlessly with the woody base of amberwood. It achieves this without ever becoming overly floral, thanks to the sage providing a herbaceous counterbalance. The result is a bright, floral, yet perfectly balanced dry down that endures on my skin for hours. It never becomes too overwhelming, but upholds a pleasing, inviting aura around me. Exceptionally versatile for any time of the year. Absolutely love this.