FRAGRANCE | Bijan Men EDT by Bijan: May be dated but gorgeously so

halfwhiteboy - Bijan Men EDT by Bijan

I blind-bought this one, enamored by the reputation the 80s have for powerhouse fragrances. I've never heard about it before, nor of the men's fashion house that released it, until I saw one from a local eBay seller. Bijan Men first came out in 1981, was relaunched in 1987, and became a FiFi Award-winner the year after. This must be something, I thought.

The opening is strong with a lot going on. I have a hard time picking individual notes out because this juice has about 30 listed. Nevertheless, the initial blast is dominated by a citrusy and spicy accord with a distinct green and earthy backbone. Despite the zing, it doesn't come off as fresh to me. However, much like its doughnut-shaped bottle and very 80s oversize cap, I find the scent quite uncommon, at least in reference to more recent releases.

Once the opening has eased, Bijan Men's mossy, green facets come into play in a very dry fashion. In contrast, Tsar by Van Cleef & Arpels is more of a fresh and damp kind of green to me, as is Penhaligon's English Fern. But then there lies its attraction for me.

I know there are florals and sweet notes somewhere but I just can't seem to pick them out individually. At some point the scent veers into powdery territory but doesn't settle there for too long, just enough to afford the wearer some variation. This fragrance is more about the overall blend, the coming together of all these different notes, rather than just letting a distinct few to shine.

I understand how some people may find this fragrance dated but what a gorgeously dated fragrance this is then! It's an old-school, masculine chypre and I'm really enjoying it. This isn't a safe blind buy but then you really don't get to lose much because it's being sold at a bargain nowadays.

In terms of longevity, the scent is above average but projection wanes after around 2 or 3 hours. I usually need a touch-up or two to get me through the day. Although I haven't tried the original formulation, I think I can say that Bijan Men is sadly no longer the powerhouse that it used to be. It's but a mere shadow of the beast it once was. Still a beautiful shadow nonetheless.

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