FRAGRANCE | Safari for Women EDP by Ralph Lauren: Safari for Men's 'more significant' other

More than a month after I copped a vintage bottle of Ralph Lauren Safari for Men, its significant other somehow landed on my lap without warning. A friend brought it along for me to try and with a single spritz I was smitten. Long story short, I went home with the bottle.

Although different in shape and design, the Ralph Lauren Safari for Women flacon has that same liquor bottle aesthetic as the for Men's, as if it's something that holds expensive bourbon or brandy instead of perfume, more so since the juice is considerably darker than its masculine equivalent. And despite missing a metal crest by design choice, I actually find it more ornate, stately even. It simply has more oomph, even if both are commendable bottle designs.

Safari for Women opens with a bang, greeting you with a heady mix of florals, a light sweetness, and the faintest trace of citrus. It also carries with it some green nuances although it's really the aldehydic beauty of the flowers that shine. It's not like any contemporary fragrance I know, very vintage in its appeal, elegant and classy. This stage really sets the tone of the fragrance, that this is a woman's perfume, at least by commercial standards.

The florals float around for about an hour or more before it mellows and transitions into something that's a bit green and mossy. It's not overtly green, though, let alone a typical 80s oakmoss bomb. This one is more restrained in its approach, allowing the flowery accord to still dominate. Although it takes a backseat in the drydown in favor of a smoky-sweet and earthy vetiver, its presence is still palpable up unto the very end. The vetiver, on the other hand, is not as dark, smoky, and sweet as in Bel Ami Vetiver by Hermès but is in a similar vein, only lighter. It's not the "clean" type featured in Tom Ford Grey Vetiver or Vetiver Extrait by Roja Parfums.

I like how this fragrance develops. Its transitions are way more precise than its masculine counterpart, with more character, more depth. In my opinion it is superior to Safari for Men and is indeed its "more significant" other. However, it's just as long-lasting, where after radiating like a true classic powerhouse in its first 3 or 4 hours, you'll enjoy a fantastic scent bubble till night. It works perfectly as a day to night fragrance, and while it exudes an air of formality, I think it can also suit most casual settings.

By all accounts this is a woman's fragrance yet there's something about it—the drydown, in particular—that makes Safari for Women unisex to my nose. That it also reveals a light musky and mossy character that's close to the skin several hours later could also be a factor. The floral bomb of an opening may be more than enough to scare the average guy but for some reason I'm comfortable with it. Fragrances indeed have no gender, labels be damned. Too bad this stunner is no more and overpriced deals online may be your only recourse. But if you have the chance, go try it and be entranced.