Bijan Men by Bijan

A concept from 1981. It won the Fifi Award in 1988 as the best Prestige/Deluxe men’s fragrance. It is a classic with scents of pine, leather, liquor, palo santo, and incense; a medicinal herbal aroma with reminiscences of Polo Green. It revolves around resins and balms; sweet and slightly powdery, it feels liquorish, medicinal, and esoteric like Cartier’s Santos. A classic citrus-floral like the Jean Marie Farina eau de cologne by Roger & Gallet and a bitter woody forest scent like Halston Z-14. Masculine, paternal, a scent for family gatherings, evoking the masculinity of the seventies and eighties, with similarities to Azzaro Pour Homme in certain phases. Exotic on the sensual side, it can be wild and intimidating, striking and attractive due to its refinement. Slightly powdery, sweet, and spiced, similar to Calvin Klein’s Obsession. The box alone smells of roses. It makes you remember and feel other eras. There are not many current fragrances that smell like this (the Bijan website mentions 98 high-quality ingredients: citrus, sandalwood, musk, patchouli, and amber). Those notes give it that refined, exotic forest and barber-shop smell. Bijan Men smells like you have thousands of dollars in your pocket: it is more beautiful and perfect than many expensive fragrances.

The legendary ‘donut’ bottle with the golf ball cap on top. Pure 80s fragrance bottled. Note, Bijan was and is an American luxury clothing house, with boutiques, that since the mid-80s released very ‘French-style’ perfumes for its select clientele: people with (a lot of) money, celebrities, especially Hollywood actors and some established singers in the USA like Julio Iglesias, who would pass through their Beverly Hills store and buy the donut as a souvenir, confessing they used Bijan for Men a lot. Of the perfumes now considered ‘old school’, for untrained modern noses, it smells like a grandfather with pasta, watch out, not retro, this smells like an authentic men’s perfume of the 70s-80s, those that came with dozens of notes, and which, while expensive at their inception, is quite cheap today. It is not really known why it is still in production; perhaps a little forgotten and on the margin of fashion. It has a traditional scent for the late 80s, seeking to be conservative, for a wealthy urban bourgeois man, very masculine, mature, with an aristocratic intention, strong, persistent, wanting to be noticed. Although in 2023 it is surely reformulated, it retains old-school performance: it lasts and projects quite well, a minimum of 7 to 8 hours, the first 2 leaving a trail. Between the classic ‘fougère’ aroma, herbal, very green and potent, and ambered with a barbershop style, à la One Man Show by Jacques Bogart, Quorum by Puig, Paco Rabanne Pour Homme (the original, not today’s reduced version), Ralph Lauren Polo (the green one from 1978), Jaguar for Men, and a touch of traditional French perfumery, close to a Gres Cabochard or the legendary old Guerlain scents. For those under 30, just seeing the bottle might cause rejection and nausea. Excellent. Not suitable for the faint-hearted, fashion victims, or people with prejudices.

A true masterpiece that any artist would recognise as their peak.

Wow, despite having a lot of notes, here vetiver and the herbaceous reign, giving it a very evocative country air with sweet nuances, but generally it vibrates a lot like a barbershop, although the scent has been around for over three decades. I see it as a Sunday morning fragrance for a hot day, going to the supermarket; while it doesn’t smell outdated, it leaves that idea of an older man freshly shaven. The point to highlight is the enormous quality versus the affordable price I found (6 USD for 30 ml)… although it is possible I won’t buy it again, people over 45 can find it quite interesting if they are not influenced by opinions or nostalgia and aversion to reformulations if they tried it in the late 80s. (7/10)

I always set it aside because it seemed odd and cheap, fearing it might be a clone of Teneré or L’Envol due to the honey. Serious mistake. It falls in the line of classic Givenchy Gentleman: it has light honey but with incense and more florals. It has exceeded my expectations; it’s a male powerhouse and a classic that deserves more appreciation and relevance.

Is this an alpha male scent? A bomb smelling like grandpa? A horrific reformulation? I’ve read terrifying comments, but thanks to Bryello for clarifying everything, I tried this and absolutely loved it. The connection to Cabochard is fantastic. Don’t be afraid of the current formula; quite the opposite. It opens herbal, with moss like a forest, but with a wet musk that plays with smoked nutmeg. The citrus is in the background. As it settles, the cinnamon, clove, fir, and honey shine; here it reminds me a bit of Obsession for Men. Then, as Bryello says, that spicy, herbal leather emerges, reminding us of Cabochard and Bernard Chant. The clove becomes suggestive, mixing with a well-done rosemary and a patchouli with woods. Some talk of incense; I don’t see it much, but the clove, smoked musk, and nutmeg with benzoin create that idea. It’s complex. It was an exclusive perfume worth $1,500, with extravagant and arrogant marketing. Today it’s accessible; the house is still pricey, but they’ve gifted us this jewel. It’s corporeal due to the notes, but very well executed. For the price, it offers double quality. It’s a beauty. The mossy and spicy aspects don’t disappear, and over time it becomes warm with amber, vanilla, tonka bean, and honey. Sillage and longevity are acceptable. Simply rich. If you like Piguet’s Bandit or Aromatic Elixir, you’ll love this. It has great development and doesn’t smell like a scary alpha male; Bandit is darker. This is intense but easy to love.

I bought it to collect. Upon opening and spraying it, I thought: watch out, it has a thousand notes. The eighties style with a barber shop touch is very aromatic and potent. I can’t imagine what it would have been like in 1987. I think it’s usable today, even though it’s outside current standards where masculinity is approaching femininity. Today it’s more original than it was in ’87. Recommended.

Bijan Men is a fantastic fragrance, a faithful exponent of the 80s that got ahead of its time and arrives in 2021 very well, even skipping the pandemic in its wake. It opens with succulent spices over powdery moss, but its richness of notes means that in every phase it conveys its florals, feeling a burnt amber in flames, not dark. Everything is well assembled, with solid personality that conveys confidence and spirit. That confidence is contagious. Its leather and musk brooch confirms its masculinity. It stands out above most current fragrances and is noticed quickly. It’s very interesting to have a perfume with history at a modest price in that particular bottle. At night it will be a red-carpet worthy spectacle. Although I don’t see it too much for winter. Pleasantly surprised.

Masterpiece. It is a privilege to enjoy perfumes like this Bijan Men today. Its bottle is beautiful and delicate, nothing presages what’s inside. Bijan Men is a Powerhouse without complexes, with a citrus and herbal opening that becomes soapy over time without losing the herbal note, present in all phases. Longevity remains excellent (lots on skin, impressive on clothes) and projects quite a bit. Without a doubt, a masterpiece at a bargain price. It is one of my favourites of all time.

How many niche perfumes would want the quality and aroma of this beauty for such a ridiculous price? It’s not for beginners; simply, it’s incredible.

Extravagant, arrogant, elegant, wild, exuberant, baroque, excessive, flamboyant. As if they’d tried to fit all perfumes into a quintessence, like a Bollywood movie, all for the colour and vitality. In that point lies its greatness, although it may seem like a train about to derailed. Delicious.

In times of soft notes and compliment vending machines, Bijan for Men is a different story. Not because it doesn’t generate compliments. If Bijan were a moment, it would be a cold night of the 80s, vintage, accompanying you with a citrus opening of bergamot, lemon, tangerine, oak moss, sage, and a kick of nutmeg. After half an hour, those notes pass to a warm blend of spices like sandalwood and cinnamon, which you feel wrapped in rose, ylang-ylang, honey, fir, and amber. Finally, you are surrounded by a halo of vanilla, tonka bean, patchouli, benzoin, vetiver, cedar, and musk. If perfumes had personality, Bijan would be dominant, rough, someone you love or hate, with no middle ground. As long-lived in memory as the people you never forget. We can’t travel in time, but we can find this treasure on the internet. If you like rough perfumes with personality and vintage, you must try it. If your thing is soft aromas… don’t try it. Advice: I can’t imagine a man under 30 using it. Use with care. UPDATE: The projection is enormous. On me it projected for about 12 hours. Longevity: I put it on for the review, went to sleep, showered the next day, and it was still smelling. About 24 hours. This perfume is a masculinity bomb.

A survivor of the great 80s cull, a classic I picked up recently while hunting for something substantial. Based on the notes and price, I took the plunge blind. Upon application, the experience was mixed: it is potent and masculine, nothing androgynous, yet I detect neither moss nor patchouli; everything is smothered by a cloud of burnt wood. The first thing that came to mind was Boudicca Wood. I applied both and they were hard to distinguish. Bijan does not disappoint, but it is difficult to wear outside of those cold winters where its scent provides warmth. I don’t see it for other days; that bonfire sensation can be overwhelming. Longevity is high, 8-10 hours, with a notable trail for the first 3-4 hours before settling into the skin. Difficult in an office unless you have a private study, as it permeates everything. A very good option for classic collectors due to the price and for maintaining the 80s DNA. I suppose after 30 years of reformulations it has lost some potency, but it remains a clear representative of that golden era, now only accessible in expensive niches.

I am the one from before, very good! It reminds me of Boucheron Jaipur EDP but wilder, more alpha, more aggressive, more rough, herbal, peppery… It’s as if two twin brothers separated at birth: one in an Italian suit with an Aston Martin and the other in jeans with a Triumph Bonneville that never goes to the garage… but the one with the motorcycle gets more girls! No wonder it was a favourite of Arnold, Stallone or Bruce Willis in the 80s.

80s perfumes were for male executives over 30. In the case of Bijan Men, it seems suited to the leisure time of a successful man. It is warm, spiced and slightly peppery. A masculine aroma that conveys warmth and strength, two very masculine characteristics. Spice-based fragrances are difficult for many men to wear, but they are very masculine and add distinction and style.