Don Algodon by Don Algodon

I love the opening, but after a while I can’t handle some of its notes.

Reading such lovely reviews and seeing its low price, I decided to buy it. Great disappointment; I don’t know if it’s just bad, but it doesn’t smell right to me. It’s like a smell of burnt plastic wrapped in flowers. It’s not a huge waste of money, but the difference in perception is very noticeable.

A unisex/feminine cologne, delicate and beautiful, just like everything Don Ramón Monegal touched. A soft, soapy citrus scent with white flowers, absolutely not sharp, leaving a lovely trail. More for spring and summer. Quality/price ratio 10/10.

This cologne evokes a very natural and appealing hygiene. Its aura hovers between tenderly green flashes that remind me of Anaïs Anaïs flowers and soothing neutral soap. It has a small bitter note that adds sobriety. It’s a unique and classic scent that occupies its own space. Highly valued for the special feeling of cleanliness, it reminds me of the Dove scent. Super accessible and pleasant white floral hygiene.

I’ve known this cologne since I was 12 and now I’m 46. Over all these years I’ve used more colognes and perfumes of better quality, but every so often I buy a bottle of Don Algodón. It smells very good, soft, and it’s my escape when I’m saturated and don’t know which to wear. I like it for everyday use, any season. That said, I have to say the men’s version is superior. It smells addictive.

This cologne has nothing to envy from luxury perfumes. It smells incredibly elegant, lasts all day, and leaves a trail of pure class. It’s my absolute go-to; I always keep it on hand and I think the composition is a total success. Plus, for around €14-15 for 200ml (roughly €7 for 100ml), you won’t find anything better at that price point.

It’s official: I’m a lover of vintage perfumes and I’m joining the opinion of silvivitas, adding nostalgia (mixed with rage) because nowadays nothing even similar is made. But Don Algodón is an exception, just like Anaïs, which, although reformulated, smells vintage, different, and makes you feel special, delicate, clean, feminine, and with those nuances that suit you. It smells clean, but not as fresh as they say, unless it’s a warm, powdery, and floral freshness. I detect that sensual darkness in the background with the musk, so the freshness sits on a different plane. It’s floral, but it doesn’t overwhelm; it soothes the flowers with a powdery, woolly sensation that, honestly, brings joy to wear it.

A plastic bracelet with the national flag, an oversized pastel pink jumper, Snoopy or Hombres G stickers on the school folder, and Don Algodón. Those are the hallmarks of pious Spanish teenagers in the mid-80s. I had the original formula in 30ml and developed a dislike for it because, no matter how hard I tried and being more unusual than the kids in ‘Stranger Things’, I never managed to become pious, either by nature or by heart. Simply put, I felt Don Algodón didn’t represent me. And yet, it’s undeniably beautiful, a stunning fragrance that unites exultant freshness and florality with innocence and carnality, childish enthusiasm and adolescent hormonal explosion. No other fragrance represents the transition from girl to woman better than this. Its opening is sparse and simple: citrus with a subtle tangerine in the dry-down and white flowers where a beautiful lily stands out with jasmine and mock orange at first. As it dries, the slightly musky and ambered neroli take more strength. The cedar and vetiver remain weak, but if they had stood out, they probably would have detracted from the charm. As with other fragrances, its value 35 years ago was superior and you couldn’t buy it with your Sunday pocket money. Today it can be found for €10 or €12 for 200ml, but there was a substantial difference in longevity and projection. In the 80s, walking into class with Don Algodón meant you were recognised immediately. Now, you’re lucky if it lasts more than three hours. With rain and 20°C, it lasts a bit longer on skin, especially on clothes, and the trail is decent (happens with almost all those with jasmine or neroli), but in summer its brevity is infamous and it doesn’t surpass an hour. I recognise it in later fragrances like Fleur de Jour, which sometimes reminds me more of the 80s Don Algodón than the current one. I don’t share the tendency to find similarities with Anaïs Anaïs, at least with the vintage, which was much wilder, sandalled, and adult. Although I open the review this way, it wouldn’t be fair to unfairly pigeonhole Don Algodón into personal archetypes (although it’s true many pious people wore it…). And although I never became pious, there are things now where Don Algodón does represent me: the memory of teenage yearning to live intensely and the desire to remain eternally young, even if only in spirit. Because as for the desire to look in the mirror, better not to speak…

A wonderful memory of my childhood and adolescence, but beware, this fragrance has no age. It’s delicious, a fantastic musk, and curiously I find parsley in it, although I don’t wear it. For summer and during the day, it inspires good vibes and happiness. I love it.

This cologne is an 80s and 90s classic. Almost every girl wanted to wear it or at least dream of wearing it. I never owned one, nor did I see myself wearing it. Its scent always brought me sadness and nostalgia. For me, it was always a want but not a can-do. Basically, because I loved smelling it on others, but not on myself or on a hanger. Nevertheless, I don’t think it’s a bad one. I remember it as fresh. Edit: I tried it again on skin after who knows how many years, and… my perception has changed completely. It seems like a very good option for a clean scent and is quite soft. The blend of white flowers with woods makes it very pleasant. Good longevity, adequate projection. It performs very well for an EDT. On top of that, it’s affordable. Could you ask for more?

It remains a lovely, fresh, floral eau de toilette, slightly woody. It has good longevity, though not a great trail, nor does it aim for one: it’s an amiable character, hardly intrusive. During my adolescence, it was an object of desire, and the girl who owned the original Don Algodón (there were some cheaper imitations, like Acqua Prima) was envied by all. I wasn’t one of the lucky ones; I used it when I was in my twenties, then forgot about it for nearly two decades until it caught my eye again in the supermarket at an absurdly low price, so I bought it. To my surprise, it suits mature women beautifully too. Many people have forgotten its scent and no longer recognise it. ‘Really, is this Don Algodón?’ they ask me sometimes, without believing it; they expect something else, more exclusive, more expensive. But Don Algodón has enough character to stand its ground today alongside much more pretentious and adult fragrances without losing an iota of its appeal. Go ahead and try it.

I absolutely loved this before. Have they changed it? A couple of years ago I tried to restock it to recapture the old days, but something felt off. It seemed much more potent than the one I wore in the 90s.

I used to wear it a lot at school for lessons. The typical fresh cologne that smells clean. It didn’t last long on my skin and wasn’t my favourite, but it was fine for after a shower and to start the day. A youthful and fresh scent.

Of all the scents that have won my heart, this is the one I keep returning to until today. How many bottles of this beauty have I used? Many. After Chispas came Don Algodón, and I remember it made me feel older, haha. Those wonderful years when Spanish perfumery created true jewels, now almost all discontinued and lost; only this scent remains. Alada, Estivalia, Farala and Ragatza are gone, but Don Algodón endures to evoke stories of youth, joys and sorrows, longings and hopes. When I smell it, a smile always comes to my face; it’s like being at home. I wouldn’t say it’s for young people; it’s for any age. And for a scent of such low cost, it still has more than acceptable longevity. There are perfumes ten times more expensive with less staying power. In short, never stop buying it. It’s a beauty!

I used it in my adolescence and it never convinced me. The truth is that it had little to do with me.