Friday Edition by El Ganso

I picked this up on offer for €20 for 125ml and it’s an absolute bargain. Forget any comparisons with ‘The One’—they have nothing in common, sharing only a few loose chords. It’s warm, spiced, and woody, very sexy, and smells fantastic for the price. The projection is intimate, ideal for dates or going out at night without being intrusive. What really surprised me is that on my dry skin it lasts 7 hours, which is incredibly rare for an EDT these days. On clothes, it lingers until the next day. Totally recommended.

I bought it blindly for €25 for 125ml, influenced by people saying it was a mix of ‘The One’ and ‘La Nuit de L’homme’. Upon spraying, I thought I’d made a grave mistake: it has nothing to do with ‘The One’, and at first, I thought it was horrible because of that strong aniseed that lasts 30 minutes. But then it sweetens with tonka bean and becomes creamy with sandalwood. On my skin, I didn’t detect the cardamom at the start, but after 40 minutes, everything changes. As it dries, I liked that creamy base with the aniseed still present, although I was initially resistant. Once the aniseed fades, the tonka bean, sandalwood, and cashmere remain, resembling a luxury winter soap. If you like aniseed, you’ll love it; if not, wait a day before judging. It has complexity, evolves, and isn’t flat. Projection is intimate to moderate, perfect for cold climates or the office as it doesn’t bother anyone. Its name suggests a weekend, but I see it as ideal for a cold Monday in the office.

I tried it in a sample of El Ganso while looking for three perfumes: Limoncello (rich and fresh, but without that lemon pie sensation, although the lemon is very well crafted); Bravo Monsieur (definitely not a blind buy, try it first, I don’t like sandalwood); and finally Friday Edition… oh surprise! The first impression opening didn’t suit me; I felt it was aggressive and very spiced, perhaps due to the aniseed, but it doesn’t smell bad. The magic came with the dry-down: after 10 minutes, it evolved into something vanilla-sweet, not cloying, becoming warm, cosy, and seductive. It lasts a long time: over 6 hours on skin and still releases bursts at a distance with just one spray. The trail is a bit lower and lasts 4-5 hours. I agree it’s good, but it lacks being a compliment bomb; I note it as unisex, with a touch of iris that makes it tender. You’ll surely receive compliments, but don’t expect women to be immediately smitten. An enjoyable scent, good value, with a lovely bottle and recommended for casual to smart casual. Perfect for coffee, walks, or family meals. It doesn’t reach formal or office signature levels. My rating: 7.5.

I’ve given it a chance over several months and I haven’t liked it at all. It’s a plasticky, shrill, and infuriatingly synthetic smell. It’s a cheaply made copy of Pi by Givenchy. If you manage to get it for €25 as I did, it’s worth it as an olfactory experience, but don’t even think about buying it for the €58 they ask at El Ganso.

Be very careful with this perfume: if you’re under 25 or 30, don’t get close; it smells quite mature. Seductive, yes, but if you’re young, you’ll smell like a father. For dates and short distances, nothing for young girls. For 30 and above. Personally, for dates I prefer Armani Code or Zara For Him 2022, which are in a similar price range.

Synthetic, plasticky and shrill. I tried it at El Corte Inglés and after ten minutes I was already rushing to the bathroom to wash my arm, feeling sick to my stomach. It’s the most unpleasant smell I’ve ever encountered. It’s bottled horror, suitable only for scaring people on Halloween or when you want everyone to keep their distance.

Tried today; it left me a bit puzzled. The opening features a strong cardamom accord, very aniseed, with some citrus notes. A combination that doesn’t quite work for me. On my skin, it takes a bitter turn just after application. After drying down, for a few minutes, it smells like the classic washed amber found in many modern fragrances. But it’s a mystery, as it seems to contain no amber or ambroxan, or anything similar. It must be my nose. In any case, it eventually evolves into a vanilla scent that retains its aniseed character, along with some floral notes (lavender) and deep wood. In my opinion, it denotes elegance, sensitivity, perceptiveness, and a touch of vulnerability. I’ve noticed the evolution on paper and on my skin is quite different. So I wouldn’t risk buying it without trying it first. I don’t think I’ll buy it for that reason, and because the opening doesn’t convince me. Throughout, it reminded me of something I’d smelled before; it’s not an innovative scent (in the line of El Ganso). In any case, I see it as a fairly versatile fragrance for almost any occasion, with an elegant-casual touch. It’s not one of my favourites from El Ganso.

Commercial, versatile and cheap. Not much more. If you were into the old batch of D&G The One, give this Friday Edition a try to see if you like it. For me, this is one of the best from all the ‘goose’ fragrances, alongside the summery and fresh Part Time Hero. I don’t care for the bloody hype around ‘Bravo Monsieur’ (it’s pronounced ‘mesié’, for God’s sake, meaning ‘sir’ in French), let alone the one they claim it’s inspired by, Le Labo’s Santal 33, the epitome of seasonal pijo-nob hype and bluff. Le Labo should pay El Ganso for the promotion they gave a perfume that only three cats knew about worldwide. Another ‘goose’ scent I dislike is Limoncello Season, simply because I hate the bloody limoncello liqueur, which is like a soft Italian chinchón, ultra-sweet, ultra-citrusy, and super-grandpa. I can’t say anything about the feminine ones. Go to a perfumerie and smell them. All in all, if the ‘goose’ scents have any good points, it’s their versatility and price. At least in Spain, 30 quid for 125ml. Neither their aromatic originality, attractive design, nor great longevity or sillage make them seem like great purchase options. Someone said in this chat ‘bloody boring scents’. And they’re right. I, with dozens of perfumes, get bored of them to the point of lighting them just to be at or near home. The Spanish clothing brand El Ganso was born a few years ago wanting to be a sort of mix between Ralph Lauren, Lacoste, Burberry, Tommy Hilfiger and Ben Sherman (in their clothing design they went all out, watch out, especially at the beginning, with the cult nostalgic retro 60s Swinging London mod style) and they’ve ended up somewhere in between, in a want-and-cannot, insubstantial, mediocre and monotonous place. And in the perfume department, the same. Let’s hope they sort it out in the future, find their own style, bet on bolder and more modern things, and at least in perfumery bring us some interesting new fragrances. Onwards, geese.

I find it as boring as the excessively hyped ‘Bravo Monsieur’. Basically, it’s a slightly boozy tonka bean scent, though the sweetness is reduced by cardamom and lavender, with a touch of sandalwood that reminds me precisely of ‘Bravo Monsieur’ (which I dislike quite a bit). On the other hand, I’d bet that, just like ‘Bravo Monsieur’, it’s a headache generator.

Wednesday Edition? It doesn’t smell bad, quite the opposite. At first, there’s a hit of cardamom and anise that gives you the spicy side, followed by lavender which adds a fresh touch, and finally it settles on a tonka bean base that creates a sweetness that is by no means overwhelming or cloying. It sounds strange, but sometimes it reminds me of the banana chewing gums I used to savour during my childhood, or if La Nuit de l’homme were made with bubblegum (probably due to the combination of tonka bean and cardamom). I must say that of the three I own from this brand (Limoncello, Bravo Monsieur and this one), Friday Edition is my least favourite. It’s not bad, and has the ingredients to be a winning fragrance, but something is missing for it to become a truly winning perfume. Judging by my nose, I’ve realised that the note giving it this passivity, or containing the potential of a perfume, is the anise; I’ve smelled it separately and it’s what provokes it, the same happens with 212 VIP Black. If we’re talking about comparison, it seems very much in the style of a blender containing La Nuit de l’homme and The One with a touch of anise, very similar to both, which could sound like a hit, but here is where I say it doesn’t make the leap of faith to surpass them. And when I wear it, I feel it as boring; it doesn’t give me the feeling of a Friday night out, rather I feel it as a Sunday, where the hectic party days have passed and you want to rest but without losing that sense of fun vibe. It’s not one of my favourites when choosing what to wear, although I must admit that I’ve smelled it on friends who wear it and I like the fragrance more when I smell it on someone else. Also, like the ones I’ve smelled from The Goose, the performance is excellent. Scent: 7.5/10 (can be bought blind perfectly, I doubt many people won’t like it, but I don’t think everyone will love it). Longevity: 10/10 (lasts for a minimum of 8-9 hours on skin and still lingers on clothes until you wash them). Sillage: 9.5/10 (you can feel it all the time; at first it’s potent, when it fades it stays at one arm’s distance; it hasn’t happened to me that it stays skin-deep until after seven hours). Occasion: Casual, parties, daily use, and in any weather except extreme heat. God’s plan 🦉

I was curious to try this Friday Edition after the hype many reviewers have given it. I tested it well and, sadly, it’s not for me. On my skin, it smells very much of anise, so much so that it reminds me of when you enter one of those wholesale spice shops and pass by one of those 20-kilogram sacks of anise. After a good while, the anise fades (though it persists a bit) and the lavender, tonka bean and a light sandalwood come to the fore. I’m ruling out buying it completely due to its launch. Although I perfectly understand those who say it’s a mix between The One and La Nuit de l’homme.

Hello everyone… I own The One and this Friday edition. They share nuances and remind you a lot of The One EDT. If you like it but are disappointed by the performance, this goose edition is the solution: a good scent for occasions and minimal smart-casual wear, ideal for serious or characterful people. Good trail and longevity over six hours. Good value if you buy it in Spain, highly recommended. The cardamomo is noticeable from the start and throughout the life, accompanying the citrus, lavender, sage, and sandalwood notes. It took me several tries to like it, so don’t buy blindly. Regards.

Sweet from start to finish, with an opening that is slightly citrusy where the cardamom stands out. A few minutes in, the tonka bean appears, present until the end and giving it that characteristic sweetness; I also detect some vanilla, even though it’s not a declared note. The performance is decent: it lasts about seven hours with a moderate trail of at most two hours, then it’s skin scent. In short, it’s not bad, rather youthful and suited to mild climates. I find nothing original or special. PS: If you like that heavy tonka bean touch, you have Mercadona’s Criterio Ego with the same or better performance for a third of the price. PS1: Its signature sibling, Bravo Monsieur, performs better for me and I like it more, but this is subjective.

I don’t like it. I find the sweetness repugnant, although I admit it has great longevity and projection.

If you mix La Nuit de L’homme and The One into one bottle, the result is this Friday Edition but with steroids hehe, as the trail and longevity, where the others falter, in this one it goes seven towns and a couple of counties. If you like Nuit and The One, go for this headfirst.