Mineral Grey by Massimo Dutti

Mineral Grey by Massimo Dutti is a citrus, spiced, and ozonic fragrance. The opening shows some citrus combined with spices like cardamom, plus violet leaves which are also noticeable from the start, but they become more prominent over time. As time passes, alongside the violet leaves, you start to perceive woody notes of cedar and a bit of musk, continuing until the end of its olfactive development. Mineral Grey is a pleasant fragrance for spring, summer mainly, and even early autumn, as it contains fresh and spiced elements that also make it suitable for daytime wear. Its usage situations could include school, casual outings, with friends, office work, etc. Regarding longevity, it’s a bit short; on me it lasted between five hours, with a notable trail for the first hour before fading to skin-level. I think if this fragrance is available at economical prices, it could be a good option for daily use in warm months, as the scent is very pleasant.

A citrusy, sparkling, and spicy opening driven by nutmeg. In the development, pepper is very noticeable, and in the dry down it becomes very aromatic and earthy—earthy in a vetiver style, though it seems vetiver isn’t actually present. If you apply it well, it projects for 10-12 hours, but it’s better not to overdo it as it can become overpowering. On easy-to-scent skin it lasts up to 6 hours, and a little spray on clothing adds a few more hours. It’s a different perfume; not elegant, not party-focused, not for extreme heat nor for much cold… I see it more as a daily wear for mild temperatures. You smell different from the rest and surely won’t bother anyone. Given the price, it’s a resounding yes.

I finished my last bottle of Gucci Homme II and honestly, I’m not going to pay the outrageous prices asked today for the 50ml or 100ml versions of a fragrance that used to go for around 60 euros. If you’re looking for something very similar at a reasonable price, Mineral Grey is the best option I know… I’ve read comments about very poor performance and so on. To be honest, the Gucci wasn’t a beast mode either! But it was a scent that hooked me, and hooked me again. In my opinion, Massimo Dutti is in the middle ground today regarding many designer fragrances, which is true, and what has happened to me is that if I use it heavily and over-spray, it generates significant anosmia for me. However, with three or four sprays, I get bursts for a few hours and perceive it without problems. To summarise and not bore you, this is the closest I’ve tried that reminds me of Gucci Homme II. I’ll get another bottle just in case the price skyrockets in the future 😜

An aroma that lasts as long as it takes you to read this sentence. Unthinkable given the price. No fragrance this ephemeral, I repeat, no fragrance, justifies this longevity-to-cost ratio. N O N E. That’s enough of these perfume jokes spurred by ‘brutal’ reviews that encourage you to spray it on your clothes if it doesn’t last on your skin and tell you that even if it’s short-lived, it doesn’t matter. N O.

I detect a dry-down reminiscent of Montblanc Starwalker, something not mentioned here, because Starwalker smells very synthetic, almost like insecticide. I think it’s a very pleasant aroma, citrusy and slightly spiced; it wouldn’t fail at a gathering. It’s for fun-loving people. I give it an 8 because I’d like it to stand out more. It’s sharp but not overwhelming. It could easily become a signature scent.

Delicious, masculine, clean and woody aroma with elegance. The only downside is that the longevity is terrible; it doesn’t last me more than two hours.

The perfume smells, truly, like Gucci Pour Homme II. That’s the good part. The bad part, as usual, is its performance. It lasts two hours, maybe two and a half at most on skin. I hope it’s because I rushed to buy it in-store and the performance improves with time. At least four or five hours. If the performance doesn’t improve, I wouldn’t recommend it.