Versace Man by Versace

Exquisite fragrance with spicy and tobacco notes, an amber body, and a clean aura. Lasts around 4-5 hours with moderate projection. Reminds me of Versace Oud Noir in the opening (minus the oud, of course), though it evolves differently. What a pity it has been discontinued.

Versace Man is that perfume you cannot try; you have to buy blind as it is only sold online. It smells very pleasant and, despite containing tobacco and cardamom, it does not feel heavy. What I appreciate most is the saffron and amber. It is warm, winter-appropriate, almost sweet, very elegant and refined. It is not noticeable from a distance, so it is unlikely anyone else in your circle is wearing it, which is a plus. The trail is moderate to high and longevity is excellent, hovering around 8 hours. One of my blind buys and one of the few that has been a total success.

A traditional Versace school fragrance. Clear oriental inspiration: it transports you to the markets and bazaars of the Middle East, with stones, opulence, silks, abayas, exotic roses, spices… that is the opening. A sparkling citrus touch wrapped in subtle white flowers that add freshness, and a pepper note that gives it an earthy, spicy kick. Then it envelops your surroundings with a dense and perceptible trail based on a floral bouquet featuring saffron and Iris (though not listed, it is very noticeable), creating a warm, talc-like, and velvety sensation. A subtle cardamom sweetens gently. In the base, exquisite and sharp tobacco, with leather and a notable amber that adds body and projection. For those of us starting in perfumery, it opened the door to complex oriental aromas. One must leave prejudices and stereotypes aside; one must try until finding its essence. At first, it seems unisex or feminine, but do not limit yourself; let it envelop you and discover if it provokes compliments. For me, it broke the mould: it does not follow the youthful or mature trend of the time; it is an alternative to scents associated with masculinity. As its name says, Versace Man: a man who does not always display strength or competitiveness, but also sensitivity and tenderness. We all have that duality and should enjoy it.

I remembered it and it was unusual, nothing generic. Very sexy, with an exotic masculine punch. The tobacco was sweet but subjugating, a combination of notes ahead of its time. It was never a projection bomb, but it made you noticed. It is a crime that they withdrew it to leave a vulgar, synthetic, and cloying line like Dylan Bleu, Eros EDP/EDT, or the aberration Eros Flame.

I just bought it following good reviews; it was basically a blind buy and here’s my experience: It’s not a bad fragrance, made very much in the Italian style, opulent and extravagant. Although there is similarity with Versace Oud Noir and they share DNA, they differ and both are very spiced. Definitely not a scent for everyone; in my case, they suit me well. I recommend trying it before buying, as it seems designed for the evening. If I had to define it in one word, I’d say it’s Glamorous. Moderate trail, lasting about 6 hours.

I took my time getting to know it, and the truth is it has disappointed me. VERSACE MAN enters those dangerous territories of the generic, like ni fu ni fa. I’m not usually too critical; even I’m told to be condescending. But almost always I find something to save our dear friends, the fragrances in my personal pyre. I’m not going to load the gun against VERSACE MAN because, like this one, there are hundreds. It’s pleasant, discreet, goes unnoticed, and serves for day-to-day without fuss. It needs to be hyper-dosed. But from the VERSACE brand, one could expect something with more personality. We are faced with a product from the Generic Aquatic Musk Family. A citrus opening, faint and delicate. Bergamot? It could be. Neroli? I doubt it. Angelica and pepper? I deny it. Perhaps a lemon balm with soft sage and bergamot. Saffron? I don’t perceive it. Cardamom? Neither. So what do I perceive? Faint citrus, a delicate cashmere wood with a restrained tobacco, some soft amber woods, and a balanced, good-quality musk. But VERSACE MAN lacks personality and substance. The ones that do have character are L’HOMME, BLUE JEANS, EAU FRAICHE, BABY BLUE JEANS, EROS, not to mention the feminine ones, which in my view have more punch than the masculine ones. Its trail and longevity are scarce; it does little to save it from oblivion. Now that VAN CLEEF POUR HOMME or BLACK by BVLGARI are disappearing, I won’t shed tears over the discontinuation of VERSACE MAN. I have many more perfumes to suffer their silent loss. And you’ll see when L’INSTANT by GUERLAIN or ANTAEUS by CHANEL finally disappear. Countess Livia Serpieri, weeping madly through the streets of Venice, won’t be anything compared to me.

I tried it on blotter paper and found it fantastic, unique, and original. It has a tobacco base but is fresh and versatile. The opening is pleasant, as if mixing a cigarette with citrus, some subtle spices, and then sweetening it. The result is aromatic, attractive, and very masculine. The only thing I criticise is the trail; it’s very weak. If it were stronger, it would lose its charm, so it just needs a little more. Aroma: 9, Longevity: 8, Trail: 6, Price: 9.

I tested it on blotter paper and it was fantastic, unique and original. It has a tobacco base but is fresh and versatile. The opening is pleasant: like mixing a cigarette with citrus, adding subtle spices, and sweetening it. The result is aromatic, attractive, and very masculine. The only thing to criticise is the trail, very weak; if it were strong it would lose charm, so it was just missing a little. Scent: 9. Longevity: 8. Trail: 6. Price: 9.

I think it’s a law: when you get very excited about something, once you have it, it doesn’t satisfy you. It happened with Versace Man; I desired it so much that once I owned it, I expected something more impactful and ended up disappointed. But over the days, I used it again and liked it much more. It’s a delicious aroma, with a subtle smoky touch that suggests something sexual without being aggressive. It’s delicate, respectful, and the spicy note awakens an erotic sensation between laughter and conversation. Very excellent. The trail and longevity are moderate. It would only be unpleasant if the wearer is untidy or sweaty.

The opening sensations of Versace Man enchant more than one person. It manages to escape the generic with great elegance. In its dry-down, a cured amber emerges through the saffron and tobacco, giving it a sweet, citrusy, and ambered touch, supported by cashmere wood. For micro-instants, you feel a berry-on-wood fruity effect that is enchanting. It has its own personality. If you apply it generously, it becomes slightly powdery, which gives it longevity (over eight hours), making it vibrant and undulating, oscillating between acidic amber and tobacco-saffron on a quality sweet wood. In short, it’s aromatic, powdery, fragrant, and with that strange purple fruity effect. I liked it very much. It’s discontinued, though it can still be found with difficulty in Mexico. 100% recommended, versatile, and for four seasons.

‘Liquid male engineering’. It was 2009 on a cruise in the Caribbean. At dinner, my wife’s cousin told me simply ‘Versace’ and left me speechless. With how expensive it was, I didn’t ask more. Today, seven years later, I’ve bought it and it’s the same one that left me shocked those nights. It’s indescribable, beautiful, mysterious, and seductive, attracting compliments. It doesn’t resemble anything else. It feels acidic and spicy, like opening a grape or blackberry fizzy drink. You can detect plenty of pepper, saffron, and a beautiful tobacco. The closest thing is the dry-down of the amber in D&G’s The One. I recommend it 100%, better for night and cold weather. Excellent trail and huge longevity. The bottle is strangely beautiful, practical, and sophisticated, a lilac-purple that says ‘Take me with you’. I beg you to try it; it’s a perfume created for romance. I don’t know why they discontinued it; it’s unforgivable. Get it while the price is accessible. 9/10.

In reality, I perceive all the notes, but in the opening, bergamot and pepper stand out, making it very nocturnal and urban, ideal for outings, dates, or parties. In the heart, I detect more saffron than cardamomo (the one I perceive least). In the base, I smell all of them, but tobacco dominates, feeling more like the scent of a pipe than the leaf; it’s synthetic but very well crafted. I don’t find it sweet, more fresh and timeless. Perhaps it’s better in moderate climates, neither very hot nor very cold, because it doesn’t project much, although its longevity is good: seven to eight hours on my skin. It’s my favourite from Versace, even if it’s not my style; it’s classic for the night but very good. Its scent is very authentic; I haven’t felt anything similar. Longevity: 8/10, Versatility: 7/10, Projection: 7/10, Fixation: 9/10, Quality: 7/10, Trail: 7/10, Scent: 7/10. Total: 7.5/10. It’s very good and different, quite original but still needs a bit more.

Initially, I felt a soft citrus, not piercing, alongside a non-gourmand sweetness, like pipe tobacco. The pepper gives an initial kick and I thought I smelled lavender, perhaps vanilla or amber. Over time, the amber and tobacco predominated; in the dry down, it reminded me of the end of YSL’s M7 Original. The amber, tobacco, cashmere, and labdanum create an effect similar to M7. Both are woody and oriental (M7) or spiced (Versace Man). I overapplied (my vice) and had a heavy-to-moderate trail: strong for the first 4 hours, moderate for the next 4, and then close to the skin but perceptible. The longevity exceeds 12 hours. It is for semi-formal use, in non-hot climates due to its warm notes, ideal for the evening. If you find it (it is discontinued in some places) and you like spiced woody scents with sweet tobacco, it is for you.

This fragrance and Dreamer are the only Versace scents I don’t like; they are insignificant, have very poor projection, and go unnoticed without impacting anyone.

Excellent! It has a unique scent; I recommend it.