1881 pour Homme 
Cerruti (1990)

Alchymia. Perfumare. Magnum Opus.

Let me point out two things from the start of my review. First, I am reviewing and rating the original version from the 1990’s; and second, “1881 pour Homme” was my first real perfume as a teenager – and one I loved a lot – so my evaluation will suffer from this bias.

Now that I got this off my chest, I find “1881 pour Homme” an underrated and beautiful, although far from perfect, scent. A very authentic and mellow blending of woody-balsamic, floral and citrus notes that sing in amazing unison and chorus. Unfortunately, this is badly ruined by a constant chemical stabbing that stems from the base notes, the culprit being the “wood musk”. I am happy that to my nose the sandalwood is lost (it should be banished/banned from any Mediterranean scent!), but I gather it plays a role in stabilizing the whole formula. And I am no less happy that the scaring notes from the heart seem to melt almost completely both towards the top and the base, so what I perceive is the bouquet of citrus and herbs and the balsam fir, along with the synthetic vibration.

The flaw of “1881 pour Homme” lies in two things. The very beginning where you might feel overpowered by its strength. Good news is that it passes in a few minutes. The real problem is rooted in the base, which uses some heavy synthetics (as I said, I think this is mainly the “wood musk”) to keep it tied together and lasting. Still, it is bearable and in about half an hour becomes more docile. I wouldn’t wear it inside, though. This perfume behaves best out in the open and warmer weather, not only because this will tone down the soapiness/heaviness/synthetics, but also because it will allow all those rich and diverse molecules and notes to breathe and open up by interacting with more heat and oxygen. And of course - apply measure with how much you use it, don't be discouraged if you don't get it right from the first couple of times. Or if you don’t get along with it after a few wears. Give it more time, maybe it will grow on you.

Given my personal sentiment towards this perfume, I cannot but comment on the new(er) formulation(s). After many years I decided to use some of the leftovers in a very old bottle I kept, and compare them with the new version. I sprayed once from each on each of my wrists, and I have to say that the result wasn’t actually that disappointing. The reformulation is very decent. It is even softer on the opening part, sweeter and just a tad powderier (in a gentle and pleasant way). So, this aspect will be more appealing if you don’t want to struggle with the opening. However, the new version doesn’t have the complexity, depth and refinement of the original formula. Also – and this shouldn’t come as surprise – relatively quick the synthetic structure in the base takes a stronger hold on the upper notes but again manages to stay bearable. Not sure if this is due to IFRA restrictions or outright commercialization, but it is what it is.

I don’t have extensive experience with designer perfumes, but “1881 pour Homme” feels like one of the better options on the market. And at a very affordable price too.

Lastly, if you will be willing to try “1881 pour Homme”, consider searching for vintage options, there are still some offered online.

To recap:
- Look for a vintage edition.
- Use with moderation.
- Wear outside and in warm weather.
- Give it a few tries before making up your mind.

Cerruti, 1881 pour Homme:
Composition: 7/10
Complexity: 7.5/10
Development: 6.5/10
Naturality: 4.5/10

1881 pour homme is such a classic scent,it almost screams hairy chest medallion 70's.....incredibly masculine.....with it's lemon top note and sandalwood base amongst many others....but in essence it's timeless because even though it came out in 1990 you can wear it today and think yes this is fresh...it's sassy....it grabs you......I would never be without a bottle of this....because it's such a lovely wearing scent for any occasion.
2-3 hours longevity on me....but it doesn't matter matter because it's one of the best cheap freshies around.

Hot weather calls for cool, refreshing scents. A noble aromatic fougere such as this fits the bill, with its quenching juniper, bright citrus and fresh pine, with a reliable oakmoss dry down.

Relatively linear, but with a timeless barbershop quality. Spray generously...

Like a spanish garden portrayed by Santiago Russinol in that magical blue courtyard.confident, generous,smart, classy,rich, mossy,complex.it reminds me of fresh cut trees,plants and dew in the air.a great fragrance for a well dressed gentleman that predates so many of the tired modern men's fragrance cliches

A citrusy blast of bergamot with juniper and cernation give it a spicy freshness, followed closely by a playful balance of galbanum and sandalwood.this melange is tied neatly with an oakmoss bow. simply a well-blended and layered classic scent.if you have a certain degree of interest in men's perfumery, this is a must try.

I really enjoy this, from the great lemon/cypress blast in the first spray right down to the sandalwood drydown. A perfect spring/summer scent - wore it the other day while out for a run and got loads of beautiful waves of it, a really pleasurable experience. Amazing value too.

I get three distinct phases out of this fragrance. In the opening I get a blast of lavender, juniper and cypress with other green notes making the scent smell herbaceous. It's a bit rough for the first forty minutes and then settles down nicely and reminds me of Lauder For Men.

After a good amount of time the florals make a entrance and take the back seat. This softens the scent and it smells quite lovely whilst remaining very masculine. And yes at this point I do get the resemblance to Boucheron Pour Homme. But that one starts to lean more to the unisex side of things as the florals jump into the front seat and start to take over. So I like 1881 more as it keeps itself smelling masculine.

Finally the drydown in a very nice musky sandalwood.

The projection for the first two to three hours is good and then it reigns itself in to within a half a arms length. The longevity on my skin is excellent with all day and into next day longevity.

All in all a very nice masculine fragrance that has character and can be had for the price of a large pizza.

Happy Days!