Reviews of Arsène Lupin Dandy by Guerlain

There is something at once unique and yet traditional about this scent: it is vaguely reminiscent of so many classic chrypres, and yet manages a depth and a complexity that is momentarily shocking. But it is a complexity worn lightly. There is no confusion here, nor yet oppression; the nose is led like a willing companion through an olfactory exploration.

The notes are supremely well balanced: each note is afforded time without any being overbearing or aggressive. The perfume follows a typical chypre style opening with a note of citrus, moving to a spicy middle comprised of cardamom and pepper and settling on a woody & balsamic base of olibanum, amber, patchouli.

Céline's stolen gem
Woody peppered violet
Just showed up, my friends

Unmistakable!
Remounted as a Guerlain
Of exquisite taste

Clearly the work of
One Arsène Lupin - the thief
But dandy as well

A man quite apart
Respecting no rule of law
That he can outwit

Nor any custom
Falling before his charms and
Mesmerising act.

Thus, pity the girl
More, his rube blonde, good-hearted
How was she to know?

Indeed, even now
She likely suspects nothing
Nor any time soon

And even if so
Why should she think to charge him
When just the rumors

That he stole her work
Will send clients to her door?
Thus, he evades us

Exiting his crimes
By beating us to justice
For the afflicted

Let me describe him
So that you know who you face
And thus you are warned

The word "gentleman"
Is where our failure begins
To keep up with him

Perfection broken
By just too much violet
Perfection bettered!

As you understand
That you are now in his thrall
Ha! Now, get in line!

And remember this
When you reach for your wallet
It will be too late!

Next - take a deep breath
That sense of wood and pepper
You've felt it before

Only not so fine
Not by the thief's practiced hand
Not as a Guerlain

Never insistent
Never too much - except when
He so desires it

Begin to relax
Fool! That is his choice, not yours!
You check your wallet

You check your jewels
Why does he not seem to care?
Is he drunk? Or you?

You hear his story
More, you must hear his story
But his voice quiets

With practiced delight
Knowing you can't get enough
Led like a poodle

Walking out in front
You never saw the lady
Giving him her key

He's one step closer
To his next blind accomplice
Singing his praises

Never believing
That he loved any other
Or that he used her

In another scheme
Too fantastic to believe
No - give it up now

He toyed with us all
We thought we were rid of him
By our own doing

Nothing of the sort!
The dandy thief eternal
Arsène Lupin lives!

The Bigarade lemon combined with the bergamot lets one expect summery freshness, and to sone extent this expectation is not completely disappointed, but the cardamom with the pink pepper provides a slightly spicy counterbalance such as to creates and overall feel that is more defined by bright crispness than by summery happiness.

The drydown adds a bright and light patchouli with exactly crispness that I in the top notes, without any sharpness or scratchiness. A woodsy note, quite nonspecific with touches of sandalwood and the occasional whiff of guaiac, leads into the base. At times whiffs of florals - iris and violet - come and go

The base continues with the same overall lively brightness, hut the pepper has rescinded and is replaced by a cistus impression that adds an additional edge without changing the overall character of the whole. An olibanum develops late, and at times a very restrained nigh-balsamic hit is accompanying the sandalwood and the cistus.

I get moderate sillage, excellent projection and a superb thirteen hours of longevity on my skin.

The scent for cooler summer or warmer autumn day is delightful and quite original. A refreshing change from the common fruitchouli mainstream of today, it uses a few creatively applied olfactory brushstrokes to creates strong but harmonious experience that convinces, inter alia, though the good quality of its ingredients. Is might not be an overly complex creation, and the development is not overly exciting, but it provides enough variety such as to entice most of the time. The performance is excellent. Overall 3.75/5

This is quite an interesting little frag. First, it's purple. That is just an odd color for a fragrance. It has a sort of smoky white floral patchouli, no florals in the pyramid, but that is what I get. It is quite interesting stuff. The kind of stuff you just want to keep spraying and smelling. Captivating. Beautifully blended, a modern fragrance that smells classical. If it were easy to find it would be full bottle worthy for sure. Hopefully discontinuation will be temporary and they will bring it back.

I get a mature, incense, wood-sappy scent in the opening that dries down to a powdery-makeup smell with some drier wood notes. That drydown is much more acceptable to the masses than the opening which I find pretty abrasive. Leans feminine to me, especially in the opening, except it has that mature-guy feel to it throughout. Either way, it smells dated to me.

Performance is good, with better than average projection for 4-5 hours with only 2 sprays and around 8-9 hours with the skin scent remains.

Great olibanum-rich EdP scent from Guerlain (now discontinued). It comes across to me as dark, powdery, and spicy - approaching but just shy of beast mode!

ALD is rich with aromatic, balsamic goodness, classy in character and very enjoyable to wear. Resembles a more complex version of Christian Dior's Sauvage EdP, and has great longevity and projection like that scent.

Prices are looking steep for this nowadays - I'll pass on getting a full bottle and keep enjoying my Sauvage EdP.

Stardate 20180705:

Arsene Lupin (Lopin) is a fictional "gentleman" thief extraordinaire. Brought to life in early 1900s by a French author Maurice Leblanc, Lupin goes on to have great adventures and even had a cross over with Sherlock Holmes.
The two perfumes Dandy and Voyou are an homage to this fictional thief. I assume that Dandy is what JPG thought Lupin wears when moving as a gentleman in high society and Voyou when he is stealing :).
Arsene Lupin Dandy like its namesake is a master of disguise. Starts as a bitter green aromatic - galbanum,cardamon, cumin/incense.
Then it moves on to a "dandy" phase - leather,patchouli, florals and olibanum.
Finally it settles down to a powdery, smoky woodsy iris.

I think this is influenced by Habit Rouge and Heritage. Perhaps a formula that did not make it in the end for either. In any case, a great fragrance.

Green peppery-spicy fragrance. Chypre/barbershop type fragrance. I get a powdery accord that knocks a couple of points off. Sandalwood and a light floral round this out. Not sure why this is "Masculine" it could easily be worn by a mature woman.

Funky Iris Leather

Aresene Lupin Dandy's opening reminds me of the leather/patchouli opening of Aramis, but quickly evolves into a light leather/iris accord that dominates throughout most of the progression similar perhaps to Dior Homme and MPG Iris Bleu Gris. It does last for several hours.

Arsene Lupin Dandy is a nice fragrance in its own right, but the $250 price tag for such a concoction is a bit off-putting when similar fragrances can be had for much less.

Along with its twin brother Voyou, Arsene Lupin Dandy is the last fragrance the great Jean-Paul Guerlain made for the Guerlain House.
In Dandy, Jean-Paul has taken a classic streamlined chypre form and infused it with a luxurious leathery oriental structure, the boldest violet note I have smelled in recent years along some galbanum, smoky woods and aromatic spices. In simple words, he made a highly elegant modern chypre. The whole scent has a cool green and slightly powdery ambience and dries down leaving a memorable aura that is neither overpowering nor absent. Dandy has a discreet quality to it. So discreet that it may seem elitist or snobby but it veers more towards the romantic and debonair instead.
Jean-Paul Guerlain is a perfumer that was never fucking around. He made perfumes not cosmetics. He stated that this was a perfume for him. I don't doubt it since Dandy is aimed to people that love perfumes. With Chanel's Pour Monsieur dusted, PdN's New York ruined this could effortlessly be the heir of the masculine chypre tradition a genre that epitomized masculine elegance and has become increasingly spare. Only Amouage still dares to have Gold and Dia floating around and I suspect them not to be their best sellers. However, Guerlain in its “wisdom” decided to discontinue this graceful masculine. Buy it while you still can if you want to wear something of high-class and distinction.

Arsene Lupin Dandy Eau de Parfum is another one in the Jean-Paul Guerlain's sons congeries, a really interesting and articulated cozy concoction (despite we are a step underneath the Habit Rouge/Derby/Mitsouko/Heritage/Jicky's "and more" grandeur). Distinguished, spicy, orangy, resinous, intellectual, tobacco/incense/moss/patchouli/sandalwood mastered and finally divinely leathery (despite the leather could not be considered as a really standout note in my humble opinion). Dandy is really seasoned and rounded (with its delicious tobacco-leather-spices modern accord) but with an hesperidic and mossy secret classic chypre (vaguely vintage) soul. I detect by soon the cardamom which is anyway in my opinion less influencing than in the Voyou's less mature version. The note of violet is perfectly joined to sweet spices (I suppose nutmeg, cinnamon and further), woods, hesperides and leather in a really interesting "yet classic" accord (Heeley Cuir Pleine Fleur, Cuir Amethyste, for instance). Finally a touch of vanilla starts soothing the aroma with a whiff of balminess while the mossy sandawood becomes almost prominent. I see for sure the "spicy" connection with Amouage Dia but I think AL Dandy is also distant relative of Mazzolari Lui, Burberry for Men, Armani Cuir Amethyste and Canali Black Diamond. Anyway another great subtle spicy-floral leather to be enjoyed and another interesting concoction from an "Immense" maison.

Genre: Leather

My first thought after sniffing Guerlain's Arsène Lupin Dandy was “How marvelous.” My second was that it smelled vaguely and hauntingly familiar. It didn't take me too long to figure out why, either. It turns out that Dandy is the only scent I've found so far that closely approaches Amouage's subtly beautiful Dia for Men in style – and, to a lesser extent, in content. Like Dia, Dandy is a complex, sophisticated, and finely balanced composition centered on high quality labdanum (cistus), frankincense (olibanum), and iris root, with prominent cardamom, sandalwood, and bergamot accents.

How much alike do the two actually smell? Extended side-by-side comparison reveals many parallels, but the two are not close enough to be redundant. Dia is the spicier, sweeter, and more incense-forward composition, while Dandy, true to its name, is more powdery and more conspicuously floral, with a very potent rose note at its heart. I find it comically ironic that the only fragrance I know which in any way approximates Dia is both harder to come by and (did I ever think I'd say this) even more expensive.

All comparisons aside, Dandy is an impressive composition, and easily the most accomplished masculine fragrance Guerlain has released in some time. The scent opens on a very lively and pleasing accord of bergamot, pink peppercorns, and cardamom, with dry frankincense following very closely behind. The rose and powdery iris root slide in after a few more minutes, while mildly animalic labdanum and luxuriously creamy woods shore up the foundation. For all its layered complexity, Dandy remains remarkably luminous and transparent on the skin, with little of the Edwardian bombast one might expect from the name and the contents. Too bad this couldn't have been Guerlain Homme.

On the opening I'm getting strong notes of cardamom and citrus with pink peppers and powdery violets. This is surrounded by a soft ever-present sandalwood.

The opening is a little overbearing but it soon settles down to a powdery violets and woods accord with a dash of incense.

A rough opening that settles down to a very pleasant fragrance.

leather but atypicalIt's not leathery like Knize Ten, Cuirnde Russe and Bandit. It's a sweet'ish violets, cardamom & leather with a subtle myrrh & sandalwood dry down.I enjoyed the opening & dry down more than the middle bits. At certain points it becomes neatly identical to Cuir Amethyste (which I own& enjoy). But where C. Amethyste is dominated by birch & vanilla accord, Dandy is predominantly myrrh, sandalwood & the Guerlinade but severely toned down.Pros: above average complexityCons: a bit uninspiring in the middle section

Mmmmmm, this is lovely. A creamy suede leather, violets and cardamom (one of my favourite notes in perfumery) on a Guerlinade backbone. Warm, enveloping and more-ish. Yes, it is similar to Dia Man, but bolder, less shy. Sillage and longevity are good. Well worth the money in my book.

A gentle, discreet, well-blended take on sweet, powdery violets and pale woods. The prominence of its floral accord places it within the small category of feminine perfumes pretending to be masculine, scents such as Dior Homme which dare to go against the received wisdom of market research and choose to play the gender-bending card. One of the main reasons why Olivier Polge's creation worked was because it didn't settle for half-measures, but Le Dandy doesn't have the same boldness, uncertainly hovering somewhere between Habit Rouge and Lutens' Bois De Violette. It's pleasant and inoffensive, but also rather thin and certainly not interesting or complex enough to justify its high price tag.

A superb outing from the house of Guerlain that is quite similar to Amouage Dia Man. As Dia Man is in my top 3, it is little surprise that Dandy is also right up my alley taste-wise.

Dandy, while sharing many similarities to Dia is a bit less refined, IMO. It has a more unpolished powdery feel after its bigarade top notes that do not quite reach the subtlety that Dia excels so well at. Dandy calls more attention to itself with its sandalwood and patchouli heart, but it is also very complex like Dia and a very fine composition in its own right that if it were less expensive I would say would be a very good alternative to Dia Man for those who can't (or won't) pay Amouage money for their scents, but want the quality or close to it.

As it stands, Dandy is every bit as expensive, and maybe more. So as such, I still recommend Dia Man over it as it is the slightly superior scent to my nose. That said, Arsene Lupin Dandy is the best modern release I have smelled from the house of Guerlain to date and is a very strong release to be sure and well worth a sniff if you can find it. A very well-deserved 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Initial impression was that this reminds me of Halston Z-14, largely because it was my father's signature fragrance growing up & this evokes the masculine greats of the 80s-- but that is where the similarity ends. Initially boldly citrus, as this develops a violet/leather accord take precedence poured over a sandalwood base with the olibanum, patchouli & cinammon singing backup. The lightly lemony olibanum contrasts well with the earthy patchouli & spicy cinnamon. The labdanum gives a slight amber/mossy/vanillic vibe that adds depth & complexity without weighing the fragrance down, smoothing & adding a creaminess to the composition.

A spectacular & definitively modern take on a classic formula. This is moving straight to my wishlist.

Dandy has a very vibrant opening of green violet leaf, bergamot and orange. The citrus notes burn off quickly leaving the floral green violet note to carry into the heart notes of pepper, cardamon and santal. It's a striking and bold statement, while remaining quite tasteful and very pleasant. The dry down is very resinous and slightly mossy, being mostly labdanum, frankincense and tree moss, with woody remnants of santal and patchouli. Neither of the Arsène Lupin duo are quite as long lasting as I would have expected for being EDP in concentration, yet the longevity is still quite respectable. Dandy is the obvious popular one in that it has a bolder, almost niche like quality about it. At first the similarities between Dandy and Chamade pour Homme seemed too close, but upon further wearing, it's obvious that those similarities are purely superficial at best. The Arsène Lupin duo are two of my favorite releases from 2010, and although many scoff at the high price tag, in my estimated opinion they are both worth the investment.

Got Arsene Lupun as Valentines day present. The fragrance suits me very well. It's the type of scent for wearing during the day. Not powerful or offensive but still markable. I am really enjoying it.

This fragrance is a soft, yet masculine fragrance from Guerlain. It starts with a quick citrus burst that quickly calms into the warmer sandlewood and patchulli, then it just stays. The base notes blend in nicely with the middle notes, so I like it. It sits well on my skin and stays fairly long time (4-6hrs). I believe this fragrance is exclusive to boutiques in the USA, but not sure about globally. The bottle is surrounded on four sides by light wood, very simple and well stated, despite the fact the fragrance IS purple. Lol, definately one to try.

This does nothing for me. Dandy? We must define this term differently. I got about 20 minutes from this, and though it wasn't a total scrubber, I couldn't get past the canned sardine smell. I wouldn't expect this to stay for long. Now if they would just come out with a more concentrated version of mouchior de monsieur.