Brut 
Brut Parfums Prestige (1964)

For the few who don't know, Brut is one of the quintessential 1960s American-style barbershop fougeres. It was my late grandfather's signature scent for over 50 years. This is what old men wore during my childhood and youth, so to me it's the ultimate stereotype of a gentlemanly scent. Nowadays it is often snobbed, but is really that bad?

The citrus in the opening dies out quickly and you're left with the mother of all anisic lavender talcum powdery bombs. There's a fair amount of vanilla and creamy sandalwood, but they're overpowered by the talc. I don't get much of a shaving cream vibe from this one.

Those who used Brut in the 70s and 80s say a couple of sprays could fill a room. Well, maybe that's why it became the object of ridicule. My opinion is that the "weak" current formulation projects well enough as is. With regards to longevity, it becomes a skin scent within 2-3 of hours, and after a total of 5 hours it's gone. I can't really expect more for the mere €9 I spent at the drugstore.

Masculinity Level: Roger Moore wore Brut extensively in real life, which I think is fitting. I was never a big fan of his Bond, so here's a photo of him in The Wild Geese, a guilty pleasure of a movie if ever there was one.

I scored a mini bottle in an antique shop, so I suspect it is somewhat vintage. Very green, powdery and fairly sweet. Still, it is distinctive, with a pleasant soapy and aromatic quality. I get the herbal notes and definitely geranium rose. Bit of vanilla or coumarin. Creamy sandalwood in the dry-down. This was a mass market fougere in the day.

Fragrance In Three Words: Masculine Green Woods

Brut was one of the first fragrances I owned. I was given one with the silver paper label, along with what I think was Yardley Gold deodorant. I thought it was very strong. The version I bought last year and finished is a lot weaker.

Starts with a nice lavender and slight citrus. The prominent note is oakmoss, I suspect newer versions use treemoss and dry vetiver. It's mainly green notes. There are a lot of floral notes, but they get lost in the miasma.

Brut is a golden balled classic, I've recently been trying Old Spice again and I like that more. Sadly it has become watered down, but it still retains its core DNA.

Rating: old version 8 out of 10
Newer version 7 out of 10

From a Cheeseborough-Ponds bottle, I think 90's-early 2000's?

3 sprays is probably too much, I could get through the whole day on 1 or 2 sprays.

Beautiful fragrance, although after 8-10 hours it feels like it's "time for a change".

Lovely in the Fall & Winter, probably early Spring too. But, "friends don't let friends wear Brut in the summer"!

The beginning of the fragrance is like a calm western landscape with trees, mountains and wild flowers with a cowboy who puts his gun in it's leather cover. Lavender, anise, oakmoss and vetiver continue to make this western more classic with a character who emmotionally and spiritually, he lives in a cold land, but he has the traces of silent and unspoken love. He is very stubborn in expressing love and affection in the face of vanilla and tonka bean and the sweetness that the two inject into him. He suffices with a simple thank you. He rarely uses this word because this mysterious man's motto is that no one is kind to human beings for no reason, which is why the sweetness of perfume disappears very quickly.

Such a great scent. It reminds me of my dad. This really is the epitome of a man's fragrance, the classic barbershop fougere. And one of the top aromatic fougere of all time. The opening is nothing special, but when the lavender and oakmoss start to appears and followed by the rest, i start to change my mind. It is neither clean or dirty, it's both, and that's what makes Brut interesting. It's captivating, yet never steals the limelight from the wearer. Self-confidence is a must -have if you choose to wear this devastatingly alluring perfume. The longevity and sillage are both very high quality.