Chanel Pour Monsieur
Chanel (1955)

My "Spray Cologne" version from the 90s (which I am fairly certain is the same as the eau de toilette and marketed to the US) is a heavenly refreshment, topped with a *lemon* ( said, or rather, sung like Bono in the eponymous U2 song), sour and sparkly, a bracing effect. The flash of lemon, while fleeting, is the signature here, invigorating the senses and priming them for the green aromatic mossiness that is at its core.

These days, it seems that "mature" is the label for anything that isn't candied, but yes, Pour Monsieur is mature and noble, and I'm in my 40s, so, what of it? It would behoove us to consider the connotations of "mature": is it code for dated, old-smelling, passe? Do we find a sense of wonder and joy to be mutually exclusive to maturity, left dry and dusty and devoid of vitality? I was mistaken as a 35 year old yesterday by one of the coffee shop baristas. Of course, I was living for it and loving it all up, but what does that say about me? Does Pour Monsieur augment that or take away from that appearance of youthfulness? Many questions, so little time for answers.

Oh, I know now, it's the OAKMOSS. Hot-diggity-damn, this bottle came from an age where oakmoss wasn't scaled back (insert social theories and conspiracy theories here). The 90s still allowed for it, but I was probably perceived as an old-time classic even then. We should be more concerned when people seem to be "a shadow of their former selves" than fragrances. I am more full-bodied today, just like this version of Pour Monsieur. No shell or shadow here.

On Fragrantica, someone left a "review" that asked "Does this perfume fit a 19 year old person? Or is it for true gentlemen (30+) only?" My advice: smell it. Once you smell it, be present with it, quietly. Note the spaces between your thoughts and how you feel. If you feel good, wear it, wear it with abandon, and pay no mind to what others say. Your experience will be authentic, young man.

CHANEL for Men is a bare bones version of Mitsouko that could and should be worn by anyone of any age or gender. If you enjoy citrus chypres this is simply as good as it gets, thanks to its amazing blending of aromatic citrus, herbs, cardamom, and oak moss. Yes, it's somewhat short lived, but beautiful enough to take your breath away, so go ahead and soak your clothing with it.

Delicious, classy, and uplifting. Vintage only.

A warm,sunny,breezy day.just polished off some homemade waffles with a bourbon,maple syrup.coffe in hand, sitting on the back porch reading Jim Harrison.this is an old school, mediterranean style chypre, nothing trendy or modern about this one at all.very sophisticated,very manly,for a perfect man who doesn't need to prove anything.it's easy to imagine the old Bond wearing this one.Pour Monsieur just gets better with time,like a fine wine.the notes have perfect separation and are almost photo-realistic.

A masculine aromatic scent with a huge dose of neroli and petitgrain in the opening which is bitter.a garden full of herbs and green floral smoothness and a kitchen cabinet full of spices basil, coriander,caraway in the middle.after a while it feels more like a barbershop scent,not too dated and not so outrageously soapy as Paco Rabanbe PH for instance.the dry down is a really mossy,which gives it that old-style charm.there is absolutely no need fear you're going to smell like an old man wearing this.

A slightly attractive science teacher in moth-eaten tweeds kind of scent. He's skinny and gangly, looks good in those glasses, looks even better without them, but alas: he's not looking at you. I get the appeal, and occasionally am charmed by it. Ultimately, though, he's not my type.

Edit: I'd say women, give this a try. Alternatively I'd say: men, give No. 19 a try (parfum formulation is preferable).

This is a review of the current edt.

Even in its current form, Chanel's flagship masculine fragrance is a cut above other chypres. Some fragrances you need a bit of time to enjoy, but some are love at first sniff. Pour Monsieur is a case of the latter.

Others are assuredly better at describing notes, so I will just say that Pour Monsieur is classy and gentlemanly. It may come across as dated to someone whose only experience with fragrances are the designers offered at Macy's or Sephora.

My 5 ml decant has grown some chest hair over time, obtaining a bit of animalic funk. Otherwise, it is the epitome of a dumb reach, easy-to-wear, feel-good fragrance.

My only complaint is performance. As others have noted, Pour Monsieur is a bit understated. I think that's part of its charm, but if I were willing to pay Chanel prices, I'd want better performance.

It should also be noted that the edt is no longer available in the U.S. market, which is no skin off my back, as I prefer the fuller edp launched in 2014. It does, however, speak to the state of perfumery in the U.S. Just a few years ago I could sample Pour Monsieur edp and Chanel's other “classics” Antaeus and Egoiste at my local Nordstrom. Nowadays, you mention any of these at the Chanel counter and you get a blank stare followed by “we DO have three different concentrations of Bleu de Chanel! Have you tried the Parfum?”

Overall, Pour Monsieur edt gets a thumbs up, but because of performance and cost/availability, does not get a “full bottle worthy” endorsement.

This is a very reluctant thumbs down. I used the EDT in the 70s and 80s and thought it was just about perfect. Then decided it was time for a change. Out of curiosity I ordered a sample of EDT to see how my old friend was getting on.

What a disappointment. It's barely a shadow of its former self. Reformulation has ruined it. A lemony blast disappears almost immediately leaving a very faint skin scent and that is gone after an hour. I can see why vintage bottles online fetch such high prices.

I had high hopes for this and though on initial spraying it smells nice the version I have doesn't last too long on my skin unless I spray 4 or 5 times after which it lasts about 4 to 5 hours I was hoping for more from this from this Chanel classic. Maybe it is the reformulation or maybe it is that it is an EDT and thus I am expecting too much in terms of longevity.

I inherited a 4 oz. splash bottle of this, though my bottle says "Chanel for Men" which is one of the vintage versions produced for the North American market. My grandfather received it as a gift but apparently seldom wore it, as he had his other favorites.

When I first tried Pour Monsieur, it was already heavily reformulated. I found that it was a pleasant citrus fragrance with a light oakmoss and even lighter woodsy finish. I wouldn't bother with this version if you can find a vintage bottle.

The vintage Pour Monsieur, or the Chanel for Men that I have, is truly a delightful scent. It is very understated and inspired by the various traditional eau de cologne. It's an elegant scent and for its time I can imagine it was incredibly special.

When Polge created Pour Monsieur Concentree, it was probably because in 1989 the original Pour Monsieur would have been considered quite tame and lacking power. Nowadays less can be more, as they say, and I think Pour Monsieur has a spot in every gentleman's wardrobe. I actually enjoy Pour Monsieur Concentree because I find it has some depth that Pour Monsieur lacks, but also because the Concentree has quite a lot of differences - maybe more than similarities - to Pour Monsieur.

Some of the vintage Pour Monsieur/Chanel For Men are very heavy in oakmoss, which has been banned for use in perfumery. I always use Pour Monsieur as a reference when discussing oakmoss, as it is incredibly prominent in the vintage compositions - and almost entirely absent in the modern Pour Monsieur....and modern fragrances in general.

I really dislike this one and its “animalic notes” that makes you feel someone has been sneezing over you. My dad used to sneeze a lot and that smells exactly like this. I can't stand it and hope I'll never have to smell it again.

Pure lemon for 3 minutes exactly, and then nothing, what a waste of money, I didn't expect his from chanel. Please never buy this the EDP version is far better, it does last sometimes, but this one, I sprayed & sprayed & sprayed but feels like nothing on the skin after a few minutes, I will beg you not to buy it!!, its a waste of money.

Opening is great, but dry down is a bit too "Chanel-y" for my liking. Meaning too powdery and aldehyde heavy. Definitely has the old school Chanel signature vibe to it.

The top reminds me of aldehydes briefly. The neroli isn't over-bearing for me. The middle notes are pleasantly spicy. Herbal, not too greenish. The vetiver is wonderful in the base, as well as the oak moss. I enjoy the base, I think, more than anything.