Dolce & Gabbana pour Homme
Dolce & Gabbana (1994)

D and G Pour Homme has such a great initial presentation - even the box hints at the class contained within. The perfect slight blast of citric brightness at the top quickly turns into a beautiful lavender and sage/herb tempered tobacco and musk with the sandlewood just hanging around the edges as a wood brace, subtle but important. This is a fragrance where all the notes are there and noticeable, but blended together in a symphony of class and elegance. This works as a great signature scent for an older man (I know because I bought it for Dad and he loves it!) and would come across as an elevated office choice. That certainly makes it a winner for any formal occasion as well. It works year round with it being a bit heavy and formal to wear in a heat wave but that is common sense. It has a very distinct character that charms those that encounter it and deserves the praise it has received. Thumbs up.

D & G Pour Homme (vintage / 1st version) -

There are many conflicting reviews for this one as it has been significantly reformulated over the years. I’m not opposed to change, but I had the opportunity to sample the original “made in Italy” version so here we go…

Out of the gate, my first impression was “gentleman’s cologne”. The citrus is coming through pretty strong, and dare I say “zesty”, with only two sprays even after nearly 30 years since this one debuted (1994).

Up next is a sharp, dry and prominent lavender that persists up front for at least thirty minutes. So far, the note pyramid is spot on as there are also a couple of other kitchen spices floating around in there as well.

The experience becomes a bit fuller and smoother once this one warms up as the sandalwood and soft musks begin to wake up. The tobacco impression I smell is of the dry, leafy, floral variety with no smoke to be had.

Overall, a bright, clean and classy Italian cologne experience that is very satisfying. You could have only this in your wardrobe and it would cover you all year with the exception of very cold weather. This one feels like it would shine brightest in the warmer summer weather.

Is chasing down this vintage unicorn worth it? Unless you are a D&G acolyte then no, as there are many other well made Italian colognes currently available in this style.

4 / 5 stars

D&GpH is a soft, sweet, and friendly fragrance that you can comfortably wear anywhere at any time.

It opens with a cloud of sweet citrus, followed by slightly green and powdery spices, and finishes with blonde woods and a single tobacco leaf.

D&GpH is comforting rather than inspiring, and you can do better, but you don’t have to.

I really like Zealot Crusader's review - I think it's right on. And I agree with mistersurgery's review too. Not much more I can add to theirs and everyone else's reviews. This was the second cologne I ever owned, after I ran out of Hugo, in my mid-to-late 20s.

I bought it because it smelled good on a co-worker who used to sell me pirated bootleg DVDs of movies still in theatres!
I said, "Hey man, that cologne you're wearing smells really nice! What is it?! (I think he wasn't too pleased that he was receiving compliments from a guy, instead of the ladies). He abashedly told me it was Dolce & Gabbana. That sounded way too fancy for me, but it smelled really good, so I got it anyways.

And it sure did smell good! So I felt sophisticated, mature, and good smelling, well into my early 30s...

Dolce & Gabbana pour Homme is basically a well-made fougere with some odd accoutrements that make it novel yet good.

It starts out seeming like the bastard child of an eau de cologne and a fougere, with the fougere portion of it at first reminding me of YSL's Jazz (1988) and Cartier's Pasha (1992). It's after a few minutes that the true star of this fragrance takes the stage, and it's a wonderful tobacco that comes home to roost. The tobacco is thick and sweet, giving this an undertone that almost comes across as a sweet fruit like a plum or date. That tobacco is what makes this scent so good, not unlike the way it is the prime mover and heart of Versace's The Dreamer, released two years after this in 1996. The base also contains the common sandalwood/musk combo of the '90s, but the tobacco and coumarin just elevate this out of the realm of standard-fare fougere, and even out of the realm of "fresh fougere," as this scent really stands out as a one-of-a-kind to me. The particular combinations in D&G pour Homme are as distinct and unique as those found in fragrances like Acqua di Gio pour Homme (1996), in the sense that I know exactly what this is when I smell it. I can't confuse this with anything else.

This was certainly one of the top fragrances of the 1990s, and it deserves its place as a classic of that era. Sadly, D&G doesn't have the best batting average with follow-ups, and this is, in my opinion, the best male fragrance that they have ever put out, with nothing else coming a close second to it. Thumbs up on this classic, for sure.

Lavender....basically. It's Eau de L'Occitan done a bit quieter and with softer edges. Nice enough but not mind blowing. The dry down has some mild interest in it but again, not mind blowing. Based on the reviews I had high hopes for this but alas this is not 'the one'. The search continues....