PS
Paul Sebastian (1979)

Cheap as chips, cheap packaging and presentation, and by a house with a name that would be at home on a pornstar. Ignore all that... Paul Sebastian Fine cologne is a stunner. Plus, HSN sells it every now and then, so it must be somewhat popular.

I would imagine PS would have been an oddity in 1979, as that was the era of funky/animalistic, earthy, alpha male, hairy chest scents. This one is decidedly polished and genteel. I do get the comparison to Old Spice to an extent, but feel that Paul Sebastian has a lighter, cleaner, moral floral scent--on the barbershop side.

I would recommend this for ages 25+ for formal wear, nights out, and special occasions. I also think it could be great for weddings.

While certainly for the mature, distinguished, and established gentleman, too many critics have adopted the non-thinking, hackneyed narrative that PS by Paul Sebastian is an "old" man's fragrance. My Dad wore PS by Paul Sebastian and everyone liked the way he smelled. I inherited his Paul Sebastian when he passed away and honor him by wearing his Paul Sebastian. I'm not a young man myself but vigorous, fit, strong, healthy, stylish, and successful, so I embrace my age and use it as an asset. Trying to look and act decades younger rarely works, so if you're a man of any age with the strength of character to wear what you like - go ahead. If you're young and self-assured, go ahead. Don't worry about what anyone else thinks or says.

An oldie but a goldie. Vintage PS is the smell of comfortable virtuous living. It is unapologetically manly. It's spicy and warm but has an unmistakable edge. It's not contemporary or 'fancie pantsie'. It's a cologne for a man who wants to smell like a man. Old school but not the powerhouse old school of fougers like Kouros and Brut.

The first whiff is refreshing when applied to freshly shaved skin. The invigorating spice accord is an exciting whiff of old-school energy. Then, the scent takes a turn towars the orient. The spicy rose, cloves and ylang ylang come to the forefront and are stationed there like soldiers, confidently attracting people's attention. Then, after all the delicious aromas are shared with everyone, you are left with a slightly sweet amber&vanilla and powdery musk, perfect for cuddling.

In fact, there is this initial blast of cleanliness like an old time barbershop shaving lotion, then resolved down to a very warm musky spicy little numer. Splash some on after your early morning shave on Saturday and start doing the yard work. In conclusion If you're someone who isn't particularly into fragrance, but like having a nice timeless smell that is fitting for all occasions, make it PS.

There’s the long-running meme of a bumblebee’s wings somehow defying the laws of aerodynamics in order for it to fly. Those wings also belong on a bottle of Paul Sebastian PS. By many accounts this scent should never have gone anywhere. But it did, gaining a huge family of loyal fans. And over forty years later, I still wear PS a couple of times a week. It’s an amazing spicy lavender and vanilla musk concoction that’s irresistible to you and those around you. To me it’s very barbershop. Go moderate on the application with this and you’re golden. I love this scent. It’s luxurious and so beautiful, and for the price, simply unbeatable. Give it a try! 🤠

A classic, mature scent that isn't too abrasive or disagreeable. It's just very masculine without being too challenging. Similar to Polo Green but not as powerful and bold and also Azzao Pour Homme but not as soapy clean.

My review is for the current formulation from a splash bottle. Projection is pretty low but I got a good 4-5 hours of longevity.

Samsara EDT as a shaving foam for men.
"But can men wear yellowy florals?" you ask.
I wear this, Samsara, and Xeryus, so I'd say there is no line to be drawn.
PS is basically a classic musk like Royall Muske or vintage Old Spice without the trademark bay leaf note, and smells to me the way forsythia looks. It's pretty charming.

Warm, dry, powdery, spiced vanilla glow. Perfect.

In a great American entrepreneur success story two guys from Jersey create and market a scent on their own and it works out.
I have deep love for Paul Sebastian Fine Cologne. Only Paco Rabanne sits ahead of this for me as far as the best the 1970s had to offer and qualifies as a must have for life in my wardrobe. Its composition presents as classic, not simply'vintage' and is less challenging for those worried about the risk of older frags smelling 'icky' or painfully 'dated'. Also it is absurdly affordable which makes PS one of the best values in all of perfumery.
So to summarize...
Warm, dry, powdery, spiced vanilla glow. Perfect.

Old school every day frag that can be worn anywhere. 4 - 5 sprays yields 8 hours of moderate sillage, with a nice warm dry down that is masculine without being overpowering. Definitely a fit for older gents. I can't see my adult son wearing this, but it's a keeper for me.

Barbosol in a spray, save your Federal Reserve Notes and buy the shaving cream at Wally World.

For this amount of money, I'd expect some projection and longevity. But both are lacking, so neutral for me because of these points and the unoriginality.

Pleasant enough though, but not enough to overcome the neutral rating.

A very classy fragrance indeed.

PS starts out powdery of vanilla and herbal of some sage initially with a vague warmth. This warmth becomes stronger up from a mixture of myrrh and ylang-ylang teased with amber and some patchouli. The sage sometimes blends with the patchouli creating an interesting herbal quality. Over the hours this scent breaks down to a musky powder state. Sniffing at the powder you get light hints of the spicy and herbal side.

This fragrance does have a pretty good longevity of 8 hours moderate projection and another 4 in low projection. Wake up the next morning and it's a skin scent.

Was the vintage formula of PS better?
It's debatable. On one hand the vintage was a mellow and powdery scent that wasn't as warm/spicy. It smelled good but no musky development and no ylang-ylang that I could detect..it was primitively blended. The current formula is better blended and spicier through going heavier on those notes. Both formulas smell good but also have their positive and negative aspects.

After not having worn PS in over twenty years, I'm happy to report that, remarkably, the current version smells identical to how I remember it. No chance of mistaking PS for a unisex scent--this is a substantial masculine fragrance that lasts and lasts. Go easy on the trigger with this one, and a very pleasant, suave aura will envelope you the whole day. Extra bonus: the spray top screws off for easy decanting! At the current budget-friendly price, PS is a no-brainer for a gentleman of a certain age (you know who you are...)

This is the only Paul Sebastian product I've tried, and I'm very fond of it. I thought without looking it up that it must have been made in the late seventies- it just has that vibe. I get a very nice barbershop/oriental scent, similar to Stetson. Nothing seems out of place, and I don't get any chemical notes, just a warm comforting feel. I'll check out anything else by PS that I can find.