James Thomas

Every era has its Zeitgeist, and this Adidas Cologne 1985 is very much a child of its time. Spicy oakmoss and lavender. A bit dusty and powdery. A little bit Giorgio Beverly Hills for Men, a bit Uomo Moods by Krizia, a bit Lancome Sagamore/Tiffany for Men, a bit SergioTacchini, a bit Elvis. Spiciness jacked up to 10 O'clock. And like Giorgio, a distinct sweet spiciness, as if a prominent cinnamon note were involved. But unlike Giorgio, no cinnamon note listed. I even thought that maybe Adidas Cologne was like a vintage precursor to Amouage Jubilation XXV of sorts. Not really, but.... Maybe my old bottle and juice has lost some top, but I don't get as much citrus, and certainly not nearly the level of aldehydes that others report. And the freshness overall is moderate, as this is a fairly dense scent with some heft, albeit with a nice subtle streak of freshness running through. Giorgio Beverly Hills has more aldehydes manifested. I need to compare this with Sergio Tacchini, as it seems a natural comparison to me. I don't get as much Ralph Lauren Safari for Men as I do the others mentioned above. The Zeitgeist profile for masculines started to change into the early 1990's. But all in all really, really nice. Not quite as nice as Tiffany for Men in my book, but still very, very nice. Very much worth the $25 per 25ml bottle I paid for it, twice. It's worth two bottles.

This to me does indeed smell of a steamy, hot iron, but very faint. Vibes of a crisp, white, just-ironed cotton shirt. The first comparison fragrance that came to my mind, and it was an immediate association, was Hermès H24, but much fainter. The starchy iron smell of H24 is too intense and nauseating for me, whereas in Gris Clair its pleasant and comforting, but overall too faint. I'm surprised I didn't see the Hermès in the "This perfume reminds me of...." section. The lavender manifests differently in this than most lavender scents. I don't think the lavender should be the top-listed accord. The incense note, which I assume is represented by the 'smoky' and 'balsamic' accords, seem most dominant to me. And its probably the incense that manifests the lavender differently. The incense is what really gives the hot steamy iron vibe. Gris Clair is nothing like Ferrari Pure Lavender, nor is it anything like Penhaligon Sartorial, both of which I have. I don't think Gris Clair is an out-and-out fougere. But all in all I like the scent profile of Gris Clair, although its performance is way too timid. That timidity, along with pleasant, clean vibe, renders it an ideal "office scent".