Xeryus Givenchy for men

This is the 'Bentley' of the Givenchy male frags...top of the line. And it typifies what an 80s power fragrance was all about. Strong but elegant. Men who wear this, drink Belvedere, not Tangueray...and Drambuie, not Kahlua. They smoke Dunhill cigarettes, not those crazy unfiltered ones. They would watch reruns of Perry Mason and Carol Burnett, not Chelsea at Night or some asinine episode of 'The Kardashians'. And they would prefer to wear a chic, 'short boot' from Area Forte, instead of something predictable from the shoe dept @ Macy's.

This is about as classy as it gets with Cologne. Ive smelled the vintage juice...and the 'reform' is actually very near the vintage/original. This is what my grandmother would call ' high fallutin' (top shelf).

I painstakingly selected this cologne for my dad as a Christmas gift in the early 90s when I was around 13. I say "painstakingly" from the perspective of a young teen, which is to say I spent 40 minutes at The Bay instead of 10 minutes at the drugstore.

He was a business executive who traveled between the US and Canada, bilingual french and english, an avid golfer who belonged to "the club", a mild-mannered and handsome man. He was also thin, strong, very clean and tidy with grooming. My whole life I've barely seen any stubble on his face except for at our summer cottage, or hair over the tops of his ears. He was also 17 years older than my mom.

If I were to have smelled any of the "sports" fragrances on him I would have laughed. Even 'Tommy', when it came out, wasn't *enough* of a scent for my father.

He wore this for many years. The blue bottle was gorgeous. I expect any man who wears this to be an exceptional gentleman.

Pines all over, vintage of course, blast from the past!

I found a bottle of Xeryus almost 2 decades old (among other Givenchy perfumes) while clearing a closet filled with cardboard boxes from one of the many times I've moved places...
I tried it on myself, and I find it very pleasant, invigorating, and with character... I'd definitely love it on my man.
For some reason the scent evokes a full moon night.
Since the bottle is pretty ancient (metallic dark blue), the fragrance could be a bit different from the newer bottles available today.

**This is a review for the newer formulation - haven't smelt the vintage**

This is gentle/subtle but very persistent. I wouldn't describe it as strong or loud but it has good projection. It feels rather refined and gently masculine.

Starts off quite floral, fresh and a little bit green. Develops slight soapiness and deepens, getting more green, leather notes come in and some subtle animalic notes. Overall to me it is floral, masculine, fresh, green and slightly soapy. Could wear it anywhere, anytime.

Despite never seeming loud it lasts and projects impressively. With just 2 sprays it is good on skin for 12+ hours, it projects reasonably for 9 or 10 hours. By 14 hours it is a weak skin scent and it is gone around 15 hours.

This could well become a favourite and I would definitely buy it again.

I found a partial 100ml vintage bottle (blue iridescent glass) on Ebay. I never wore this one myself before, but I remember it from the late 80's because a close friend had it. Very elegant and undeniably masculine. It is one of the powerhouse fragrances in the same vein as Z-14 and Polo, but bearing a greater complexity, I think. It brings me right back to the days of dancing to early hits of the Pet Shop Boys and Swing Out Sister, and I suppose I have to admit to a little Paula Abdul and Wham!. And Blackbox. This was a fragrance of the young haberdashers at the time. We weren't old. We all wore trench-coats and had military cuts. :-)

I bought a bottle of this on ebay about 4 months ago, vintage bottle (25ml, bought after reading this page), £16; which I just cracked open.

First impression is that I like the smell; at the moment (after 1 hour of first spray) is an overwhelming smell of lavender and vetiver. I like it but being 26, Im just sat here thinking that this; with its obvious charms is really not suited for anyone under 35-40.

I like the smell; however I like the smell of Vetiver by Guerlain, thats not to say I personally would wear it. Im just making a point of adding a personal review by someone under 35.

In a nutshell this smells like an "older" mans scent, Ive yet to see what my girl (25 yr old, Im 27) will say but if Im wearing this I doubt Ill be getting any unless I have a shower before hand.

Ill give this a few more whirls; but I honestly see this ending up being given to my dad (63yr old) whom I have no doubt will exhaust this to within an inch of his life and will enjoy and appreciate the scent far more than I.

I bought a vintage bottle Xeryus. What a wonderful complex masterpiece this is. I have not really smelled anything like it up till now. An old school cologne at its best. There are probobly some that would say it´s a little dated. That´s fine with me as long as I don´t hear it.
9/10

this is one of rare fragrances that you can use in every season around the year and the sillage and longevity is always superb no matter what the condition of the weather is hot or cold .
i love the smell very much Ammmmmmm its classic and seems old but never outdated
every time i buy a new fragrance i wish it would be a good quality as this one .
simply master piece .

Gorgeous fragrance. Not dated or 'old man smelling' by any means. It has a sharp yet sweet citrus opening supported by full bodied green notes to keep it fresh yet strong. It reminds me of walking through the forest just after the rain.

Again, I concur with KRMARICH, who describes this as a walk through a pine forest by a full moon night. I would add, that it is late winter, when the grounds thaw and release their first aromas. There is also a dwell of fountain nearby for I can smell water here.

It is the dark horse, and night-time brother to the bright, fresh and sunny Kouros by YSL.

Both of these behave like day and night, sun and moon, yin and yang.

Very masculine and not for a young or skinny person. This has to be worn by a man, built like a brick sh**house, lol.

80ies classic.

To be honest, this is how "Antaeus" by Chanel should smell (even though it somehow lacks in the refinement department).
"Xeryus", used to come in an unusual geometrical hematite bottle that gave it an almost extraterrestrial appeal [I hope this makes sense :)] and aroused the interest for the alchemic potion content.
I used to wear it back in the 80's. I have no idea how it smells now after the reformulation but I remember it used to attract people's attention a lot!
It is the male interpretation of Ysatis no doubt about it, a complex creation quite masculine (in an elaborated way) and loveable.
One thing that "Xeryus" dictates to the ones who wear it, is to keep its name secret.
I won't say more. ;)

I tracked down some original formula on E-bay and feel like I am reunited with an old friend! This is a classic fougere that is complete 1980s power house! Boys, step aside, this is men only!

A little background to Xereus is irroneously controversial. It was originally to be called Kereus. YSL cried Kouros came first! In Greek X is pronounced K. Hence the swapped letter. Both have common elements, yet Xeryus is very dark.

Oakmoss is used liberally, from start to finish. The projection is a good 3 feet in all directions! The composition is dense and complex, developing for several hours. The powerful fougere accord can last all night. It is a walk in a deep dark rich forest under a full moon. Bela Lugosi wore this in Dracula (sic)...

Xeryus (vintage)

I decided to blind buy Xeryus as it used to be the signature fragrance of a really good friend of mine on Fragrantca. What a big surprise!

Xeryus is a slightly animalic, yet civilized woody fragrance enriched by oakmoss and amber. After the bitter-sour grapefruit opening the cypress note takes over becoming quite dominant in the middle phase of this composition and, together with the sweet woody-ambery drydown made me think about Bertrand Duchafour's Cipresso Di Toscana for the overall "old-perfumery" vibe. Don't let this mislead you because while this composition shows many of the 80's perfumery hallmarks at the same time takes the distance from the powerhouse style with its distinctive "loud-sobriety".

Xeryus made stronger my belief that in perfumery almost everything has been already invented. A fragrance that we all need to re-discover as it's still tremendously wearable.

Rating: 8/10

When I first smelled this scent, a few years back, it was MASSIVE, sharp and rather annoying (or quite possibly OVER-applied!). THAT must have been a reformulation (bottle shown above); because Lana Lool scored a bottle of Vintage Xeryus (black/blue flacon with a sheen to it) and it is anything but...

*Thanks for your kindness and the generous gift of a nice FULL spray sample, Lana!* xox

With all those notes, (the most I have ever seen listed for a manscent) who can say what is detectable and what isn't? Not me, that's for sure...but on spraying it initially on the back of my hand, something sharp and almost acrid rose up my nostrils and actually burned! (Note to self: Allow this to DRY, before sniffing it more closely!) Predominantly it is citrus, bitter greens and some soft spices in the top. This is a very attention grabbing opening, to say the least, especially the artemisia. I have the Xeryus Mythical re-release of 2007 and enjoy it a great deal, but THIS is stunning! For a 1986 scent, you would imagine it would be "louder" and also project much "wider". The heart notes I detect, for the most part, are cypress (warm and piney green with juniper like nuances) alongside guaiac wood (smooth woody elegance) and cypriol (an oil derived from cypress trees and used in Chinese medicine). These, together, create a superly green woody aromatic combination. I sense herbs and the presence of (dry) florals here as well, (ancient greeks often threw flowers at their returning heroes) very violety, warmly rich and powdery in the opening and becoming more manly and mature (carnation/geranium) in the heart. Xeryus is a stunning olfactive tapestry, woven from the essences of strong masculine notes, that sings the praises of a hero in the softest and most beautiful way. This is how a Greek hero before the walls of Troy would have smelled: strong, beautiful, fierce (with a softer side) and absolutely and unequivocally masculine. The drydown has a simply gorgeous amber note wrapped in the finest leather and REAL oakmoss, with just a hint of man-musk. Woodiness and some wafts of pine do come through, also vague hints of smokiness (Troy burning?). This may be the best male Givenchy scent I have ever had the pleasure of experiencing. Xeryus is where the warrior and the sensitive man merge; he is elegant and soft-spoken, but stands his ground and does not back down. A true vintage treasure...

Sillage: Great then good
Longevity: very good
Overall: 4.75/5

My knowledge of Greek (and Roman) myth is quite extensive. I could not quite remember Xeryus from the classics; other than the fact that he fought (and sadly died) before the walls of Troy, as he was one of Helen's many suitors who swore to defend her and the honor of her husband, no matter whom she chose to wed. I "bing-ed" Xeryus and all that came up was Givenchy and this perfume (and its flankers)...the same with the online encyclopedia, and the few texts I kept had little to nothing on him. This was called "Keryus" at first, but YSL complained it was too close to Kouros; so it was changed to the name we all know now. ("X" in ancient Greek is pronounced like a hard "k" sound) Xeryus may have died (in myth or in fact) before Troy, but I find it quite wonderful that his essence is preserved for all time in a scent that would have made him proud! ALL HAIL XERYUS!!

Great fragrance.One of the very best.

Very classy sophisticated fresh and green truly masculine fragrance. beautiful amalgam of woods and spices giving the feeling of freshness and elegance. somewhat similar to another great fragrance known as Devin by aramis. I personally like the bottle as well it is elegant too!
Overall i give it 8 out of 10.

A signature fragrance. Xeryus hits all the right notes and does so with terrific applomb. It is masculine but delicately so, complex but accessible, announces presence but never offputting. This cologne is a classic and should be in your collection because of its versatility as well as its beauty.

One Of The perfumes On The World You Cant Forget it.. When You Smill it. After Long Time Of Sarching IFound it Today&Purchased Totaly Masculine Fregrance ,Strong,Its Old Temper@Distinguished Gentelman

Xeryus is a nice smelling fragrance. But not as overpowering, hugely strong, offensive or loud like people describe it here. It's actually known as a somewhat sublte and mellow fragrance. It's fresh and it would even be good in summer, it's a little bit warm, but it has a feel of sweet freshness and from experience it was nice even on the hottest summer days the past week. I get a grapefruit and maybe lavendar smell pretty much all through it's duration, mostly grapefruit, which is nice, I don't really identify much of a leather note. And it doesn't surprise me that some people think this is a good unisex scent.
It says on the bottle; "Aromatic Ambre - Vitality of Grapefruit and Cypress, sensuality of Amber and Gaiac wood" and I think that's a good description. I'm inbetween love/like for Xeryus, I love it in a non-offensive "can't go wrong, multiple use fragrance" type of way... but I don't quite love it in a "something very special" way. Xeryus and Eau Sauvage are my everyday fragrances

I absolutely loved this fragrance and got through 3 bottles. I preferred the old black glass bottle though. I don't know why they changed it? I might get a small bottle for old time sake.

The male counterpart to Givenchy's Ysatis to older bottle of Xeryus also shared the same design motif as Ysatis.

Plus as deep and rich woody semi-oriental Ysatis is so is Xeryus. Both are powerhouse big 80's fragrances. That were made to announce your arrival in a room and leave your calling card behind. Neither are to be worn by the faint of heart.

this is a truly a fragrance from the 80's. It will introduce you before you enter the room and hangs around all day.

I enjoy this fragrance once it dries down. It is a beautiful blend of green notes with incense & leather.

I would recommend this scent for an evening out and avoid during the day, especially a warm day(spritz on 1/2 spray if wearing to work).

I loved this so much, I bought some for myself and wore it. I especially loved the green notes, and the slightly oriental edge. I had the splash, so very little was applied, and just enough. Very sexy.