Derby Guerlain for men

Derby de Guerlain, un perfume demasiado infravalorado tanto por Guerlain como por los usuarios de la misma,hay quien dice que es porque su botella recordaba a una botella de jarabe y que fue escasamente publicitado, me parece un crimen que Guerlain haya hecho esto con este perfume porque es un perfumazo en toda regla,uno de los grandes chypres junto a Mitsouko también de Guerlain, un perfume para un hombre elegante y viril, quizas no tan mainstream como Habit Rouge o Vetiver pero no por ello inferior a estos.

Geurlain had a "road show" at Neiman Marcus where I tested a number of fragrances for myself and then tried Derby for my husband. Wow! Forget the husband, this is MINE! Of all the Guerlains I own this is the most elegant. A lovely soft chypre that can be worn all year.

Only a few masculine fragrances have been so praised to reach the hype status of Derby, but even a fewer really deserved their place in the Fragrance Olympus. Derby is surely among these. A leather chypre that strikes as extremely sophisticated, sort of restrained but never too mannered or polished. Multi faceted, rich but not overpowering and incredibly harmonious in its complexity.

No need to go through notes explanation as Derby is one of those masterpieces that any perfumista should experience without esitation. Mandatory.

Among the top masculines of all times together with Knize Ten, Kouros, Yatagan and vintage Fahrenheit and surely among my favorite deliveries from Guerlain.

Barbare Et Tres Civilise.

Mesmerizing!

Rating: 10/10

does Guerlain re-formulate their perfumes??????????? pleas if one knows,tel me the truth

I have mixed feeling about leather type fragrances. If you take Derby, Knize Ten, Cuire de Russie and some lesser leather like ones like Rive Gauche, Leonard & Jules, they all start with stale or bitter top notes of leather and then diverge in their drydown but I do not find anyone particularly wonderful. Derby and Knize open up and obtain some decent chypre qualities that we all can relate to, the others to a lesser extent. I suppose I like the sweeter side of leathers or leather likes, like Aramis.

I just noticed, part of the powderiness can probably be attributed to rosewood, which isn't in the notes list. I smell a powdery rosewood note in Bel Ami and Tiffany for Men as well - hey, you never know!

Okay, now it's time to give Derby a proper review.

This review is of the current formulation in the bee bottle.

Derby is definitely a leather fragrance, and while I'm not quite sure about the chypre aspect of it, there's a good dose of florals in there. A somewhat powdery rose/jasmine combo hold up the leather and the herbal artemesia in the top; the florals also combine with nutmeg to accentuate the "powdery spice" sort of feel. Contrary to popular belief, I find Derby to actually be kinda subtle. The leather note here is definitely prominent, but it's more along the lines of the classic "public restroom" leathers I've smelled (e.g. Royal English Leather, Cabochard) than anything else. This isn't necessarily a bad thing. I really like the artemesia in this one. I don't get any mint, but I do get some patchouli and sandalwood in the base.

I like Derby, but I'm torn on it. I don't really know if I'd buy a bottle - it's just a bit too stuffy for me, and it just doesn't feel like something I'd wear. Granted, it's a high quality fragrance. Obviously good raw materials went into the making of it, and it would work great on a distinguished gentleman. That being said, I find it kind of on the weak side sillage-wise (other people can smell it, I can't after an hour), and it's a wee bit powdery for my tastes (I expected more leather). There's also an odd banana-like note that I attribute to the "public restroom" smell.

I apologize for all the weird comparisons, but Derby is a very unique scent, and there really isn't anything I can rightly compare it to.

Still, I'd give Derby a sniff. It's worth a smell, if only for experience, but the olfactory fatigue and lack of leather I get from it don't make it full bottle worthy for me. I'll definitely try it again in the future, and I'd love to try the vintage version.

Derby would be fucking sexy on a woman.

I expected Derby to be raw, virile, and masculine. What I got instead was a very "plush", powdery leather chypre that unfortunately sort of reminds me of a porta potty (jasmine and nutmeg can do that on my skin). I'll probably have to test it from a sprayer, but so far I don't dig it.

For some reason, my brain is registering "bananas" when I smell Derby.

This smell is captivating. It shall be able to imprison the minds of a person. If you are in a room, talking with a person with this cologne on, you can be almost certain that whatever he says must be convincing.

It took me a while to fully appreciate Derby, then I was nothing short of addicted. This is THE masculine Chypre. Some of my friends were mesmerized by this the first time I wore it around them. And that says a lot for a straight up masculine fragrance done in a classical Guerlain manner. Eau Sauvage got nothing on this masterpiece.

I, however, have two problems with it. This could be said about a lot of Summer fragrances, and sadly Derby, as magnificent as it might be, is no exception. This is one of the fragrances that start out with a strong opening that lasts 30 minutes, thus making it difficult to use in summer. Then it dies out to a skin scent that lasts 4 hours or so, making it pointless to use in winter. With that said, it is certainly a summer fragrance, just don't leave your room for the initial 15 minutes or so.

Second,the old bottle, and preferably the old price, should be brought back.


---//

Presentation: 9/10 (vintage)
Uniqueness: 9/10
Value: 7/10 (new price)
Longevity: 6/10
Projection: 7/10
Smell: 10/10

Overall: 8/10

No change whatsoever! I happen to have a bottle of Derby (from late '90's) in that rectangle bottle we all used to love. Between that and the Bee-bottle of now, nothing's much different than the price!

Interested in proving yourself?, contact Lana at Nieman Marcus S.F. Union Square's Guerlain counter.

Sincerely,

Jason Smith

The original is one of my favorites. Powdery, long lasting masculine scent without being over powering

One of the greatest fragrances ever made. Derby is a leather chypre with a distinct mint note running though it. While it is of 80s strength it is no 80s powerhouse. Rather it is a descendent of leather chypres like Diorling and Aromatics Elixir. From a mint/leather opening Derby moves to a floral heart and eventually an oakmoss base. It is clearly a chypre in all phases and the everpresent mint melds perfectly into the chypre structure.

The Les Parisiennes re-issue is good but not as strong or bold as the vintage. Derby may not appeal to those new to fragrance, but consider it a must-try for lovers of chypres and classic masculines.

Well I think that the lack of reviews here speaks volumes. This is a constantly overlooked beauty from a master, Guerlain. Smoky, woody, elegant beauty. Thank you Guerlain.