Catalyst for Men Halston for men

[This review is for the AFTERSHAVE not the EDT]

Great bottle - chemistry lab inspired and this aftershave separates into a green liquid with an orange liquid at the bottom. You have to shake it before use to mix it.

This seems to march quickly through lots of notes. Hard to keep up - so much going on in the first 30 minutes. At first I get kiwi fruits mixed with oranges and a green note. Some mild spiciness fades in as well. Then a soapy, clean slightly synthetic note. Within a few minutes the mint creeps in.

Surprised no reviews so far mention the mint note. It seems to take hold too strongly and stops me noticing much else. There are undercurrents of other notes but I find it hard to pick them out through the mint. It's too much like spearmint gum or toothpaste. After 90 minutes or so the mint starts to recede and it gets spicier, then animalic, greener and warmer. The mint bobs up again a few times but never dominates again and then slips away.

For a while it smells like a softer, more floral version of the dry down of Giorgio Beverly Hills' Red.

There are so many notes here and it really is quite a rollercoaster ride. Can't believe someone below says "very few notes, very simple" !!!! This is the first scent I've had where there is such a clear rise and fall of so many different notes. They seem to take turns to swell up, say hi and fade back down into the mix again.

For an aftershave (rather than EDT) the projection was very good. Comparable or better than many of my EDTs. This aftershave lasted about 5 hours on me - but I didn't use very much - I decanted into a spray bottle and used 2 sprays.

I like it. Complex, interesting, challenging and well made. If it wasn't for the mint note I would love it, with the mint this is more of an experience rather than a fragrance I will wear very often.

My dad had this, and after trying both his Chanel Allure Pour Homme and Clinique Happy and them smelling terrible on me, I kinda expected the same here...But suprisingly it liked me! It's spicy, sweet, not too overpowering...I liken it to a spicy carrot maybe? Somewhere between that and a sweet potato pie...I like to stock up on fragrances after Christmas, and a found a huge bottle for 8 bucks!! I wish I bought two! Definitely a favorite...

i love this one. very good. love it.

I was excited I found this at a Marshal's I had looked at this here a few times and looking back at the sent proflie I dont remember why. But after purchase i was not dissapointed. Awesome bottle although the test tube stand is a little cheap. on first spray it brought back memories of what i remember my dad's brute smelling like, but then it changes after 5 - 10 minites and I think it smells alot like the way chai tea tastes. Makeing this a great buy with one month left to christmas. Now after wearing it for 3-4 hours the spicy ness faded and I can really smell the the musk and sandalwood

ive heard alot of people say this smells like aramis i dont think so i think aramis is unpleasant ---to be nice--and catalyst is my favorite mens cologne hands down it reminds me of fall & all the autumn leaves I LOVE IT . . . . . .

smells like a candy to me good enough

Let me be honest with you Mr.Alchemist - I do not care for your vinegary opening. Sorry, I just don't.
You are too obvious,to forceful, not to mention, but I'll mention it anyway, that your initial odor clashes unpleasently with your yummy orange complexion. Your verve in introducing yourself to the world through vinegary note is so pronounced, that one would be justified to expect to see green pickles floting around inside your triangularly shaped belly. Sorry...
But how gracious of you not to persist with your misleading preamble, soon after which you open your secret compartments of your truly enchanted heart of a master alchemist. You are so charismatic, so orientally aromatic and oppulent, that you must be wafting your presence here from the Tales of 1001 Nights...
All your clove I love, and musks, nutmegs and sandalwoods, all of which are still tip-toeing on my forearm after seven hours past our memorably wet morning encounter. Oriental mystery...
Mr.Alchemist, here comes the confession - You are my all time favorite! You were the catylyst behind this love song. So long.

When i first smelled it i fell in love with it and ranked it as my number one male fragrances.When i recently bought it as a present for my husband (tester from FragranceX)it smelled COMPLETELY different...

Halston-the name brings to mind couture and the excesses of the 80s (at least for me). This one however was released in the 90s and is quite different from the powerhouse twins of 1-12 and Z-14 that came out in the 80s...

The notes listed above are undoubtedly the female version (although I never smelled it), if it is anything like HALSTON for women, it's strong!The ones I got from the company website are as follows:
TOP-orange, lavender,sage,bergamot
HEART-nutmeg, bay, cinnamon, clove
BASE-sandalwood, musk, benzoin
That pretty much sums up what I smell in this to a tee...

This is an aromatic for sure with fougere tendencies. It has orange, mandarin and bergamot blended smoothly along with sage and lavender. The citruses are very balanced by the hebal flower pairing so the initial blast is fresh and dry. The heart unfolds to reveal cloves, bay, nutmeg and cinnamon; an understated spicy melange of warmth that feels like a favorite blanket or woolen cardigan. The drydown is simple strong sandalwood, some musk and a kiss of benzoin's resiny vanillic essence...

The packaging on this scent line is the ultimate play on words (catalyst-something in a chemical reaction that is not a part of it but speeds up the reaction). The flacons for the EDT are triangular flasks or test tube shapes (30 ml and 50 ml=test tube, and 100 ml in the flask) and the aftershave splash is in a round florence flask that separates if it sits, necessitating shaking to blend the two layers of liquid. Thomas Dolby's "Blinded Me with Science" comes to mind...

Sillage: decent
Longevity: good
Overall: 3.5/5

This is a very subdued and simple scent for this House. It's not in your face strong but it is not weak either. If you like spicy fragrances that are well-blended but not overpowering give this one a try...

Halston's excesses nearly bankrupted his company and it was sold to keep it afloat. The new company has kept most of his men's scents available at decent prices. I found my 50 ml EDT at a discount outlet for under 10.00 USD...

Seemingly Mr Halston's best creation. Elegant, warm and tender, and also very long lasting.

I never understood those who see it as generic or over the top. Do not overspritz it, that's the secret.

I don't think all the notes listed above can be in this one. It's quite a simple scent, nowhere near as complex as the notes listed indicate. On another site I found these notes for Catalyst by Halston:

Top: Lavender, Sage, Citrus.
Middle: Nutmeg, Clove.
Base: Sandalwood, Musk.

Those notes are very much what I can smell in Catalyst. A spicy Lavender-Citrus opening. Within seconds lots of Clove and fresh Nutmeg make it even spicier. A strong Sandalwood base, the musk comes up later in the dry down. Very few notes, very simple, very nice.

A similar type of scent to this, in my opinion, is Tuscany Per Uomo by Aramis. The Aramis one is more refined and classy smelling. Catalyst, being a bit more playful, is a completely enjoyable change of pace. Another one that I would put into the same category as Catalyst is Safari for Men by Ralph Lauren. Safari has a dominant Eucalyptus-like note while Catalyst has a dominant Clove note.

Good sillage. The longevity is a little bit on the short side, it's still good enough to call average. I like to wear it, day or night, in cooler weather.