Catalyst for Men by Halston

guest_GladToBeGay

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.

krmarich

This was a standby for me in the mid 90s. I used to wear it to work and always feel in style. It never shouted. I agree that the notes listed are not part of this formula. Rose & lilly of the vally? I dont think so. It is rather streamlined,like most 90s compositions. Its bottle is pretty playful, and I particularly liked the after shave that required shaking. It was fun while it lasted. It was much more exciting after the heavier offerings from the 80s. This is truely a timecapsule from that era.

knightz

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.