Halston Z14 Halston for men

The scent of this one brings me back: it was always stylish young men in crisp haircuts and long overcoats that wore this- glorious days they were. It reminds me of shopping and then afterward walking a block away to sit in a particular, local cafe in the evening to sip, chat and listen to jazz. The warm cinnamon in Z-14 is the easiest way to differentiate it from Polo (which too many at the time wore and few could pull off with ease), and it's bouquet inches a bit toward androgyny- a dominant woman could well pull this one off, methinks.

I had to give Scribs a thumbs up for that description. When I was just getting back into fragrances I bought this from Marshalls unsniffed. When I first unboxed it and sniffed, my nose hairs were singed. This is only wearable if you live in the Yukon or some wilderness in Oregon. This could have been Paul Bunyons signature scent. I can totally understand anyone 50+ wearing this.

I gave this one to my older brother and he enjoyed it. Every time he came around smelling like this the Danielle Boone theme song would run through my head.

ugh dude my dad had this back in the day and i came across it recently, such a BAD and dated fragrance i honestly cant described it, it smells like what u would expect someone with a bad hairpiece and a cheap suit would wear to work at a rental car dealership, something absurdly cheap and gross

Someone told me that this could be a unisex scent...well...as it turns out, I don't like it on men OR women... Smells like you are wearing a pine-tree air freshener...LOL!

When Halston,Aramis,Azzaro,Oscar de Larent..etc..etc come to mind,talking about the classic juices,those were fragrances for men,manly and so classic..all the other brands that are out now,either for clubs,picking up or trying to impress women,try Holstan,now that will impress a lady,yes so it's old,maybe befor your time,befor my time but just how a guy should smell..

Z-14 is one of the best fragrances on Earth.

Why? Because it's cheap, it smells just as good as it ever did, oh, and it's a chypre!

Yeah, this is all chypre, all the way. That cool citrus opening over background of resinous woods and moss in the base... that's the magic of a chypre, my friends. It belongs to a class of masculines like Chanel Pour Monsieur and Devin (Aramis) that bring out that macho, resinous chypre in full force.

It's labeled a "cologne", but it's strong and lasting. I heard they once made an Eau de Toilette of this one, I can only imagine what it smells like.

Every guy into fragrances should own a bottle of this, if only for reference.

Another in the field of high-quality, dirt-cheap fragrances.

Z-14 is a classic example of hybrid vigor. It is a thunderously harmonious chypre/oriental that shows its dual heritage more as Janus than Jekyll and Hyde. The spicy, ambery ground common to the two genres ties the top and bottom notes, and Z-14 has a church pipe-organ range of harmonies, rumbling lows to keen highs. While it doesn’t smell like Guerlain’s Heritage, Z-14 has a similar feel of a musical chord made up of dozens of notes rather than 4 or 5. (To be fair, if Z-14 plays a church organ, Heritage plays one sized for a cathedral.)

Z-14 starts with a bone-dry citrus/cinnamon/herbal quality. The herbal tone in the top notes feels like dried culinary herbs, as much dusty as savory. As the citrus and herbs recede a hint of wood, particularly cedar, comes to the fore. What’s left by drydown is arguably better than the pipe-organ opening. A harmonious albeit more compact, accord remains: wood, moss, amber. The lemon is gone. The herbs are gone. What’s left, a woody, sweet chypre? A dry oriental? Whatever you call it, it is simultaneously conventionally pretty and handsome. My box of Z-14 lists both oakmoss and treemoss. Maybe the vintage version, with its hybrid chypre/oriental heritage simply never held as large a dose of oakmoss as the grim, green, lovely chypres from the 70s and 80s we mourn. Z-14 smells to me today just as I remember it (though I didn’t wear it) in the 80s and 90s.

I discovered this brilliant leather chypre sex bomb in 1981! Wow! This an B-12 rocked my world for a few years. They alternated my days during art school. Indeed, I learned to enjoy the pleasure of oakmoss. It is Studio 54 and every other disco in the country. It is very seductive on the right man.

Jeff Gordon was the poster boy for the reformulation. I had to sample it for old time sake. Unrecognizable! It is a worthless swill of pleather and artificial spices-what a shame...another icon smashed!

Nadie podría dudar que Z14 es un clásico de la perfumería. Eso tiene su lado bueno y su lado malo: lo positivo, es que cualquiera puede reconocerlo a metros de distancia; lo malo, su aroma hoy resulta anticuado y poco apto para cualquier menor de 45. Si alguien quiere comprarlo, que sea para recordar buenos momentos de los años 70 y 80, no para usarlo

This is one of the best fragrances that Halston has brought out!.Absolute classic, Very sexy.I get compliments all the time from mature ladys, as this fragrance brings them back down memory lane in the 80s..

E' stato il mio profumo per anni, perlomeno finchè l'ho trovato in commercio. L'ho sempre trovato ottimo anche se è amarissimo in principio. Avevo la mano santa a trovare il flacone che poi si sarebbe intasato in maniera irrimediabile rendendo del tutto impossibile la fruizione dello stesso. Inoltre dev'essere molto grasso perchè macchia i vestiti. A parte ciò ce ne fossero almeno 10 di profumi così, che pacchia sarebbe.
Davide

Do not overapply this marvel; it's strong as a monster!
The only word to describe is "high class". This perfume is extremely vintage handsome for a middle aged man in a black formal suit. Strictly official and decent, this perfume brings charisma and self confidence.
Who loves YSL Rive Gauche or Chanel Aventus, admire the perfume because of it's immensely herbal and fresh leathery mood.
Reminds me Dior Eau Sauvage too, the coriander tone is so bold among fresh vintage citrus.
There's no hint of modernism in it, all it present is a exact clue of 70's official memo.
Dark, leathery, aromatic, luxe, manly and charming.
One of the best leather ones out there.

Longevity: lasts perfectly strong on both skin and textile
Projection: it's impossible for a green dark scent like this to spread poor!

Halston Z-14 is a masculine scent for a masculine man.I get compliments from women when I wear this fragrance.I enjoy the scent myself.This is a multilayered fragrance and great for a man not afraid to smell like a man.Has a fresh citrus opening and then your introduced to a kalidescope of scents such as leather,cedar,musk and oakmoss.This is a very masculine fragrance,great for night or day wear.One of my favorites.I wear this fragrance often.

This is where the powerhouse style of the 80s all began. Oscar de la Renta Pour Lui, Quorum, Giorgio for Men, Sung Homme, etc., all trace back to this groundbreaking fragrance. Halston Z-14 and Azzaro Pour Homme together are the godfathers of the power scent.

Though it's been reformulated and is a little bit drier and lighter than it once was, Z-14 is still a great fragrance and a force to be reckoned with. Today's men's designer and niche fragrances don't smell so masculine compared to this macho classic. Z-14 still has the dark, leathery aromatic chypre scent that it always had, only with the richness and projection toned down just a tad. After all, this isn't the Seventies or Eighties anymore - it's no longer cool to wear a cologne that announces your arrival five minutes before you enter a room.

Due to its very low price, easy accessibility and manageable sillage, Z-14 is great for anyone looking to explore the world of old school powerhouse scents for the first time. And of course, among power wearers, this is a classic.

MY RATING: 8/10

i like it ok,
smells strong and masculine,
my wife hates it, so...

Ok people. I really believe that perfumes like Halston Z14, Azzaro pour homme, Farenheit, Grey Flannel and other classics such as these, deserve at least.....respect. I mean, how many of the perfumes that we try today are that original? Most of them are alike and thats a fact. As men we owe to be brave, wear the classics and support these masterpieces with our attitude. Im 39 years old but even years before was loving these smells. Lets be romantic, cause thats what life is all about!!!!

I can agree with Stefan, I miss Vendetta by Valentino for men so much, and Halston Z-14 is really comparable. Really nice on a man, although I find it unisex enough to wear it myself, like I did with Vendetta sometimes many many years ago. It's very warm, slightly sweet chypre fragrance, very enjoyable, perfect for autumn and winter.

Please note that Fragrantica has listed the Halston 'Z-14' as being in the Leather family.... BUT WITH THE VERY SAME LIST OF FRAGRANCE NOTES.... as it gives on another page for the Halston 'Z'...which it lists as being a Chypre.

Perhaps this is why there is so much discussion here about how it should be catagorized.

One of my favorite frag. reviewers at Basenotes calls 'Z-14': "A spicy Oriental gourmand grafted onto a bold Chypre foundation".

It is very dark. The longevity is not bad, on me lasts for about 4 hours. First I loved it. Then I hated it. Now I think I like it. It is classic and I have to find good occasion for wearing it.

This is what men's perfumery is all about! I sometimes like aqua di gios and polo blues and issey miyakes and their lame, "unisexish" sterile peers. But when it comes to olfactory pleasure, I am a big fan of 70's and 80's powerhouse scents. And this cologne is right there with quorums, grey flannels, azzaro pour hommes, drakkar noirs and all other respectable "manly" fragrances - fragrances with balls. This is what a man should smell like. As for aquatics, I like them a lot in hot summer days or at workplace but frankly, they suit better on my girlfriend. A man should smell little cruder (IMO). Leather, oakmoss, vetiver, patchouli, bergamont,citrus, cumin, tobacco - now we are talking :-) All I am praying is that this one never goes out of production. If I were a female, I would want to make out with a man wearing these type of colognes. Because then, I would be truly assured that he is really a man. Not a boy pretending to be a man.

I have heard that this fragrance is very underrated. I can't believe this is true. This perfume deserves to be on the same level as the others. Why it deserves? Because it is good as the others (if not better). Fragrantica classified Z 14 to a leather group, but that is not true. This perfume has a chypre composition. Why is a chypre? Because you can smell the change three times.
In the opening can be felt only lemon that makes it very fresh, citrusy and suitable for summer. The second change brings a wave of woody sweetness dominated by cinnamon and patchouli. And the last change brings the smell of leather mixed with wood. The base reminds me of a mixture of rubber and leather.
Because it is a chypre, it is easy to describe it. As Turin said, the perfume was ahead of its time and I agree with him because he is absolutely right. But the old-fashioned atmosphere can still be felt in the beginning and it reminds me of the ball full of mixture. His durability is good, but the intensity could be much better. Maybe that is just my impression because I have tried it with the much more powerful perfumes.

Fantastic stuff...!!!

Can`t believe I have not come it across before...

This is a quality scent which is fresh, masculine, classy and long lasting...!!!

Big thumbs up!!!

Z-14 is seeing a resurgence of popularity lately, and I guess I can see that, given the whole trend toward woody-spicy chypres in men's fragrance. Between this and 1-12, I like this less. It resembles its cousin, but without the galbanum, and the cinnamon dialed up to the max. The result is something unbalanced and truly beyond its time. Cheap, unforgivably loud, and about as passé as it gets.

I received this fragrance about a month ago and have worn it a number of times since. I bought it after trying it a few times at a chemist store.

It is very uncommon in Western Australia where I live and so I had to drive a long way to sample it. It is still quite expensive here ($25 Aus for 1 oz) so I bought a 4oz bottle for about $30 Aus (including postage). I love ebay!

This fragrance was love at first sniff for me. Rich citrus and herbs open this fragrance. It is sharp and slightly animalistic: like a subdued version of Yatagan (though it actually predates Yatagan by 4 years). Like Yatagan(and for that matter Halston 1-12) it opens with basil.

The opening sweetness gradually gives way to a more bitter heart. It is pungent and rich like wood and cigars. I was sure this had tobacco as a note, but apparently it doesn't. The leather is very pronounced and long lasting.

Towards the end, the bitterness has faded but the wood and leather continues. I like this more than Halston 1-12: it is richer and lasts much longer. It is definitely a winter fragrance.

fond memories of this fine scent,used it during the fall and winter. if i ever find it i will repeat.

Old school, dark, spicy, citrus, leathery smell at first. Well constructed, I understand its been out for 30 years!! - well I just got this and I can smell why it's been around for so long. The drydown is great! it's clean, sweet, soapy and spicy. Long lasting and very masculine - yes an oldie, but goodie - a gorgeous men's scent!

A scent doesn't last 30+ years by just being average. Z-14 is one of the most immediately recognizable scents to my nose because it is so original. It was one of my scent triad as a teenager (along with Bowling Green and Pierre Cardin Musk), and boy how I loved it. Let it get away from me for years, until I picked up a bottle last year on a whim. Damn--good to have you back in my life!

Lemons and leather and some animalic accords make this a definite night and colder weather wear. I rock it with pride!

Deep boozy leather scent. Strong at first but dries down to release underlying florals and musk. The bottle I use is vintage so not sure how new juice stacks up. Definitely not for the boys. Only for mature men. I do like wearing this on a special occasion evening. Great sillage that only an 80's powerhouse could produce.

Smells like an old armchair in a bottle- very nice for winter wear.

My roommate in college wore this. His mom bought him every trendy cologne that came out in the late 70s/early 80s. I borrowed it from him and always thought it smelled better on a girl - if lightly applied.

Por dos decadas casi, fue mi fragancia favorita, pero en los ultimos 15 años, dicha colonia ha desmejorado en calidad. No se porque.

This is one of my favorites. I don´t care if I smell like an old man.To me HZ14 is the scent of Fall, like a walk in the park all leaves on the ground...a classic!

Very nice masculine for everyday use.

the best men's cologne... hands-down! I love darlingbud's description of the blood cell-shaped bottle, and the image of the guys on one knee singing "Mammy"-didn't get the association on the latter but loved the description all the same! :)

Mr. Chypre found its gentlemanliness boring.

So he got dressed, headed to Studio 54 and had a terrific night. He enjoyed it so much that he returned, made some friends, enjoyed the excesses offered to him by his new set of acquaintances - known as the 70's and the 80's - and, according to his former friends in the Upper West Side and Greenwich, CT, finally dissapeared. Well, of course they did not know neighbours of the Time Square Area have seen him clad in leather heading to, well, "places".

Why a chypre? Because it opens with hesperdic top notes and dries down in leather. However, it is qualified as a leather scent. Is it a chypre? IMHO, yes. But amped up, so forget the classic gentlemanliness that are characteristic of men's chypres. This is on the vein of Quorum, however more subdued.

Why the metaphore? There was a time Haslton's Z-14 and 1-12 were a high-end fragrances sold in high-end department stores at fairly high prices. But Halston's mismanagement and final demiss and death killed his fashion business and turned his fragrance brand into a drugstore scent owned by Elizabeth Arden.

However decadent, Z-14 is enjoyable.

this perfume was very popular in the 90's i still love it it's very manly that's what i love

Mmmmmm! I love everything about this fragrance. From its bad-boy associations right down to its cute-as-a-button, dark brown blood-cell shaped bottle. I agree with Knightz that it's probably nicer to wear during the colder season.

Z-14 starts out bold and fresh -- slides right across the stage on one knee singing "Mammy!". Although the top notes listed say bergamot and lemon, those citruses simply add a crispness to the main event, which to me is the cypress.

As it calms down, Z-14 squeezes behind the wheel of the Knight Rider car (KITT?)and cruises along in leathery lasciviousness. Yeah, there are flowers here, but they're the flowers he seduced you with, now tossed into the backseat as. . . . well, I'll spare you the raunchy details. The leather-benzoin ride lasts and lasts until the almost tar-like finish. A good tar -- like Grandpa's Pine Tar soap(marvelous soap!)

Say what you will about its datedness, but I would trample my own mother to get to any guy wearing this within 50 miles of me. It's damned sexy, and as far as I'm concerned, irresistable. I sometimes wear this to bed at night after a shower to maybe provoke some racy dreaming.

Guys: wear it! Call me! ;)

Compare to Valentino Vendetta. The same thing basically, but the VV is actually sweeter and not as harsh of the senses thoughout the day.

I was on the fence about Halston Z-14, and maybe even it's brother Halston 1-12. It seemed I once liked 1-12 better, though. I tried both of them for the first time early this year, when the Spring was starting to warm up into Summer. At that time, the Z-14 smelled just as heavy as it was sour to me. I put it aside, wrist-testing it many times throughout the summer, it always seemed too sour.

Today the weather outside is fully into Fall, cool days, cooler nights, and there have even been a few brief, light snowfalls. I tried the Halston Z-14 again several times this week and, to my complete surprise, it was nice and sweet, spicy, and has some nicely aggressive florals. I'm smelling it now on my wrist and it's almost approaching gourmand. The lightest note of benzoin is detectable. As the dry down softens, the florals fade in and out just as the spices do. What I once thought smelled like cough medicine now bears it's true colors for the Fall Season. A beautiful and complex blend of notes, each and every note contributing to every other note in some way. I love it.

I am amazed at the reversal of senses, based just on the season. I didn't know why I couldn't like a scent that has been around for almost 35 years. No other cologne has ever smelled so different, to me, depending only on the outside temperature. Something else that surprises me is that I liked Halston 1-12 more than Z-14 in the Spring/Summer, and now it's 1-12 that doesn't agree with me this season. These are not only 'try before you buy' scents, but ones that should be tried in different seasons.

A very nice, cool/cold weather scent, excellent for the holidays. Above average projection and average longevity. I will get much use out of this now, if it proves as good through the Winter as it is in the Fall.

I know why it is nearly 35 years old and still around...it is a classic yet intriguing scent.

However, I would not use it as an 'everyday' or 'casual' type cologne. It is more special than that.

I should add that, even though I disagree, my girlfriend says I smell like an 'old man' when wearing it.

My mother collects minis, and she had about 3 minis of Halston Z-14. So I appropriated one. It would be a shame to let this sit in a bottle unopened because it really does smell nice. It smells like celery seed to me, even though I see no celery seed in the notes listed above. It's distinctive. Not a cool aquatic. Not really a gourmand, despite the celery seed. Just a nice greenish scent.

Fond memories of 1-12 & Z-14. My first adult job in 1978 (right out of high school) was at a Hudson's dept. store and I purchased both of them. I used to wear both at the same time. I haven't smelled or worn this fragrance since the mid '90s, but remember it as a nice masculine scent, esp. mixed together.