Apicius
Helpful Review
3
New York everyday scent?
Isn't it interesting to take a peek at what is going on on the other side of the Atlantic ocean? Is there a different style present in those perfumes sold in the USA and not in Europe? Thanks to Aromi, I can now sample this New York gentleman. Brooks Brothers perfumes are almost not available over here since this brand seems not to be present on the European market.
New York Gentleman is very reasonably priced, and I would call it mainstream. It is a light floral and herbaceous masculine perfume, its style comes near to i.e. Knize Two. What makes the florals acceptable in a man's perfume here is the fact that everything around it is rather sharp and almost biting. This sharpness cannot be met very often in contemporary perfumes – I think it is a concept of the past.
Nevertheless, New York is a very good choice for an everyday perfume. Despite the floral side, it is in no way exotic or outstanding. It can go through as a kind of typical gent's cologne the sort that would not raise a lot of questions or comments. I imagine the typical consumer for New York Gentleman would be somebody who does not care too much about his cologne. Somebody who will just use it up once he bought it without giving it a second thought.
Actually, I do not very much like the top and heart notes. They are not balanced, they are sharp and they fail to raise any fascination. Sniffing at the skin is not so nice – but the men who I think would go for this Gentlemen wouldn't do that anyway.
But New York Gentleman is not a complete failure. Its attractiveness comes from the base note. It is rather aromatic musk, oakmoss and some vetiver, not the woods currently mentioned in the pyramid here. The base note is just perfect. It has that kind of masculinity that I find very physical and quite sexy. This base note really works as a backbone for the complete development. During the beginning and the heart notes, it brings together everything else. You will not notice it when sniffing on the skin after applying, but it is very much present in the projection a little while after applying. So, New York Gentlemen does have some silage, and it belongs to those perfumes that are only beautiful when sensed not directly near the skin during the first hours of the development. Longevity is very good, and as the top and heart notes fade away, they leave more and more room to the beautiful base.
Personally, I would not change this perfume against my Knize Two, but considering the price, New York Gentleman is recommendable. You get a good value for your money, even if you might have to compromise a little bit.