Boss Number OneBoss Hugo Boss 1985 Eau de Toilette

Boss Number One / Boss (Eau de Toilette) by Hugo Boss

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Boss Number One / Boss (Eau de Toilette) (Hugo Boss)

7.7 / 10 315 Ratings

Boss Number One is a popular perfume by Hugo Boss for men and was released in 1985. The scent is spicy-woody. The longevity is above-average. It is being marketed by Coty. Pronunciation

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Perfumer

Pierre Wargnye

Fragrance Notes

Top Notes	Basil, Bergamot, Tarragon, Grapefruit, Green apple, Caraway, Juniper, Lemon
Heart Notes	Geranium, Honey, Orris root, Jasmine, Lavender, Lily of the valley, Rose, Sage
Base Notes	Amber, Oakmoss, Musk, Patchouli, Sandalwood, Tobacco, Cedar, Cinnamon

Ratings

Scent

7.7 | 315 Ratings

Longevity

8.1 | 228 Ratings

Sillage

7.8 | 232 Ratings

Bottle

6.9 | 236 Ratings

Value for money

8.4 | 21 Ratings

Submitted by DonVanVliet, last update on 22.04.2021.

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Reviews

11/30/2020

8
Scent 10
Longevity 10
Sillage 8
Bottle 9
Pricing

Kurai
37 Reviews

Kurai

Helpful Review 2

Classic eighties power

I bought this one after reading all the appraisal in the online reviews. Fully aware that I got myself a new bottle, no vintage. This perfume itself isn't one that I remember from my younger days. This type of mossy musky power-slap-you-in-the-face overall scent is surely something that triggers flashbacks for me, being born in the 80's and all.

The opening is just harsh. Fruit and leather, I think. Combined with the classic moss base, it gets a bit sour and dirty. The sourness is gone after one or two sniffs, but it definitely scares off the young and insecure.

In the middle I get a wonderful soapy tobacco. With honey. And rose. I love it. It feels incredibly warm and pleasant. The tobacco and rose fade slowly. A powerful residu of musky moss remains and lasts forever. The more I wear it, the more i get used to the 'vintage' feel and learn to appreciate it.

It's just classic eighties power stuff. A must-have, mainly for sentimental reasons. I like the flashbacks to this era. I wouldn't wear it to any occasion, though. It's way too powerful, totally intrusive especially in indoor settings. Although during this Covid confinement, I dont have to care about any of that.

1 Replies

11/16/2020

10
Scent 9
Longevity 8
Sillage 9
Bottle

Salva

Translated Show original

Salva

Top Review 25

A boss who stands out from the crowd...

With Hugo Boss I had my very first experience with fragrances.

Back then, I was about 14-15 years old, a teenager who didn't know where he belonged, what he wanted to achieve in life...
Back when my brother bought the original bottle, which was his signature for years, it was on his shelf and I kept sniffing his bottle in secret...
[...]

To this day I like this DNA a lot. Not only because I associate it with my brother, but also because I myself owned the EdP Intense from the Bottled for a long time and loved to wear it.

To be honest, until a few months ago I was not aware that there were other men's fragrances from Boss besides these bottled bottles. I discovered this Number One in a perfumery, and when I saw the bottle and read its name, I had a hunch that it had little or nothing to do with Boss' DNA. After testing it, I quickly had my confirmation...
[...]

According to the fragrance pyramid, the fragrance contains a hell of a lot of notes, but I can't smell them all out one by one. My nose is not trained well enough for that. Basically, I would describe it as a classically beautiful and unique aromatic fougère, blessed with a woody and spicy character and a honey note that is easy to recognize
Right at the beginning a slightly biting, pungent, spicy note shoots into your nose. But it is surrounded by an aromatic freshness, which should be due to the grapefruit and the various citrus notes. In the further course of the wine a balsamic and warm-sweet accord is added, which I refer to the honey. Amber, tobacco and patchouli are also added, which underline the woody and slightly spicy nuance here.

The bottle is mMn in a simple way very noble and chic. The transparent thick glass with the gold-coloured liquid and the black cap lies very well in the hand (if the hand is big enough ;) ) and embodies for me personally understatement and class.
[...]

Due to its composition the fragrance mMn is definitely not suitable for warm days. So I think it is best to wear it in autumn or winter. Since it is so strong, you should also pay attention to the dosage. Here 3, maximum 4 squirts are really enough. And I have to admit that I find this difficult, because I belong to the notorious frequent sprayers...

From my score above you can also see how good he is in durability and sillage. On my skin it lasts for 8-9h and because of its room filling quality other people in the area notice it very well. I was for example in a department store a few days ago, tested me through the scent shelves (had 3 sprays of the NumberOne on it) and the saleswoman spoke to me about the scent during the consultation Only after about 4-5h does it become somewhat skin-tight, but even then it can still be smelled intensively on the skin.
Conclusion:
Again and again one encounters fragrances that fascinate and captivate one right from the first test. This is what happened to me with this boss Number One.

It is probably the first men's perfume from the house of Hugo Boss. For me personally, it is the best Hugo Boss fragrance I know so far, as it simply smells completely different and mMn stands out from its Boss colleagues. In my eyes he is a charismatic, exotic and ingenious Fougère, with lots of wood and some spices. Its aroma gives the wearer a special aura, even a charming and attractive nonchalance, which makes you feel like the number 1.

Despite the low price, I would rather advise against buying blind, but it simply does not smell good enough for the masses. I think that this NumberOne is already a "special" perfume, which probably wouldn't appeal to everyone, since it has a classic-aromatic character and not a so-called "special" perfume. Mainstreamer' is. But I think, for example, that people who like the Aramis Classic EdT, Givenchy Gentleman Original EdT or Azzaro Pour Homme EdT will probably like this boss as well
Oh, yeah, my bottle's from this year. I don't know older versions, but as described above, my batch has a lot of power and endurance.
[...]

As always, I would like to thank all our readers!

18 Replies

07/23/2020

10
Scent 8
Longevity 7
Sillage 9
Bottle

Eisbaer

Translated Show original

Eisbaer

Top Review 9

Prontos furniture balm with beeswax - gives new shine!

It is always exciting to see what associations people share with certain scents. But it's understandable, because after all it can bring great joy as part of our common scent hobby. How beautiful is it alone when a scent reminds us of a distant place, a certain time or even a very concrete event? I've experienced this with many perfumes, but "Number One" by Hugo Boss is one of the strongest candidates for such a connection.

First of all: I can agree with the general tenor that the fragrance is an absolute grower and needs some time to get used to. At the beginning I was also a bit sceptical whether I really like it or whether it would go further. I had that with a whisky once: I found the Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban horrible in the first dram, after the second tasting it was fine, after the third tasting it was even really good and after the fourth glass at the latest it was clear that it would be bought again. And no, of course these glasses were not all drunk away one after another. Ahem. :-) Anyway, I felt the same with the "Number One". The more often I tried it, the more I liked it. And the liking has become a passionate love in the meantime. By the way, this procedure didn't take long - one or two weeks had passed and he became one of my favourites
The two main ingredients that immediately stand out for me are without doubt the fruity, clean freshness and honey. Yes, it does smell a little like furniture polish, but not necessarily in such a way that you wouldn't like the scent on you. For some people, this note reminds me more of WC stone, as I read - I am rather reminded of the furniture balm from Pronto, which I like to use to care for my wooden furniture. Hence the funny headline. I really like the sweet honey in combination with the freshness, I must say. It rounds off the overall picture perfectly. And even though "Number One" is now 35 years old, I think it has aged very well. He smells pleasantly classic and does not need to hide behind newer fresh scents. You can see the 80s in him - in a positive respect.

One particular reason why I not only like this fragrance, but love it: I can't explain exactly why, but "Number One" by Hugo Boss embodies radiant sunshine for me. For me it is a real holiday scent. I think it's because it reminds me of happy childhood days in the early 1990s, when my parents, siblings and I used to spend summer vacations with my relatives every now and then - for example at the Mecklenburg Lake District or down in Bavaria near the Alps. Almost all of my relatives lived or still live in rural to very rural areas and I always enjoyed it very much as a child when we all had breakfast together outside in the sunshine while the coffee machine was gurgling in the background and the portable radio was constantly playing songs from the 70s and 80s. I think the grapefruit, apple and lemon in "Number One" remind me subconsciously that my relatives always smelled very clean and very fresh in the house. Now in retrospect I think - sure, they will have cleaned up for the visit. :-) Also the pleasant smells of the wooded and green surroundings and the garden come back to my memory. That fits - after all, flowers and herbs can also be heard discreetly in the "Number One". And the honey? For me it fits perfectly with the association of the honey glass on the breakfast table.

For my partner and me, the summer vacation (which we always enjoy very much) always starts in the car. Put the luggage in the back, adjust the navigation, start an episode of "The three ???" and drive together comfortably along the country road towards the holiday. Maybe even to those relatives. Only this time the coffee machine gurgles for us, the radio plays the "hits of today" and the childlike carelessness is unfortunately missing. Nevertheless, I know for sure that "Number One" by Hugo Boss will be my holiday scent for the trip. Should it be cloudy outside, it doesn't matter. In the car the sun will shine anyway
If Hugo Boss "Number One" were music:

"Julia" by Chris Rea
"Far, Far Away" by Slade
"In The Summertime" by Mungo Jerry
"It Never Rains In Southern California" by Albert Hammond

4 Replies

01/21/2020

8
Scent 8
Longevity 8
Sillage 8
Bottle

Volker1964

Translated Show original

Volker1964

Helpful Review 5

Good office/leisure fragrance for many years

Hugo Boss Number One was one of my first fragrances (1985/21) and I still use it today. Even though this fragrance has been around for over 30 years, it is far from being old. In the beginning it is very fresh and clear. Has something of a good cologne. It gets a little "heavier" over time. Leather and wood notes are added. Now he's turning masculine. Finally, some tobacco. Not bad. Not sweet, probably not (any more) top modern either. All in all a versatile and complex fragrance. Lasts over 7 hours for me. Fits. Even if some fragrances have been added in the meantime, it belongs to my regular assortment. He good to very good office/leisure fragrance for the man who likes it. I like it
With kind regards

1 Replies

09/12/2019

9.5
Scent 9
Longevity 8
Sillage 7
Bottle 9
Pricing

Profumorist

Translated Show original

Profumorist

Top Review 17

When he was still trendy..

Once upon a time there was a famous German fashion house that decided in 1985, albeit a little late, to launch its first perfume factory on the market. A fragrance that still corresponded to the spirit of the time. Even if the refreshment wave a la Green Irish Tweed, Cool Water and New West was already in sight. And as it is, this work was for decades the best they created there.

First of all I would like to make it clear that I don't notice any animalism, no pungent sweat smell and also no resting place toilet with the Number One. What you smell at the beginning is the herb-heavy freshness of aftershave with a lot of honey. In the middle part, very delicate floral unisons can be heard. Just as it was usual with a classic men's fragrance at that time. At the end the Moosig-seifig-Ledrige comes through more and more. And still supported and accompanied by honey.

The whole thing is wonderfully balanced, round and with an above-average shelf life and fragrance. Fresh, leathery, mossy and a little tobacco accentuated. Classic masculine in a positive sense. Timeless.

Perhaps it is the interplay of honey and caraway that makes one or the other

The boss is a distinct scent of the '80s. No "I vote green-esse vegan-and ride my bike to work" smell. He's out of fashion. Not adjusted in 2019. He's not restrained. Doesn't want to hide. He's doing what he was made for. Notice! Maybe that's why I like him so much, because I basically can't do much with trends. And no, I have nothing against the Greens, the Vegans or the cyclists.

I think it's great that something like this is still available these days. And at a very reasonable price. If you filled it into the brown pharmacy bottles and wrote Tom Ford on them, you would pay three times the price for half the contents. And before the TF disciples scream here, you test the Arabian Wood. Just for comparison.

So to be honest: If you need a change from time to time besides the modern water, you should test it here. It's definitely worth it.

Greetings

Your Profumorist

10 Replies

01/15/2019

8
Scent 8
Longevity 7
Sillage 7
Bottle

Camey5000

Translated Show original

Camey5000

Helpful Review 7

Here comes my boss

I've always stayed out of this boss's way. True to the prejudice: must the first also be the best?!

Thanks to parfumo, with aroused curiosity, a bottling came into my collection.

The memory was followed by a massive impact.

For a long time we bred dogs and the smell of the puppies, the growing and the adult animals, up to giving away, for sale: that is Boss Number One for me. I also have to think of energetically worked out skin sweat, of flower water, in which a bouquet spent weeks of its existence or the duckweed that sloshes against the beams of the bathing jetty in the small lake.

The animal beginning, with a melange of herbs to caraway and juniper, lightly peppery tarragon and the turn to lovage and cheeky sage, combines with the scent of climbing yelp fever and catches the slightly bitter scent of grated vetch and crumbled jasmine. Always worked until the animal aspect of the plants is pressed out of the green stalks.

Fine lilies of the valley and a touch of patchouli give me a little memory of love and tenderness. Maybe just wishful thinking, because as it sounded it disappeared again.

The whole thing is covered with rose and honey and approaches more and more, with the addition of musk, a bulging meadow with the herbaceous scent of dandelion. (Which in Swabian also has a very fitting name.)

This scent remains with us for 5 to 6 hours and says goodbye slowly; but not as light as a feather like the dandelion; and a sour honey remains with the memory of the animalism of the little puppies.

That can certainly only be carried by a strong personality. But maybe the first one is also the best one.

4 Replies

09/05/2018

8
Scent 8
Longevity 8
Sillage 7
Bottle

Morpheus1

Translated Show original

Morpheus1

Wake the (honey) animal in you - "quick, go wash yourself"

Vintage mini test from the 80s:
A very distinctive, special men's fragrance. It awakens the animal in the wearer or transforms him into an elegant wearer. Every fragrance works differently for everyone. In any case, it's clear that the scent will arouse and polarize if you're not the right type for it is pretty powerful even.

A scent for real men, not for boys. One is asked whether it is positive or negative. He also has associations to a "grandpa scent" and to Kouros. He's not quite that violent, though, animalistic
He stings at the beginning then lies down, but the animal remains. It can be described as bittersweet-animalic.

High recognition value.

2 Replies

08/14/2018

10
Scent 9
Longevity 8
Sillage 8
Bottle

AmberScent
28 Reviews

AmberScent

A potion for you to feel like a real gentleman

I always liked this perfume. I use it on a regular basis since 20 years ago. It has a precious set of notes and it is very well blended. It smells like a typical perfume from the 80's but I like it that way. It also has enough longevity for an entire day or a night out and with a significative projection.
It has got a sweet balsamic vibe of amber, woods, cinnamon and tobacco, that just keep calling me to use it again and again.
I tried to find similar fragrances but without success. Hugo Boss does not have similar scents, at least nowadays, and by chance I ended up discovering another faintly related scent in Givenchy Gentleman, another masterpiece that I use on a regular basis now.
I defy young people to try it. It's really alluring and it is easy to buy it on line under 30 Euros for a 125ml bottle. My girls at home (wife and daughter) both love it when I use it.
As far as I am concerned, besides the magnific scent, this fragrance makes me feel very distinguished and full of confidence, a real number one boss of the world.

Keep your scent high!

03/15/2018

10
Scent 9
Longevity 8
Sillage 8
Bottle

Carlitos01
291 Reviews

Carlitos01

Top Review 13

Not for boys dating cotton candy scented girls!

This is a gorgeous, complex, refined, fantastic, and almost a beasty fragrance.
Great for everything except for Summer activities or gym.
I love it, my wife loves it (and yes... other ladies love it as well). For me it's an absolute old school masterpiece.
This fragrance never smells of an old man perfume to me. Instead I keep visualizing a 25 year old young man in the 80's, with his black leather jacket and collar turned upwards, blue jeans, a white linen shirt, dark suede shoes, and this alluring Boss perfume. Sometimes I still dress this way :-)

Upon the initial sprays, it comes on quite bold and classy. The notes are citrusy and fruity in the opening.
Half a minute latter you perceive an avalanche of notes including (a lot of) sweet honey, lavender, rose, and other well composed notes that just lead you to love this fragrance. You feel like you are in the presence of a orchestra with the conductor mixing tons of loveable different notes and blending them together to form a symphony.
Its longevity is easily up to 14 hours. Due to its sweetness and smoothness you may over spray just a bit - 4 to 5 sprays maximum for maximum performance.
You get an alluring dry down with a very sweet moist tobacco accord, dry oak moss, dark sandalwood, heavy patchouli and a strong musk - the inevitable 5 notes of the 80's.
In terms of longevity it's almost a beast. The good news is that even if you over spray, you do not project an intrusive scent to other people, but you also don't gain any longevity; you just get a bit more sillage.
This EDT smells expensive and in line with what you expect from the fragrance that put Hugo Boss on the perfume's map.
It is indeed a very nice juice and one of a kind. It does not pretend to clone anything and I like it that way with its proper individuality.

My rates for Boss Number One:
___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Scent opening:.........9.5 (very aromatic and pleasant)
Scent dry down:......10.0 (fantastic tobacco and honey accords)
Longevity:.................9,0 (near beastmode longevity up to 10~12 hours with 3 sprays)
Sillage:.......................8.5 (in the range of 8~9 feet with 3 sprays; 3 hours projection)
Uniqueness:..............9.0 (I just remember Givenchy Gentleman 1974 version as having a 50% similar scent and a faint similar vibe with Aramis)
Wearability:..............9.0 (just avoid hot summer days)
Versatility:.................8.5 (Good for a wide range of situations. Avoid gym and typical summer day activities)
Compliments:...........9.0 (its not the rulling champion but it ranks among the top group)
Quality:......................9.5 (very very good and the best Boss for me)
Presentation:............9.0 (Simple but very effective and classy)
Price:.........................10.0 (25 Euros for 125 ml... a real bargain)
___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Overall rating: 9.18/10,00
between 7 and 8 =above average;
between 8 and 9 = recommended;
bigger than 9 = don't miss it;

Will I buy it again? YES, as long as I live and don't run out of money! I had this major fragrance love for quite a number of years, just allowing some flirt with Aramis Tuscany, Azzaro pour Homme, Givenchy Gentleman and YSL Opium as runner ups. I do have now a large number of fragrances that I use more often than Boss Number One. But every now and then it really feels good to encounter this faithful friend... like it has been the case today. In a happy day like today, my old friend Boss Number One always meets his sweetheart Sysley Eau du Soir used by my wife. It's a divine couple.

Boss number one is one of the masterpieces of Pierre Wargnye, probably the first one, or maybe the second after Drakkar Noir by Guy Laroche. More recently he developed La Nuit de l`Homme for Yves Saint Laurent.... need I say more?
But for me his jewel of the crown is still Boss Number One. It's pleasing people for more than 30 years now.
I already had seven or eight 125ml bottles. I have always a backup unit flask as it is not easy to find it nowadays. I have been helped by online shopping both in availability and pricing.
Unisex? Nope! It's man only!
As for the perfume itself..... God save the King, and yes, I do recommend it!

Music: Queen playing "God save the Queen"

06/18/2013

9
Scent 10
Longevity 7.5
Sillage 7.5
Bottle

Chnokfir
10 Reviews

Chnokfir

The "Number One" among the German "Gentleman" Fragrances

At the phase of my development into a young man at the late 1980s and early 1990s, there were more or less only two olfactory directions which a man could follow. Either you embrace a full Main Stream with all these new directions like Calvin Klein or Joop, or you decide to go towards the classic group with Paco Rabanne, Azzaro or Boss. My number 1 choice was "Number One" by Hugo Boss. I have no idea why, but probably because my friends and classmates all went for the modern scents and I always aimed to make a counterpoint. As far away as I stood, then and now, from wearing a classic suit, I was comfortable in knowing that this scent went perfectly well with Levy jeans, a Diesel T-shirt and Adidas Allrounds.

The classic presentation of this scent is striking and has resisted face-lifts over the years. Deep black is the carton with subtle pin stripes, the BOSS logo proudly displayed on its chest. The bottle is edgy, clear and the pin stripe design is repeated. The color of the fragrance is a classic golden yellow. All in all, a statement not to be missed.

The scent opens up boldly with classic fresh notes, the bergamot taming the lemon. Other than the clean and spicy accents, there is an early appearance of a light fruity aroma whose sweetness soon is dominated by honey. Fresh and light flowery notes follow and spread in a wide range, which is almost overwhelming. With the basenotes, we have a panorama of notes which, although soft and warm, still maintain the structure of the scent. There are woods, musk, patchouli, oakmoss and most definitely tobacco. Like in an orchestra, the individual notes harmonize beautifully, perhaps the first violin is missing ... nevertheless, there is a full performance of the rest. I especially like the spicy notes with a touch of flowery bloom, as they are alternating with the woody accents. Most of all, I fancy the sweet tobacco note, and I'm saying this as a non-smoker. Today, this scent might seem a bit dated, but to label is as "old fashioned" would be a misnomer by far. It still remains as a classic among the "Gentleman" fragrances.

Being a youngster, I applied this fragrance in large doses which however is marvelously suited for overapplication. Only many years later, I did realize that the scent is functioning perfectly well in lesser amounts. The sillage is strong given a distance of two meters, without trying to fog up the whole room. Add to this a very good longevity - when applied in the morning, there is still a very recognizable "Boss Number One" trace left in the evening.

Over the years, many more scent directions and impressions have met my nose. Clearly, "Boss Number One" is not ranking as my number 1 choice anymore. But, it has my long appreciation as a "Gentleman" fragrance, and I have the pleasure of wearing it from time to time.

(Translation: Pipette)

Show all reviews (11)