Tsar Van Cleef & Arpels 1989 Eau de Toilette

Tsar (Eau de Toilette) by Van Cleef & Arpels

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Tsar (Eau de Toilette) (Van Cleef & Arpels)

7.9 / 10284 Ratings

Tsar (Eau de Toilette) is a popular perfume by Van Cleef & Arpels for men and was released in 1989. The scent is spicy-green. It was last marketed by Inter Parfums.

Scent goes well with Musk / Moschus (After Shave)

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Perfumer

Philippe Bousseton

Fragrance Notes

Top Notes	Artemisia Bergamot Coriander Lavender Neroli Rosemary
Heart Notes	Tarragon Geranium Jasmine Lily of the valley Carnation Pepper Pine Rose Juniper
Base Notes	Amber Oakmoss Coconut Leather Musk Patchouli Sandalwood Tonka bean Vetiver Cedar

Ratings

Scent

7.9284 Ratings

Longevity

7.4211 Ratings

Sillage

6.8205 Ratings

Bottle

7.1202 Ratings

Value for money

7.921 Ratings

Submitted by Kankuro, last update on 01.05.2022.

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Reviews

04/24/2022

10
Scent 7
Longevity 7
Sillage 7
Bottle 8
Pricing

manlyscents
29 Reviews

manlyscents

No longer an oakmoss bomb

The first time I sprayed the reformulated Tsar I was taken aback... the opening is much more floral than I expected. The rose and carnation mix with the bergamot, neroli, rosemary, and juniper berries to create a wonderful melange. Only then do the pine, oakmoss, and woods come in. Don't let the all-green bottle fool you, this isn't a green bomb, this to my nose is 1/3 floral, 1/3 green, 1/3 woody. I feel it is important to stress this given its asking price nowadays - you might not want to send for a pine tree and receive a bouquet of roses instead.

Having said that, Tsar is a very classy and vibrant aromatic made with quality ingredients - well worth the hype.

On a negative note, projection and sillage are decent for the first hour, but then on me it becomes a skin scent within 3 hours of applying, but YMMV. As a result I overspray or reapply and had to acquire backup bottles.

Masculinity Level: Sonny Corleone in a tuxedo at the wedding, about to bang the bridesmaid against the door.

02/26/2022

9
Scent 5
Longevity 4
Sillage 8
Bottle 6
Pricing

Elysium
592 Reviews

Elysium

Helpful Review 4

As Far As The Greats Go

For the uninitiated, Van Cleef & Arpels is a French jewellery company of the highest level, created in the late 1800s. Its master jewellers have designed pieces for royalty. Just think of the wedding set of the beautiful Princess Grace of Monaco, and still today, we find their precious jewels in luxury boutiques around the world. And Tsar is a masterpiece, an emerald in the world of perfumery. But what does Tzar mean? According to Wikipedia, Tzar also spelt czar, or csar, is a title used to designate the Eastern and Southern Slavic monarchs. In the latter capacity, he lends his name to a system of government, the tsarist autocracy or tsarism. The term derives from the Latin word Caesar, which must have meant "emperor" in the medieval European sense of the term. A sovereign with the same rank as the Roman emperor, who held it for the approval of another emperor or a supreme official clergyman (the pope or the ecumenical patriarch), was usually considered by Western Europeans to be equivalent to "king". Tsar cologne is turning 30 something, and precisely it was launched in 1989. I was 25, and the scent sounded a bit too mature for my age, too much to bear. I knew it was good, so damn good, heralded as a solid and unmistakable identity, but I did not dare and passed it. So, this fragrance slipped under my radar until five years ago. Now I am ready for it.

Is it a Pour Homme Eau de Toilette flanker? No, it is not. It is more elegant, metrosexual, less rude and manly. Let's immerse ourselves in the perfume. First, the cologne loses some of the classic fougère and focuses more on the aromatic and green aspects. As soon as the juice touches my skin, I get an explosion of aromatic and green accords. Be careful because the sprayer is generous and releases a massive amount of fluid with a single splash. The top features many greens, moist, and herbaceous notes. It reminds me of a digestive liqueur made from hundreds of herbs. Bitter mugwort and herbaceous lavender are noticeable and masterfully blended with savoury rosemary and lemon coriander. Dried lavender, almost hay-like, becomes prominent after a few minutes, calming and relaxing. Citrus and flowers don't stand out too much, but they are there to tame the otherwise overly aromatic edges. In the initial stage, I can get a fresh and delicate atmosphere. The first squirt will knock you down, but wait and let it grow.

Let the boisterous opening settle down and soon exude a spicy floral accord. Again, it's not a dominant floral heart, and the flowers are very subtle. Instead, the bouquet of creamy white and red flowers amalgamates with some spices and resins. Cinnamon is most noticeable here, with balsamic juniper berries and resinous pine needles. I feel a hint of powdery iris root, and I imagine perfumed talcum powder clouds. Not as dominant or with a lipstick vibe as in modern colognes like Dior Homme Original (2011) Eau de Toilette and Valentino Uomo (2014) Eau de Toilette. The intermediate phase is strongly balsamic, scented with woody scents. It isn't easy to pick the rose or lily as a stand-alone note in this resinous realm.

And then comes the drydown, with a mossy, leathery base. The scent becomes a little soapy and clean but excellently in the final stage. Soapy, but far from the traditional barbershop. There is amber wood stained with musky oak. The excellent birch note smells the most in this context for what it is rather than as a leather substitute. In this recent version, sandalwood and patchouli are subdued.

Tsar doesn't smell as complex or sophisticated as the myriad notes listed above suggest. I'm not afraid to use the words retro and old school here because this cologne belongs to that genre. A good daytime fragrance that also wears well in the evening. It is more appropriate for late autumn and early spring cold months. While I think it smells like the eighties, it's still a compliment attractor. A couple of people I work with, a man and a woman, said to me, "What good perfume are you wearing? What is it?"

I base my review on a 100ml bottle I have owned since December 2017 (BC 01h12h047, 2017-02-16).

-Elysium

05/18/2021

VictorLhv
26 Reviews

VictorLhv

Tsar de Van Cleef & Arpels

The old(er) bottles that are marked "Tsar de Van Cleef & Arpels" contain the noble juice. All the other newer ones, without the French word "de", are but a pale ghost of a once glorious scent. Very sad, but that is the way the world seems to be going to its end, in many other respects as well. Fortunately, the old(er) bottles are still available, although at exorbitant prices. I tend to say it's worth paying for it, as the juice is a true gem, a blend of spices and greenery that can turn a gloomy day from black and white into Technicolor. I confess I have a soft spot for tarragon, pine and juniper, as well as carnation and rose, so... Enjoy!

1 Reply

02/26/2021

Wombatkönig

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Wombatkönig

Helpful Review 9

Grandfather's Delight

One thing up front: if you're looking for a detailed scent analysis here, you'd better skip straight to the next comment. I can only offer a narrative, what I associate with TSAR:

It all started when I took on the task of getting a perfume for my grandfather's birthday. So I went - at that time unaware that there is also something beyond the designer segment - in a local perfumery, which is known for always having favorable special offers. Once there, I described my desire, whereupon the friendly salesman unerringly informed me that he had "exactly the right thing" for me. So I bought the fragrance blindly, because the store is indeed cheap but also has no testing facilities.
At home I was annoyed then for the first time: On the Internet there was the fragrance at the same price, the hoped-for bargain I have not made so already times.

When the day of honor had come, the fragrance - of course beautifully packaged - was solemnly presented and immediately unpacked again and sprayed on.

Here followed for me disappointment two and three, because on the one hand, my youthful "I" did not like the boring green bottle and also the fragrance I had expected me differently. Yes, at that moment I immediately understood why the salesman had immediately grabbed the fragrance at the words "for my grandpa". Of course not knowing that my grandpa (as well as me) liked rather sweet scents (Le Male was his favorite), SO THAT'S WHAT I actually wanted. But that could not know the poor salesman of course.....Well actually he could have already asked what kind of fragrance I'm looking for and not after my first half-sentence and the word "grandpa" arrogantly triumphant to a probably "old people fragrance" in his eyes have to grab.

But that is in retrospect of course also no matter, because who must like the fragrance? Right not me, but the recipient!
If the gentle reader has now made it this far and now expects an answer, I have to disappoint a bit: Of course, my grandfather said that he liked the fragrance very much. But who ever says to a gift that they don't like it? My grandpa would never have said he didn't like anything I - his only grandson - picked out. And I'm also absolutely convinced that just the fact that I picked something out for him made him actually like it and not just say it.
Another factor, because of which I can't tell if he objectively liked the scent, was that my grandpa smelled or tasted almost nothing at that point. But that didn't stop him from applying ten times the amount for it. (Grandma, I feel for you right now!)
In any case, my grandpa managed to use up a good 1/3 of the 100ml in his last month of life, although he won't have felt like wearing perfume every day either.

The bottle subsequently went back to me along with the rest of his "collection" (which was not exactly large, since no bottle lasted long in his consumption).
So one day I have applied the fragrance - despite my reservations - according to the motto "then I consume it just". I was riding in the car together with a friend that day. "What do you smell like?" he soon asked me. Secretly, I was somewhat pleased, as I was obviously good at "smelling" us otherwise almost never reaps any response for my perfume endeavors, which were still quite fledgling at the time. The hope smoldered in me that TSAR would at least be well received in my environment, if I didn't find it that great myself. So I fast forwarded the brand, name, and origin. "Haha it smells like that too, kinda stale.... Grandfather's Delight would be a better name....haha." Yeah haha. Too bad. Rejoiced too soon.
I kept TSAR in my collection for another half year for sure and tried it a few more times. But the spark has never jumped over and why should I then wear a fragrance that neither I nor anyone else in my environment like?

The fragrance went on to my father, who is a bit more frugal when it comes to fragrances. He has worn TSAR a few times, each time well smellable (H / S are thus already times fully In order!) and each time complimented by me with "Oh you wear again Grandfather's Delight". A fan is my father in any case also not become and also the filling level is the goal "finally used up" not a bit closer.

Since in the meantime apparently the production was stopped we have recently decided to let TSAR move on, to someone who hopefully really likes the fragrance.
My conclusion on TSAR should therefore be unsurprising:

Do I like it? Honestly, no. Is he therefore bad? It certainly doesn't!
The scent itself is exactly what it says above-spicy green and fresh.
With bad words for me just a little old-fashioned. - Or put positively: Vintage!

Something stylish has TSAR in any case, my association, in any case, is a well-dressed gentleman from a bygone era.

I hope I have with my remarks no one the fragrance spoiled or pushed into an "old man fragrance" corner. There are certainly wearers of all ages and that's a good thing! Keep up the good work!

3 Replies

10/24/2019

9.5
Scent 8
Longevity 8
Sillage 8
Bottle

Plasmic
10 Reviews

Plasmic

Sample to Bottle

Tested years ago, purchased this year a full bottle. The 1ml sample I had, lived with me in my memories all this years. It's different, in a very elegant manner. There is nothing that feels more green, wet, mossy and alive than this fragrance, to my unexperienced nose of course. It is such an elegant, herbal creamy miracle that still enchants nostrills decades after it's been created. I would give it a 10, but due to the fact I havent smelled thousands of fragrances, I'll stick to a 9,5. :)

05/03/2018

9
Scent 7
Longevity 7
Sillage 8
Bottle

Attlas
7 Reviews

Attlas

Rainy nature in a bottle!

This was not a love at first sniff for me, so I suggest you to take some time to familiarize. This is not that sunny clean fresh grass. This is a rainy forest!! The more i try "Green scents" the more I like this one. And in general, I find this to have a distinctive character.
You will feel rich, refined and assertive with this one. Very masculine, elegant.
And... (belive me!!) this is medicinal! One time I had my nose clogged and I felt a sleep sniffing Tsar and it really did clear my nose.
So... give it a chance and you will understand it's uniqueness

09/22/2015

WildGardener
304 Reviews

WildGardener

The Car Phone, 3.8 litre Jag and Tsar

Fruity aromatic with pepper, carnation and a cold breeze running through it.
Develops a sweet undertone with age.

A well made conservative fougère that evokes the ambience of Board Meetings, in 1979.

08/05/2015

8
Scent 7.5
Longevity 5
Sillage 2.5
Bottle

Drseid
818 Reviews

Drseid

Helpful Review 4

A Slow Successful Courtship...

*This is a review of vintage Tsar.

Tsar (vintage) opens with a mixture of sweet candied tonka bean, aromatic lavender and nose tingling bergamot citrus with green oakmoss support. Moving to the early heart, the tonka bean derived candied sweetness remains but is significantly diminished as the bergamot vacates, leaving the aromatic lavender joining with the now significant green oakmoss as it rises to co-star status with a hint of cinnamon spice, transparent vetiver, green pine and lily-of-the-valley add support. During the late dry-down the green Oakmoss takes control adding a slight powdery sheen to an emerging underlying moderately sharp cedarwood and hard leather co-starring duo through the finish with earthy patchouli support. Projection is average and longevity very good at 11-12 hours on skin.

Tsar (vintage) on paper looked like the kind of composition that would wow me from the get-go, but in actuality that wasn't the case. It turns out this is a composition that it takes many outings to appreciate to the fullest. The initial thing that made it difficult to love was the candied tonka bean derived sweetness that permeates the open and the early heart. As one who dislikes relatively sweet compositions this was more than a bit off-putting. That said, the sweetness only hangs around for the first hour or so before becoming nearly unnoticeable. What *is* noticeable, is the considerable oakmoss used throughout Tsar's development, driving the composition from start to finish in many ways. Early-on, it meshes quite well with the aromatic lavender and later-on it becomes a key linchpin to countering the rugged leathery finish. While there are a gob of ingredients in Tsar, one additional ingredient that bears mentioning is the very deft use of earthy patchouli in the base that works perfectly with the rugged leathery greens late. Coming back to the opening statement, Tsar takes a while to completely win the wearer over, but with each successive wearing, nuances like its florals, subtle cinnamon spice or even the barely detectable but quite key vetiver make for a very interesting journey, one that ended up impressing this writer. The bottom line is the approximately $50 per 50ml bottle on the aftermarket Tsar (vintage) may not grab one like many other winners from the 80s, but its slow wooing of the wearer ultimately succeeds, earning it a "very good" to "excellent" 3.5 to 4 star rating and a solid recommendation to vintage perfume lovers.

06/19/2014

jtd
484 Reviews

jtd

Very helpful Review 6

smiling aromatic fougère

I tend to talk about the fougère as a stern, towering perfume and it often is. But Tsar reminds me of how soft the genre can be. Despite its ridiculous name, and blocky pseudo-Deco bottle, it's one of the cozier fougères. Lavender and coumarin don’t crash against each other quite so much as in many fougères. Lavender is always prominent, and the overall tone is much more floral and herbal than most fougères. It has precise harmonic range. Imagine taking a slice out of the enormous range of Azzaro pour Homme, which goes from subterranean to stratospheric. Take that of that range and then zoom in close. Fill-in the colors, more matte and rosy, less metallic than Azzaro, and you find Tsar’s specificity.

If the fougère fragrances of the 70s and 80s implied masculinity, Tsar suggested an easygoing, smiling guy who was comfortable with his manliness, feeling nether the need to amp it up nor to justify it. It’s hard not to associate this bunch with pick up lines and and amateurish performance of straight guy-hood. It has an odd theatricality like the stilted men's western casual wear of the time. Tsar fits the guy of the time who looked great in a suit, but look even better with his shirt sleeves rolled up.

In terms of tone and dynamics, Tsar lands somewhere between Azzaro pour Homme and Paco Rabanne pour Homme, which preceded it, and Jacomo Anthracite and Yves St. Laurent Jazz which followed. It is part of the cohort of fougères that were swept aside by the Cool Water tsunami.

1 Reply

01/30/2014

MasterLi
375 Reviews

MasterLi

Helpful Review 4

Classic, elegant masculine.

I first tried this as I heard it was similar to Pasha by Cartier. In fact I am told they are identical. This is an example of a typically deep masculine fougere. It is quite recognisable and gives the impression of being mature, refined and sophisticated. To me it is the kind of smell always associated with an elegant and mature gentleman. The deep herbal opening dries down to a dark spicy aromatic skin scent which still makes an impression well after application. A scent which still manages to be both fresh and maturely refined at the same time. An unmistakable elegant masculine fragrance. Well worth a try and very different from any of the forgettable new modern examples of trash out there.

2 Replies

Show all reviews 12