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Le Mâle too chawy?

Le Mâle too chawy? 12 years ago
Le Mâle is a great fragrance but highly controversial. It is very popular, but at least in my country, many people think it's vulgar to wear this stuff.

I still like it, but I hardly wear it myself. That tonka and benzoin appeal somehow smells like fuel, and it gives me pictures of gas stations. Using gasoline as a perfume is a very old thing. In the 1920's men perfumed their breast handkerchiefs with gasoline in order to show they are motorists.

What are your Le Mâle alternatives?
Last edited by Apicius on 18.01.2012, 19:59; edited 2 times in total
12 years ago
So, here are mine:

"Fleur du Mâle" - simply suits me better.

"Francois Charles" by Rance - it has this benzoin smell but it is somehow friendlier, more optimistic and also a bit more classy since it has a twist towards classic Eau de Cologne.

"Antonio De Curtis" - discreet and refined: it combines the benzoin and tonka with some powdery muskiness. Good office wear!
12 years ago
Apicius:
"Fleur du Mâle" - simply suits me better.

Absolutely true, "Fleur du Male" is a really nice scent.
12 years ago
I think either Molinard or Fragonard (which I visited last september) had a scent veeery similar to le mâle. But I forgot the name. And anyway, it is too close to le male.
Le male terrible is quite likeable, isn't it?
In which sense do you want it to ressemble le mâle - the smell, the style (sweet barbershop fougère)???
12 years ago
Most of all, I'd say Histoires de Parfums' 1725 Casanova, which has a bit the Le Male for grown-ups feel for me. Very Happy
Although there is nothing wrong in principle with Le Male... 'cleverly used' that is.
12 years ago
I know a girl who uses Le Male and It smells great on her, but on some blokes It can be bad, and I mean bad. I think In summer months a chap need only apply very little, also a good Idea for him to have good personal hygiene skills. It seems to me that Le Male appears to be badly effected by heat and man sweat.
12 years ago
CyberToy1:
I know a girl who uses Le Male and It smells great on her, but on some blokes It can be bad, and I mean bad. I think In summer months a chap need only apply very little, also a good Idea for him to have good personal hygiene skills. It seems to me that Le Male appears to be badly effected by heat and man sweat.
Yes, the people who do not know that Le Mâle must be applied with discretion are the ones responsible for its bad reputation.
12 years ago
Definitely not a fan.
12 years ago
It's a great scent .. but wearing it? no way Twisted Evil
Re: Le Mâle too chawy? 12 years ago
Apicius:
Le Mâle is a great fragrance but highly controversial. It is very popular, but at least in my country, many people think it's vulgar to wear this stuff.

I still like it, but I hardly wear it myself. That tonka and benzoin appeal somehow smells like fuel, and it gives me pictures of gas stations

I have only tried Le Male once and that was a spritz or two from a tester at a store. I have two very strong opinions about It:
1) Based on my limited test the only association I had with gas stations was that Le Male smelled exactly the liquid soap used in public restrooms in most American gas stations. When my wife smelled it on me she said, without prompting, "Eww, it smells like gas station bathroom soap."

2) Apicius, based on the opinion of "many people" in your country, I'd say they are very sensible about fragrances. Wink
12 years ago
Wow, Apicius. I had never heard that about men perfuming themselves with gasoline! But I'm sure I would be totally thrilled to run across the right man wearing Santa Maria Novella Nostalgia. Very Happy
12 years ago
I too prefer Fleur du Male, but I sometimes still drown myself in Le Male ... just to get up people's noses LOL, especially if they are severely 'verkrampt' (an Afrikaans word that literally means uptight) ... I'm a little evil that way Twisted Evil
10 years ago
I use Cuba Gold as an alternative. Same smell, just much lighter. Plus, it's like $10 for 3.4 oz.
10 years ago
in italy almost nobody wears it nowadays so i did start to wear it again from time to time ,even if i prefer les fleurs du mal ,i give to le male all the respect that it deserve as a pillar of the modern male perfumery .if millions of people have bought a bottle in their life there should be a reason ......
9 years ago
It is vulgar nowadays for two reasons:

It was good and outstanding in the past, building popularity.
It has lost quality with repeated reformulations.

Talking about a lavender/vanilla fragrance, I would prefer Dolce & Gabbana The One Gentleman to invest my money.
9 years ago
Anahata:
It is vulgar nowadays for two reasons:

It was good and outstanding in the past, building popularity.
It has lost quality with repeated reformulations.

In this case I wouldn't blame it on reformulations. At least in my country it became unpopular when it started to attract rather unpopular people Smile
9 years ago
Yes, popularity and unpopularity can be different sides of the same coin.
We may speak for or against, but we keep on speaking.

Market loves it!! Laughing
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