Polo by Ralph Lauren

Brutal! This 2019 batch captures the essence of LOEWE, One Man Show, and elevates it into a leather accord with tobacco, earth, and a hint of honey. Sublime.

Greetings! I’m disappointed with perfumes these days. Polo Green was the best in its time; I bought it in 2000 for my boyfriend—it was elegant and lasted the whole dance. I bought it recently at Macy’s, and they’ve ruined it with the reformulation. They do this so it doesn’t last, forcing you to buy more. As a collector, I’m throwing my money away because almost everything has been reformulated. I miss perfumes from the past, like the ones my mother used in 1975; you’d wear them once and smell like a floating garden. Now I have to spray four times and it still doesn’t last. Who agrees?

I’ve never tried the original, but this easily lasts me over 6 hours. It doesn’t smell like ‘old man’ to me; I think that’s just suggestion. I don’t detect the bergamot or citrus; from the start, it smells spicy and piney, like a doctor’s office. As it dries, what stands out most is the tobacco and woody notes, very dry. I enjoy it, but I understand why others might not like it.

Hello @marchello, also from Uruguay. That’s the reformulation. Oakmoss is heavily regulated now; it’s 100% synthetic (it used to have natural extracts), and I’m sure the pine and leather are too. That’s how perfumery works: the jewels remain, but never with the same performance. I’d give anything for a good Antaeus or a vintage Polo Green…

A green powerhouse that transports me to a cloudy English village. Very rich herbal notes at the start, and as it dries, a ton of flowers that perfectly complement the green aroma. I see it as formal evening wear or daytime in the countryside, but not for the office. Highly recommended, especially for people over 40. A beautiful perfume.

Buy blind and regret nothing! This smells like traditional masculinity, chest hair, and a flat cap. There are thousands of reviews on this classic, so here’s just my one-and-a-half-year experience: it doesn’t suffocate at 77°F in the sun, and as a coat, it beats a jacket on cold days. The slight sweet touch moves away from those fussy, gourmand, and spicy oriental fragrances that bore me. Its virile turbulence will scare off the uptight types who want to walk their dogs in the park, but it will attract solemn ladies who respect the freedom of a falcon, preferring to watch it quietly from a forest ridge, a prudent distance away. Warning: Don’t wear Polo Green if you plan to leave a club hugging a modern woman, nor will you receive compliments from a ‘tradcon’. This aroma is worn without the desire to please anyone. It’s used for individual exclusivity. In one sentence: ‘The man who isn’t afraid to stay single and assumes singlehood if marriage threatens his authenticity.’

Ugh, this juice… please. It hits you hard at the start with an explosion of fresh, lively green spices that force you to stop. It has a charming punch, nothing abrupt or vulgar (thank the gods, zero prickly woods). You smell it once, and that’s it: it brings a smile to your face and for a moment, you forget everything that worried you seconds ago. It’s like that slightly disheveled, ingenious, and mischievous friend who always gets you into trouble but has the noblest heart in the world. (And of course, the bastard is naturally handsome, so everything turns out well). Today, this isn’t for everyone. But if the idea of burying your face in a soft pillow full of green conifers, intense spices, aged club-field leather, a heap of natural oak moss, and deep tobacco leaves sounds good to you… nothing comes close. It’s an icon for a reason: an unmistakably American fragrance in style and spirit, evoking an atmosphere and vibe like few others. It even transports you. They say the current version is decent, but do yourself a favor and hunt for a vintage bottle from Cosmair or Warren while you still can. Nothing compares.

To the surprise of my own self from two years ago, I’m coming to the defense of this perfume: in my opinion, it deserves more respect in the perfume community; it doesn’t become a bad perfume just because it’s over 40 years old and has been used by previous generations. It came to my hands inside a case with four 30ml Polo perfumes, which I bought for the low price and curiosity to try a line that never really called to me. As soon as I bought it, still unopened, this Polo (or Polo Green) was the one that attracted the least attention; in fact, I thought I’d keep the other three (Blue EDP, Red, and Red Intense) and give this one to my dad, who usually likes the classics (pine, oak moss, strong leather). Poor my dad when I opened the case and tested this Polo; there I knew he was left without his ‘surprise gift’. It’s an aroma that, honestly, at 24, I find difficult to wear, but its scent completely flooded me. It’s a very dark pine accompanied by a ton of tobacco that feels high-quality (pure, not sweetened), along with oak moss and patchouli that add that rough, classic tone. It doesn’t stop there; it’s an impressively intense fragrance that fills any space with few sprays. I understand its intensity is due to its notes, but I wish for current fragrances with that much power that aren’t the typical sweet vanilla ones; this Polo is more than enough with two sprays, with three it would be invasive. To finish, I think these 30ml will last me a while; it’s a fragrance I might only use on cold days, dressed in dark clothes or a leather jacket, to convey a mysterious and/or very mature image. Sometimes I put half a spray on my hand for personal enjoyment during the day. And to remember, it’s a fragrance that requires more respect, especially from my age group or younger or older. I’m sure that if tomorrow a niche house released exactly the same fragrance in another bottle and at a price five times higher, the reviews would be praising its dark aroma, power, and classic reminiscences. I’m sticking with the 30ml, though I’m sure I’ll gift my own bottle to my dad, since he liked it a lot. I know it’s a lot of text, but I appreciate anyone who read this personal experience 🙂

Alpha male perfume, not suitable for infants who don’t step out of the sweet, so kids abstain. It smells like pure nature and nothing artificial, a real masterpiece in perfumery.

I agree with everyone who says it’s a perfume very much for gentlemen over 50; in fact, it’s my dad’s favorite who is already 60. It was very popular in a historical moment and I consider it iconic for a generation. I don’t know how to describe it with words, but it smells like tobacco and pine; it makes me think of pique jackets, straight Wrangler jeans, and cowhide leather wallets. Obviously, this particular perfume reminds me a lot of my dad, I think that’s why I have such great esteem for it.

Very serious, but usable after 25. That said, it’s best for cold nights or autumn days. That’s where it shines; it doesn’t work in the heat.

I find it incredible. There are few iconic, mass-market designer scents as legendary as this; without a doubt, it belongs in the Hall of Fame, it’s a masterpiece. What does it smell like? Old-school gentleman. If I imagine a man in an 80s/90s blazer, I unconsciously see him wearing this. I detect lots of pine, tobacco, and leather, though I can’t distinguish all the notes. Usage? Not for a date, unless you’re over 50 or you’re going to remind her of her dad. Maybe for a beer with friends. I wore it with my girlfriend and she liked it, but it’s not for someone you’re just getting to know. Longevity and projection: it’s a 2017 batch, and I didn’t measure exactly, but I wore it the next day and it still smelled. It’s atomic: the first two hours project beastily, then it fades, but it lasts quite a bit throughout its life. In summary: don’t buy it blindly. It smells vintage but in a good way, like Creedence. Even if you’re close to 30, go try it if you happen to be an oblivious fan who doesn’t know it. It lasts and projects a lot (this batch definitely does) and has an incredible, unique aroma. Polo comes to mind. Maybe it’s not for dates or it doesn’t flatter as much due to its vintage character, but so what? It’s for personal enjoyment, though you’ll surely get compliments. We use perfumes for ourselves, to feel good. When I put it on, I remember why I love them so much; it makes me smile, and I sniff my wrist repeatedly. It takes me back to happy moments from my childhood. Thanks to Ralph Lauren for this gem; there are many perfumes, but masterpieces like this are few and far between.

Not a fragrance for teenagers or millennials. If you like nights of alcohol, poker, smoke, and you’re over 50, it’s perfect for you. Old school, as they say here; I recommend it to anyone who enjoys 80s and 90s scents with rustic leather, dark woods, and alpha-male fougères; alongside Azzaro Pour Homme and the classic Paco Rabanne, an absolute must-have in the collection.

This is a classic chypre, friends. It smells like a quality men’s perfume, not cheap knockoffs. Back then, American house Ralph Lauren wasn’t as popularized as it is now, and they were making very indulgent things. Naturally, given the state of pop perfumery today, this is old school, a ‘grandpa fragrance’ à la 70s and 80s. Like before, this perfume had 20 notes: citrus top, herbs, spices, florals, lots of pine, leather, tobacco, cedar, patchouli, and the eternal oakmoss. Puig’s Quorum is somewhat similar, but in my opinion, this Ralph Lauren, the green one, is much better. A gentleman’s powerhouse. Fresh and super-masculine. And it lasts and lasts like a Duracell battery. I’m blown away. Kids, go play elsewhere.

Ralph Lauren Polo is a green, spicy, leathery, and woody fragrance. Its opening is very aromatic, loaded with herbal and leather notes that are perceived from the start. Once the aromatic charge settles, it leaves a dry, tobacco-leathery, woody aroma with some bitter elements. It’s undeniably masculine; I can’t imagine a woman wearing it. It could almost be used any time of year except summer. Due to its launch year, it has characteristics no longer used today; it’s very dry and lacks sweet notes, which makes me assume it will be more appreciated by mature people, and I’m sure many will have it as their signature. Despite 45 years passing and likely undergoing reformulations, its longevity has been over 8 hours, and its projection isn’t monstrous, but it doesn’t stay skin-close either. I think for those of us who love fragrances, it’s mandatory to try it, as it’s a perfumery classic and still has a loyal following.