Antaeus by Chanel

A fragrance for men and teenagers who don’t want to play the ‘flowing’ dating game.

Very hard to wear nowadays, even though the quality is there. The dry-down is excellent and acceptable by today’s standards. For me, it dries down like shaving cream.

Antaeus, here we go… From Chanel, a house known for limited performance, this is an exception and worth the niche price. It’s challenging at first, especially the first 30 minutes; if you haven’t heard anything like this, you won’t like it, but it holds that animalic castoreum and basil note alongside other herbs. Over time, it balances out, revealing a well-executed leather-and-rose nuance (which is actually civet), with woods and flowers working together to give that elegant ‘bad boy’ vibe, quite sexual. Today perfumes are unisex, but this is undeniably masculine and deserves the name. In my experience, it’s the only Chanel (non-private collection) that performs well (8 hours) and has good projection for at least an hour and a half. Warning: most people won’t like it, but wearing it yourself is a statement piece that says ‘I have good taste’ and ‘I wear expensive perfume.’ Even if you don’t like it, I tried it just to experience an ’80s scent, and I was blown away; it’s very well made.

Antaeus was Chanel’s second men’s fragrance in the ’80s (if I’m not mistaken). I tried it and wore it last winter, and I liked it. Setting aside the differences, it would be the male equivalent of No. 5, especially in its opening. It’s not as ‘BEST MODE’ as some describe, nor does it seem dark or exclusively nocturnal. It has a lot of personality, but it doesn’t resemble Pour Homme by Van Cleef & Arpels, Kouros by YSL, or Pour Homme by Rive Gauche. Chronologically, they could be grouped by launch dates, but that’s about it. The truth is, today it feels elegant, inviting, and high-quality, though it may have lost some of its original force and qualities, making it more versatile and wearable now without losing its soul and personality. Something similar could happen with Egoïste and Platinum from the ’90s, even though they remain firm in their DNA, something Chanel takes great care of. Perhaps the only designer brand that doesn’t discontinue or reformulate excessively, launching new versions every few years to mark eras, which seems serious and professional. The only exception among flankers is Blue. But the rest is pure history and rich.

Castoreum, another way of saying it’s a soapy musk, is my dominant note. An alcoholic citrus opening, then it acquires a dry moss, slightly bitter. It’s a blast of masculinity without complexes. Today, it’s unisex without a problem. It lifts your spirits like a potent pheromone coffee, but beware: this punch in the face definitely has old-school connotations: posh neighborhood, suit, or fur coat. Or, hell, whatever you feel like wearing because, if you smell like this, you’re loaded. Or you’re a late-night vampire. True, it’s halfway between the wild beast of Kouros and the herbaceous adventurer of Aramis. Perhaps this Antaeus is the most wearable of the three, but it still packs a punch with impressive intensity, longevity, and sillage. This has to be tried, worn for a few days, for perfume culture. Maybe it will resonate with you, and you’ll discover you have the spirit of a grandmother at mass, a beaver in Yellowstone Park, or an American Psycho.

It’s the kind of perfume that never goes out of style.

A tamed beast. A very domesticated Kouros, usable. Rough, elegant, mature. Suit and briefcase, open collar, and solitude. It doesn’t seek to please, it seeks to be respected.

Antaeus, a masterpiece by Jacques Polge: timeless, masculine, and perfectly executed. An enjoyable festival from start to finish. A vibrant, sharp, and acidic citrus opening that quickly yields to a blend of clean leather (creamy and vanilla-like), soapy lavender, and dry, powdery rose, lasting until the next shower and laundry. Excellent longevity and a heavy sillage that lasts over 8 hours.

Sinister, dense, murky, dark, vintage, and extremely old school. For some reason, people in the medical field tend to wear it, so it reminds me of a hospital; it triggers that olfactory memory. It’s more wearable than YSL’s Kouros. Fortunately, fragrances like this are out of fashion now, worn more by those with retro tastes, to put it mildly, older people or people of that mindset. It’s not a bad fragrance, but this isn’t for me.

One of the best perfumes for men ever created, nothing like the ones nowadays. This Antaeus outshines them all (my humble opinion). Not for kids, shaved, or faded guys; a perfume for a real man.

Chanel Antaeus: the Kouros YSL in a posh, aristocratic version. And to be repetitive, to anyone who gets annoyed, get lost: Antaeus was and is (despite being reformulated several times, it still kicks ass with a 1981 perfume, even if they’ve reformulated things like Spicebomb by V&R) a masterpiece of modern perfumery. An eternal classic like Cologne 4711, Acqua di Parma Colonia, Guerlain Shalimar, Gres Cabochard, Guerlain Habit Rouge, Chanel No. 5, Dior Eau Sauvage, Davidoff Cool Water, Terre d’Hermès, Dior Fahrenheit, Angel by Mugler, Bleu de Chanel, Eternity by CK, or Dior Homme Parfum. Among the best from the Chanel house, which in my opinion has more than a few mediocre and overrated fragrances, and in every aspect and price point, it’s the first choice. In my perception, today Antaeus could be a total unisex scent. I don’t see anything in the smell that would turn off a modern woman today for being excessively ‘masculine’. Old-school performance and sillage: minimum 8-9 hours with a trail that gives you goosebumps. Note, it smells like the 80s; it doesn’t resemble anything current, including niche, avant-garde, or the latest Arab perfume creations. Stop making cheap comparisons. The Oscar de la Renta Pour Homme, a classic I own and like, smelled like brown sugar and a barbershop, while the Van Cleef & Arpels PH, another great classic, was a leather-and-flower scent, whereas this Antaeus carried citrus, flowers, herbs, myrrh, oakmoss, patchouli, labdanum, and castoreum… rodent-like. Wake up, Pepeluís, that this type of 80s floral aroma for men, like they had with YSL Kouros, Ted Lapidus Pour Homme, and Salvador Dalí Pour Homme, was at the very beginning of the 80s. Eternal. Only for people with character, courage, iron will, and clear ideas.

Absolutely incredible quality perfume. You can clearly smell the rose and a magnificent leather note (it’s not listed, but I’m convinced it’s there). The citrus opening is fantastic. It reminds me a lot of Coty’s Jaq’s cologne. Unfortunately, just a few minutes in, the animal note envelops the entire fragrance, and I don’t feel comfortable with it. It brings to mind an old man in a green velvet suit and a tam on his head. I also imagine a mature, cultured guy spending his winter afternoons reading in the library (those are the mental images it evokes). I’m absolutely fascinated by the bottle. It has to be the most beautiful one in the perfume world. It conveys elegance and distinction, and that’s exactly what you get from the scent… but it’s just not for me. Without that castoreum note, it would definitely be MY fragrance. I have the utmost respect for this masterpiece of perfumery. In my opinion, along with Egoïste, Antaeus must be one of the highest quality perfumes from Chanel.

JOLINES ‘YAYO’ HOW GOOD YOU SMELL! It’s truly an olfactory journey back in time, instantly transporting you to years past, reminiscent of Kouros, but obviously in this case it’s a less rough scent, if you will, with more ‘class’, yet still in the same league. Kouros is the tough guy, confident, clear-headed, and with a lot of ground covered. A slightly open shirt, jeans, and some boots. Antaeus is that same type of man, but in a suit, ready for a business dinner. It smells great, but I can’t see myself wearing it right now, maybe later when I’m 60, hehe. Funny thing is, Kouros, on the contrary, I’ve worn it cheerfully and it never felt out of place (in fact, it even got compliments). Perhaps Antaeus, due to some of its notes, evokes more of that feeling many people associate with ‘older person’ rather than just ‘retro scent’. Finally, it has a certain base note that feels a bit synthetic/chemical that doesn’t fully convince me, but I think it’s exactly what gives it that distinctive and peculiar label. Anyway, an elegant and quality fragrance, reformulated like everything else, but even so, a well-rounded composition. Personally, already having the king Kouros, the prince will stay in the closet until further notice. RESULT: 4 stars.

I’m not sure if it’s just age or reformulations, but I used to love this perfume, and as far as I remember, the citrus notes were much more prominent. I’d say the most impressive thing is that it’s survived over 40 years on the market, which says a lot… but honestly, I recently intended to buy it and, wary of reformulations, decided to test it before purchasing. What a disappointment—the current version smells like burnt rubber and is extremely synthetic. I simply couldn’t handle it. There’s very little left of that great 80s and even 90s version. That said, no matter how much I washed my hands after applying it, the scent lasted about 8 hours.

A unique fragrance. Quite elegant, though perhaps a bit dated. However, that doesn’t make it bad in any way; it just feels like a scent for older people. I don’t think many young men would prefer to smell like this. It’s very potent. The citrus top notes are surprisingly long-lasting, while the sweet heart notes are light. What I perceive most from this perfume is the patchouli and castoreum; they create a very masculine base. It has great longevity and a strong trail. For this reason, I wouldn’t use more than four sprays in any situation. It definitely makes an impression. I think its most appropriate use is for meetings or formal outings, especially at night. There, it achieves a certain sophistication, regardless of being a classic fragrance.