Varon Dandy by Parera

I absolutely love it. I have the whole bottle and it’s my favorite 💖

Varón Dandy was, is, and will be my grandfather. It’s the foggy melancholy of a lifetime spent with him. Since I started having my wits about me, that large honey-colored bottle was always on his bathroom shelf. Varón Dandy shared space and secrets for years with Othello, my uncle’s fragrance, until he got married and left home. On the very day they said goodbye, we started missing them. Varón Dandy and Othello, along with Brummel (my father’s cologne), were the first fragrances I knew when I learned that there were magical liquids in glass for smelling good. Those first aromas are etched forever into the soul. I loved watching my grandfather shave; it was one of my favorite things in the early 80s. I didn’t know why I’d stick to the floor next to him whenever he did that ritual of subtlety and silence. Today I know: the balm he applied to his face at the end caused in me a catharsis hard to explain, which I found meaning for over the years. Varón Dandy has a privileged place in my collection and my memory. Despite the few compliments I receive when wearing it, I keep using it because I like it and it reminds me of my grandfather and what I learned from him. A life philosophy that shaped me and made me go the right way despite the bumps.

Our parents’ cologne, which we smelled in the bathroom and secretly applied to ourselves. A real initiatory ritual. Liqueur, wood, moss…

Varón Dandy, a liter for 7 euros. The discounted Coty version sold now is totally wearable; I love it. A great icon of Spanish perfumery with an unjustly dark reputation. Just for what the name evokes, but the scent is very attractive. I love wearing it, even though my father and grandfather already wore it. Young guys should rescue it. Now it smells softer, with that spicy alcoholic touch and less heavy woods than before. Obviously it’s a classic fragrance, but it fits perfectly with any man in almost any situation. It can be perfectly a daily cologne, depending on how much you apply. Currently it’s not too potent, so you can apply it without fear. It leaves a wonderful aroma on the skin. If Varón Dandy were marketed today under another name with a successful brand (preferably not Spanish), it would surely be a top perfume. But there we are, fighting its bad reputation in perfumeries with its amazing bulk formats at low prices. By the way, the cologne presents a much less intense tone than decades ago, but as you start using the bottle, little by little, it gains ‘consistency,’ both chromatic and in terms of scent potency settling. I love all kinds of perfumes, from sweet ones stuffed with candy smells to these vintage masculine ones. You have to try and enjoy everything. And don’t forget that in Spain great fragrances were created that should/should be cared for so they don’t disappear as many others have, due to cycle changes and fads. For ten euros or less you can get things as interesting as Varón Dandy or Quorum.

Undisputed icon of Spanish perfumery, my total admiration for this fragrance. I met it recently, I loved the scent so much that I dove into its origins and I can’t keep my opinion to myself. The old bottle and the strong name scared me; I didn’t want to try it. I think that initial rejection was mutual; Varón Dandy wouldn’t have liked to catch my attention. He and I are two opposite pieces in this world, but curiosity took me far, and I decided to open it, immersing myself in its perverse spell. Perfumerías Parera was a giant on par with Myrurgia, Gal, or Puig. Soaps, creams, lotions, cologne; one of the widest lines of its time, all emanating that perfume that inspired thousands of ads and even a song. Here I cite two texts from the 20s and 30s to explain who Varón Dandy is. The first said: The fashionable perfume for the elegant man. Its scent recalls American tobacco and Russian leather veiled by a fresh, pleasant, and masculine aroma typical of colognes. The second went further: Only one perfume exists for your sex. The man who uses this perfume is a true Man, a true dandy. The first text perfectly describes the aroma similar to old colognes like “Russian Leather” with that sweet and earthy touch of tobacco. Two scents that people went crazy for back then, which Parera used brilliantly. Who isn’t attracted to that velvety leather or the smoky sweetness of tobacco? During the 20s and after, this was indisputable. Knize Ten, Habanita, Shalimar, Tabú type aromas were very popular. It’s funny that 100 years later the same thing happens; history repeats itself. Parera offered the Spanish man all the masculinity of the “macho” but with that refined touch of the Anglo-French dandy at an accessible price. Here enters my reflection on the second text. A marketing move to “masculinize” products, making clear who is macho and who is effeminate. And to top it off, they proposed that “masculine men” use facial creams alluding to a fine anti-aging face. That’s what Varón Dandy said it should be, unquestionable. Beyond that, it pointed out the vigor of leather and tobacco in its essence, but it carries a precious carnation obstinately trying to catch attention, as if the Man had snatched it jealously from the maja after dancing and used it for himself. A powdery, creamy carnation that doesn’t go unnoticed, even if tobacco spices and woods try to hide it. What a great contradiction, what a lucid opportunism, what an interesting dilemma… Penetrating Hispanic society with a message that fit perfectly with the “macho” ideals so marked in our people. What men “should” do and what women “needed.” Even today, when we put on cologne, we suffer the residue of that thinking. In fact, the message had to “makeup” itself later to survive, but its essence was the same. Varón Dandy was made homophobic no matter how you look at it, but also totally ambivalent and ironic. This made me try to remove the label from the bottle so that what it “appears” to be doesn’t influence me, but rather “what it is.” Because ultimately, beyond what they say, what matters is the essence. And there is where “He” and I, two pieces that seem opposite, perhaps aren’t so much. We share the pleasure of observing good taste and the madness for the intoxicating, spicy, powdery aroma of a Crimson Carnation. Varón Dandy charmed the faces of thousands of men for decades and many others who, without following his ideals, still flirted with him. Maybe that clean and masculine man hides much more than he shows. Maybe far from ideologies and “abstract concepts” we could kiss in secret without differences. My review is of a cologne from the 60s/70s.

I have a friend with a classic look, a cigar smoker and whisky lover. We were talking about masculinity and how guys these days don’t smell like ‘guys’ anymore. In the middle of our chat, Varón Dandy had to be mentioned. The problem was neither of us could remember what it actually smelled like. We quickly solved it by splitting a bottle. Upon trying it, my first impression was a time jump: I was a small child in a dimly lit room while my mother dipped a cookie into milk coffee with an older, slow man. It was a hazy memory, but I’m sure the atmosphere smelled like that. Since then, I think all cookies smell a bit like Varón Dandy. It’s not that they smell like perfume, nor that the perfume smells like cookies, but the scent remained isolated in my memory. Back from the trip, I smiled. It smells mentholated and invigorating at first, then floral spices with vanilla and amber notes, and finally soft woods. It changes the concept of masculinity we were discussing over beers. I agree it’s an escape valve for the rough man our grandfathers had to pretend to be. Today it could be unisex, far from the 80s fern stereotype. Luckily, today we can wear what we want without explanations. It’s the scent of post-war times, of the working class, of the illusion of refinement. Good performance, not intrusive, and smells great. Approach it without prejudice. My friend and I are new fans.

Varón Dandy is my father in a bottle. He used to splash it on in the 80s and 90s. It was a strong, manly scent. I’d love to buy a small bottle, it would be like having my father with me again.

I can’t review this cologne; maybe I have an uneducated nose and it gives me nausea every time I smell it nearby. Never before has an aroma caused me so much rejection.

It’s a pity that in Spain most people have so many prejudices. This cologne is a true marvel. Despite the cut in ingredients and the reduction in essence, it remains a great cologne. The brainwashing companies exercise on new fragrances has done a lot of damage to the long-standing ones. They offer a fantastic scent in a 1-liter bottle for €10, and the name is tacky, old-fashioned, or homosexual. Put the same fragrance in a 100 ml bottle with a Chanel or Armani label and it will be elegant for €65. One must be a freethinker and not let oneself be carried away by what others say or by the handsome guys in the ads. Everything revolves around tastes, it’s normal that not everyone likes it, but it’s no reason to discredit it or say it’s for old people or homosexuals. I love Varón Dandy, and I’m neither old, nor homosexual, nor a fascist. I like it, and that’s enough for me.

Another Spanish classic that has left me with a good taste in my mouth, thanks to Josesan. A super-aromatic perfume that offers something hard to find in modern proposals. I don’t know the production date, it seemed modern, very wearable, elegant, suitable for all year except summer. I perceive it clearly walking, although it was surely reformulated. It’s a pleasant mix of sweet, fresh, powdery, and warm. High-level proposals like this deserve to be rescued from oblivion. If I find a bottle with some age, it will be a pleasure to wear it and add it to my collection. A wonderful classic that defies time and will surprise you if you approach it without prejudice.

Little is known about the secrets of the success of this flagship of the former Parera house, but it’s no surprise its dimensions were considerable. Dandy Man points to a time when creators, with no aspiration other than the vocation of service and the common good, became anonymous heroes. At the dawn of the 20th century, Joan Parera i Casanovas gave birth to one of the formulas blessed by the gift of permanence. From its name, one could read a whole declaration of intent. A new concept of the cult to man was born, from a modest workshop in Badalona to its popular explosion through Luis Garcés Mantiña and his famous lotion, the mirror in which men of interwar Spain looked. With his visionary eye, he wouldn’t be slow in raising an inviolable empire until in the 90s it ended up in the hands of multinationals. Nevertheless, the Parera España machinery hasn’t stopped rolling, and the iconic 1-liter bottle constitutes an exceptional relic of our history. Its authority, in commercial terms, was absolute. However, its bouquet of notes holds no mystery. It’s a model of classic compromises: lavender, geranium, bergamot, petitgrain, or rose on pillars of woods, amber, musk, tonka, and vanilla. Final doses of oakmoss did the rest, granting panoramic proportions of fixation on the skin. ‘Lasts longer than a day without bread,’ they said. Despite current restrictions, it was never monstrous. Lacking more sophisticated products, Spaniards knew how to console themselves with such a lush fragrance that it appeared in numerous pamphlets under a rosary of phrases as unusual as stimulating. Sighs of Spain, an unsurpassable wall of other times, the scent of a world of obstacles that managed to reconcile all the aggrieved of the conflict. Journeys back to unburnt eras, of domino games and naval battles. Those who can dispense with the viacrucis of prejudice that has accompanied Dandy Man and prefer, like me, interiority and the construction of perfume with a clear sense of rigor and demand, will find here a creation of great cleanliness and a grateful mark in memory. Thanks, Parera. Note: 8

If Spaniards were as stupid as Germans, they wouldn’t use or praise things like Tabac or 4711 today. These colognes would be in the trash, dismissed as old people’s scents. Luckily for them, they’re confident and unpretentious. What a shame about us guys.

Honestly, I don’t get why people say it smells ‘old’ or is harsh. The truth is, I didn’t know about ‘Varon Dandy’ until I found it while browsing local perfumes. From the start, based on reviews and its bad reputation, I thought it was the typical generic, boring, repetitive scent despised for its woody and alcoholic blend. But when I smelled it at the small supermarket next to my house, I couldn’t understand why people criticize it so much. The main issue is its bad reputation for belonging to a bygone era, as Bofifa says. The packaging is a bit cheap, but the fragrance in a generous bottle for under 10 euros is a steal: spicy notes that last from the moment you apply it until the end, with a slight moss and vanilla touch, leaving a very masculine trail. Regarding longevity for the price, it’s pretty good. What a pity they’ll soon pull it from the market…

No fucking idea, that’s the phrase that comes to mind reading the reviews. Dandy Man smells very, very good. It’s not an initial blast, it doesn’t last days, and it’s not for old people. It’s a simple, cheap, and effective cologne. On my skin, it doesn’t last more than three hours. In the dry-down, it has hints of mela, coming out as an interesting mint. I doubt those who criticize it so much have ever smelled it. I tested it at work and with friends at a bar, without telling them what it was. 100% said it smelled great. When I told them it was Dandy Man, they were stunned. It’s a pity it’s not marketed as ODT or ODP, and that it doesn’t carry the nickname Chanel. Unfortunately, rumors say production will stop. And the blame lies with this ignorant Spanish popular culture.

My dad’s signature scent. No doubt he doesn’t have the best taste; he’s a simple, humble guy. But in his own way, he’s achieved amazing things. This is his go-to fragrance, even though I’ve gifted him Chanel, Polo, and others. He’s worn it for over 30 years. When I wear it, I gag, but on him, it’s perfect. It’s a sincere, modest perfume. As people say elsewhere, you need the guts of an ox to wear it!