I will never forget my first experience with Gendarme, which today is still one of my favorite, if not the favorite, cologne I like to wear.
It was 1991 and I had just moved to Los Angeles, California, and I was out shopping with some friends at the Beverly Center, a large commercial shopping mall. A friend of mine suggested we go elsewhere and we ended up at International Male which boutique is no longer there today. Regardless, before I moved to Los Angeles I would always receive the International Male mail order catalog which was the type of catalog guys were almost too embarrassed to open since all the clothing revolved around racy underwear for men. During the late 1980’s, catalogs just did not focus on brawny tan men sporting their naturalness in underwear, with the exception of International Male. My experience at the boutique, needless to say, was even worse since all of the clothing their also revolved around racy underwear for the “kept” man and even in the early 1990’s, I just wasn’t having it. The catalog was better because I could close it but inside the boutique the only thing I could do was run out of there. What added insult to injury was the fact that the guys that worked at International Male at the then time even looked like the models in the catalog! The only thing I could purchase was my first spray bottle of Gendarme and only because it was pretty much the only classic looking merchandise available and since I was in a shopping competition with my friends, I had to purchase something so I wouldn’t look like an idiot. In 1991 the 4 oz. spray bottle cost me $40 plus tax and today, the Company lists the fragrance at $72.00 although the suggested retail value is between $50.00 and $72.00.
Regardless, luckily for me, I would later find out that I could purchase Gendarme at various locations, including Macy’s at the Beverly Center.
In concert with what the Company states about this particular fragrance, I am in complete agreement and add that to me it smells very clean like a gently sweet non-confrontational cotton or linen type of fragrance. Whenever I wear the fragrance, I always receive compliments and even from those in the office that typically cannot be around others who wear fragrances. The fragrance is very California and although great year-round and especially for heavy fingers that love to spray an entire bottle in one application, not much of an application is necessary for a long-lasting aroma due to its oil base, yet perfect for heavy fingers in that too much of an application won’t result in a confrontational overpowering fumigation.
Review by John Huetteman on eOpinions.com