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Js10 – :
One of my most sought after frags and when I finally got it I was quite dissapointed. Not because it’a bad scent but the cashmere wood base ends up covering the rest of the notes with a bright ‘sparkling’ effect that tickles my nose. However I can detect few other notes (not even nearly the amount listed) but, and will agree with fellow reviewers, the most prominent ones are vanilla, benzoin, lavender, sandal and something ‘dirty’ in the back (patchouli? tobacco? maybe).
I wouldn’t call this one a natural smelling scent to be honest, and would pick something like TL pour Lui or MB Individuel for this kind of genre.
Finally, I’d say if you don’t have any trouble with both Encre Noirs base, CH Men, Trussardi My Land or any other cashmere-prominent scents, give this one a try: you may be able to appreciate this one more than me.
6/10
—————————————–
Una de mis fragancias más buscadas y cuando finalmente la conseguí me decepcioné bastante. No porque sea un mal aroma, pero la base de madera de cachemira termina cubriendo el resto de las notas con un luminoso efecto “chispeante” que me hace cosquillas en la nariz. A pesar de esto, puedo detectar algunas otras notas (ni cerca la cantidad declarada) pero, y estoy de acuerdo con otros reviewers, las más destacadas son vainilla, benjuí, lavanda, sándalo y algo “sucio” en la parte posterior (¿pachulí? ¿tabaco? quizás).
Para ser honesto, no catalogaría esta composición como un aroma natural, y escogería algo como TL pour Lui o MB Individuel para este tipo de género.
Finalmente, voy a decir que si no se tiene ningún problema con la base de los Encre Noirs, CH Men, Trussardi My Land o cualquier otro con base de cachemira, pruebe éste: seguramente lo apreciará más que yo.
6/10
956108971 – :
Superb scent, overall performance (projection, sillage, longevity.) unmatched buy most perfumes nowadays and permeates quality and class. Go get it guys!! I had a 30ml bottle and went for the 100ml.
ibtrffsrcd – :
A very high quality perfume that lasts a long time and has strong projection, some people think Cristobal smells like Givenchy Pi. While it has the resinous, benzoin-rich resin accord in common with the original Pi, the reformulated Pi is not in the same league as Cristobal. It’s a rare occasion where it’s worth buying a discontinued perfume at the prices asked and hoping that it has been looked after. It’s refined and has a depth and quality that most struggle to match today. The blend is beautiful and the quality of ingredients is clearly very high indeed.
There’s something of a lavender/fougere mixed with a vanilla/benzoin/ambery mix here with lovely bits of sharpness injected by the top notes. It’s a consistent, warm smell and feel throughout. I had hoped to smell the coffee note but it’s one I don’t detect here.
It is somehow very masculine and the mix is a dozen times better than the cloying sweetness of many modern perfumes of the last five or ten years.
I am certainly going to miss this one when the last few drops of my bottle finally get used.
borvol – :
Don’t spend the crazy $$$ on ebay from sellers looking to cash in on yet another discontinued fragrance. Just buy Givenchy Pi because they are literally identical with Pi being the better option because of it being fresher juice. Buying fragrance over 15 years old online is a gamble and nobody is going to tell me it’s not. There is no guarantee the old fragrance was properly stored so you are taking a big chance. 15 years in some dude’s sock drawer or a bathroom medicine cabinet is not going to cut it… sorry. So before you drop $100 to $200 or more on a vintage bottle of Cristobal, I suggest you check out it’s twin brother Givenchy Pi. Only the most trained noses will notice the slightest of difference. More than 95% of people will not be able to tell the difference. And that includes fragheads such as myself.
artrix – :
A classic (and out of production) one, but it does not smell dated or old at all. Morover, it’s extremely classy and you can feel the very high quality to it. Top quality. Lots of charisma and character. Very manly and very elegant (but a different elegance than regular people are used to).
It’s a weird blend though, hard to define and/or classify. Something in between fresh and warm. It’s like (a mix all-together of) floral / citrusy / spicy / oriental / resinous woody / ambery / vanilla / hints of balsamic aromatic tobacco…
The result is amazing and DIFFERENT. So CLASSY and UNIQUE. I wear this when I really want to smell different.
It speaks of Spain, yes, not the Atlantic and colder one though, no, but rather the Mediterranean one…
I’d say it’s a “modern classic”, like watching a Picasso or Miró painting (rather than a Velázquez). They were painted decades ago but they still look modern and offer that absolute, distinctive and unmistakeable quality, class and uniqueness to their owners. But it could also perfectly represents that delicate beauty and timeless elegance from Sorolla’s paintings of those classy and well dressed women from the “Belle Epoque” walking across the seashore whilst feeling that unique Mediterranean breeze on their faces, those refreshing seawater splashes on their naked feet and that cozy warm Sun on their perfumed skins on a typical Summer day…
It evoques the atmosphere in an old antique & curiosity shop full of different things and essences but well matching at its best: aromatic plants, lemon & citrics, exotic woods, resins, amber, incense, spices, vanilla, tobacco…
Smooth power, refinement and rarety all together. UNIQUE! Like Balenciaga himself was and his style.
Very good performance on my skin (but nothing offensive or harsh) and grabs attention.
Highly recommended, although it’s discontinued and if you really want it, you have to pay almost a “fortune” to get it through Internet. What a pity!
aliksvyzist – :
this is something else.
for the first 10 minutes it throws at me all kind of notes tha remind me of different parfumes i had years ago like escape or chevingnion , roma. but it does not smell like them
its just the shifting of the notes on the way to
the dry down .
after 10 minutes it settle.
the 10 minutes start is amazing .
the dry down is so so good really love this i need to say
that is rare but i dont know to many parfums.
performance is ok,6 hours and it fades project for 2 hours ,
silage 3 hours but after the first hours its a bit quiet .
dont care i love it……much recomended..super classy scent.
enjoy
hromuy – :
First off, one point worth noting is that, Cristobal Pour Homme is quite a character by all means, good or bad, it’s not a quiet one. It also relentlessly redefined my reception of ‘sweetness’ for men’s fragrance in general, by which it still clearly stands as a men’s fragrance containing if not all, one signature note: Lavender. Some put this as fougere, some oriental, while some gourmet, but one obvious feature the moment it sprays out is sweetness, vanilla sweet with a fussy amber-woody undertone and a sharp lavender scream on top. You will recognize it in a way, you have smelled it more or less from someone before, but most likely less, no other contenders could’ve been any stronger or even as ‘bulky’, this blurry resemblance to so many others is not a good thing to begin with, it unfortunately assembles all classic men scents in a clumsy manner in my opinion, rather like a cook who’s traveled a bit, thinking of himself as ‘know it all, seen the world’, and starts his own ‘fusion’ with almost every bit of this and that, you like Thai? We have it, Sushi? Here you go, BBQ? Pizza? Spicy and sweet? Take’em all!
For the notes per se, main noticeable accords are lavender, fussy amber/woods and vanilla. I envy those who perceive tea, coffee and tobacco, or maybe sandalwood. My nose simply gets numbed by the first blast of candied lavender within vanilla sweetness, then days later to pick up some tamed woods left on shirt. I don’t know how people examine the quality of the material used as I merely get those three piecing notes rampaging like chaos, no shape, no depth, but long lasting boring vanilla ‘presence’. Current mediocre niche quality or novelty doesn’t necessarily contrast Cristobal and uplift it to a ‘high quality’ position, though it could still easily sit on now designer shelves and maybe sells well, just don’t really see a loss as it’s discontinued or even rare now.
And, I refuse to call it ‘juice’.
My rating: 4/10
lavrik770 – :
Masterpiece of haute perfumery. This juice is a proof of a time when efforts were made to create something outstanding. The fact that it doesn’t exist anymore just shows the lack of appreciation by the masses who rather hang on the bandwagon of Invictus or Aventus. This pure beauty is a smooth, elegant, intelligent blend of top quality ingredients. On me sandalwood, white pepper, tobacco and benzoin shine the most in different phases of its devine development. Superb!
finshes82 – :
Blind bought. My fault!
Close to Floris santal. Maybe a little Gucci envy – but no citrus. At any rate, unfortunately for me, this comes off as a typical 90’s sandalwood and lavender. Smells nice, but not worth adding if you have any of the other popular sandalwood scents.
max21012010 – :
Disappointing, reminds me of Givenchy Pi with that benzoin. I don’t understand how no one else has noticed this.
icebird – :
What a gem!!! I can’t get enough of it. strictly for cold weather. I never tried it but i think it’s gonna be too cloying in warmer weathers. very good longevity and projection. be careful it could be a bit to strong if you over spray.
seanbenitezin – :
Balenciaga’s Cristobal is a fragrance that used to be quite hyped a few years ago, but has now been quietly forgotten. This leaves only a core of fans left, and I’m glad to one of them.
Cristobal has luckily avoided the hype where it’s seen as being the pinnacle of fragrance. Instead it’s earned respect from those in the know.
The opening is a sort of “best of” of quite a few classic masculine fragrances. You have the classic bergamot-lavender accord that pays homage to Caron’s Pour Un Homme and Azzaro Pour Homme. It’s given a modern touch by being accompanied by hints of pepper.
The middle is a dense accord of a hint of dry cocoa, loads of rich sandalwood and a smidge of earthy patchouli.
The base is extremely dense. A potpourri of tobacco, amber, vanilla and benzoin.
It’s a fantastic fragrance. The blend is impeccable, the ingredient quality is extremely high.
I’ve read that Gerard Anthony, the perfumer of Cristobal, is also one of the perfumers behind Azzaro Pour Homme, and that quality is evident here. They both share a distinctive timelessness, and a sense that they aren’t made for the aristocracy. Instead both are fragrances made for the common man who wants to smell his absolutely best.
Really, I could rave on about Cristobal Pour Homme for days. However, it is perhaps a bit dull. Or rather, it’s a fragrance where you need to appreciate the subtle greatness of the composotion, rather than look for an in your face vulgarity that so many other modern masculine fragrances offer. This effect can make it seem a bit dull, but once you get to know it, it really isn’t dull at all.
In short, it’s a totally worthwhile addition to any fragrance, and a sure stop for anyone who is looking for the best of what contemporary perfumery has to offer.
Longevity is very good – 7-8 hours.
Rating: 9.5/10
BorodaLTI – :
Smells like the top notes of Fahrenheit, a mix of a hot & cold ‘something’. Opening smells dry, I thought it smelt common and ignored it. After about 3 hours I kept smelling something wonderful as I walked in the sun and into a mall. It was creamy, vanillic and in my face, very loud. To my surprise it was this cologne, 1 spray that I had applied to the back of my right hand. Fast forward a couple of hours later and it turns into powdery vanilla. Went home, took a bath and it was still there afterwards.
Projection: 10/10
Longevity: 10/10, over 10 hours on skin easily
Sillage: immense trails, it lasts too.
bby – :
One of my all time favorites, someone said it was similar to Rochas Man, not even on the same planet. Much better than Rochas and I like it as well but nothing alike. I will always own it as long as the prices are reasonable, harder to find now. Paid $40 when I first started wearing last bottle was $80, won’t pay more than that. But truly an outstanding fragrance.
Odobiapaino – :
This is an underrated and relatively unknown fougere, poised between Joop! Homme and Azaro Chrome. It is powdery, sweet and ever so slightly animalic. It opens green citrucy, turns powdery patchouli and then settles as a musky vanillic skin scent with a very tame amber nuance. This is not a statement maker. It smells innocent and inoffensive but definitely well made, ideal for a clean comfort scent that wears like second skin.
Taurnilia – :
A true masterpiece, little bit sweety and spicy but real masculin. Very long lasting and amazing aura.
teteCloup – :
I love this. The only problem I have with it (and it’s actually keeping me from wearing it) is that I find it very cloying. Almost every time I use it, I start to sneeze. I can use just one spray, and I feel like it’s attacking my face.
However, it smells divine. A light powdery/citrus/sandalwood fragrance. It lasts forever on my skin, and sillage seems to be good.
Too bad I won’t be wearing it much, but I’ll sniff the cap from time to time.
*sigh*
sod_classik – :
Sickly sweet and very long lasting….does not remind Pi or Rochas Man….yiah
Ксения Коваль – :
Amazing!!! Fresh,Clean,Spicy and dangerous all in one!!! I cant get enough of this classic scent!
snake-sn – :
Benzoin ruins this for me. Same old combo with amber and lavender. Have smelled this in a ton of fragrances and what kills it for me is that the benzoin gives them a distinct and cloying sweetness that makes it a scrubber.
3kilot – :
Okay, this Cristobal is not unique, not the best and may not be on your top 10.
But there is something going on with this on my skin and nose that can make women say, damn you smell so good. Why? It is not too loud, not too quiet, just moderately projecting, linear, yes but it belongs to those few linear scent that is capable of huge compliments.
Do I smell great? Yes, no contest. Do I smell fresh and yummy? Oh yes, definitely. Do I smell coffee? No. Do I smell Rochas Man? Nope. So why is Cristobal such a warm and well-refined performer on my skin and those around me? It is all up to you to find out. But to me, it is good enough to be a blind buy worthy, that is if you are into oriental woody, slight gourmand and moderate tonka, light powdery & spicy feel.
Cristobal is not a sour smell on my skin. It is not cloying to the nose. It has a wonderful, complimented top, average heart & quietly wonderful base. I just had 4 sprayed at work before going home, to test drive this frag and mind you, my male co-worker, very picky on scent, reacted just after I sprayed:
That scent smells so good! What is that?
Cristobal is shall I say, a cuddle scent, the kind that women would love to smell on a man. An after shower feel but not too fresh, not too sweet but more woody, herbal and balmy. It is at opposite pole with Balenciaga pour Homme. They are both amazing but completely scent different.
Versace Dreamer is the amazing strong woody and spicy,
Joop Homme is the strong sexy powdery spice and
Cristobal is the humbled yet super satisfying woody gourmand that would quietly sneak in and enchant your senses and those around you. Nuff said!
SHAH666MYRKA – :
“If bullfighting is death in the afternoon….she is death in the evening.” So said a character in “Blood and Sand” of Rita Hayworth as he observed her as she sat in the arena of Madrid devouring Tyrone Power with a look.
So the same could be said too of Cristobal by Balenciaga. To me it speaks of Spain, of the dry heat of the Andalusia summer, of flamenco, and tapas. It whispers Hemmingway in my ear as Ava Gardner dances barefoot in a gypsy camp. It is as powerful as Goya’s Naked Maja and as beautiful as Penélope Cruz. It is the sensuous majesty of a matador filtered though the eye of a great design house. It is incredible and it is rare. And it is no coincidence that Cristobal speaks through the filter of a Spain seen in the movies. In the 50’s Balenciaga was the design choice of so many elegant stars of Hollywood. Cristobal is a cinematically grand and sweeping masterpiece that looks back to the glamour of the first meeting of Hollywood and post war Europe.
So many masculine perfumes open with sharp violent notes; you will not find that here. The brilliant artemisia carries the white pepper, coriander, lavender and bergamot as they float onto the skin like a fine silk scarf falling in slow motion. It spreads on the skin as easy as caviar on warm toast. It is an amazing opening. As the heart notes come up Orientals come into play with a rich creamy coffee and tea blend that carry in their notes the pure beauty of the romance of patchouli, and sandalwood with a dusting of earthy geranium. This goes on and on and in a very warm and masculine self assured charm as the tobacco and vanilla come into play. Now you are in deep within the true magic of this fragrance. Coffee and vanilla with tobacco and the warmth of the amber and smoky incense of benzoin, this dry down is masterful and majestic.
This fragrance is for grown men, not for party boys or fly by the seat of the pants on what is hot at the moment gents. You had better know what you are doing, where you are going and what you want when you put this on. People will take notice. It really projects well and lasts a good eight to ten hours on my skin. It is not a power bomb but rather a persuader, seductive, alluring and always mysterious. Brilliant designed bottle also is a plus. Cristobal by Balenciaga simply stole my heart from the moment it touched my skin.
TEN PLATINUM AND DIAMOND STARS **********
komarex – :
Gerard Anthony and Balenciaga have put together, in my opinion, another absolutely incredible bottle of fragrance! In a word, exquisite. First off, I really like the flacon – sophisticated and classy, but modern. The juice itself, inside, is what its all about – this is very rich, but lifted and delightful.
This is a true Oriental Woody of terrific quality – I don’t get any synthetic notes here, none at all. Balenciaga is top-notch house and there are no corners cut here. The quality of the ingredients is outstanding! I love the top notes of spice & herbs – artemisia, coriander, white pepper (clean, but a nice earthy kick) along with a dash of nutmeg that helps transition the top into the wonderful tea note here. I get a bit of herbal mint tea mixed with a light Earl Grey (which is black tea infused with bergamot). Very nice – but warming up the entire time with a nice light coffee bean note late in the heart (for transition) towards the amber, benzoin and vanilla in the base along with some very nice, soft & elegant sandalwood and fresh, golden tobacco leaves (lifted note here, nothing like a rolled cigar or heavy). The oriental flavors blend nicely with the wood but never get overly sweet or cloying at all. Harmony. Balance. Beauty. This is exquisite!
What I find here is absolute, pure refinement and a masculine fragrance of wonderful depth & beauty. The key elements that make Cristobal Pour Homme so excellent are the wonderful fresh and clean, lifted notes throughout the entire scent (all the way to the pinch of tobacco leaves in the drydown) that keeps this from being another overly-sweet, sugary, heavy and cloying vanilla scent. It is one of the most gorgeous and well-integrated Orientals that utilize vanilla as a balancing basenote – to me, it is vanilla-tinged and not vanilla-centric. Benzoin resin is actually the key base component with amber, so it breathes on your skin and is less heavy. I find a totally natural quality to the benzoin note in this – not synthetic at all…which some orientals can turn towards due to their lack of quality in ingredients. That is why I love it so much!
Excellent work by a true artist and master perfumier in Gerard Anthony. To achieve this fragrance took balance, great understanding of how to lift the olfactory senses from the top through the middle and base while allowing the vanilla and amber to add their true “flavor” and warmth – genius. Salud! Final score – 9.5/10. Captivating and revelatory. Near perfection!
vasile matei – :
To me, this smells just like the unisex fragrance “Gaultier 2” by Jean Paul Gaultier. Agree?
Although I own both this and Gaultier 2, I would prefer to wear this rare hard-to-find (lately) fragrance over the common department store-carried Gaultier 2 any day.
This isn’t my favorite type of fragrance, but it is perfect for the professional, sophisticated, classy, suit-and-tie, mature man. You only need to wear a little, otherwise, it might be too much.
RobRuban – :
My favorite. Masculine yet smooth. Like sky76sky
has put it THIS IS PURE CLASS 😉
tsw_71 – :
I remember sampling this 10 years ago, I loved it but didn’t buy it because it was too similar to Envy. Similar, not better. So what would have been the point?
Altroza – :
I managed to buy a bottle of Cristobal by Balenciaga. After reading the reviews I still don’t find similarity with Rochas Man, sorry.
However it strongly reminds me of Joop! Homme. I don’t know why since the don’t share many notes but still, Cristobal is 80% Joop! Homme, only a bit muted and bit sweeter. It’s the quiet introverted version of Joop!.
Anyway, more wearable than Joop! too, a safer choice. I like it!
xrystik – :
How I miss the original Balenciaga for men, the one in the white square bottle with the green malichite lid? Oh well! It was simply perrrrfect and I loved smelling it on my man, now I guess we have to be satisfied with this. I wish he would bring back the original!
smartin – :
people can you tell me is this one similar to the female version(Cristobal for women)??/thanx
hzt174speagoessenda – :
It is indeed somewhat similar to Rochas Man, but i prefer this one, since the flower notes are muted and it smells beautiful.
OBELIX – :
hm my opinion is, that this is a heartbreak scent, that knocks you down, when you use it in right moment…fantastic,,,not so good as joop homme, but almost so great
rsqgxlraopf – :
Now this is pure class. Restrained, refined, strongly masculine yet sweetly smooth.
On a girl like me the vanilla-amber-cedar dry down is devine – clean, yet warm & soft. On men I have noted that their natural man-muskiness changes this into a more husky, lightly spicy tobacco affair, which is delightful. It’s sweet, it’s spicy, it’s warm, it’s woody but everything has been combined with skill & such a light touch that all the notes meld & merge harmoniously into one…which screams class.
This is ideal for the office (I agree with the previous reviews, apply sparingly). It is very self-assured. My friend describes it as his wedding-party scent as it has good breeding, intrigues friends & charms quality ladies. I think he expects a bit too much from his fragrance, but agree that it is a scent that needs a wearer that embodies such qualities.
aamir – :
Excellent cologne. Suitable for cooler temperatures. I agree with the previous poster that Cristobal is powerful. One spray or two short spritz are enough. Vaguely similar to Rochas Man but classier in my opinion.
Alex_prat – :
Extremely masculine and powerful, more than 2 sprays is dangerous! Very classy and one of the longest lasting fragrances. A good choice for formal settings, a little too much for daily use. I’d recommend this for 30+ gentleman.