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sweshogue – :
Luca Turin’s infamous declaration that Duc de Vervins is “…the worst fougère of all time” is difficult to fathom. No explanation of any kind followed that bold statement. On the other hand, Perfume Blogger “Pour Monsieur” disagreed strongly with Turin. User reviews swing wildly from high praise to outright disdain. All those strongly conflicting opinions left me not knowing what to think.
Now, having worn the fragrance for several weeks, I think Duc de Vervins smells like a fresher, drier, less sweet version of Van Cleef & Arpels’ Tsar—green, bitter and herbal. The citrusy-green opening might be a bit sharp and bright for some, but once it settles down, I find Duc de Vervins to be a quiet and subtle scent. Fresh, yes—but not what I would call loud. The truth is, Duc de Vervins turned out to be surprisingly refined. Yes, quite nice. I can’t imagine what Mr. Turin was thinking.
natyla – :
I stumbled upon a large batch of old school men’s fragrances and Houbigant Duc de Vervins may have been my favorite of the whole lot. This is the aromatic of dreams. Sage, lavender, oakmoss, rosemary. This is the smell of a Simon & Garfunkel lullaby. It’s definitely not a leather fragrance, but it does give the impression of expensive clothing, a well cut jacket, maybe with leather patches on the elbows. Argyle socks. A man who does not watch television and his musical taste scares you slightly. I wish my father had worn this one when I was growing up.
mdma603 – :
1985. This fragrance reeks of 1985, but, in a good way. Like a cross between Drakkar Nior and Polo Green, but in a symphonatic way. The top notes mirror Drakkar, mids and base greener, citric, soapy yes, masculine, absolutely. In a croud of drunken aquatics you will stand out and make memories, you are getting laid. Quality juice.
serg060870 – :
I don’t mind admitting I’ve become a big fan of these “dated” 80’s men’s colognes a.k.a. “powerhouses”. We shouldn’t need to spray so much we get a headache or that great nostril burn. We should need to layer it with a soap & deoderant just to smell it on ourselves for more than 2 hrs. There’s nothing wrong with a powerhouse, the real problem is the relative weakness of so many short lived skinscents passing for men’s cologne now. Slumping popular taste is causing gems like this to go undiscovered or overlooked by many who are new to fragrances. Another example of slumping popular taste, the fact that Davidoff’s Relax was discontinued. Coty made the decision based on lack of demand, or perhaps a good reformulation was proving hard to create. In any case, this is one of those great green colognes that will always be in my collection.
P.S. The EDP version L’Extreme is great as well. Just different enough to make it necessary to have both imho.
Баста – :
A great fougere I discovered recently.
MissoriNomnot – :
Soapy, clean, herbal and green, it’s RL Polo Crest meets Tsar. I like it – it’s just my kind of fragrance, although typically, I’d reach for Tsar first. Still, it’s a nice alternative to have. For what it’s worth, I don’t notice the similarity to Drakkar Noir.
Deader – :
PS: after a few days of wearing this, i find it a very well done, charming, manly, classy, invigorating fragrance. Its one of those giants which you need to give time. Judging this from the top notes after the initial spray is a huge mistake. First of all, give it a full day wearing. This is not your usual easy come / easy go scent. This is performing (and changing) throughout the entire day. Its amazing how the citrus comes forward after 4-5 hours wearing the fragrance under your shirt, where its get boosted by your body heat. Lovely and lively green with citrus and oak moss make this a perfect signature scent for the 35+ aged gentleman.
galka7323 – :
Now Iam gonna write something which Iam sure nobody picked up yet. the was a fragrance from Amyway (yes Amway) which was called Bois d’Ebene. I wore that 23 years ago and utterly loved it for its green, woody vibe. It disappeared never to be found again. Actually Anway had a very nice line up at the time! Now, DV just brought me back to exactly that scent. Its almost the same. I think Amway may have copied this at the time. I am grateful to my Friend John who sent me this as I have found a long lost friend….
PETROSIAON – :
This is quite offensive 80s power house gentlemen macho fragrance, very citrus with quite enormous silage.
But the cool down (dry down) turns into piss essence sharply disturbing and quite tough.
Fiilya – :
The start of this fragrance is not all that pleasant. A very loud brash wash of greens, bergamot, lavender, and oakmoss. I bought this blind, because a number of people I share tastes in common with were giving it a thumbs up, so I took a chance. I was dismayed at first, but recalled how getting to know a fragrance takes time.
After an hour, I sniff the back of my hand and the experience is now much better. It doesn’t come off like a stuffy bergamot and oakmoss rich 80’s fragrance, instead conveying a clean and fresh “green” impression. The sage, nutmeg, and rosemary get a chance to breathe and bring forth a slightly more appealing aroma. This is not a powerhouse fragrance, though. It does share some “chords” with vintage TSAR, but isn’t as powerful. It’s more approachable and unfortunately more soapy. Yeah, quite soapy indeed. Irish Spring? I haven’t used that soap in decades but it came to mind.
I have to admit that there is a “cheapness” to this fragrance, and part of what telegraphs this is the gold chromed plastic trim. On the bottom of the bottle, the vacuform mold pips are still there, like that on a cheap Chinese plastic toy. Even the cap feels like it is throw-away.
Well, for the fragrance? I couldn’t take it. It’s too soapy… too “old school” smelling. I appreciate vintage fragrances, not vintage air fresheners. I had to pass on this and take a loss selling it for a good 30% less than what I paid, but I feel better now. And not so happy with this house. They have a legendary name, for their fougere. But this? It’s an insult to it.
Houbigant.
Howbygant.
HowbyGod… did they make this?
yurij.bondarenko2 – :
I agree with Vegas. It’s a classic,powerhouse old school scent. A bit too macho for modern men. I am one of these modern men. It’s very potent and heavy on oakmoss which is not my friend. It was made in 85 and smells like it. 1985 was a great year as my Bears won the Super Bowl! I can see Singletary rocking this but not me.
shevarus – :
Really green, really strong and really really heavy. Kind of a cross between the original green Polo and Brut and a touch of Tsar. Very strong sharp herbal and woody notes with a noticeable metallic underlining. It does have an expensive well crafted air about it and maybe an older gentleman who is a banker in a three piece suit behind a marble desk could pull this off. I certainly cannot. I could not imagine anyone using this on a regular basis.
I remember selling this at Neiman Marcus in the 90’s and at the time it was the most expensive bottle of men’s cologne we sold. A 4.2 oz spray went for $160 I think. Now it can be found on line in the $40-$50 dollar range. Maybe a good value, but I would not recommend anyone buying this blind, you should know what you are getting into with this one.
kdp1974 – :
One of the very few men’s fragrances my husband likes. I love it too. It has green notes and isn’t so sweet and fruity, a combination which is pretty hard to find these days. And, for the record, some of us have no unpleasant baggage with Drakkar Noir. We discovered it in the late 90s and fell in love with it. I still think it is a fabulous men’s fragrance, one of the few he and I both love. Both DV and Drakkar Noir lack a lot of the trendy and synthetic notes we hate so much in current scents.
Юльчик79 – :
Since I have this one and tsar I can say, vervins does not smells like tsar. I like both, but in my opinion they are not even close. With me vervins is long lasting, does not bother me or others. It’s a masculine scent and I feel very confident wearing this one. Certainly, I will always have one vervins in my collection.
devladov – :
Wow, this has gotten a lot of bad reviews. I like it. It smells like a gentleman, is long lasting, and is a classic scent. It’s even a bit mature for me, I feel, but I still enjoy it. I have l’Extreme edp version. It’s nice, and I’m almost out.
serega_104 – :
Hey, the Seventies called: they want their aromatic fougeres back!
This stuff, in addition to having a pretentious name, is badly dated. Think disco. Yes, it smells like Drakkar Noir. (But I actually like current formulation Drakkar.)
In a word, this is obnoxious. Up to this point I thought that, being a 57 year old guy, I’d like just about any fragrance for men from my youth. Wrong.
When I was more or less freshly sprayed and walking around like Pepe LePew this morning, a guy plunked himself down in the seat next to me on the Metro. I wanted to turn to him and say, “Do you want to reconsider? You’ll be sorry.”
Today I shall ape the aristos and require people to refer to me as “Vervins,” as if I were landed gentry.
bds – :
somewhat similar to drakkar noir but reminds me more of azzaro acteur. drakkar noir is better.
natuk88 – :
(My Perfumed Court sample started to evaporate before my current round of sniffing this, so hopefully I only lost solvent and the smell is still true.) This is a really nice green scent, and a wealthier relative of Drakkar Noir, as everyone else has said. More specifically I’d place it into the space between the smokier, butterier DN and the brighter, sweeter Bowling Green. The opening is a refreshing medium green, neither very bright with unnecessary citrus nor very dark with moss and vetiver. Its sweetness falls toward the sweet end of being believably grassy, and goes no further for the time being. Soon it starts to get bracingly sharp, and a little musky from up close…very masculine, almost like taking the piney components of Yatagan or Polo without much of the leather or the harsher herbs. Scents like those two have led me to place a limit on how sharp I’m willing to go, and DdV falls just shy of that limit. By the base, it develops a sweet undercurrent similar to BG’s cinnamon leaf, but DdV has slightly less of it than BG, and I’d say does a better job of it, maybe with some extra cedar.
As a side note, this is a classy, upscale product, and I’m sure they wanted it to come across as very “old money.” Unfortunately the big gold initials on the bottle look like something a rapper would wear on a neck chain, or the logo that a 1950s Texas oil millionaire would engrave on the gates to his ranch…decidedly “new money.” Very strange contradiction in packaging.
dimulya1975 – :
I just received a new bottle of Duc today, the extreme version instead of the original. When I got my first bottle back in the 90’s, many of the women at work could not get enough of the smell. I can assure you that it was the fragrance, not me. A couple of them bought bottles for themselves even though they considered it a very masculine scent. They didn’t wear it out on dates; they just kept it at home or in their work lockers to spray on their own wrists, just to be able to smell it through the day.
raimuks1 – :
Man oh man, ain’t this the man! Houbigant’s Duc de Vervins is macho all the way, as in – loud and proud, we are heading back to the 80’s! Strong as bull. And yes, it does appear to have Drakkar Noir in its DNA.
Out of the gate it’s fresh and remains so and so and so. A solid mix of citrus, wood and some spice. Never have taken to lavender but here it is kept in check.
Smells solid in that mano y mano way. Not clear this is a purchase for yours truly but I will give it my endorsement. Probably best for Wall Street types and that upper crust country club player.
Sillage and longevity are great. Keeps giving when others have gone home to rest. The packaging/ bottle are class.. Royalty all the way. Best, the price is in line with the new world order.
Based on three samples over three months.
ilzh – :
I just LOVE this stuff! Clean, forest, green, celery, cucumber, fresh air, flowing stream…these are the things this scent brings to my mind. Drakkar Noir? Uh…sorry…not seeing it. I don’t get the comparison with Drakkar. Drakkar was the stuff all the guys in my highschool were wearing (if they weren’t wearing Polo). Drakkar smells “cheap” next to this one, in my opinion. My wife and I really like DV alot but neither of us likes Drakkar. I’d go as far to say that they are in different classes. Drakkar is pedestrian; DV is elite. No insult intended toward Drakkar men. I know many women who think Drakkar smells fantastic on a man. I just think DV smells substantially better. If you’re a Drakkar man, pay me no mind…carry on. This scent is amazingly clean, green, and masculine to me. Definitely a keeper! The only complaint I could have–which could be said of many fragrances–is that the EdT is a bit short-lived. I put on a generous amount to see how my wife liked it on me and after about 3 hours, it was very faint. I suppose that’s to be expected with an EdT. I think debborra said sums it up much better than I can.
oeb601speagoessenda – :
Very green and well-made aromatic fougere fashioned in the classic style – from the house (Houbigant) that made the first ever fougere (Fougere Royale) in 1882. There is tradition here and it comes out in this bottle.
It’s been around for 20 years, yet under the radar to most. Other fougeres from the 70’s and 80’s dominated the space…Paco Rabanne Pour Homme, Azzaro, Drakkar Noir, Tsar, etc. I am glad I came “back” to this.
Shamus1 and marioslg3 have great perspective here, and debbborra hits a key note that is prevalent to my olfactory senses – the celery seed (& possibly cumin?) Definitely separating this from Drakkar Noir. It stays green, but slightly austere and a touch dry if applied light (I found the key is to apply close to the skin and let it saturate/focus) – the scent shows much better this way. Please see my update below. I have to believe that the slight dry spice is the cumin/celery seed note, but it is warmed with the amber in the base. The oakmoss still provides some great depth – but there is a dusty vibe in the heart that extends into the drydown of oakmoss if applied light and from distance. I don’t dislike it and have actually found nice note separation here (which is a ‘tip of the hat’ to the qualiy of the ingredients), but it also eliminates this from all the immediate comparisons. Which I’m glad, because I would buy Guy Laroche’s bottle if I wanted that. To a beginner, the differences are subtle – to a refined nose, they are very apparent.
The overall scent pyramid is spot on with Shamus1’s – “lime, basil, sage, juniper and, above all, OAKMOSS”. I would like to add to that a pinch of lavender, dash of artemisia in the top (the main point where I get the Drakkar Noir association), dried rosemary, and a touch of fir that my nose picked up. Once the initial citrus fades (which also includes bergamot & lemon), this turns into a nice warm, well-integrated fougere – plus that cumin/celery seed note enters, lingering through the base for me – giving a touch drier moss (lichen) note than expected. Still good, but…different. Very natural, indeed. Well done.
All in all – I like this bottle & am glad I got it. It has a hint of ‘brash’ macho, but is more about refinement…at the same time. A good fragrance, but not as easily wearable as Drakkar Noir for me – which can be casual or formal…Duc de Vervins stays more formal. Revised score after further wearing next to Drakkar Noir & Tsar – 7.5+/10. A solid composition of quality that would be excellent with proper attire – if you have a houndstooth vest (or jacket) and sport a nice derby hat, this would be excellent scent to compliment. 😉
*Update* – I wore this several more times and have enjoyed each wearing. There is definitive quality in this bottle. The cumin/celery seed note, while still a note in the composition, actually shows more when one applies this lightly and sprays from distance. It is a unique note that I am not totally turned off by, but I found that close application (just an inch or so off your skin) and apply liberally…this really keeps Duc de Vervins more “damp” and mossy – the drydown more green & fresh. Try it, if you want. I also like to apply this to my neck with an unscented after shave balm, which further adds moisture…so not on dry skin. And, finally, a layered application helps as well. Apply close, let it get to the late heart & beginning of the drydown and layer another few sprays directly on top. This really brings the citrus, lavender, and mossy greenness to the forefront. The cumin note is actually rather faint – it becomes more integrated less ‘intrusive’. Once I did this a couple of times, I realized the affinity I have with this fragrance is actually stronger. Comparisons aside – Duc de Vervins is not a “subsitute” in my collection for Drakkar Noir or Tsar – but a great bottle of scent on its own merit. I, personally, find something unique and different in all three bottles and each offers something very good (or even excellent). Revised score – 7.8/10. Cheers.
sOSo – :
just got a couple of package samples of this.wow i was impressed as a fan of 80’s scents, never had been exposed to this one.had the houbigant musk a long time ago..this is a wonderful masculine scent..i can sort of see the drakkar comparison, but i find more appealing than that even though i liked drakkar..i prefer this one..i get a sort of azzaro type feel as well..at the opening for me. i will purchase some very soon..i would love to have this one for my rotation…i could see myself wearing this more than i thought i might. it is a very clean scent…not really getting the leather feeling i get from fuel for men from donna karan….so i can find my self adding this and putting right on the side of bottle of fuel. nice one.i get pretty good longivity with this one as well, i think is is a lovely frangrance,2 thumbs up with a snap from me..
esusernameh4 – :
Compare this with the perfumes of Guy Laroche and Van Cleef & Arpels – not quite correct.
It’s like comparing mannered aristocrat with stableman))
From the information from the official site that this fragrance is a modern interpretation of the original Fougere Royale … from which the basic formula is taken.
So Drakkar Noir and Tsar – nervously smoking in aside.
Sinyindisee – :
I bought this back in 1998 at Nordstrom when I was only in my 20s. The sexy saleslady in the cosmetics department suggested I buy this one…and me being a sucker listened to her.
The smell is nice…but was too mature for me at that time. Now in my 30s…it’s a bit more appropriate.
DV is definitely a more mature powerhouse fragrance. Should be worn by the 35+ group.
Also should be used for night time, formal events, winter, fall, and cold weather.
MaxNova – :
This is NOT a leather fragrance, though I smell hints of a worn leather smell in the drydown. This is an aromatic fougere with hints of leather.
I agree with marioslg’s comparison to Drakkar and Tsar – it’s got the basic heavy, muscle-bound Drakkar fougere style, with Tsar’s greenness. Duc de Vervins is teeming with lovely green and herbal notes: lime, basil, sage, juniper and, above all, OAKMOSS. This is primarily an oakmoss bomb, with all the other notes providing supporting roles.
Duc de Vervins is a great scent, but I don’t find it very refined. I can’t imagine some aristocrat wearing this, even though Houbigant markets it as such. This is a heavy macho fragrance, more like an 80s powerhouse fragrance.
MY RATING: 8/10
Тимур777 – :
opening the box, i relaized that i was supposed to smell something very masculine that rings a bell for something else….and i was trying to recall which perfume smells the same. Unfortunately, i was unable to identify the perfume and finally, that was because DV reminds me two perfumes, not one. it is a mix of two perfumes, drakkar noir and Tsar. it took vide of drakkar and the soapy smell of Tsar. Tsar for me is much better than Drakkar but DV is better than Tsar. we are talking for a strong perfume that indeed makes a statement….”I’m a strong perfume for mature men”. The scent is rather old fashioned but can be wore today especially in autumn and winter. It is not a sport perfume but a classic office or night one. Immediately you identify the citrus, spice and greeness once you apply….after some minutes, you are still getting them with a touch of soap. the perfume lasts and lasts almost all day…..i give 9/10 for all, longevity, sillage etc and is doesnt get 10 of 10 due to the fact that is old fashioned.
On this subject, i would like to point out something. nowadays, all mainstream companies are producing almost identical perfumes so the public has either to move to a niche one (those that can affort) or to find something that is not so common and these perfumes are either old or not so well known.
Niche perfumes and especially creed have been copied by mainstream companies but sometimes, mainstream companies have been copied by niche ones.
UPDATE
the perfume is very classy and especially in fall/winter, very refreshing with green woody smell…..masterpiece but you have to appreciate.
Woompiseesmap – :
I tested Duc de Vervins on my wrist in Neiman-Marcus today. I had to do a double take at first sniff. Had I accidentally tested Drakkar Noir? No, the bottle is definitely green not black. Wow! When(if) I finish my bottle of Drakkar Noir this is what I’m getting instead. The best way to describe Duc de Vervins is it’s Drakkar Noir “Intense”. Very, very similar(same) scent but more potent and longer lasting. DdV has a powdery quality(amber?) in drydown that I don’t get in DN. More refined. More expensive. Not really similar to Tsar in my opinion. If you like DN you will LOVE this one. It’s 100% masculine!
MIKE911 – :
Think of Duc de Vervins as gold and Drakkar Noir as nickle.
It is like the idea of Drakkar Noir was taken and improved upon. More pure natural oils less synthetics as Drakkar also some additional notes added.
The EDT is perfect long lasting but subtle. Where that EDP version project more sillage and makes itself know respectable.
Age 38 and up established business male that has all the toys in life.
7404040 – :
One of my TOP 5. Duc de Vervins is an aristocratic version of Drakkar Noir. 10/10.
Nattpraniny – :
Woodsy, long-lasting lavender with a celery top.
I quite liked this one, and my wife did, too. 4 out of 5
Nikloka – :
Duc de Vernis fresh green and amber smell and a woody aromatic fragrance.Have it allure and it is strong and long lasting.Tsar this smell is same..but more raw. This is have very good allure..8/10
krolik2592 – :
I love this great fresh green smell.
Someone who loves Drakkar Noir by Guy laroche will easily fall in love with this one.It’s smells look like,but Duc de Vervins is much more better.It last more than 12 hours on me!
hrach66 – :
A masterpiece! What else can one say?
sesidnev – :
Sometimes a fragrance just sneaks up on you and makes you fall in love.
This is undeniably masculine, and virile. It is also fresh. A lot of very green scents will go funny on skin. They become sort of rotten smelling. Duc de Vervins does not suffer from this problem. It stays lovely through out.
If you read my Gli Odori review, you’ll know that I like the cuminy smell that rises from, I guess, the celery seed. There is a hint of that in this Houbigant, however it is much more subdued. Here, it’s a interesting contrast to the sweet and citrus notes without any sweat connotations.
I love this smell, perhaps passionately.
No, Andy, I didn’t get leather. But I wasn’t searching for it.