Description
Gentlemen Only Absolute is a new fragrance by Givenchy, which comes out in the summer of 2016. The fragrance is a rich Eau de Parfum version of the “Gentleman at his best.” Gentlemen Only from 2013 represents a modern tribute to the classic Givenchy Gentlemen from 1974. It was followed by Gentlemen Only Intense in early 2014, Gentlemen Only Casual Chic in early 2015 and Gentlemen Only Parisian Break in early 2016.
Gentlemen Only Absolute, inspired by high fashion of the Givenchy house, is announced as the scent of contemporary refined and elegant men. The sensual oriental, woody and spicy composition tends to embody class, sophistication and style. Pungent, slightly metallic bergamot in the top is followed by the warm heart which contains a trio of spices: nutmeg, cinnamon and saffron. A sensual combination of sandalwood and vanilla wraps the base of the perfume.
The face of the collection is Australian actor Simon Baker. The bottle of the standard design of the collection comes in a lacquered black outfit with red accents. The fragrance is available as a 50 and 100 ml Eau de Parfum.
xim – :
I have got my bottle when first came out so I don’t know if they watered down it little bit because mine performe really good. Extra dose of saffron and cinnamon. Super autumn / winter scent. Crowd pleaser. Safe to work. Good.
Scent : 7/10
Longevity : 10/10
Sillage : 8/10
add503 – :
The scents ok, nice cinnamon hit, comes off very metallic and bubblegum-ish. It’s ok, nothing special about it. Honestly this will probably be one of my back burner scents. Ones that I rarely use.
The performance is poor.
The sillage is poor
And the longevity is poor
It’s an overall weak scent. Go for spicebomb ext and save your money.
5/10 imo.
seola71 – :
Funny story, my young brother told me just a few days ago how his mate at school always smelt really good & this friend of his would spray all the other boys in the classroom (cute) including my brother. He came home and told me to smell his jumper… I was like :/ what? Why?… He insisted I do, so I did. He then asked if it smelt good, I had to be honest and say yeah it does. (IT DID) haha. Mind you my brother is 14, he told me “my mate at school wears this & I really enjoy the smell”.
I asked if he knew the name, and he goes I was shy to ask.. (Youngster) I told him that if he wanted it, he had to ask, so he did the next day. He got back from school & had written down on his arm lol.
I brought my little king his 100ml. Was totally wrapped. Loved the smile on his face.
The scent itself smells bloody gooood!! The notes seem accurate, & my nose picks up most of them. Longevity with 2 sprays on my arm (I had to try) I got a good 7-8 hours.
This won’t let you down.
Cheerseperm – :
A copy fragrance like Viktor&Rolf Spicebomb extreme!! Givenchy Gentlemen Only Absolute is classic it has cinnamon, vanilla and bergamot it is spicy and fresh but also it is very metallic, clean, ozonic…Can put it in winter, fall seasons only.
gauss – :
Everyone talks about the spice and vanilla in this. Yes, it is spicy, but also it is very metallic, clean, ozonic – like a classic barbershop scent. I get hot, clean ironing when I smell this. Must be the saffron. Modern barbershop scent anyone?
triehiche – :
Creamy vanilla with some cinnamon and nutmeg. Good one to my nose. It’s not a straight to your face fragrance, sits close to skin, projection is quite poor on me, but still, the scent is really nice and mature. Nothing extremely masculine yet would hard to mistake it for unisex.
Kinda classy impression, really. Warmer, creamy, slightly sweet. Fall to early spring suitable.
To me 7/10
joker1306 – :
سلام به همگي
اين رابحه همون اسپايس بمب هست كمي ملايم و نرم تر
البته با اين قينت اصلا به صرفه نيست
نه ماندگاري بالايي داره و نه كيفيت خوب مثل اسپايس بمب
پخش بو هن بهتره بگيم فقط در ١٥ دقيقه اول
:))))
قيمتي كه من خريدم براي ١٠٠ ميل قيمت ٢٩٠ تومان كه اصلا راضي نيستم
به نظر من با اين قيمت اصلا نخريد
zsicom – :
It’s lovely fregranc smooth, warm, friendly…
Works on my skin on silence way and make my mood better
I like it.
aspipismWam – :
This is a lighter version of Spicebomb…its not projecting and its not as long lasting on me as Spicebomb..pass for me as already owning Spacebomb and Bvlgari Man in Black.
petralexxx – :
Tried this as a tester on Saturday. Loved it, did not smell too sweet (to me or my lady anyway). Lovely warm likely spiced scent that got better as the day wore on …… lasted from 10am when tested and was still good at 7.15pm when I showered. Very sophisticated scent and had some great comments from people including my partner and she is a tough one to please! Better pick up a bottle this weekend 🙂
MrDariys – :
this is very nice,sweet and deep,i do get the similarity to spicebomb,although i dont really get spices from this just the sweetness,it lasts quite well,perhaps a little expensive but still a very good buy.
wifes rating….7.5/10
my rating…….8.5/10
Dapscoips – :
I find this one to be just a pleasant fragrance, that stays very close to the skin, even though is an Eau de Parfum. For me it does not have any outstanding elements that would make me want to buy another bottle.
I think this is the 3rd time I am wearing it, and I have not had any compliments so far. IMO not the best from the Gentlemen only flankers.
waha502 – :
I love it.
I smell all the notes and occasionally I get a mild Smokey vibe in my fragrance cloud, even tho it’s not listed as a note. Now I don’t smoke, but for the record I think this scent would be perfect to cover up cigarette smell. I’m sure Audrey Hepburn would approve. But would she approve of Simon Baker? Oh well, at least it’s not Brad Pitt or Johnny Drop, James Franco ok well let that one slide, but Adam Lambert or P diddy? Give me a break. Obvious celebrity bribed endorsements come across so fake. Let your fragrance brand speak for itself. When you pay a celebrity, you give them the power to represent your brand. Its too much power and cheapens you. Makes you seem desperate. Let your brand hold the power to make new celebrities. They should be fans of you. Just like A.H. was of Givenchy.
barbarastrejsent – :
Sweet and Spicy, it reminds me of Christmas. The cinnamony goodness lasts a good while until it dries down into a more familiar Givenchy Gentleman Only signature.
When it’s in it’s wheelhouse, it’s really quite nice. An occasion scent for sure. I can imagine that this would be gorgeous on a snowy evening. It’s a happy scent that evokes fond memories, dignified but more cordial than self important. Well worth your while!
thanhhai2009n – :
Thanks for the input @janneman45. Is it greener than London? Imo London could use a huge dose of cardamom, star anise and maybe cypress. I’ll probably get this anyhow. Givenchy rarely dissappoints:)
bogdanoleg – :
Yes, I find it has the same vibe as Burberry London.
It gives a nice warm feeling with a Christmas Vibe.
Think the cinnamon does the job.
Best is if you can to smell/sample it on skin…
sagu – :
Can someone fill me in? As to if this is anything like Burberry London or Cigar Commander?? Thanks in advance:)
AVXuqu85 – :
it reminds me of Joop Wild and Spicebomb but i think it is a much better version. My female friends love it
Dendik – :
Not bad, similar to eaux des baux
valarr – :
Love the cinammon/nutmeg scent but I wish there was more sillage associated with it. It projects weakly, no more than an arms length.
ivaco – :
This smells like 212 splash. i cant tell the difference. Nothing special.
pavel.el – :
Christmas in a bottle.
I still can’t get enough of it. I bought the 100ml bottle instantly. I just knew I had to have it in my collection. The scent smells a lot like baked cinnamon rolls, but with a Christmas pine tree vibe to it. It’s very sweet, the first hour, but it quickly evolves in a more spicier and deeper scent. I had this one moment when after a hard day of work I walked past a couple girls by the bar later that evening and they all turned their heads towards me when they smelled it. That should say enough. I get why people say that this is a better version of the One Million, but I wouldn’t say that too quick. In my opinion, I say this is the best one in the Gentlemen Only line. It’s rich, warm and sweet all-in-one. I wouldn’t recommend wearing this during the day or in spring/summer. It’s an excellent night-out fragrance. The woman of your dreams will definitely notice you now.
kolob2000 – :
I’m personally not a fan of Spicebomb, but I like this. I think this is more similar to the syrupy cinnamon in 1 Million than it is Spicebomb. This is a bit more grown up than 1 Million, but I currently still prefer the latter. I’d buy this for the right price, but first I’d need to make it through my 6.7oz bottle of 1 Million, which may never happen…
Honestly, the only real let down with this one is strength/projection, as this doesn’t really project well enough at all.
ANDI – :
This is gorgeous cardamom and in general spices base fragrance. I wear it myself and can’t get enough. I smell, especially in the beginning, beautiful warm cardamom surrounded by other spices. It is not sharp or cheap, it is classy and chic, for evening wear. Not too sweet, just right. One of my greatest discoveries.
Escotsloonomy – :
This is one of those scents which you cant wear on jeans and t shirts or leather jackets, this is class with elegance.Yes it has the DNA of Spice Bomb and Man In Black but but much more sophisticated,Rich,refined and playful… imho the spices and warmness of notes is well balanced with a dark but soothing wibe …… I have both MIB & SB but i prefer this more from my collection. Good Solid 8 plus hrs longevity and decent projection. Worth a buy.
Xeroxnocgp – :
Just had a spritz of this in Boots (U.K. Store). This is very sweet, spicy, long lasting and really nice. A bit like Spicebomb. I wouldn’t mind getting this one for sure.
vipleARORSRip – :
Really? Eight years after the dividing release of 1M and four after VR’s (somehow inspired in the latter) Spicebomb, Givenchy comes along with this unimaginative product?…
Of course it’s not a carbon copy of one nor the other but, in my eyes it just adds a little spicy twist to the first one and takes a hint of the flowery vanilla from the second… and that’s it.
Personally I don’t care for these type of scents but in case you do, I’d suggest going with a flanker of the Rabanne’s house or any of the family of SB… at least you’re giving credit to the original ones.
———————————————————–
De Verdad? Ocho años después del lanzamiento bisagra de 1M y cuatro después del Spicebomb de VR (de alguna manera inspirado en éste último), Givenchy sale al mercado con este producto poco imaginativo?…
Por supuesto, no es una copia fiel de uno ni el otro pero, en mis ojos sólo le suma un poco de picante al primero y toma una reminiscencia de la vainilla floreada del segundo… y eso es todo.
Personalmente no me interesan este tipo de fragancias, pero en caso de que lo hagas, sugeriría ir con un flanker de la casa de Rabanne o cualquiera de la familia de SB … al menos le estrías dando crédito a los originales.
ser-648 – :
Office and work friendly Spicebomb.
Slightly darker opening and more woods as it develops. Less syrupy than spicebomb and lower projection.
Definitely not a beast mode fragrance but a fantastic work scent if the wearer wants a V&R Spicebomb or Bvlgari Man in Black scent without that clubbing feel.
Huge difference between the air sillage and up close smell. Extensive sampling is definitely required….but worth it.
Prices are dropping and 1.7oz is frequently around $30 online with 3.4oz close to $50.
Histoires Parfum 1899 is creamier, Bvlgari Man Black is darker and has more leather, and of course Spicebomb is the loudest and sweetest.
….but this is definitely a likable release. Thumbs up!
salar – :
Definitely worth a purchase. Find it somewhat similar to Bvlgari Man in Black in the after hour dry down, less loud/potent maybe, better for the office. Nice!
zanbor – :
What spicebomb should have been. Cinnamon opening with a bit of vanilla in the heart. Dries down to a nice semi sweet woody scent. For grown men. A bit powdery but just a bit. Only projects for the first hour bUT lasts all day. Very nice. 9/10.
kenflendy – :
This is a cinnamon bomb, like 1 Million. Smells very good but nothing new or special. Still, its a good addition to the line Gentlemen only. It’s a 7/10 overall.
k52 – :
I really dont know how can compared it to Bb London or One Million. One million is for newbie disco kids, London is for bored life middle aged’s, but this one is for modern, exciting, demanding guys.
Longevity is more than average, sillage is moderate but enough for compliments.
Really underrated about the reviews. Sad cause far better than those opinions, I think.
volk2010777 – :
The opening is very nice, reminds spice bomb bubblegum but more dark and has sophisticated depth. The dry down (30min) is very similar to 212 VIP men wild party. I’ve read good things about this frag so I’m surprised to discover that it is nothing unique.. it’s no more then nice.
kotearka – :
not bat, even if it isnt something that happens onc ein a million years.
i like its warmth and depth, it is oriental but clean. there is something fake about the whole composition, like “i am tryinx to look ….. but in fact …”
but it does smell warm and pleasant.
probbaly will not be buying it – i am trying to find something a bit more unusual.
radmir – :
Pleasant, feminine type fragrance to me, soft. I believe it is best for intimate occasions. Not an office nor an outdoor type of fragrance. I would give it an C+/B- rating only because of low sillage. Longevity is pretty good, ~12 hours.
kgbskull – :
It’s an interesting scent but nothing new at all. I’ve smelt it before a million times. A toned down bubblegum scent. It’s an EDP but the performance is for an EDT. Both longevity and projection are unacceptable for EDP concentration. Shame.
Occasions to wear it. Club? No. Dates? No. Everyday use? Yes!
I like it but definitely does not deserve to buy a bottle except if you love it.
seller_2007 – :
i tried this as it is givenchy and a house i respect. i had high expectations. sadly i was mistaken. it smells of bubble gum kind of paco rabanne’s one million just softer. just as someone has previously written, i don’t have an issue with feminine scents, i wear some so not an issue. but it is sweet as in la vie a belle just subtler. i sprayed shalimar edp by guerlain and it was way too masculine compared to this one. and yes i wear shalimar and opium and samsara. something went wrong here… oh well
smetanka163 – :
Spicy,woody and sweet. Pretty much a clean and modern smell but nothing unique, I feel like I have smelt it before.
Dementr – :
Over the Summer this costs $150 on Ebay. Now you can find a 3.3 oz tester at $40 which is more like it. I get the comparison to scents that have been mentioned but I will take a different approach on it. It’s basically a light scent that is meant for romantic encounters and not for the club. It’s an alternative to The One by D&G and other frags that get bashed by beast mode lovers but are favored by most women. You don’t have to “stick out” to be noticed. This scent justifies that to the fullest. Longevity and sillage is average which is appropriate for this scent and if you can find it at $50 and below then go for it!
vigreb – :
Among all my recent purshases of sweet scents (Azzaro Wanted, Eternity Now and One Million Privé) this is the best. It’s true is fairly familiar (as it happens with all the others) but it doesn’t make it less good. And it is the best of the Givenchy Only family I have tried so far (I own or owned the regular, Intense and Casual Chic versions). It is less strong, and fortunately I don’t get that Givenchy Only signature which I find annoying. Also, it has a tone that makes me remember a spicy note I get from O Boticário Quasar Fire (I could say Xeryus Rouge but I used so little to be more precise). Anyway, I´m ok with it, and this quickly became my choice among the others I mentioned, which I´ll problaby sell.
algositesse – :
Very good scent for winter season but reminds me a lot Body Kouros.
Alachrudy – :
I was blown away by how bad this scent is! This is not givenchy، I can’t believe it.
I understand how companies are trying to jump on the hype train of sweet woody/ambry scents, but this is a mess, a very sweet gummy scents that smells outdated. A flanker to Gentlemen only? This is a joke…
Smells really cheap.
Smells somehow similar to sculpture by Nikos which was very popular in the nineties.
hly237Negeltzex – :
Quite a nice woody-spicy scent with bergamot and cinnamon at the opening with just a touch of citrus, followed by vanilla and saffron as it settles down. All pretty nicely balanced for my taste so that nothing is jumping out to much but still nicely present and noticeable.
Just slightly sweet scent makes it to nicely fit into this colder time of year.
It has rather soft and cozy projection and it lasted about 4-5 hours on me.
Gave it a few days to wear and overall I would say it is a nice and pleasant fragrance but without that wow effect (at least for me).
mishenka – :
Sweet, spicy, woody.
Similar to Burberry London & Spicebomb.
I’d rank it second after London & before Spicebomb,
Not a very original smell but definitely not a bad one.
=========
UPDATE 03/03/2017
I think my review is very accurate. It has similarities to Spicebomb & BB London, & I’d rank it in between them with London first.
rrd581speagoessenda – :
The shelves are already over-stocked with Absolute / Noir / Intense offerings, so it seems very “me too” of Givenchy to put this on the market. To be fair, I find most of these sweet-spicy-boozy sprays unpalatable – even the toned-down ones – so this was never really going to do it for me …
Still … not original, not interesting, not compelling. How this rates up around 3.90 is a mystery to me. On the other hand, Burberry London for Men, which I like even less, gets a much higher approval rating (4.23), so go figure!
sarocan – :
Givenchy Gentlemen Only Absolute smells pleasantly spicy (mainly cinnamon but not overpowering) when you first spray it on with a hint of a bubblegum-ey smell to it.. After a few minutes, the scent of the spices dies down, leaving you with something that smells a lot like a subtle of version Paco Rabbane One Million.
> Spray Paco Rabanne One Million
> Reduce the bubblegum-ness
> Bake cinnamon rolls
> This is the smell you’ll get
Longevity and silage are both good in my opinion.
Sairusvirus – :
I was given this one as a present by a friend who knows I like a good “woody-spicy” perfume. Givenchy Gentlemen Only Absolute is rather nice. I think it has a soft projection and I found it lasted about 6 hours on me – a reasonable length of time.
It’s certainly woody-spicy and definitely on the sweet side. It opens with a lovely aroma of nutmeg and cinnamon with a hint of bergamot on top, which soon fades and is replaced mostly by a nice, warm vanilla. A little sandalwood creeps in later on but it remains broadly the same throughout once the bergamot has faded. I can’t honestly say I smell any saffron but perhaps that’s just my nose letting me down.
This is a nice perfume and I might buy myself a replacement bottle but I think that I will have to let one or two of my current bottles expire first before I can justify it for myself. But it’s probably the best new Givenchy perfume since Pour Homme Blue Label in 2004 and I’m certainly happy to recommend it to anyone looking for a woody-spicy perfume that’s on the sweet side.
Irelle – :
What is with Givenchy and making flankers that smell nothing like the original fragrance? Pi Neo is an example of this. Pi Neo smells NOTHING like Pi, but they stuck Pi on it anyway. Givenchy needs to get over their fear of just calling unique colognes something new instead of slapping an existing name on it. Now on to what I actually think of this thing. I’ve explained my thoughts on Gentlemen Only on its page. Clearly, I’m not a fan of the original. This one, however, is pretty amazing. I saw this at Sephora the other day and I had no idea it existed up until this point. I was shocked when I smelled it. I did not expect a warm and spicy scent to come out considering the original is an earthy/green scent. I’m definitely going to preserve my sample and I hope to pick up a full bottle eventually.
Jeorgebes – :
a tonka synth bomb! not different from a lot of mass market scents nowadays!
rewsd – :
Gummy.
To me, the other gentleman editions are better.
dgek007 – :
Reminds me of spicebomb extrem tho
i would not have bought this over
spicebomb, it is an oki scent a bit
soft spicy but boringly safe, try
before you buy.
903600Oleg – :
nothing of new…a quite bubblegum scent.4/10.
coke2 – :
True, there is a Burberry London like feel to it. Reminds me of Christmas, kinda’
Spicebomb edt is very dry compared to Gentlemen Only edp, which makes it so much different for my taste.
kotcombat – :
To me it has the same christmas vibe as Burberry London Men
Roman-21 – :
IMO it’s somewhere between Costume National Homme and Viktor&Rolf Spicebomb Extreme.
Very sweet off the bat, I can smell something like cherry liqeur. Then, the spices come out. It’s a vanilla-nutmeg-tonka mix. If cinnamon is here, it’s rather in the background.
Over 9 hours longevity and good sillage.
Decent in general. Didn’t convince me though.
SnadaySlosy – :
I’ve tried this one yesterday: close to Viktor and Rolf’s SpiceBomb. Nice scent without a WOW effect.
Kron – :
Another 1Millionish boring scent.. Nice performance, nice smell but not a new scent. I’ve tried this before.. I know the smell. 1 Million Paco Rabanne. In my opinion, it’s not worth buying it.
lexamen – :
To my nose and from my impression it is the best one of the Gentlemen line.
The vanilla is trans magical! The cinnamon as well.
Absolute gets it’s grown up factor by some tobacco, sandalwood and saffron as well.
Anyhow I’m generally not a fan of sweet scents, so for me it’s easy to relinquish.
In fact, if you are wearing a suit this could easily live up to the level of DH. If you fit that criteria you have to give this one a chance.
angelika – :
Tried this in superdrug UK today ..spicy..hint of tobacco ..slightly powdery and clean in a superb long lasting dry down ..very promising scent for winter ..certainly better than boss the scent!
Sosechoom – :
I have tested it today. Quite nice sweet spicy fragrance ala 1 million or Spicebomb. It does smell good but a redundant release.
fylhtq.ru – :
Didn’t really like the bottle, and on initial test felt that it was a heavy xmas-season foody fragrance. An hour after test its calmed and left a delicious vanilla-cinnamon mix, which includes a dash of saffron. Its nice, but question the timing of its release – its an autumn / winter scent, preferably evening wear.
One note of caution; 90 minutes after testing its reduced to a really faint vanilla/sandalwood mix
wedma24 – :
This is an absolute cracker from Givenchy, they really are treating us to some awesome fragrances, this possibly being the best of the bunch. The word ‘Absolute suits it extremely well. It’s a fusion of dark, sweet and spicy, a fabulous blend of ingredients. The bottle too, beautifully designed. Givenchy, credit to you!!
Samantha_fromAF – :
A lovely, heavy wintry spicey (bomb) of a scent, with a creamy vanilla base, an opening that hints at the citrus of casual chic, and a cinammon /gourmond nutmeg blast of pure deliciousness that really makes it stand out from the other generic designer scents on the shelves of my local Boots. It’s a good one, very sweet, very nice indeed.
KyzjaTV – :
It is out now in UK.
Found it in local Boots store for about 50£ for 50ml and around 70£ for 100ml.
Gorgeous scent,still on me after spraying 3 hrs ago.
scelafe – :
It’s not out yet
Indibrebins – :
This looks like a signature worthy scent if you ask Me….
I really liked the other Gentlemen Only Releases But Never expected them to put out an EDP .. They are pretty strong as is ! Anyway got a shock today as I see there is one up for sale on EBAY already and its Not supposed to be out till Later on this Year …. Cant wait to give this a try!
stavor2006 – :
Eau de Parfum? I’m definitely trying this out, especially with the sandalwood and saffron notes!