Description
No.88 cologne was created in 1980.
It was named after Czech & Speake’s Original
address in Jermyn Street London, where Frank
Sawkins started his luxurious bathing and aromatics
business.
The first and most complex of all the aromatics
family, No.88 has a fresh, woody top note of
reviving and uplifting bergamot, the richness and
warmth of geranium, rose otto, cassie, and exotic
frangipani. Combined with dry base notes of vetiver
and sandalwood, this modern classic has a fullbodied,
sophisticated sensuality, which leaves a
lasting impression.
Available in 100ml Cologne. Introduced in 1980. The nose is Shirley Brody. The nose behind this fragrance is John Stephen.
vfif1999 – :
“Reviving and uplifting”? This is like a funeral for an old man: dead flowers and old man smell.
tur4ik – :
For a rose & incense scent, their is nothing out there that can beat this fragrance. I have used this since the early 90’s. Some people claim that this is hard to wear. I think it is easy to wear as long as it is colder weather. You can wear it at the office, but I would prefer to wear it at the weekends or in the evening when having a few drinks at the golf club with friends.
You will not find many people wearing this as it is not easy to get your hands on if you live in the USA. I would recommend this fragrance to anyone who like Interlude man by Amouage, although they are not similar in any way, except for the fact that they each have incense in the formulation and they are both extremely lovable.
rfhfrjkm – :
C&S’s No.88 is a classy, masculine and old world scent but retains a modern aura; suitable for both formal and casual occasions.
If you enjoy earthy, dark, floral accords then you’re going to love No.88
zamost – :
All aboard the debauchery train! Last stop Dracula’s arsehole. God took a blowtorch and melted the 80s powerhouse scents and this is the result.
Yes I DO like it
Scoossyjacy – :
In the 80’s i bought this after seeing an advert in the Arena magazine. I loved it, very manly. I remember getting a few comments, mainly good ones. I dont go in for all this opening stuff, settling down thingy and sillage or projection shit, i either like it or i dont.
Scroll forward a lot of years, being 50, i opted to try some again. The wife loves it, the ladies at work in the office are divided, the younger ones really like it and say its very manly.
A lady slightly older and a male colleague don’t. They say it smells like damp, rotting wood or foul smelling fungi. I even had someone tell me it smells like age dried marijuana.
I still like it however and find it’s better during the winter months (meaning October to April in the UK).
I don’t think i’ll buy it again, but i will enjoy it while i have some left.
Score wise 7/10
Expensive compared to the far better Quorum
Very British, great bottle though.
sanya.432306 – :
I love this scent so much, I just wish it had more longevity. Both my husband and I wear it, especially in the summer here in the U.K. . I adore the geranium notes in this fragrance and the blend of woods and herbs too. I always get compliments when I wear this one, from both sexes.
merk60 – :
I bought this on the strength of a sample C&S sent me, since I was looking for a heavy, somewhat old-fashioned nighttime scent and this seemed to fit the bill. Unfortunately, for reasons very strange to me, the full bottle I now own doesn’t work at all on me and actually seems to have completely different basenotes from the sample. I’m not sure what it is, but this goes full-on dried-sweat on me after just a few minutes and that never entirely goes away. I’ve tested it multiple times now, and every time there’s that gross, stale, animalic smell under a bit of soap and rose. Very confused. I definitely won’t be wearing this outside, or anywhere. A bummer, as I now have a full bottle. At least it’s a pretty bottle. . .
lenlickrambling – :
Scent – rose, lime, geranium & sandalwood.
Season/Time of Day – I prefer to use this one in the warmer months, during the day.
Projection – I didn’t get noticed, I didn’t get a compliment.
Longevity – I get 8hrs consistently.
arturik – :
Really beautiful and dressy hardcore rose for men. I’m surprised incense is not in the notes because for me it’s a strong deja-vu reminder of rose scented Indian incense from my childhood and how obsessed I was with it. Also some really animalistic stuff is happening at the base. Very masculine, very macho, charismatic and stylishly abrasive. Yet for me it goes into never wear again box.
pegas-misha – :
To me, this brings back something very classy from the 80s. The brazen sweet creaminess of the frangipani, the green and nostalgic notes of cassis/currant leaves and geranium, with some classic powdery combo of rose and sandalwood. A cosy vintage scent, perfect to wear on a humid warm evening.
girl2009 – :
Based on a sample I have, this is probably the most barbershop fragrance that I’ve ever encountered, outside of Pinaud. Quite honestly, when I first spray it, I find the intial spray to be almost identical to Pinaud.
After it dries down, I do smell a bit of powder and a hint of rose or floral combination. Sillage is soft to moderate.
As far as the comparison to Montale’s black aoud, the only similarities I see are that they both have rose. Black Aoud is a harsh, smoky fragrance that obscures the rose throughout and there is no obscurity with this fragrance. No. 88 is a soft presentation of rose that stays that way throughout the life of the scent.
There’s pros and cons to me with this one and I’m less than impressed with what is supposed to be the flagship fragrance for this company.
Bottom line: Pinaud aftershave that’s been tweaked with a hint of rose.
Pros: Traditional, barbershop, inoffensive and clean.
Cons: Average scent, overpriced.
PaulaHillm – :
K1 you wrote exactly what i think of this frag.
I can just add that it is a beautiful powdery rose for the man. Traditional but uncommon at the same time. Everything to be a classic, in the good way. Very high quality ingredients, it’s obvious when you smell it.
My quest for the masculine rose perfume is over.
Kenan – :
A nice complex, sophisticated and masculine, soapy rose with geranium aura. Nice to wear when dressed up for an evening occasion and certain you will get many compliments. Not offensive in any way but refined and stimulating assuming the price point is what you are willing to pay for such a unique, classy and mysterious scent.
pmi631bedyWelty – :
This review is based on their sample. I get rose otto and sandalwood mostly. Reminds me of Hammam Bouquet by Penhaligon’s without the musk. Marketed for men but I feel it’s more unisex. Definitely not feminine. A confident man can easily pull this off. For an EdC, this one has better projection than most other in the line. It has moderate projection and good longevity on my skin. I’m actually quite enjoying this one more than Hammam Bouquet. I can see why it’s their flagship scent. It’s elegantly English!
tram777 – :
For my nose this is the most soapy perfume that I ever smelled! I tried to separate notes, but it was difficult for me – every time I sniffed my wrist I smelled just soap, soap and soap… It’s said perfumes evoke memories from childhood – I guess, I had most of soap bars smelling like this (I collected soap bars when I was a kid).
Anyway, there is geranium mixed with woody dry base, the vetiver is very noticeable, that I like a lot. No.88 is totally unisex for me, pleasant and clean.
I would like to smell it on someone else, just for curiosity to learn if I smell something else than soap.
Vladimik – :
This stuff is weird. It opens with a soapy rose which seems almost candied, but like Middle Eastern or East Asian candies that taste unmistakeably “different” from western candy. (I can understand why people say it’s a masculine rose, though.) Then within a few minutes comes a deep, sharp woodiness, which feels heavy, dirty and chemical when combined with the remaining rose. It starts to become a big mess where I’m not sure I can pick out anything in particular. There’s something in there similar to the old-rubber-band accord that I get from my newer Heritage decant. It just feels tacky for some reason…I think the piercing rose stays just intense enough to annoy me with its sharp pointiness. By the end, a little arid wood (cedar?) comes into the picture to cut some of the sweetness, and you’re finally left with a vague incenceyness. I guess I just don’t understand what the perfumer was going for, though I won’t deny the quality of the ingredients. To me, it’s mostly just a vase of wilting flowers.
kitana111 – :
This one has a very oriental aura to me. No 88 makes me think of indian shops, and while i kind of like this aroma, i don`t know if you would feel comfortable wearing it frequently due to this indian shop aura. No 88 starts with a spicy, incensed rose aura. It`s curious that there isn`t spices listed on the pyramid, i do get some mixed with the rose. The rose is sensual, intense, slightly incensed, and it projects over a sandalwood base that is what makes me think of the indian shops. It`s intense at the first 3-4 hours, then it calms down to a soft woody incense aura. This could work amazingly as an exotic incense stick aroma. But for me, on my skin, it doesn`t work so fine.
bybis – :
Who says it’s for men!… heady, sexy, expensive, divine!
keremet78 – :
This is mislabelled. It is definitely suitable for women. On my skin, this is a woody rose-geranium scent that stays close to the skin. There is a powdery dry-down as well.
200768 – :
huge silage and duration, dusky and heavy, surely masculine to the top..it’s not a cologne for sure…
dimadze – :
guys it smells like aftershave cologne,,soooo bad and doesn’t worth the money !! 0/10
Seolancerbd – :
To my nose, Czech & Speake No 88 is a very woody floriental with something of a chypre feeling as well. Subtley is not one of the virtues of this perfume. Sillage is big and longevity is good, so once again I have to disagree with the categorization of this liquid as a cologne, but, hey, better to err in this direction than in the other!
I guess that, when all is said and sniffed, I find 88 to be a bit heavy-handed. The vetiver seems rough and scratchy–almost harsh–here, and it must be the geranium which is contributing a kind of sharp intensity to the composition. Other fragrance community websites call this unisex, as does the card accompanying the manufacturer’s sample which I am testing. As they put it: “Enjoyed by both men and women.” Hmmm… not so much by this woman. Désolée.
ghd708elipseskism – :
This review is of the vintage Forester formulation of No. 88.
Czech and Speake No. 88, in the vintage formula, is a breathtakingly gorgeous masculine rose. It is flanked by frankincense and what smells like a long-lasting neroli. It’s dark, gothic, and nearly morbid, yet warm and inviting in every way. If you’re a fan of dark smells or black metal, you need to try this. This is, of course, gauging the vintage formula. I’ve heard the new stuff is a little lighter and brighter, so I’ll update this review when I try the new one!
victor2007 – :
I love this on my husband. It is sexy and individual, and he always gets comments when he wears it (from other men too!).
eer733Unlogrere – :
Smelling this I kind of regret I am not a man- it is a great fragrance, but way too masculine to pull of as a unisex fragrance. A really great combo of rose, geranium and vetyver (I live vetyver). Hm, a possible present for my dad for Christmas this year?
A type of scent that would be appropriate for both every day and an evening. Woody, aromatic, elegant, I would say very British, but it also touches something slightly more exotic that the streets of London City thanks to frangipani. A ray of sunshine on a busy street.
It also changes quite a lot on the skin. It starts of quite calm, but from time to time it gets revived by the bright citrus accords. I did not detected them at first, but they definitely stay quietly in the background and revive the scent from there.
ромуальдо – :
It’s one of the more idiosyncratic scents – some people it is stunning on, others have something in their skin chemistry (like my partner….) that makes it smell terrible. I’ve never met anyone that wasn’t captivated by the smell straight from the bottle though. Definitely my #1 signature scent.
Opiym – :
If smelling like the back of a plastic watch after you’ve been wearing it for 10 years is what you like then this is for you. Extremely unique scent but not for me, sillage and longevity is moderate. Someone said this is something Dracula would wear and I agree, will definitely chase everyone out of the room.
justmoz – :
Overpowering elements of rose and a soap-like drydown made this a bit of a headache inducing affair for me. I love the old English retro feel of the bottle design, but from my experience, the fragrances of Czech & Speake aimed at guys, come second to those of Penhaligons (sorry to any C&S fans out there).
iuretss – :
Hmmm strange…looking at the notes and other reviews I am wondering if I have got a mis-labeled sample.
This is quite similar to Cuba but rather more masculine and ‘clean’ feeling. Both No 88 and Cuba feel rather boozy and have this ‘shimmering’ quality, it’s difficult to describe what I mean by that but both fragrances seem to be constantly moving, one note nudging another one out, only for it to pop back a few minutes later. They never seem to settle into one groove, and I find that quite exciting.
At the opening I do get a boozy kind of bergamot, almost like Grand Marnier, with carnation peeping through. Combined with the booziness it actually feels more like a powdery clove. The rose is there but only just, I find the vetiver quite strong here but this fragrance retains it’s warmth (I sometimes find vetiver a bit cold and clinical)The frangipani is barely discernable, for me all the florals except the carnation are so discreet that it merely softens the composition. It’s definately a woody fragrance, feels rather more like rich mahogany or rosewood to me for most of it’s duration, the sandalwood only coming through in the drydown. I rather like it, but would I spring for a full bottle? At those prices, the jury is out…
yuran1970 – :
This is supposed to be a “man’s” scent, but I find it completely unisex. It starts out very citrusy, presumably the bergamot, but fairly quickly changes to a rose scent boosted by citrus and geranium. I really didn’t detect much of the woody notes that are supposed to be there, but the rose-geranium scent lasts all day, and is strong enough to mask them. C&S 88 is a pleasant, aromatic scent with enough complexity to be interesting, and strong enough to get me through a day at work and night out afterwards. It starts and ends like a walk through a highly scented herb garden, with a rose garden in the middle.
kilisoaia – :
Ozzy Osbourne wears it hehehe…
I am thinking of Vampire when I smell this. I really enjoy it in the first 2 hours as it is very fresh roses with a touch of sour (frangipani?). Sad it turns into a soapy ‘lointain’ (far away) great roses it had in the first 2 hours or so.
If I had not discovered Black Aoud, I would probably buy this magnifique scent.
9/10