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akj002Diobtetty – :
One of my all-time favorite colognes. Unfortunately it’s dated, but too me it still smells so good. A clean, fresh masculine scent.
dfktynbyf – :
Royal Copenhagen is a sweet oriental, yet somehow the overall effect is cool rather than warm. It feels brisk and bracing even though the ingredients would suggest something warm and a bit spicy. H & R’s Fragrance Guide lists the components as:
Top: Bergamot, lemon, lime, aldehyde, cardamom, green note
Middle: Rose, jasmine, patchouli, orris, carnation, cedarwood, vetiver
Base: Tonka, amber, honey, moss, vanilla, musk, heliotrope
It resembles Kanon original (another Scandinavian-themed sweet oriental) a little, and its descendants include such classics as Lagerfeld, Chaps, Stetson, and JHL.
It also has an affinity with Zizanie and Imperial del Oro’s Russian Leather, which I suspect may have been among the inspirations for RC. A 5-star classic!
NicArcarius – :
Strong soapy musky old guy. It is true to its intended purpose and market. It had its true popularity when it was released and those same men wear it today. Its like the guy who still rocks Brut or Stetson. That’s their jam, but does it really correlate to today’s trends and style? Absolutely not, so its a good thing that they revamped their company look and fragrances with a whole new line. Hopefully some of those old school gentlemen get out and give those a try, MODERNIZE!
fantoma – :
Such a wonderful and soothing scent. I love throwing some on after I get out of the shower at night before bed.
nemo1112 – :
Very confident fragrance
btw, i can smell it on me right now and its just over the top ladies and gentlemans. muhehehe11!
A definately signature for me?
Vandalist 69 – :
Musk, honey and lavender is what I get, and something very impressive in the opening 10 seconds that would
The honey could be perceived as civet by some, which explains why there are so many links to old people in the reviews below.
claviss – :
Some of the criticism of the scent is fair: it is a bit medicinal and dank; it is reminiscent of an event space that was filled earlier in the evening by older gentlemen doused in musky lavenders and ladies in aldehydic florals. But I love it for those very reasons–love the superb tobacco, vanilla, honey, lime overlay, the cannabis head, the amber and heliotrope heart.
0_35 – :
I blind bought this after using the after shower splash they used to offer(which was great). It smelled like an old man’s nut sack and I threw it away after one use. Truly one of the worst colognes to ever be made.
___Andrew___ – :
I received this as a gift. As such, I tried my best to wear it and attempted to force myself to like it. I threw it in the trash can, salvaged it, only to repeat that process once again. However, I can only describe this fragrance as vile. I cannot force myself to tolerate it.
Fast forward about a month from when I received this as a gift. I found myself in a convention setting and someone walks in and sits down behind me wearing this. I knew the scent straight away and proceeded to endure what it must feel like to be water boarded in the fragrance world as I was forced to breathe in this vomitous vapor cloud. I went through the single negative emotion that a man has: angry. Thankfully, the dry-down on this isn’t quite as offensive as the full on top. It only smells like a double dosed soiled baby diaper with the powder and all on the dry down. I managed not to upchuck somehow, but I will never sit by the perp who dragged this concoction into an assembly style forum again. I have his name and may send him some anonymous samples of finer perfumes.
Blaspruriousa – :
This is indeed very similar to Stetson as far as I can tell. I am comparing very recent bottles of the two, probably 2014 or 2015. However, I like (tolerate?) Stetson better, because some bitter, quasi animalic accord that for me is the link between the two seems to work well in Stetson, and not work in Royal Copenhagen. I suspect that this is the accord that gives the “bitter edge” RobbieX mentioned. Anyway, not bad, but while there is Stetson, I would go with that. It might be worthwhile to track down a vintage to find out if (or rather, how much,) it was better back in the day.
serj1985 – :
I am reviewing based on my business associate…who wears this fragrance with frequency. I am NOT an owner nor will I be!
Pure baby powder with a hint of honeyed-vanilla…that’s all she wrote folks! Nice if you’re an obstetrician among little ones all day…outside of that, not one of the more sophisticated fragrances out there…I don’t see any resemblance to Zizanie save the intense ‘powdery’ feeling…very unique for the 20 minutes it seems to last.
pammiks – :
I have a deep love for this scent. It starts off as baby powder before drying into this warm masculine vanilla scent. It’s as if it takes you from birth to maturity throughout the day in the best smelling way possible.
witasq – :
A nice cheapy that is well worth owning because it is quite unique, inoffensive, soft and so very retro. It is very powdery but there is more going on and underneath lays a nice masculine backbone.
Jshar – :
Unoffensive, manly and does its job like it’s supposed to, just like Grandpa and that’s why he wore it.
andryshenka7 – :
See username to know that I am new to fragrances but am becoming obsessed. For me, I primarily get powdery floral notes with patchouli. It’s definitely a classic fragrance and not like the fresh, clean fragrances that are more common these days. From what I remember of Stetson from way back in the day, plus comparing the notes between the two, Royal Copenhagen reminds me of Stetson.
Танкист – :
Long lasting, good sillage fresh & clean scent.
No, its not “modern” but it is one I use rather commonly and I do enjoy the powdery scent with the floral hints that become more evident and complex after the dry-down.
A decently strong presentation without being offensive or overwhelming.
A reliable, inexpensive workhorse.
smeernov – :
Ah, youth. It’s like a stroll down memory lane. I wore this often when I was in High School…that’s where I should have left it. I have an older bottle that clearly indicates that it is not the reformulation. It goes on with a burst of lavender and bergamot. It then fades into a carnation and vetiver, then for HOURS you get this over powering powder and heliotrope funk that makes you feel like your into your a great granddad. The cologne is of the 70’s…and that’s the way it makes you feel. Great for nostalgia…but, that’s where I think I’ll leave it.
finxxxx – :
Very Old School, and, one of my favorite fragrances for men. Masculine, Clean,and, Sexy.
_E_N_O_T_ – :
If you are in old school fragrances, it’s a gem… I like it very much : a manly one, but very different from other vintage scents like Quorum or Sung because it softens in a musky and vanillic way and doesn’t offend anyone. A classic.
lysfure – :
While at JR, the big discount place alongside I-95 in North Carolina, I smelled this on a paper strip for the first time.
I have been avoiding the Copenhagen line for no good reason, really. I have it in my head that they probably smell badly dated and are fit only for older men who have gone to seed, or do not possess the mental dexterity to try something else after a few decades of dedicated use. (You know, you’ve seen old men wearing vinyl shoes. Those guys.) And, besides, this stuff is blue. Experience teaches me again and again that I don’t like scents for men which are blue.
And doesn’t the Royal Copenhagen line have a rather bad reputation among perfumistos and perfumistas?
But, hey. It’s… kind of nice. Very soft, very powdery. I suppose merely spraying a liquid baby powder on myself is not advisable, but… I need to give this a better try.
—————
Tried on wrist: Wow – liquid vanilla baby powder! I like this, but I’d probably never wear it. It smells too much like baby powder. It’s in the same category as the cuddly Hermes Equipage, the soft Hermes Narcisse Bleu and Avon Wild Country, which smells not wild but like baby wipes.
siffQuiered – :
I like Old School perfumes. Now with that confession out of the way, Royal Copenhagen is one of the better ones. To my nose, this is a aldehydic Vanilla Musk with hints of tobacco,florals, some sweetness which i am guessing is the honey or tonka bean. The dry down is a nice powdery vanilla musk that goes on and on. The longevity on me for RC is fantastic. I sprayed it on this morning, and now almost 10 hours later I still get strong whiffs coming off me. This is on the same axis as Dunhill Cologne, Stetson, Aramis, so if you have liked and used any of them, RC will fit into your wardrobe very comfortably. moderate projection, great longevity, lovely scent. 8/10 for me. This would seem dated to most unless you like powdery scents.
Edit : This just smells so clean and powdery, it’s perfect when you come home tired and sweaty after a long day’s work, take a shower, and maybe it’s the baby powder association but I sure sleep like a baby when I have this on. I just find this scent very comforting.
Tyfkaka – :
memories of high school and early college. this and drakkar were my go to scents. what I used to love about the Copenhagen was that I could wear it to a beer party or to a wedding. the longevity was phenomenal and would leave you with a warm easy feeling. kinda like when mom used to bake cookies in the winter. sadly, this is no longer the case. definitely seek out the vintage formula on this you will not be disappointed. also, I used to wear the musk aftershave balm with this and the 2 scents combined were magnificent.
9manuu – :
The opening is very powdery then it settles down into a floral musk with a bitter edge. This has less aldehydes in this and is more complex compared with the sister fragrance (Musk). I do like the Musk version much more though. This is different to Musk and is more potent and much more floral. Royal Copenhagen is a nice white musk and floral scent that has quite a silage and lasts too! This may turn out to be too powdery for me. In my opinion this is unisex.
bfk826speagoessenda – :
When I first got this, I sprayed it on paper.
OMG!!! WTH is this??
In high school I once went on a field trip to a hospital. We were given the grand tour and at one point we stopped briefly in the psych ward. One thing that stood out for me was a certain floral-clinical smell. It was different from other parts of the hospital. I didn’t think much of it and then forgot about it for decades… until now. THIS reminded me of that smell. Yikes!
So I was totally apprehensive about spraying it on me. I waited a week until I finally got up enough nerve to give it a go. I didn’t like the start. That hospital fragrance lingered. Yuck.
But then something happened. That clean floral chemical edge began to disappear. It took a little while but before long this became a pretty decent complex scent. Not bad at all. I’m not sure it’s my kind of scent, but I won’t bash it to kingdom come because of that. On its own, this is well done. Btw, the version I have is the spray bottle with the large black cap, not the small color striped one.
UPDATE: I was going to get rid of this, but before doing so I let it sit collecting dust for a few weeks. Then out of curiosity, I sprayed it on my hand once more. Very different experience. Now I get this solid aldehyde heavy vanilla powdery musk, with some tobacco and sweetness of honey. Underneath that there’s still more going on. It’s a dated scent alright, but quite nice in its own right. Definitely not a safe blind-buy. Solid 7/10.
Thaggekgeophy – :
As previously stated by others…if you can get your hands on the old stuff it’s great! Powdery, fresh, clean smelling.
I really loved it in the late 80’s & early 90’s. After an abscence of about 10 years I bought another bottle, I assume of the reformulated stuff. Something in it bothered my eyes. I sprayed it on my chest and my eyes felt puffy & watery. Maybe I had an allergic reaction? Now I can’t wear it.
pupa-33 – :
If you can find a bottle of ‘vintage’, this is truly a beautiful fragrance, very true to the note pyramid shown. In it’s own way, RC was ahead of it’s time(again-I’m talking about vintage ONLY); mixing all these different ingredients is certainly something ‘Now’. Again, IMHO, a truly tremendous fragrance. Under the only review for another underappreciated gem, ‘Colours for Men by Alexander Julian’, the reviewer(whom i greatly respect for his knowledge of ‘Frags’) noted a similiarity between the two. I agree.
As someone born in the early ’60’s, i enjoy ‘old school’ & ‘new school’ fragrances. I would say i have a rather broad pallet. Again, truly a magnificent fragrance, IF you can get a hold of the vintage.
Semper Fi & Peace….
P.S. How do you know if it is Vintage? Answer: there will be the ‘Swank’ label
on the bottle- this was the original manufacturer/ distrubuter.
desch – :
In this fragrance traditional cologne notes like lavender, cardamon, carnation and vetiver take on a unique personality with the pairing of honey, tobacco and a creamy musk. They also get slightly green with the addition of patchouli.
As mentioned by Mancorp there is a scent of fresh talc applied right after a hot soapy shower. It’s almost like you want to wipe the steam off the mirrors in order to shave. That said, there is also an Elmer’s glue type scent in the background that doesn’t fade away for at least an hour. A bit out of place – adds a waxy marzipan scent but not unpleasant.
The genius of this scent is the minimal spice and confident pairing of florals and musk. At first it’s as if I am waiting for the spice to kick in – a bit like wanting to sneeze. But as the fragrance relaxes after ten minutes the little nuances peek out and relieve the itch. Even though the aldehydes are voted the most prominent note I’m not sure I agree. I feel more musk, florals and lavender than aldehyde – unless it’s a coconut aldehyde which would make sense.
The combination of the unique mix of notes makes it smell soapy, powdery, creamy, citrusy, ambery all at once. It has a little abrasiveness without any spiciness.
This fragrance has a little bit of so many oddly coupled things yet it balances out nicely. I don’t get too much of any one note. It’s like a slowly boiled stew where every ingredient takes on the character of the whole.
I like it – and considering I’ve been around since the seventies I’m surprised this is the first time I’ve purchased a bottle. A long wait but worth it – if only for nostalgia sake.
.morojenko. – :
This is one of those scents that’s the equivalent of putting on talcum powder after a shower. I would classify it as musky/powdery. Along with Zizanie and Caron PUH, it’s an old-fashioned staple. Nothing particularly stands out about it but, by the same token, I have no idea what anybody would find offensive about it.
ozik_100 – :
Great florals and spices in the vintage. Rose, lavender, carnation and jasmine make this one unisex IMO. The patchouli is well modulated by a warm sweet vanilla. As a woman, I don’t wear it often, but It is one of the male frags some women may want to investigate. Powdery and sweet with honey and tonka bean, the cedar and tobacco smooth and deepen the base. I thought I smelt no heliotrope on me, and was surprised late in a creamy dry down with a distinct heliotrope. More an oriental than a chypre on me, it nonetheless has a great vetiver musk combo that Leans Green.
dimanarius77 – :
This is one of those ambery orientals that sometimes gets mistaken for a chypre due to its rooty vetiver note. A slight bergamot, orange, and lemon accord, filtered through fizzy aldehydes, layered with an ethereal (and downright spooky) lavender note that is sharp, herbal, cold, and increasingly realistic the more you sniff it, introduces Royal Copenhagen one way, but leads it in another direction soon enough. The heart and base are a smoothly-floral talcum powder winterscape, very dry, clean, slightly vanillic, vaguely spicy, altogether quite pleasant and affable, especially on weekends running errands with the family. Reminds me a little of Tabac Original and Old Spice, but not as citrusy and carnation-heavy as the former, and a bit more complex and rewarding than the latter. Expect about three hours of strong longevity, with close-to-the-vest sillage after that, as this is a cologne concentration. Nice stuff, and vastly better than RC Musk imo (although I’ll be revisiting that one soon enough).
sergio313 – :
Back when I first started choosing my own colognes, and stopped relying on Dad’s Old Spice and Hai Karate, this was one that I discovered and really loved. Fresh, powdery, and yet hanging around the whole day with new subtle strains emerging…Wore it for years. Then, it couldn’t be found….Many years later, I saw it and bought it immediately, not realizing it was reformulated. Sadly, it was an awful job, and it drove me crazy with something I was allergic to…I would have scratched it off myself if that was all I had available. Alas, this was a similar story with Karl Lagerfeld and Lagerfeld Photo, both of which I loved and wore for years, but in their reformulated incarnations — YUCK!!!! If you like these re-done versions it is only because you don’t realize how they pale in comparison to their Daddy-versions. The only Oldie I still really like is Grey Flannel. I don’t know if they did a re-form on that one, but if they did, they nailed it!!! Anyway, too bad about Royal Copenhagen.
virus37 – :
I received this as a gift a couple of years ago. I guess it was a good thing since it led me to start wearing cologne again after a long hiatus, but the scent itself is pretty awful. This is the only scent I own where my son runs from the room holding his nose whenever I dare to spray it. My wife finds it equally if not more awful than my son.
My own impressions are that this is a below average fragrance but not one that should send people screaming in horror. The initial hit reminds me a little of Windex. It’s a very alcohol-y, cleanser kind of smell. I suppose it is a clean scent, but clean in a kind of synthetic industrial way rather than clean like a clear stream or a spring breeze. As the scent evolves, more and more powder comes to the fore and the Windex goes away. It’s kind of like the smell of talcum powder sprinkled on a potpourri of pine needles and twigs, only the pine needles are more like Pine-Sol than the real thing.
It doesn’t project much or last especially long, which I suppose is a virtue from the family’s perspective. I wear this every once in awhile in hopes that, somehow, it will have morphed into something more appealing or interesting. After 2 years, this still has not happened, so I don’t think it will.
Bottom line: Avoid.
uldar12345 – :
Nothing less then “Powdery”, is the best way to describe it. Nice, long-lasting, classic.
ksenuy – :
Excellent, elegant fragrance, very chic, scent is very pleasant to wear.
Longevity: 9/10
Projection: 10/10
Scent: 10/10
Uniqueness: 10/10
Космостар – :
Oh, is this a classic! I had the honor of sampling some and felt like a king! Its rather retro and illegal by the current industry standards. Its a classic chypre with lots of patcholi, vetiver and oakmoss! They reveal all of the brilliant florals that appear every 20 minutes or so, I easily find carnation, jasmine and rose peeking out from behind its rich green forest.
Amazingly, it is still on my local shelves produced by a US distributor! Bravo! If you find some, buy it immediately! It will surely disappear in the future.
job.malina – :
A perennial fave of mine since the middle 70’s. I always recieved so many compliments from ladies with the fragrance. In the Summer it is musky and kind of spicey on my skin. In the Winter the powdery sensual side of the scent is very evident. Very long lasting and beautiful on my skin.
The newer fromulation is certainly different that the original scent. In the 80’s it was bought by another company and the formulation seemed to have changed. Though it is different it is still a very nice frag on me. I make sure I’m never without it!
denis_savilov – :
This scent always makes me think of walking home in the fall and getting a haircut from a real barber shop (with the spinny pole and everything). You know-guys hanging out and BSing, warm towels, talc and straight razor shaves. This was released when I was less than one year old and is (to me) a reminder of a bygone age, a simpler time. Yet I feel it is still wearable today and has a very classic clean feel to it that is very manly and comforting…
Bright citruses, greens and refined spices blend with powdery lavender-was there a mens scent in the 70s or 80s that did NOT have lavender:-). Very dry florals and earthy roots blend to create an earthy yet sweet airy feel here and cedar just adds to its gentle warm strength. Honey, tonka and amber create a smooth sweetness that is rich and heavenly. Musk, tobacco and oakmoss give it a natural grounded feel while remaining quite aromatic, and this all rests on sensual vanilla and powdery blossoms of heliotrope. This is classic but still very attractive, kinda like Sean Connery: it gets better with age…
Sillage: very good
Longevity: great
Overall: 3.75/5
Dated? Maybe
Good smelling? Absolutely
Worth buying? A great bargain for such a classic scent!I got a two ounce spray cologne for $9.99…and it’s worth way more than I paid for it!
mxb729Negeltzex – :
Powdery and musky in a very comforting way. My dad always wore this and every time I smell this, it makes me feel happy…guess that’s why it’s comforting!