CLEOPATRA'S BOUDOIR

Ho Hang was launhed in 1971 by Balenciaga, it was a men's fragrance  created by nose Jacques Jantzen.

I have read that there have been 3  formulations of Balenciaga's Ho Hang. A Basenotes reader mentioned this about Ho Hang: " There are huge differences between the original vintage formulation and the two subsequent formulations. The two subsequent formulations differ among themselves only in terms of quality, the most recent and third formulation being a more attenuated, cheaper version of the second formulation. The second formulation is more of a woody oriental, with a subtle but rich and complex balsamic component, whereas the original strikes me as more of an aromatic fougère."

It is classified as an aromatic fougère. The fragrance only comes in an eau de toilette and  features top notes of bergamot, lemon, orange, basil, mint. Heart notes are rosewood, geranium, carnation, lavender, nutmeg, and pimento. Base notes are patchouli, vetiver, sandalwood, amber, vanilla, Tonka, labdanum, and musk.

The name means "very fragrant" in the Cantonese dialect of China.

"Ho"=好 in Cantonese roughly translates as good, but in this context is an adverb that modifies "Hang", and would translate as very.

"Hang"=香 in Cantonese translates to fragrant (as you said). But if you asked me, I'd spell it as "Heung", pronounced "Herng"

Some of you may remember a kitschy cologne for men called Mexicali Musk, a herbals, spicy musky men’s fragrance which Coty debuted in 1988. Coty's senior marketing manager Arthur Sherwood states that “Mexicali Musk, is named after a town on the border of Mexico and California.“

The company decided on the name because it sounds like a brand of tequila with its famous worm inside, Mezcal. When the tequila is consumed, tradition dictates that one has to eat to worm as well, which is supposedly going to help you increase your sexual prowess. Sort of like an all natural Viagra. The worm is also reportedly irresistible to women. Though, how any woman would be seduced by a disgusting grub worm is beyond my comprehension.

However, you don’t want to eat the worm when your bottle of Mexicali Musk is finished, because the worm is rubber, it wears a cute sombrero and is named “Loco Louie“.

Mexicali Musk was available as:

• 0.90 oz Premium After Shave
• 0.90 oz Premium Cologne
• 2.75 oz Cologne

A 1988 ad reads:

“A totally different musk, sensuous, irresistible and fun. It’ll make you a wanted man. Meet Loco Louie the worm in every Mexicali Musk bottle. His effect on women is “legendary”.”

Mexicali Musk must not have been that popular as it was discontinued shortly after its release. 

Teak was launched in 1965 by Shulton.

This heady men's cologne is chypre based and I havent found any official notes listed anywhere so I will use my vintage 1960s bottle for this review and tell you what notes I detect.  At first dab I detect some aldehydes, crisp fresh greens and tons upon tons of oakmoss and vetiver, with a shot of spices, patchouli, musk, leather, galbanum, salt, sandalwood, and cedarwood.

The bottle is molded to resemble a tree trunk with bark, its screw cap is made up of real teak wood.

A 1965 newspaper ad reads: "Shulton presents the MANly [sic]  fragrance! TEAK! Crisp, brisk, straightforward and distinctive. Teak is as clean and fresh as the snowy hills of Scandinavia! And its now available in America!"

A 1966 ad reads" Adventure's in the air with Teak...the invigorating scent for men by Shulton. As bracing as a sea faring adventure off the shores of Scandinavia. Mixing a hint of leather with a bit of spice, tangy top of the world feeling.

 Teak was only available in Cologne, Soap and After Shave.

This must have really packed a punch when it was released but it didnt last long, Teak was discontinued around 1968-1969. It is now extremely rare to find.

"Love having an Aramis man around..?"

Aramis, one of the best selling male fragrances of all time, surprisingly was, in its original incarnation, a fragrance for women.

Launched in 1964 by Estee Lauder, it was largely inspired by Cabochard by Gres, a women’s fragrance created by the same perfumer in 1958. 

Marketing tests to select the perfume for Aramis, Mr. Nielsen says, showed that men wanted a distinctive scent. Aramis, when marketed towards men, was formulated to be "rich, distinctive, dominant and long lasting", said the fragrance's creator. It is available in a series of products and its woodsy, peppery Oriental scent is anything but  the "barbershop" type.

Fragrance composition:

• Top notes: bergamot oil
• Middle notes: clary sage, myrtle oil, clove bud oil
• Base notes: patchouli, sandalwood, vetiver, oak moss

The scent of Aramis was available in the following forms:

• Cologne
• Herbal Cologne
• Friction Lotion
• Stick Deodorant
• Roll On Deodorant
• Spray Deodorant Talc
• Shaving Foam
• After Shave
• After Shave Cream
• After Shave Emulsion
• Special Shave Formula
• Hair Spray
• Hair Stay
• Bath Soap
• Hair Groom Spray
• Pre-Electric
• Cool Spray Talc
• Astringent
• Shampoo on a Rope
• All Weather Hand Cream
• Pick Up Facial Mask
• Mark Out in Natural or Sun Tan ( a concealer for blemishes)
• Eye Pads
• Spray Shower Oil
• RNA Bio-Complex Moisturizing Cream
• Malt Enriched Shampoo
• Grit Soap
• Pre-Shave Concentrate
• Shaving Concentrate
• After Shave Concentrate
• Bronzing Gel
• Hair Gel
• Hair Wash
• Aerosol Spray Cologne
  
• Heavy Duty Groom Spray
  
• Aramis Razor
• Aramis Comb

According to fragrance expert Roja Dove, ‘There is nothing inherently masculine or feminine about a fragrance – it’s all marketing.’

Milton Bentz, creator of Tuli-Latus, a perfumery company that created smell alike fragrances in the 1970s, who often wore his women's fragrance recreations, remarked in a 1974 article that "I've never felt that a man wearing perfume would, in any way, compromise his masculinity."

It is interesting to note that more than half of all men’s colognes are bought by women, which is why the best-selling men’s fragrances are those best liked by women, and this is something that  the industry’s ‘noses’ are very conscious of. My husband often spritzes on my vintage Black Cashmere by Donna Karan, it works beautifully on his skin and smells delicious.

An estimated one-third of men’s fragrances sold are bought by women to wear themselves. Sometimes I wear my husband's Pi by Givenchy, I love the blend of the vanilla and the spices.

Mouchoir de Monsieur was launched by Guerlain in 1904.  Created by Jacques Guerlain, it was designed to be a masculine twist on Jicky.

The fougere fragrance opens with notes of bergamot and lavender, layered atop middle notes of rose, jasmine and neroli, resting on base notes of oakmoss, civet, vanilla and iris.

This fragrance was discontinued for many years, the last advertisement I saw for it was from 1937. It was reportedly only in production for the French actor, Jean-Claude Briarly. However, in the mid eighties, Guerlain relaunched it to select boutiques, but it is no longer available in the USA.

In 2005, Guerlain released a limited edition of  Le Mouchoir de Monsieur, for men and Violette de Madame for women.  While Le Mouchoir de Monsieur was actually available at the time, the fragrances were repackaged in numbered Art Nouveau-style snail shaped bottles, which mimic their original flacons. The eaux de toilette was offered for $979, or 800 euros at current exchange, per 100 ml. Le Mouchoir de Monsieur was originally created for Jacques Guerlain's marriage. Voilette for the bride, Mouchoir for the fiancé.

From 1969 to about 1972, a man could get an unusual cologne called Nuts & Bolts, manufactured by the Colton Company who also made the Nine Flags and My Islands colognes.

The bottles for Nuts and Bolts were designed by Massimo Vignelli.

From a1969  newspaper ad : "Nuts and Bolts cologne and after shave lotion are two items in a new line from the Colton Company. The spicy fragrances come in orange glass and plastic nuts and bolts bottles".

Another 1969 ad reads "NUTS AND BOLTS What a nutty idea, it's about time someone came up with a line of grooming aids for the rugged individualist. Now there's NUTS AND BOLT. Five new super-virile products which come in man sized orange nuts and bolts containers. There's just about every grooming aid a man needs to make him feel like a man. A vigorous Cologne...a zesty After Shave...a biteless After Shave Conditioner...a strong-arm Deodorant Stick...and a couple of rousing Nut Shaped Soaps that help prevent bacteria odor..Available separately or any of three gift combinations. NUTS AND BOLTS from $2.50 to $9.50"

Photos by www.Vignelli.com

Marmol & Son's Transformers Revenge of the Fallen Bumblebee 3.4 oz Eau de Toilette Spray for Men.

I had to review this for my husband, Steve. He is a collector of the Transformers action figures and related accessories. This fragrance came out in 2009 and everyone who is into Transformers was talking about it on the discussion boards, but no one reviewed the fragrance or knew the notes of the cologne to describe it. So, I decided to do the old sniff test and tell you what I think.

At first spray, you might think that a fragrance named after a Transformer would smell like brake dust, oil and gasoline, but no, it starts off with a burst of bright citrus notes, heavy on the lemon, limes, bergamot and grapefruit. Then a sexy musky undertone filled with notes of ferns, moss and possibly leather completes the drydown. The fragrance is soapy, clean and smells shower fresh, just the way a man should smell. The overall effect smells a lot like Ck One to my nose. My husband likes it, I think it smells great too.

This would be great as a pick me up scent to spray on throughout the day as it doesn't last longer than 15 minutes.The juice is yellow which instantly makes me think of citrus. The bottle is clear glass, with a large label of the Bumblebee character.  The cap is bright yellow and black which correspond to the character's colors. The fragrance was officially licensed by Hasbro and manufactured by Marmol & Son, who also make Disney's line of fragrances for kids.

If you are a die hard Transformers collector, this would be quite cool to have in your collection.  I haven't had the opportunity to review the bottle of the Optimus Prime eau de toilette yet.

Hai Karate was a budget cologne on sale in the United States and the United Kingdom during the 1960s through the 1980s. The fragrance was developed by the Leeming division of Pfizer and launched in 1967 and was their answer to Jade East. Hai Karate encompassed products such as aftershave, cologne, talc, shaving cream, foaming cologne, body spray, shampoo, soap on a rope etc. for men.  The scent was described by Leeming as "Mistletoe in a bottle."

Here are the scents of Hai Karate:

• 1967 Hai Karate
• 1968 Hai Karate Oriental Lime
• 1968 Hai Karate Oriental Spice
• 1968 Hai Karate Musk

 The brand was well-known for its advertisements; one particular commercial featured a guy who looked like a stereotypical nerd, wearing Hai Karate cologne. After putting the cologne on, he attracts a lot of female passersby, so much so that he has to fight them using karate. The Hai Karate aftershave also comes with an instruction manual on how men can, wearing the aftershave, defend themselves from women. "Hai Karate aftershave is so powerful, it drives women right out of their minds. That's why we have to put instructions on self-defense in every package. Hai Karate, the brisk splash-on aftershave the smooths, and sooths, and cools. Hai Karate, aftershave, cologne, and gift sets. Hai Karate, be careful how you use it."

Hai Karate's popularity competed with such other brands as Aqua Velva, Trouble Cologne by Mennen, Jade East by Swank, English Leather, British Sterling, Old Spice by Shulton, Jaguar, Dante by Shields and Brut by Faberge. As a marketing ploy, in the early days each bottle of Hai Karate came with a small self-defense instruction booklet, to help wearers defend themselves against women. A record called The Sounds of Self Defense was put out by the company. 

"This special seminar on self defense and scary sounding noises is brought to you by Hai Karate aftershave and cologne.

For those times in your life when you are heavy handed with your regular Hai Karate, careless with your Hai Karate Oriental Lime, or irresponsible with your Hai Karate Oriental Spice. Memorize them. They could be your last line of defense.

Suppose you've just splashed on Hai Karate. You’re sitting down. Reading your Boy Scout manual or working on your butterfly collection, and your girl or, even your wife attacks you from the rear. Here's what you do.

First scream "KAAAL-SHALLA!" This is very important so try it again, "KAAAL-SHALA!" Immediately after screaming, spring backwards, turning a somersault in mid-air and trapping your attacker's head with your ankles. This will break the hold and should get her flustered. At this time, a counter attack is immanent. So be prepared.

As your girl launches a new offensive and leaps at you, hold your ground to the last possible second and shout "FIORRR- HA!" Once again "FIORRR-HA!" Then quickly drop to the floor. As she passes you in the air, give her a stern lecture on the importance of self-control.

By this time your attacker is subdued.. Give her warm milk or a sedative. And try to be understanding. Remember, she's just experience a severe emotional upheaval."

The brand was well-known for its advertisements; one particular commercial featured a guy who looked like a stereotypical nerd, wearing Hai Karate cologne. After putting the cologne on, he goes for a walk or to the hospital, dentist, library, he attracts a lot of female passersby, and being seduced by the same female passer-by played by busty brunette British starlet Valerie Leon, accompanied by the advertising catch phrase "Be careful how you use it". 

Today these types of advertisements still exist, you are all familiar with the Axe and TAG brands of toiletries....

For you guys and gals who remember Hai Karate and were disappointed it was discontinued, Hai Karate is back!  Marketing International says in an article: "The brand, originally owned by Unicliffe, was withdrawn a number of years ago but has been revived by cosmetics company Miners International.

A spokeswoman for Miners says: “We thought ‘we haven’t seen Hai Karate for years’ and decided to buy it. It was very popular in the Seventies as was its TV campaign. There is enough residual memory about the brand to make it popular again.”

The brand has been updated with new packaging and a new fragrance. The company says it may run an ad campaign “which will star a Nineties version of the woman and the karate imagery”.

Miners International was set up two years ago when managing director Stewart Chambers bought the Miners cosmetics brand from Procter & Gamble. Miners will also be relaunching Censored aftershave and Kiku and Xanadu for women."

Hai Karate products have now been discontinued and are quite rare. The vintage examples of Hai Karate cologne and Hai Karate gift sets are available on ebay. Some gift sets included a towel with a Japanese character on it and soap on a rope. You can now purchase the new Hai Karate at places like the Vermont Country Store.

Dante gentlemen's cologne, a popular scent amongst men of all ages during the 1960s and into the 1970s. It was produced by Dante NY Distributors, a divison of Shields.

Dante was a line of toiletries which included everything a man needed to smell sexy and enticing. Shields/Dante also supplied cuff links, tie bars, tie tacs, hot brushes and wallets. Dante advertisements said that "He'll tingle to the exhilarating bracing action of Dante. You'll love the clean, masculine fragrance."

In a Dec 11, 1965 advertisement in the Milwaukee Sentinel, Dante Toiletries were advertised for the Christmas season "Dante Toiletries. Christmas Gifts Definitely Not  For The Man You Can Put On A Shelf...If you really want to start something, Give him Dante:

Dante Cologne  & Shower Soap Set..........$5.00

Dante Cologne 4 oz size.............................. $2.95

Dante Aftershave 40 oz..................................$2.50

Dante Travel Pack Refresher.......................$2.95

Dante Deodorant Stick.......................... ........$1.75

Dante Centurian Aftershave in blue flask...$4.50

Dante Centurian Cologne in 6 oz red flask......: .$4.95

Dante shower soap........................................$2.00

Dante Cologne,aftershave and shower soap set ..$7.50

Dante Cologne & Aftershave Set..................$5.00"

Centurian Cologne came out in 1965.  According to a Nov 30, 1965 ad in the Times Daily newspaper..."For Men Who Know How to Handle Women. ..New Centurian Cologne and after-shave by Dante Its a lasting scent with subtle power. A unique combination of rare essential oils including Italian bergamot, Cananga from Java, Petitgrain from the bitter orange trees of Paraguay, Patchouli from  Singapore, Oak Moss Absolute from Algeria, natural civet from Ethiopia, and many more. Available in a new broad shouldered 6 oz flask. If you really want to start something, start with new Centurian. Aftershave $4.50. Cologne $5.00"

Usually you will find that Dante Centurian Cologne is in a red glass bottle and the Centurian aftershave is in a blue bottle. 

The fragrances of Dante:

• Dante Original 
• Dante Gentleman Cologne 
• Dante Centurian
• Dante Leather 
• Dante Lime 

Jade East Cologne and Perfume has remained a favorite fragrance among American men and has become a classic fragrance for today's man.

"Worlds apart from the ordinary, the subtle of Jade East marks a man with distinction"

"This provocative scent captures the mood of the exotic East. Exhilarating elegance for men.

Jade East, one of the world's best selling men's colognes & after shaves,  was launched in 1963, by Swank Inc, in association with Regency, a floral amber masculine fougère edt, classified C3m. 

Fragrance notes include: citrus, cedarwoods and spicy florals combine with musk and vanilla.

The popularity of Jade East spawned two flankers, Jade East Gold in 1966 and Jade East Coral in 1967.

By 1988, the two Jade East fragrances were discontinued much to the chagrin of men everywhere. In 2005 the original was resurrected in 2005 by Songo, along with another Swank favorite, Jade East Gold.

A new product called Jade East Musk was made "Jade East Musk Cologne Spray – the original from the 1950’s! Since its introduction to the marketplace in the 1950’s, Jade East has remained a favorite fragrance among American men and has become a classic fragrance for today’s man. Regency Cosmetics continues the Jade East tradition providing a choice of sizes for both cologne and aftershave as well as a Musk variety."

They even created a perfume for women who enjoyed wearing their loved ones Jade East. Called Jade Forever,

"Introducing the softer side of Jade East . . . Forever Jade . . . fresh citrus highlights mix with an exotic floral bouquet, fresh herbs and warm spice to create a softly-finished, contemporary fragrance that will be a fitting scent wherever your day takes you. Apply when your day begins and Forever Jade will wrap you in an aura of understated sophisticated fragrance through the end of your evening."

The Knight Distributing Company carries Jade East and their website describes it as:

Jade East – the original from the 1950’s! 

Since its introduction to the marketplace in the 1950’s, Jade East has remained a favorite fragrance among American men and has become a classic fragrance for today’s man. Regency Cosmetics continues the Jade East tradition providing a choice of sizes for both cologne and aftershave as well as a Musk variety. The latest addition of the 1.25 oz. size is the perfect size for travel, desk drawer, locker or glove compartment so your signature fragrance is always available.

The original blending of citrus, herbal, and fragrant wood essences finished with a touch of musk and vanilla make Jade East a distinct fragrance that became an immediate favorite among teenagers and young men in the 1950’s and 1960’s who now have sons and grandsons carrying on the Jade East tradition. Whether purchased at the local drugstore, a BX, PX, department store or online, Jade East fragrance remains an American classic after all these years."