Givenchy Pi
On the various perfume boards, whenever ladies request ideas for good men’s fragrances, a flurry of mainstream and niche creations are suggested. But when ladies ask other ladies for the SEXIEST fragrance for men… well, Pi usually wins the popularity contest handily. In the vaudeville variety show of perfume, other entrants are awarded with a polite showing on the applause-o-meter, but Pi tilts the needle over to the breaking point in an avalanche of clapping, hooting, hollering, and more than a few lusty whistles.
I think Pi gets some guff and occasional scorn for the view of masculinity it represents. It’s sweet and warm, which earns descriptions of Pi being “feminine” from some folks. I can see where they might be coming from, but can’t bring myself to agree. The best men I have ever known are all sweet and warm people. Why should there not be a perfume to exemplify these characteristics? What an awful state the world would be in if, like most men’s perfumes prescribe, half the world’s population were nothing but musky he-men or aquatic sea-creatures.
Pi is a rounded woody scent, decorated by florally herbs. However, the big appeal (or cause for criticism) lies in the way Pi’s vanillic layers are drawn across the subtlest of musks. The vanilla tumbles around, over and over, like fluffy pillows circling in the dryer. This is not the scent of a man who tries to seduce with easily bought flowers and by showing off in an expensive restaraunt. Pi is the smell of a man who will make you fall in love with him because he has the best conversation, and because he’s just an all-around good guy. And nothing is sexier than a man who at his core is decent and kind.
Of all of Alberto Morillas’ creations, this is the one that most makes me feel as if I personally owe him a thank you card of some sort. My husband, who had never liked perfume much for himself, found himself in this scent. Maddeningly, he refuses to wear anything else now, but that’s okay. He’s discovered his version of olfactory happiness, and I am happy he wears it with abandon.
December 28th, 2005 at 2:28 pm
“Musky he-men or aquatic sea-creatures.” Euch! More warm and sweet scents for men, please!!
Still, for me, Fahrenheit by Dior is The Sexiest and The Best men’s fragrance ever. I never bothered to check who created that one, I should.
December 28th, 2005 at 3:01 pm
I think so many men have now been so conditioned by the various companies that they have to smell a certain narrow way to be “manly” that they are timid when it comes to sweeter scents. Such a blooming shame that is. When I smell older men’s scents, they certainly don’t have such a stereotyped character to them. Like, Knize Ten is an old classic, but it’s not stridently “masculine” like the ones we find in the dept. stores nowadays, nevertheless it is a very classy gentleman’s scent. I think thankfully there are some signs of the bigger companies shaking off this timidity with more floral or unusual scents for men now. Less cheesy ones anyhow. Like you, I deeply prefer warm scents for men as well. And oftentimes for me, too, which probably has something to do with that preference ;)
December 28th, 2005 at 4:08 pm
Beautiful review, K, for yet another fragrance that I’m ashamed to say I’ve never tried on my own skin, although I have smelled it. Must get a sample now, it sounds like something I might even wear.
December 28th, 2005 at 4:24 pm
Pi does smell decidedly different on men than women. Not a hint of musk on my skin, at least on the two occasions I’ve worn it. (I love it so much on men that I don’t and won’t choose it for myself.) If you’ve ever smelled Sage’s Garnet, the dry downs on my skin are a bit similar. (The Garnet oil is another story, much denser and smokier. I now regret getting the edt rather than the oil.)
December 29th, 2005 at 1:35 pm
Katie, I agree with you, warm and sweet men win over musky or oceanic ones every day. I must find this scent and sniff it and skin test it on both myself and a man, since you note it is different.
I recently completed a men’s cologne (private stock) that I am very happy with, as is the recipient. It is a get this — floral, green, woody (very woody)concoction with a touch of vanilla, and a bit of the goat hair tincture I’ve been experimenting with. Pan anyone?
The goat hair is an incredible fixative that has the ability to smooth out all the edges of the aromatics, causing them to dance and twirl happily together, much like civet and musk are legendary for — without the animal cruelty.
Not musky, as you would suspect, but rather warm and playful. Those who have smelled it agree that it breaks the cliche of cheesy (your word, and I do agree) men’s colognes that dominate the market.
I adore Alberto Morillas creations, and am very happy that he has brought your husband to olfactory heaven ;-)
Could you give me a hint as to what stores carry this? Nordstroms? It does require a visit to a dreaded mall, but off I must go — your description has captivated me.
PS ever get a good pic of the tree lights?
December 29th, 2005 at 4:38 pm
Where I live, Meier & Frank carry Pi and some of the toiletries (edt, aftershave, body wash) and M&F is now owned by Macy’s. I’ve also heard folks buying it for next to nothing at the discount stores like Marshall’s and TJ Maxx, though I’ve never seen it there myself. But that could just be a regional thing.
I think I just need a new camera, sigh. It’s old, and I kind of ran it through the wringer this summer especially. I took it with me all up and down the coast, back and forth through the Columbia River Gorge and the mountains, and then up and down the River itself a few times. I was thinking it’s my own lack of skill, but just taking some normal outside snapshots I realized that everything was looking a bit blurred and the camera’s response time was soooo slow. A new camera is currently at the top of my birthday list instead of perfumey stuff, which ought to tell you just how much I think I dinked it up.
December 29th, 2005 at 9:58 pm
I was not aware of this one! I don’t try very many men’s fragrances these days, as so many are caricatures - blasts of heavy musk, woods and/or aquatics. They all seem to be too similar. I will try this one soon for sure, as I do enjoy a good fragrance on a man!
Some of my favorites for sexy are Habit Rouge by Guerlain, which is so very unlike any other that it in a category all by itself, and Black by Sashka, VERY hard to find but it’s what Obsession for Men wishes it could be when it grows up. There is also a very obscure one called Gravel that I love - it is sweeter than most male fragrances but manly nonetheless. I doubt it is even still around but I have fond memories of it.
December 29th, 2005 at 10:21 pm
Gah, I’ve never even heard of Sashka. I’ll have to do some investigating there. And Gravel sounds vaguely familiar to me, but I’ll have to find some info on it - could just be my imagination at work. Thanks for the ideas!
January 3rd, 2006 at 8:10 pm
Actually I need to correct a name - the exact one I mean is called Black For Him by Sashka, and it’s delicious. Also if you like green/chypre fragrances for men you could do worse than Michaelango by Palladio. Very clean and fresh but not overwhelmed by oceanics as they all seem to be these days.
January 4th, 2006 at 4:42 am
Hilarious, fabulous, and in all other ways glorious list Katie. You never fail to make me laugh–HARD!
Happy Holidays!
xo
Jen
January 4th, 2006 at 11:13 am
Flora, after a little (and admittedly, very little) digging - I see Sashka is put out by Michallef? I think I’ll have to dig around a bit more when I get a chance.
And thanks PJ - the 2005 list was one I couldn’t figure out how I wanted to do, until I just gave up and decided to just concentrate on the releases I’ve tried from that year only :)