Aramis Devin

This was my main fragrance in my early 80's teen years, a dear girlfriend bought it me and I've adored it since. I'm lucky, I still have 2 unopened bottles of the original formulation Country EDC and the Light Sporting EDC. A while ago I found a bottle of the reformulated EDC from the Gentleman's collection at a reasonable price, and I will compare them directly. Firstly this is a Bernard Chant classic and a unique fragrance, the comparison to Aliage and Yatagan are off, yes you can see some similar elements within them, but as a complete fragrance they are not close at all and someone trying them as a replacement for Devin may well be disappointed. Now the comparison: When I first sprayed the reformulated Devin I was pleasantly surprised, it has that initial powerful burst of piney, lemon, orange and wonderful aldehydes. The dry-down progresses into the leathery amber, cedar and patchouli notes nicely, but it is the deeper woody musky and oakmoss notes where the reformulation struggles, it just never reaches the depth and tenacity of the original formulation and that is reflected in it's lack of longevity. The initial 2.5 hours are where the reformulation is very close to the original after that it fades rapidly with little of the residual woody leather notes this fragrance is known for. In short it lacks the depth and tenacity of the original and has questionable longevity and sillage outside of that first 2.5 hours in my experience. In many respects this reminds me of the original Light Sporting EDC. Not as good as the heavyweight original formulation? I think that depends on your expectations and how much longevity is important to you. I'd still recommend getting it to experience the genius of Bernard Chant and a unique fragrance that really is a masterpiece even though that title often misused on here IMO.

This was my father's favorite fragrance, and in that spirit, I bought a vintage first edition formula,1970's bottle with the country cologne moniker. This fragrance contains plenty of synthetic musks that were banned for being forever chemicals, neuro toxins, and photo toxins. It also contains enough oakmoss to choke a moose. This is an absolute time capsule of a fragrance. If you want to remember or experience what the 70s and early 80s masculine fragrances smell like, this will get you there. I can understand why my dad liked it so much but if I'm being honest, my deep vintage German made Boss Number One is still my favorite vintage masculine scent. This is good though, especially for nostalgia. But I personally wouldn't wear this to the office or on a date. Glad I bought it and didn't pay hundreds for this deep vintage bottle. It's like going back in time to a less cynical world, with endless possibilities.

אני רוצה עוד 200 בשמים של הבושם הזה

Devon is a fragrance that feels instantly familiar, even if you can’t quite place the memory. It is elegant with a soft, sweet scent that makes it perfect for a walk in the countryside.

I feel that this entire section should have an asterisk.These grades, judgements, and opinions are for 2 distinctly different formulas. It became obvious when I Sillage and Longevity were moderate. With Original DEVIN 4 sprays directly on the skin would be noticeable on Friday regardless of daily showers and the "good value" is misleading. With a pricepoint that could easily exceed $400 for 3.7oz, it is worth it but could hardly be considered affordable. Yet, all the above ratings fall directly in line with the current formula. If these 2 formulas both named DEVIN both colognes met on the playground, they would not be friends right away and if they came to blows 1977 DEVIN wins 10 out of 10. Totally different Strength, Fortitude, Character, and different Presense all around.

Aramis Devin. I had high hopes for this one, but I only rank it slightly above average. I am clearly in the minority with this one for sure. To me, it smells like Obsession.

My ex husband wore this and I loved it. Gee I miss this cologne.

I have a bottle from the Gentleman's Collection reissue; not sure how it compares to the original. As far as old school chypres go, this one isn't as animalic as I was expecting, and the leather isn't dominant, so it's surprisingly easy-going. Galbanum is always a challenging note for me though, and it's definitely noticeable in the top. I can recognize that this is probably one of the best chypres I've smelled and therefore conclude once and for all that I'm just not a fan of chypres. Definitely worth seeking out for anyone who is a fan of the genre though.

A space exists between Halston Z14 and Ralph Lauren Polo, making it the superior of both. RIP, king.

I like the pine forest parts but it sits on a just base that smells old—not old fashioned, just old.

This scent was told to pay you a visit by the "Boss". It grabs you by the collar and says you owe it money. Goodness this is an old school manly scent. A++++

Scent: 2/5 Longevity: 5/5 (12+ hours) Sillage: 3/4 Overall: 3.56/5 (71.43%)

The deep vintage is great and lasts 36+ hours. The vintage aftershave behaves like a modern EDT and has a big slug of real oakmoss and takes about an hour to settle into what smells like the vintage Country Cologne (Estee Lauder, God bless her). The Light Sporting Cologne behaves like a quality modern EDP (again real oakmoss). The current formulation is wonderful as well and I find it the one I wear most often. It's not better than the vintage and I'm not trying to conserve juice. I guess it has a great citrus opening and moves quickly to the spicy green heart. The vintage transitions much slower and has a richer dry down recalls an era when the pace of life was more relaxed and provincial. One simply had more time for introspection and contemplation. If you a price conscious and discerning collector I'd suggest getting the Light Sporting Cologne which can still be found on eBay for under $70 as of August 2025. The aftershave is strong as hell too and a great bargain. But I'd also like to suggest getting a vintage 60 ml splash of Aliage/Alliage by Estee Lauder (they are the same blend just USA/Europe marketing respectively and I think the same applies to the subtext Sport Fragrance Spray/Eau d'Aliage... you don't have to over think this) It might actually be better than Devin. Well not better but more complex as it dries down. End of the day, they're all fantastic green leather chypres that appeal to life out in the boonies. If you're Irish striving, look no further.

The caraway in the drydown makes this like a warmer version of the OG Aramis, and there is a nice leathery undertone supporting the carnation / caraway combo. A cosy warm scent for the colder days

I would say it’s somewhere around Santos or Tuscany. The atmosphere is quite heavy, with dry spices, a solid wall of scent, and a distinct character. It’s definitely good, maybe even has something fresh in it. It reminds me more favorably than those strictly dry fragrances; I think Charles Jourdain Pour Homme was like that too. However, to my taste, there’s too much of that clove-like haze here, with fumes almost anise-like. The original Aramis is better structured in this regard, as is Lauder… One could say it’s like Azzaro plus unnecessary cloves, which is a dealbreaker—even though on some people it might work wonderfully (within whiffs). Indeed, this fragrance seems targeted at something very interesting in the realm of whiffs—the part that was irritating before is now intriguing and worth testing on the skin.

Early 80s. Me (18), freshly arrived in LA to become a STAR. guy I met and dated for a couple months wore this. I remember being all "WHAT are you wearing ?!? Its wonnnnderful" sighhh. The snapshots from youth are almost more intoxicating than the fragrances themselves 😂 There should be a fragrance called "Nostalgia" although I do realize it would be different for everyone 😉

Nothing else smells like this except for Aliage. Probably one of the best green fragrances ever.

now that all the influencer r words bought up 15 bottles for themselves as they always do ur better off just buying goddamn des cendres

Not even 2 years ago i got a newer gentlemans collection bottle for 30 bucks...wth happened?? I was looking for a backup bottle online today and yikes!

Such a shame they disconnected this master piece.

This is a rich, deep, potent leather and herbal perfume which is unique. I think it has so much character to it. Masterpiece.

I got a 1ml sample of this thing and I think this is even better than Aramis. It's a shame this along with every other Aramis has been discontinued considering this one for instance is even better than the one that's not discontinued. Maybe write Estée Lauder? I just don't get this decision to discontinue all of these, it seems like they got discontinued as soon as I got really into perfumes.

Devin is a chilly and rainy day in late autumn. Gives off that distintive scent of strolling through a damp forest surrounded by pine trees and greenery. Definitely has that late 70s early 80s vibe because of its bitterness and the carnation. Devin is a scent of manhood released at a time when masculinity was celebrated and unapologetic.

Fresh and savory cinnamon bark powder. Old houses with green carpet, the basement den of your grandparents’ lake house. Bought at a kiosk for 60 bucks by some miracle. Thank you Cerritos Center.

I've had this in a cupboard for 3 years now. Just got it out again. It's evolved into a gorgeous, potent herbal and licorice perfume. Easily EDP strength. This is so distinctive and has really improved with maceration. Big love from me.

Carnation is the scent of the 70's, and it leads the band from start to finish here. I love old school chypres and fougeres as a rule, so I was very excited to try this one. First tip: Don't judge this one for at least 45 minutes. The opening is a yellow flower/carnation shotgun, rough, choking and definitely not office (or other people) friendly. Cinnamon enters the scene at around 20 minutes, then galbanum, geraniol, artemesia, caraway and eugenol (clove/nutmeg) around 45 minutes. The florals step back a bit to let the other notes play more, but this is a floral scent at heart. If you have tried Boucheron for Men, this is of that type. So I really wasn't digging this for the first 30 minutes, then it began to grow on me. From 45 minutes until around the four hour mark, this is very nice. The caraway occasionally hits a discordant note, making this a bit funky, but the oakmoss and leather-type notes compensate. Second tip: If you are looking for a leather fragrance, look elsewhere. This isn't leather like a jacket or a new car - it is more like an abstract impression of what a nose might think of when he or she smells leather. It, like the artemesia, add a tone more than a fragrance note - all to the good but not meant to smell like the actual substance. It gives you the feeling of leather without the smell of leather. That's the best I can do. In the end, this pleases with its slightly bad boy, slightly dandyesque, slightly World War II bomber pilot feel. It is a shame that it take so long to get good, and because of that I will be satisfied with my 10ml decant. Still, it is unique enough that I will enjoy another 4 - 6 wearings before I die. And if I change my mind, I can always get more.

So Bryant Gumbel said he wore this for years. Apparently Bob Ross did too. It's very similar to Aliage imo. Very green, yet warm sweet hay-like with some nice sweet musky woods. They don't make them like those anymore. I think it's the musks.

I may be one of the few that prefers this new reformulation to the original. When I was a kid I literally got nauseated by the Devin I smelled at the Aramis counter. Flash forward to young adulthood; I didn't get sick upon smelling it but I was slightly repulsed. This year, I saw the new version of Devin available for the price of a song. I took the plunge just for kicks. And wow, what a difference. Whatever didn't agree with me in past versions has been toned down enough for me personally to appreciate the rest of its goodness. In my mind, Devin is now Tuscany with the spices dialed down and the citrus/florals turned up a bit, with that ever-present wonderfully understated leather. Sadly, Aramis fragrances seem to be disappearing from production after the company reorganization. Don't miss this remixed American classic.

Got a vintage bottle 100/110ml for sale EU good price, pm for interest

It's quite nice. It has the same play of aldehydes that regular Aramis has. Bernard Chant really knows how to play with it. The opening is very galbanum-forward, with wormwood's earthy bitterness and just the slightest hint of ambiguous, citrusy lavender. The color is established right away: green. When it settles, a soapy pine persists throughout the end of the fragrance, with a very tamed, clovey carnation. Cinnamon is definitely there, but it seems to want to lean more into a sweet-bitter spice direction with caraway. Actually, the caraway holds on quite nicely, packed in with the cleaner qualities of jasmine. All of this has a really nice balance and doesn't scream in your face. It was quite a wait for the mid to settle and catch the denser notes. The pine tree is there till the end, actually. It is still fresh and green, but becomes increasingly warmer. Think of the most clichéd, softest, cushioned old barbershop brown leather seat that has some mileage on it - that's how obvious the leather becomes later. Very powerful, full-on pre-restriction oakmoss, so there's a lot of dimension to this. And a very obvious ambery labdanum warmth with a musky, earthy patchouli and coarse cedar base. Even in the much later stages of the fragrance, there's lots of life to it. The leather gets even warmer as your body acclimates with it. Honestly, a little too much to wear for long for me. I don't throw around big age statements for fragrances, but it's a bit "grandpa-like" to be fair. Like, obviously, it's a barbershop scent, but age has caught on, and now it's like an old heads-only barbershop. Like, the barber only knows how to give you a slickback haircut with lots of pomade and a super clean straight razor shave - doesn't nick you or miss a spot, even with a tremble in his hand. He is super nice and calls you "sonny", but works at a snail's pace. But you'll look nice and dandy for Sunday church haha. Even though it's not a big love for me compared to regular Aramis, it's still nice and interesting. I can't see myself reaching for it honestly. Peace out!