Drakkar Noir

It evokes how do i describe this clean/cozy masculinity, very similar to shaving creams and a real gem to smell in todays sea of heavily sweet bubble gummy fragrances, This fragrance is sweet aswell but its blended so nicely with the woods and aromatics so its much more mature (in a put together, confident, emotionally mature kind of way). Classic for a reason!

long lasting but very poor sillage

my trusted source informed me that night swept by rite aid is a perfect smell-alike

For me this fragrance is okay but is nothing special. This is just basic shower gel smell, it reminds me of those cheap fragrances that you find in random stores on gas stations. For me this fragrance is good especially if you get eu de parfum. I either wear it at home or using it as a air freshener for my room. Do I recommend? No I don't since for the same price of this fragrance (if is EDP) you can get far more better fragrance than this one. I am gonna say it again, is NOT bad fragrance is just outdated.

This fragrance evokes memories of my grandpa for me. Classic 80’s fougère fragrance, the blueprint for all of our popular masculine dark fragrances. But yeah this is way too old for me, and I think it’s been reformulated too. It’s a classic no doubt, but I would not wear this at all it’s just too outdated. A beast of its time no doubt, I’ll never hate this fragrance I hold a lot of respect for it. It was like the Sauvage of the 80s, everyone wore this. It’s just simply dated, which happens to every fragrance at some point.

Drakkar Noir is iconic, but modern fragrances have overshadowed this cologne. Now for the price, I can accept it for what it is. Definitely a budget friendly date-night fragrance, suited for after-hours cold weather events. The spice notes prick my nose and can be harsh on opening, but the dry down is more appealing. Longevity and projection aren't exactly great, but if you like this kind of scent you probably do not care. For me, this scent seems to last about a few hours, but radiates for the entirety of its lifespan. It just doesn't project super hard. Longevity: 3/10 - Projection: 5/10 - Overall: 4/10

For those commenting that this smells "old man", I can only say that this is what your 22 year old dad used to get your mom into the sack. For those who say it's crap because it only lasts 30 minutes, you are nose-blind because this is easily 5 hours, and remember that it only costs $11 for 100ml. Just respray. For those who say the older version was better (which is true), get Al-Rehab Dakar. This is an unapologetic masculine fougere. It won't get you compliments at your local Chipotle, it doesn't smell like cotton candy, and you won't like it if you are afraid of your own masculinity.

Its hard for me to think of Drakkar Noir and not think of Ash from GentScents. He’s one of those Youtubers i used to follow even after i’ve done a “purge” in terms of which content creators i watch. He struck a good balance between being commercial by talking mostly about designer perfumes but never quite reached “sellout” levels although i might be a bit naive on this. I no longer resonate with his content but i still respect him for what he does and for not trying to appear what he is not. Eighter way, he put Drakkar Noir on a pedestal and often referenced it, more often jokingly but i believe he does have a connection with the fragrance. Lately i’ve been on a streak of testing classic masculine fragrances and its the perfect time to experience Drakkar Noir, one of the most well known amongst them. To my nose, Drakkar Noir is a green, woody-barbershop fragrance. The black bottle and the name hints at the scentprofile, that of a more serious woody fragrance. There is another side of the fragrance that contrasts with the mature “aura” or part of it. This side is represented by a strong “aftershave-y” impression. I cannot lie, other then providing another layer to the fragrance, this side also cheapens the whole composition to a degree. Admitedly the aftershave-y part comes across as run-of-the-mill and generic and could even be seen as cheap but luckily the darker element of the fragrance gives some character to it. It is a very affordable fragrance at the end of the day but that doesn’t have to mean bottom of the barrel, especially considering that back in the day even affordable fragrance DNAs had interesting and unique enough facets that gave them character. Drakkar is one of those that to me came dangerously close to being a dissapointment but it just about made it. Compared to the other classic masculine fragrances i’ve tried recently, it is less interesting and unique but that might also be its selling point. Drakkar Noir is one of those “made to be worn”. It doesn’t try to do backflips or handstands for the sake of attention but it provides enough of an edge that would appeal to a more serious crowd of fragrance enthusiasts. I will give it the benefit of the doubt because its entirely possible that reformulations affected Drakkar Noir in a major way. Maybe the original formulation told a different story but that boat sailed away a long time ago for me.

This is a joke... lasts for around 30 min... if the wind doesn't catch you... Embarrasing

I'm with BCaron099 Below! It's disgusting what happened to an all time classic.

"Look how they massacred my boy!" • This was part of my X-Mas 2025 nostalgia haul, alongside a few others. • My dad used to wear this in the 80s & 90s; I probably stole ~25% of his DN bottles, like most high schoolers! • It's clean, soapy, sharp, herbaceous, aromatic, and masculine. It still smells like my childhood, and I truly enjoy this. • The performance and projection of that iconic and classic aromatic fougère was solid, back then, but not anymore. • It now goes MIA on my skin within ~2 hours (but it makes for one hell of a kick-ass car freshener!). • TBH, it's like someone took a baseball bat to this fragrance's kneecaps...

I'VE FINALLY FOUND IT! I finally found the scent my dad would always wear when I was a kid. I always smelt this on him and now I've finally got it myself. This is nostalgia in a bottle.

I was sure this was going to be a throw back to the horrific perfumes dads wore when I was growing up in the 90s and honestly, I am kinda shocked I like it. It isn't as repulsive or dated as I thought it would be. This is a very warlocky/witchy masucline leaning fragrance. Aromatic, foresty and green with some slight natural 'clean' scent that i wouldnt say is soap but instead like an herbal mint and spring water sort of freshness with hints of like a leathery tobacco undertone that gives it this manly 'oomph'. I totally understand why this was adored in that time and as a female in 2026, I actually would like to smell this on my partner. Tbh this isn't even unlike some of my favourite witchy perfumes that are just *slightly* more femenine leaning. 9/10. I'm surprised and impressed.

This is definitely something you'll feel familiar with. Honestly this does remind me of a shaving cream type of smell, not necessarily a bad thing unless you want people to think you smell unique. It does smell nice, but its just one those scents that will trigger a specific memory or preconceived notion about the smell. Like "smells like an old man" is pretty accurate lol. My wifes first impression was that it smelled like the old Italian men at church when she was a kid. BUT ILL BE PERFECTLY HONEST.... It's just addicting. At first I did get turned away from that "old man" vibe, but man, its just a straight up classic. I probably wont wear it a ton. But I really like the scent. It's MUCH stronger than some people online might lead you to believe when they mention its many reformulations and how much stronger it was back in the day. If it was ever stronger than this then I dont think I would have liked it to be honest. If you're a collector and dont have this yet, just get it. It's a classic.

Stunningly masculine, super soapy, wildly aromatic and not at all a compliment getter. I personally LOVE wearing this more than I think people around me enjoy smelling it. Makes me feel like the man though, and for that reason it’s a 10 in my eyes. I you enjoy sauvage elixir, you’d be a fool to not try this. This is where it all began.

Some of the reviews here are laughable. Drakkar Noir is a stone cold classic and has been around for longer than most of these broccoli haircut snowflakes are alive. It's still produced and popular for a very good reason. Go spray your sickly sweet dessert fragrance and leave this pinnacle of masculinity alone.

Thank heavens I wasn't alive when this was released and had to smell it everywhere I went. I have no idea how this became so popular, or how it's still around after all these years. All that comes through is cinnamon and lemon, the latter of which is very synthetic and akin to a hard candy. This does not have the "classic barbershop scent" that people claim it has. Unless you guys are getting your hair cut in a candy shop that just washed their floors... Thankfully, it doesn't last long (about 2 hours) and doesn't fill up a room. Don't let curiosity get the best of you and waste $20 on this fragrance.

Classic 80's "Total Recall" stuff. Really nice fragrance with moderate-to-good performance. I like the cinnamon and basil in it.

My wife requested I pick this up since she was an 80’s kid and wanted to smell it again for nostalgia. It needs reapplied after about 4 hours and the sillage isn’t nearly as strong as it used to be. Still, for the price it’s not a bad scent to keep in your rotation.

My father had a bottle in his bathroom in the families old house years ago. Not sure if it was from the 80's 90's or 2000's but I remember it being the strongest colognes I had smelled. A strong incense scent with lavender, cedar, vanilla, green notes and other notes. It is definitely a classic.

I remember trying this in my teens or early 20s in the 1990s. My memory was that it smelled elegant and sophisticated. I don't know if the formula has changed or if my tastes have, but I just bought it again and goodness me, it's awful. Big, aggressive, brutish and very unsophisticated. Totally overbearing, harsh and unpleasant, it smells dated (not in a good way) and is something I'd never wear. I can't actually make out any of the notes it's supposed to have except for a pine-like scent. If I could detect real lavender, lemon, lemon verbena, mint or carnation, it would probably be more pleasant. Giving this away.

Well regarding a bottle that I just got my hands on, this is comically weak at the moment, it almost turns into a skin scent right away. It's a shame really this was always so versatile and easy to wear in almost all occasions and for all ages.. another one we can bid farewell

the epitome of barbershop smell.. smells exactly like gillette

My older brother had this one when we were in high school in the 80s, and I'd cop a few sprays now and then. Picked up a bottle recently and it smells like I remember it: super classic and very likeable masculine barbershop fougere. Funny, back then I can remember thinking it was much more modern and youthful than some of the popular 70s scents like Polo, Halston Z14, and the like. It doesn't smell modern and youthful now, though I do find it quite wearable still. Thankfully it lacks whatever makes certain old school scents like Versace L'Homme or Azzaro Pour Homme smell of urine, and it's not a heavily floral accord. The very noticeable mint here plays a huge role in keeping this one fresher than some of its contemporaries, which I think keeps it a bit more palatable for modern tastes. The performance of my new bottle is not up to the original, but at the current price point it's hard to complain. Worth a purchase for those of us with nostalgic associations, or for anyone interested in some of the iconic scents of yesteryear.

The inevitable classic ! A bit outdated for today maybe, but still worth reminiscing.

My first cologne ever back in the late 80s. This was a total sporty fresh classic that will forever remain in my memory with its iconic matte black bottle, no sprayer, and an iconic barbershop super fresh smell. Never forget <3

A formally strong 80's powerhouse since watered down to nothing. It used to be good for the winter, now it's useless.

Drakkar Noir back then was an all-nighter Ray-Ban Clubmaster's beast. FF to today (2026) it's a crying shame. This is not understandable. The old formula, although not chemically legal anymore, it is still reproducible to a much better closeness than the current product offers. But demand for this scent profile has also diminished drastically. If you're in the mood to experiment and time-travel a bit, you can spray Drakkar Noir, Lomani pour homme and Al-Rehab Dakar closely together on skin. None of the above has nowadays the power the 1980s Drakkar Noir had, but you can get closer to the original Drakkar Noir's impetus by combining all three: You will still get Drakkar high-impact top punch you like a bad wife, Lomani's lavender will bamboozle you like a gipsy car seller and Dakar will put the hairy moss-oomph those two lack. There's no known commercial equivalent to the old Drakkar-Noir to my knowledge in 2026, as many of the aromachemicals from the original formula got regulated by safety norms to non-existence. If you buy a vintage online, most surely the top notes won't be intact at all. So let this perfume live rent-free forever in our lizard brain. But if you're serious about getting that lovin' feeling back, layer the three aforementioned into one skin spot, and post back if it gave you a smile or a smirk.

#121 of My Fragrance Journey - Guy Laroche Drakkar Noir: Still keeping its jaw set. The bottle looks like a car part. Or a cheap lighter. Matte black, almost utilitarian, like it belongs in a gym bag or a nightclub bathroom under flickering blue LEDs. There's an arrogance to how functional it looks. No apology for what it is. The fragrance doesn't apologise either. Lavender, rosemary, verbena - sharp and loud, cutting through the air like cold light through smoke. It doesn't ease in. Doesn't ask. Commands space immediately, the way bass at 3 AM reverberates through your ribs before you've decided how you feel about it. There's sweat in it, steam, metal railings slick with condensation, bodies moving close in dark, anonymous rooms. The herbs are aggressive but disciplined - ritualistic almost. It smells like someone constructing themselves before stepping into the night. Leather jacket half-zipped. Fresh shave still cooling the skin. Not spectacle. Presence. Wormwood and carnation deepen it, juniper, dry spice, oakmoss and leather moving together like neon off wet pavement outside a warehouse. Dark green against black. It keeps its jaw set through all of it - refuses softness, refuses immediacy. Which is exactly why it divides people. Compared to the sweeter, rounder things that came after it, this can feel blunt to the point of aggression. That's not a flaw. That's the whole personality. After two hours or so, the projection drops - faster than you'd want, honestly. The electric opening settles into something quieter. Cedar, damp moss, shaving foam, warmth sitting close to skin. Less dangerous, less kinetic. Like a room exhaling after peak hour. The comedown from public armour to something more private. And somehow that transition is part of what makes it stick - the contrast between what it announces and what it leaves behind. It's a specific kind of confidence this thing carries. The ability to take up space without softening into neutrality. Black mesh against clean skin, fog machines and cold air hitting overheated bodies, green light catching silver jewellery at closing time. Not designed for comfort. Designed to become more yourself in spaces that weren't made for you. Vibe: Cold herbs, wet oakmoss, leather half-zipped. A nightclub that closed an hour ago. Performance: Commanding projection early, drops sharply after two hours into an intimate mossy skin scent. Wears closer than it starts. Fit: Nights that blur into mornings. Heavy boots. The feeling of arriving somewhere on your own terms. Is the nostalgia for vintage Drakkar just a longing for fragrances that carried identity without sanding down their edges - or does the oakmoss and leather still hold real danger today? More scent stories and visuals on Instagram - @lavendercloudsjd

Barbershop smell. Masculine, spicy, clean. Just wished they didn't reformulate it because longevity and projection is an issue here. It lasts around 3-4 hours only, with projection being within one foot. Nevertheless, I still love the smell and overspray this to make sure it stay longer on my skin