1881 Men

This and Paco rabanne pour homme are My favourite spring, summer fragrances doesn’t last long but just spray away as it’s so cheap

Cerruti 1881 smells like, "I can't find my Issey Miyake, I'm heading out of the door to go to the club, and I don't want these girls to smell everyone else and not me". And I mean that with affection. I had this when I was about 20 or 21, and if memory serves me correctly, I paid somewhere around £12 for a 100ml bottle. That made it about three or four times cheaper than the fragrances I actually wanted to buy, which was important at that age because spending £50-60 on another bottle of Issey Miyake would have severely eaten into my weed, coke, pills, and beer budget. Priorities, my friends. Priorities. 1881 was never really my usual type of fragrance. It's too woody and too green for that. I naturally preferred the fresher, brighter character of things like Issey, Acqua di Giò, Tommy, and Polo Sport (and if you've read any of my other reviews, you'll know this - I probably mention it in every...single...review). There's sweetness here, but even that isn't really my kind of sweetness. Tommy has a freshness with a softer sweetness that I find incredibly easy to wear. The sweetness I remember in 1881 was sharper and more artificial; almost Sour Apple Warheads-like. Green, tangy, and slightly mouth-puckering. The opening was sharp and zingy, green, aromatic, and a little soapy. As it settled, the woody character became more prominent, and that's probably where it wandered furthest away from what I'd naturally choose for myself. But here's the thing; I still liked it. Not enough that I'd have chosen it over my favourites if somebody had lined them all up in front of me, but enough that when I was heading out and needed to smell good, 1881 did the job. And it actually performed. I remember the longevity being good, and the projection noticeable without being ridiculous. This wasn't something I wore because women were constantly stopping me to ask what fragrance I had on. It was much simpler than that. I was 20 years old, going out clubbing, and my primary requirement was basically, "please don't let every girl I speak to tonight smell everybody else's cologne except mine". 1881 was considerably better than nothing. And perhaps that's damning it with faint praise, because I genuinely did enjoy wearing it. There's something slightly old-fashioned about it to my nose now, but not unpleasantly so. It had enough personality to avoid becoming another generic cheap green fragrance, and for around £12, I certainly couldn't complain. More than anything, though, 1881 takes me straight back to nights out at Walkabout in Burnley. It's the end of a very, very long night. "I Think We're Alone Now" by Tiffany comes on, which means the "big" light will soon be coming on, and everybody will suddenly discover just how fucked we all look. So naturally, this is the signal to do the mad rush to the bar and order as many 3-for-2 Reef Orange & Passionfruit, or VK Blues as physically possible before they close. Then comes the walk back to the dancefloor, hands and pockets full of glass bottles, clinking my way along with my ten-man walk, looking like Liam Gallagher just started a career as a barman. Would I buy it again today? For the right price, yeah, I probably would. Not because it's suddenly become my type of fragrance. It hasn't. It's still too woody, too green, and slightly too Sour Apple Warheads for that. But sometimes you don't need to love something for it to earn a place in your memories. Sometimes it just needs to get you out of the door smelling decent.

A refreshing herbal fougere. It's a slightly different take on Eau de Rochas Homme focused on piney herbs instead of citrus, but they share a similar body.

The opening is typical of '80s fougères, with an intense soapy, fresh, herbal, and green accord that, for a moment, may remind you of Paco Rabanne Pour Homme. However, PR is incomparably greener—it's about as green as a fragrance can possibly get. Cerruti's opening, on the other hand, carries a more pronounced floral character. As the fragrance dries down, Paco Rabanne reveals the sweet, honeyed facets of tonka bean, something that never really happens with Cerruti. Instead, Cerruti retains its soapy signature, albeit in a softer, more restrained form, while the floral notes gradually come to the forefront alongside its powdery, clean, freshly washed character. The result is a perfectly balanced composition that feels elegant rather than overpowering. To me, this makes Cerruti a more versatile fragrance today than either Paco Rabanne Pour Homme or Azzaro Pour Homme. Perhaps that's because it was released in 1990, and that step away from the 1970s aesthetic is clearly noticeable.

I've really enjoyed wearing Cerruti 1881. It opens with a fresh, green, slightly herbal character that feels clean and refined without trying too hard. As it dries down, it becomes warm and woody with a soft, classic masculinity that reminds me of an era when fragrances focused more on elegance than raw power. Performance is definitely in the moderate range, which doesn't bother me since it's the kind of scent I wear for the office, casual outings, or anytime I want something understated. It won't fill a room, but it stays close enough to be pleasant without becoming overwhelming. Overall, Cerruti 1881 is a timeless, versatile fragrance that offers great value if you appreciate classic, fresh woody scents.

im living in the middle east, and i can say that this is the dior sauvage of the elderly (besides joop homme)

Very green retro freshie; dried juniper, cypress, and bergamot rinds, settles into mossy coniferous woods with a pleasant soapy effect. Spring and summer is best for this, warm autumn days would work too. Sits above arms' length on me.

I picked up 1881 Men about a decade ago, when I was just starting out. Coming back to it now feels like opening a time capsule from the 90s, when men’s fragrances had a very different idea of freshness. This is a largely linear composition built around a green, woody forest accord. Pine and cypress are front and center, wrapped in a noticeable powdery softness that was much more common in that era. It evokes the feeling of walking through a damp coniferous forest, slightly humid, slightly cool. Despite the listed notes, I don’t really get much in the way of florals. What stands out, especially from today’s perspective, is how unapologetically green it is. No sugary ambroxan haze, no loud synthetic projection tricks. Just a calm, slightly dusty, aromatic woods profile that wears close and steady. Some might call it dated now, and they wouldn’t be entirely wrong. But it represents a style that has largely faded. For me, it’s still a classic. Not because it tries to compete with modern releases (if anything, something like Lauder for Men (1985) might feel relatively closer to today’s tastes), but because it reminds me of a time when fragrances like this were the norm. Rating: 8-8.5/10

(Vintage Sample Review, 1990) Very aromatic herbal, medicinal, mossy, green, damp fragrance. 90s formulations are heavy on the oakmoss and vetiver. It is quite a pungent herbal fragrance, almost like smelling essential oils. At first it is sharp, but several hours in it dries down to a smoother and more pleasing scent. For a 1990 release it smells more like a fragrance from the early 70s -- not a bad thing, but it certainly smells dated. It's mature, 30+ give or take. I do think it is an interesting composition, just a bit strong, and will give it a 5.5/10.

imagine I drew a lot of criticism when I wrote that an excellent eau de toilette like Cerruti 1881 for men was a distant memory. The 200 ml bottle is still beautiful. Yes, it has an icy effect, but little of the fougere I remembered remains. I had a small vial from 1993 that I received from Selfridges so I could make a comparison. Short longevity, sillage far away, yes it remained green due to the galbanum, fresh for sure due to the strong mint. Now in spring it is suitable but you have to reapply it frequently throughout the day. It doesn't last more than an hour on me; it's a shame, but it could be similar to a classic Brut in terms of longevity and sillage, rather than Lauder for men or Paco Rabanne, or Dior Eau Sauvage. I wish Cerruti 1881 a long life, but I am very afraid of these heavy reformulations; in the end, little of the original remains...

I don't know if this is made anymore--I doubt it. But I just picked up a bottle recently and it's phenomenal. It doesn't last a long time and doesn't project well, so if you're looking for something that's BEAST MODE! then look elsewhere. But this has a lovely, classic, fresh scent that's more nuanced than a lot of more modern freshies. This could easily be someone's daily scent, but it's probably best for the spring and summer.

I have an old bottle from the 90s of a splash on aftershave so it's not as strong as modern sprays but it is a lovely citrus herbal barbershop smell, certainly a smell of its day but if you like that vintage scent this is a great example of 90s cool

Never wore 1881, so why review it you may ask? My father loved this. He would put it on and I would smell this wonderful powerful green and yellow citrus. This is a really good one.

Very shaving/barbershop cream to me, not at all in a bad way. Clean, fresh, well blended and masculine. I do like the juniper, cypress, bergamot opening more than the dry down which is more powdery/soapy, but still fresh and pleasant. Longevity is good. I could see this being great for whatever age and actually like to see solid fragrances like this come back around. That being said, it was very popular in the 90s so many people are going to associate it with a certain person in their life, for better or worse. I'd just warn you to test before you buy, as even gems like this may have associations you don't like.

I honestly wasn’t planning on buying this at all. I went perfume shopping, casually testing bottles, when I stumbled on 1881 and it instantly clicked. Fresh, clean, citrusy, slightly powdery, with that cold white crispness and a subtle smoky backbone. Exactly my type of scent. I finished a whole bottle in a month and already picked up the 200ml (which I’m sure I’ll fly through too). The opening, dry down, and the way it lingers after a long workday just works. All-season, easy daily wear, and honestly signature-scent worthy. Timeless classic vibes. It even reminds me of my uncles. I sometimes layer it with Bois Impérial for extra woody depth, but it’s perfect on its own too. What really says everything: I took a break from GFS by MFK because of 1881. And that says a lot.

Grabbed this one from an antiques warehouse of all places in a sealed 25ml box. It's a superb clean, manly oldie. Smells a little retro for sure but definitely stands the test of time in no small part to how well balanced and blended it is. The juniper, the aromatics and florals come together really well to make something that's just right and pleasantly soapy. It won't linger for too long, but reapplication isn't a factor to be afraid of since it's cheap as chips from discounters.

Nice scent very close to lauder for Men ♂️❤️ both are nice herbal fragrances 🤗 from the 90' 🏆 the current version is just ok! I prefer the vintage version ❤️

Fresh, woody, masculine. Not a beast, just fresh out of shower agreeable dude scent for all purpose. Got a tester batch 3289A from 10/2023 and the performance is like as described by the dude bellow. Having Boucheron Pour Homme as one of my favorite fragrances, I can say these are quite different, Boucheron is way more citrus forward, more Lemon centered. Drydown is a bit similar, but Boucheron performs much better from my experience.

Nino Cerruti Pour Homme is one of my top 5 favorite fragrances, so naturally I wanted to try 1881 for Men. Most forward notes are juniper, cypress & bergamot. Masterfully blended, fresh & green! Absolutely adore the smell! Would also like to try Boucheron Pour Homme & Lauder For Men, since they share similar notes! My only problem with this is how weak the current batch is. The longevity is at a pitiful 2 - 3 hours. Batch: 3296A Production date: 2023-10-23

Bitter, sharp, woody. Definitely doesn't smell modern. Very masculine and mature 60+. I don't enjoy this at all however, I do remember a woman gave me a compliment lol

I love this scent. Bought 100ml back when it started getting hot, ~May IIRC. Almost empty now. At first there was a weird note, almost virtual. Something just bothered me. Reminded me of Lapidus in some sense, making me think it was a poor choice. After the first day day I stopped getting that note. Then some kind of bitter/green note made me obsessed. I still don't know enough about fragrances to articulate but I assume it's at least partly the juniper because it reminds me of gin. There are of course multiple layers to the scent but this dimension of it has had me obsessed. I'm definitely getting the 200ml next, probably multiple bottles. I just love this when it's hot. I'm also moving Boucheron and Lauder up to the top of my to buy/sample list due to the comparisons. A woman I know I always thinks I'm wearing Kouros when I wear this. Idk what that's about. I don't get the comparison at all. But noting it anyway because she's been consistent.

Based on a pointless bout of nostalgia recently, i decided to grab a sample size of this old school fragrance from my teens in the nineties to see if it was still how i remembered it. I used to smell this a lot and i had friends and an old girlfriend who used to wear this all the time. My 1992 self loved it and thought it was a classy, exclusive scent and very sexy. I never owned a bottle myself but used to wear it sometimes as its unisex and my partner at the time always had it in the house. Here and now in 2025 i gave it a try for a few days and concluded... its got very dated and old fashioned now..... its a fresh and classy fougere, an after the morning shower standard issue 1990s fragrance Its weak and linear, but really good all the same Like The One Show on BBC, its universally inoffensive and therefore, bland its masculine enough but is absolutely good on a woman too....100% unisex it smells too much like shower gel or liquid soap in this era, in 1990 that was acceptable for going out clubbing or for dinner in a restaurant, now, fragrances have moved on. In the nineties this scent exuded wealth and sophistication, now it just smells like generic soap/moisturizer/cream/shower gel etc. Theres a lot to like about it, but it doesn't set my world on fire again some old school gems i have bought again and definitely still love in 2025 (Polo green, Quorum, One Man Show) but this one fell flat for me, its just weak and linear, but as shower gel smells go, this one is decent. i smashed about 25 sprays of this on clothing, over several days, each time it barely lasted 4 hours at most and that was smelling it right up against my nose. Projection low, longevity low, scent mild. Probably perfect for a board meeting or something, stays pretty anonymous but pleasantly fresh for 2 hours or so conclusion.....some things are best left in the past 4/10 from me

12/8/2025. This fragrance is scent for your grandfather and your father and probably you if you still prefer muscular scent and still believe there are mens perfume and women perfume and you can't mix them. Old fashion scent belongs to the family of Aramis,safari, quorum, hugo boss number one ...same style need to wear it if you gentleman with strong personality and proud to be old school.

This perfume stepped into my life as a gift from my partner who couldn't bond as much with it as he wished to. I already loved the bottle as it promised a timeless, clean, and refined world. I adore this scent even more than its siblings created for female users: they are too fruity to me, while this one is delightfully woody with a touch of herbs. It does remind me a bit of classic aftershaves (which I'm a huge fan of as well) at the opening notes, and then it turns into a fragrance that I can only describe as something that belongs near the ocean. This perfume reminds me of an afternoon spent at the beach on a sunny summer afternoon. I wear it as a unisex scent.

Love it! To me, from first to last whiff, it smells like powder.

Give yourself a dose of confidence and masculinity by wearing this fragrance. Describing this fragrance as old and outdated is like saying mustaches are outdated for men. This fragrance represents the classic man, full of masculinity and testosterone, but with a romantic heart and a velvety side. A low-priced fragrance that offers great value. A remarkable pyramidal scent, starting from herbal and spicy to green fougere, all the way to mossy, soapy, and (manly powdery) Scent: 8.5 out of 10 Performance: 8 out of 10 (it is good for you and people around you, no hard, offensive scent)

It gets a lot of hate from beta males that prefer wearing scents of feminine florals, bubblegum and girlie gourmands. They will call Cerruit 1881 too old mannish and overly green. Nonsense. It's a classic barbershop of stylish gentlemen. Not for girlie men.

The resemblance to Lippizan, Lauder for Men – it’s noticeable. Of course, we’re in the territory of Bogart, Caractère, Versace L’Homme, but to me, this feels more interesting. I need to find a way to distinguish it from Lauder. Hopefully it’s not the case that Lauder contains more vulgar greenery and is worse blended. On paper, it disappears quickly, like all fragrances in this profile – they vanish completely (Lippizan, Lauder). Only Gianfranco lasts, though it drifts in a different direction – more towards a leather-based comparison. ⸻ On skin, it doesn’t leave much of an impression, lacks the character of Lauder. So all in all, this one would be skippable. It’s like Aramis, Lauder or Santos extend a hand slightly toward Flannel – that herbal old-man feel, so while still very good, they can come across a bit more mature than Lippizan, 1881, or even Boucheron PH. Those, in turn, reach more toward Nobile, Bon Monsieur – they’re sportier. Still, all of them operate within some elevated tension.

Dry and clean soapy scent with a dark floral undertone. The soapiness reminds me of that in Paco Rabanne Pour Homme, and Antonio Puig Quorum - instead of green soap, this one gives hints of a rose soap. This makes the overal scent feel dated and mature. Casual summer day wear

Weird fragrance, my nose almost blinded with it. Pine, cypress and moss create some kind of smoothy naftoline "adventure in the wardrobe". It is like kafkian "insect" experience. Or, perhaps, lip powder, bug poison from W. Burroughs' "Naked Lunch". But it's nod bad. Very accurate using only on clothes add a beautiful vintage charm to image. Not available for office, I can imagine a chess sparring, ceremony, language exchange party etc. I will try it with G-man, strange combo of weird fragrances Update. After two months naftoline notes disappeared, now it the most likeable fragrance. Very good projection. Perfect longevity on my skin. 10/10