Gendarme V
Gendarme (2000)

BRIGHT, clean take on a vetiver scent. Gendarme V is tastefully fresh and has that soapy quality reminiscent of fine-milled soaps (versus every day, generic bathroom brands).

Gendarme V is a well-balanced, pleasant experience. For me, I appreciate its muted quality, so the soap-like vibe doesn't become overwhelming. Just beyond a mere skinscent, and seems to last a long time without becoming sour. The scent is predictable and has a nice touch of musk (the civet note, I think).

I can see myself spritzing this one on for a stepped-out-of-the-shower sensation, at home or outside, during most seasons of the year (esp. cooler). Give it a shot and see what you think, as an alternative to the always loud, soapy Gendarme outings (not in a bad way).

They didn't bother with top notes on this one. How radical is that? You have to wait for the blast of undisguised rubbing alcohol to wear off before you can enjoy the punchy basil/tarragon herbal accord Gendarme V has to offer. I haven't smelled a more literal rendition of these culinary herbs since Maître Parfumeur et Gantier's salad dressing fantasy Baïme, and while it's an appealing effect in both cases, it's not necessarily something I want to wear.

As Gendarme V develops the anisic/licorice aspect of its herbal notes grows more conspicuous, in contrast to a sharp, tart citrus accord. I'd love to smell the listed civet note, since it would add depth and warmth to the composition while counteracting the salad dressing vibe, but it's not registering for me at all. The basil ultimately outlasts the citrus, which isn't saying much, since the whole scent runs its course inside of two hours. My final call? For an herbal, anisic citrus scent, you're better off with Eau de Rochas or Annick Goutal's Eau du Sud.

Ostensibly, this smells like soap. But it's got orange blossom and a touch of neroli dancing on top of a white soap smell, so it's quite floral - it reminds me of gold Dial soap, a smell that I really enjoy, hence the thumbs up.

This floral soap takes place on top of a warm-body-in-a-shower smell that's weirdly salty. Honestly, this shower body trick has become a bit of a cliche nowadays, but V deserves some sort of credit for jumping the bandwagon early.

As much as I'm unimpressed by the body smell, it works as a clever foil for the soap smell, and I REALLY like that soap smell...

Smells like clean soap. Fresh. Light. Too light. Not bad, but not good. Soap is cheaper.

I just don't like these notes, except for the civet, which is done well here. I'll give it a neutral because I can't think of anything "wrong" with it, but it's definitely not the kind of fragrance I enjoy these days. I find the anise to be strong and not pleasant here, but I do like Lolita Lempicka au Masculin, so that leads me to believe that it's just the combination here that doesn't work for me, rather than the fragrance being "bad" in any way.

To me this was all about biting into a green apple. Ultimately, this is not the kind of enjoyment I seek when wearing a fragrance. Civet in the note list of this? HA HA!! Quite a joke. This is all about smelling clean (and undaring) and therefore, for the ones who can't have a third or fourth shower during the day due to time constraints...