I recently revisited this (not having smelt it in probably 25+ years) and frankly, I was blown away. Really nice for the price. I was wondering what others think of it.
Jovan Sex Appeal
- Thread starter Edward 1689er
- Start date
It's pretty dang awesome! I have a bottle. Luca Turin thinks highly of it, too. If anyone cares what he thinks, that is. I just found it interesting how much he boasted of a cheap fragrance. Trutfully, his boasting is what prompted me to revisit.
Wow- brings back memories of 35 years ago! Loved the smell, unaware this is still in production!
- Thread starter
- #4
Yes, 4 out of 5 stars.
One of my favorites in the late 70's, you can still find it in Walgreens, CVS or Walmart. Another old-Time cheapie is Pierre Cardin Monsieur
I think both of these are much nicer than their price or availability would lead you to believe. I the Jovan had a nice French name, instead of "Sex Appeal for Men", it would probably be more popular.
The PC smells even more synthetic, in a bad way, than it did in the early 80s when I wore it a lot. I bought some recently as I wanted to rebuild a stock of citrus-y scents, but it wasn't up to my memory of it. Just an IMO, of course.
I liked the scent of Sex Appeal, but couldn't get over the name - I may try it now. One I wish Jovan would bring back is Grass Oil.
Since I had to stop at Wally World yesterday morning on my home from work yesterday anyway, I decided to pick up a bottle of the Jovan SAFM as a blind buy based on this thread, if the price was right. At 3 oz for $17, I think it was. And I'm glad I did, as well. I have absolutely no ability to pick out individual scents from fragrances, but I do very much like it. My girlfriend liked it well enough, although she also referred to it as "a more manly" scent than most of the stuff I wear... which I wasn't quite sure how to take. (She is another that absolutely despises "old man" scents... she has banned Pinaud Clubman from her presence, for instance.) I didn't tell her what it was, but I think I might not ever mention the name if I can manage.
Some new crappy company is making PC pour monsieur now. The original manufacturer was Tsumura. I had a massive bottle of that version that I gave to my father. He still has it. It's gorgeous stuff. I really don't understand why new licensees reformulate classic fragrances into swill. the whole mentality of making something so much cheaper for more profit only goes so far imo. by the time you get to "liking" or "re-liking" the reformulation, you find yourself left with a sense of being gypped. Usually feeling gypped leads to not wanting to repurchase . . .
Actually, wasn't it Tania Sanchez who reviewed Sex Appeal?
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- Thread starter
- #10
It was a review from their Book.
In their book, "Perfumes: The A to Z Guide" by husband and wife authors Luca Turin and Tania Sanchez, the authors explained that they took turns, with Luca Turin writing some reviews and Tania Sanchez writing others. When they disagreed on a fragrance (which isn't often) they would both comment. They "sign" the comments on each fragrance with their initials. Tania Sanchez initialed the comments on Jovan's Sex Appeal for Men. Her comments include "It is delightful, a fresh, handsome lavender and amber oriental with an affecting, aromatic anisic-woody drydown....It smells great....".
So I'd say you are all correct. Tania Sanchez wrote the review comments. She gives it 4 out of 5 stars. Luca Turin agrees, or he would have provided his own comments.
The things you guys make me do! I went to Best Buy this morning to pick up some cables. I got there about ten minutes before they opened, so I walked over to Wal-Mart to kill some time. I noticed the Sex Appeal for $17 and grabbed a bottle of the aftershave/cologne. I noticed the spiciness when it goes on, but it pretty quickly dries down to something not unlike Caron's 3rd Man. Pretty darned nice. I might even go back and pick up a bottle of the EdT.
I do have to admit I've gotten rid of my bottle. While it was nice, it's not as potent and long lasting as I prefer.
I've been fiending for this all week. What good memories. I'm even tempted to get a bottle of Jovan Musk. I'm holding back from the English Leather.
For some reason, I can't seem to find this once-ubiquitous drug store cheapie anywhere locally. Great, when I could get it I didn't want it and now that I want it I can't find it! GRRRRR.....
Thanks to our local fumehead The Nid Hog, I was able to track down some Jovan Sex Appeal locally. I purchaesd the EDT version. REALLY nice autumn scent, with a progression that's way beyond it's price tag once the initial alcohol blast burns off in the first couple of minutes. Yes, there's patchouli and spice and some oak moss wrapped up in a nicely rounded Oriental, but for me there's something else deep in there that recalls those crisp fall evenings of my youth, looking at the last light fading through bare-branched trees in the distance and grass that's yellowed with frost, a crow flying off somewhere... Halloween maybe...?
Strangely, this supposedly-ubiquitous scent is new to me (at least on a conscious level)--I never wore nor knew anyone who wore this scent as far as I can recall. Still, there's something about it that is seriously evocative for me subconsciously. I get a vague sense of longing somewhere deep in my brain that I just can't put my finger on. Luca Turin and Tania Sanchez were right, IMO: this is definitely a keeper. All this, and it's under $20.00 for a 3 oz. bottle!
Really liking this, and looking forward to wearing it throughout the fall.
